are travel agents ignoring $10k italy trips now?

I’ve been dreaming about a getaway to Italy—just a classic, 9-day trip, nothing too wild. I figured I’d make things easy and hire a travel agent, since I don’t know the ins and outs of Italian travel. But here’s the kicker: I reached out to four different agents, and every single one basically ghosted me when I mentioned my $10,000 budget. Now, I get that $10k isn’t a fortune in the world of luxury travel, but it’s not exactly pocket change either. I did the math—if they’re making 5-10% commission, that’s a pretty nice chunk of change for booking a few hotels and flights, right? I could probably do it myself with a couple of apps, but I wanted someone who actually knows the ropes. And when I finally got a quote, it was like they’d picked the most expensive options on purpose. Flights that cost double what I found in five minutes, hotels at $1,000 a night—do they think I’m made of money, or just not paying attention? I’m honestly starting to wonder if travel agents just don’t want to bother with trips that aren’t super high-end anymore. Has anyone else run into this? I thought hiring a pro would make things smoother, but now I’m just frustrated and a little insulted. Is $10k not enough to get decent service these days? #travelplanning #italytrip #travelagent #Travel