Why I Don’t Use Tour Operators or Destination Management Companies for Japan Trips

If using a Tour Operator (TO) or Destination Management Company (DMC) makes booking easier for travel agents and even increases their earnings, why don’t I use them? I have several reasons!

I Want My Clients to Have Freedom of Choice
When planning a trip, flexibility is everything. Take Tokyo, for example—the world’s largest city. One TO/DMC I researched offered just 25 hotel options in the entire city. In Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city, there were only two. Meanwhile, when booking independently, I had access to over 3,000 hotels for the same dates! Why limit my clients when there are so many incredible options?

I Take Full Responsibility for Your Trip
When you choose me as your travel advisor, we’re establishing a business relationship that doesn’t end once your trip is booked. I want you to feel comfortable calling me—not a call center—if something happens during your trip. I don’t just send you on your way and hand you off to someone else. If an issue arises, I’m here to help, every step of the way.

It’s Never Been in My Clients’ Best Interest Financially
I’ve never found a TO or DMC to be the most budget-friendly option for my clients. Let’s look at a real example:

For a two-week Golden Route trip in November 2025, I compared pricing between a TO/DMC and my own customized booking process. Here’s what I found for two people flying economy from Nashville, TN:

With a TO/DMC

• 2 roundtrip economy flights: $4,636

• Shared (not private) airport transfer: $496

• 5 nights at Hilton Tokyo: $3,637

• Private 8-hour Tokyo tour: $932

• 2 nights at Kinnotake Sengokuhara: $5,651

• 3 nights at Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo: $1,660

• 4 nights at Shibuya Excel Tokyo: $2,259

• Private hotel-to-airport transfer: $315

• Total Cost: $19,586

Booking It Myself

• 2 roundtrip economy flights packaged with 5 nights at Hilton Tokyo: $5,772 ($2,501 savings!)

• Private airport-to-hotel transfer: $149 ($347 savings!)

• Private 8-hour Tokyo tour: $413 ($519 savings!)

• 2 nights in a Presidential Suite at Kinnotake Sengokuhara: $5,438 ($213 savings!)

• 3 nights at Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo: $1,065 ($595 savings!)

• 4 nights at Shibuya Excel Tokyo: $1,884 ($375 savings!)

• Private hotel-to-airport transfer: $149 ($166 savings!)

• Total Cost: $14,870 ($4,716 in savings!)

Even if you factor in my planning fee, my client still saved over $4,000—and that’s before considering that I could have chosen from thousands of hotels, not just the 25 that were available through the TO/DMC.

The Bottom Line
I have no issue with travel agents who use TOs or DMCs—I completely understand why they do! If I weren’t deeply familiar with certain destinations or if I didn’t love crafting custom trips like a mix of Jenga and Tetris, I might do the same. Plus, let’s be real—using a TO/DMC would mean I could make much more money.

But honestly? Nothing brings me more joy than building trips from the ground up and guiding my clients through every stage—from our first Zoom call, to selecting activities with my assistant Alex, to the predeparture call, to the moment they tag me in their amazing travel photos. Knowing that my work helped create lifelong magical memories? That makes it all worth it.