Examining the Travel consumer’s Perception of the Effect of the Internet on Travel Agencies: Evidence from Northern Cyprus
Prof. Dr. Tayfun Turgay, Dr. Cemal Çalicioğlu, Mohammad Al-zyoud

Abstract
There has been an ongoing debate about the future of traditional brick and mortar travel agencies due to the increasing influence of the internet in the travel industry. This influence which has seen an increase in the number of online travel websites within the last decade has been seen by some schools of thought as constituting a threat to traditional travel agents. While previous studies had focused on understanding the perception of scholars and practitioners with regard to the relevance of travel agents in the future of the industry, very few research has concentrated on understanding the perception of the travel consumers themselves. Moreover, there is an absence of literature focusing on this phenomenon from any of the many travel destinations in the Mediterranean. This study thus set out to fill this gap in literature by conducting an empirical examination of travel consumers from the four biggest nations from which non- Turkish travelers to North Cyprus originate; using a 5 point, 10 item likert scale questionnaire. Findings show that the participants patronized traditional travel agents more, but saw the future as one in which most travel purchases will be done online. They also affirmed the relevance of traditional travel agents and saw them playing a significant role in the internet influenced future of the travel industry.

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