The last few weeks have been a blur as I’ve spent a majority of my time helping my clients rearrange their travel impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. This morning was the first chance I’ve had to catch my breath, reflect, and think about the future.
Everything I think leads me back to two common themes.
The first is that this crisis will pass and as it does, there will be significant opportunities starting this summer to travel. You may see travel opportunities with great value and additional opportunities for more inclusions as everyone in the travel industry competes for your business working hard to get back to normal as soon as possible.
The second is that the travelers that have used a travel advisor for their travel during this crisis are more than thankful as they saw in the most extreme of instances their value in an emergency.
Helping to Navigate Travel Emergencies
I’ll start with the second theme first. One of the reasons for using a travel advisor is emergencies. Global events like COVID-19 are rare, however big weather events have become commonplace, widespread and unpredictable, non-weather events like civil unrest, volcanic eruptions, massive wildfires, and labor strikes are happening more frequently, disrupting travel. When this happens, as your travel advisor, I go to bat for you.
In addition to working one-on-one with my clients on their individual COVID-19 situations, I am blessed to partner with Gifted Travel Network, my host agency that provides support to me and many of my colleagues. Due to the global severity, we’ve been on group forums and video conference calls day and night helping each other to help our clients. We’ve been re-booking our client’s vacations, assisting with Travel Insurance claims, helping clients stranded in-country, working directly, often on hold for hours with the airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, trains, hotels, doing everything we can to work magic. All while calming their fears, helping them with disappointment, navigating the complex and ever-changing rules & penalties.
I am your travel advisor and ADVOCATE – watching out for your best interests. I do it, not only because it’s part of my work, but because I am PASSIONATE about travel and my client’s travel experience.
LET’S FOCUS FORWARD!
It may be hard to see the potential for future travel opportunities when all we can see today is clouded in uncertainty. However, history shows us every event, minor and major, comes to pass. And for those like me who believe in the allure of travel, the coming opportunities will be some of the best we’ve seen.
So, if you’ve postponed your plans, or you’re thinking about a future journey, it’s okay to dream.
But the key is to have a plan and the right travel insurance policy so you’re able to take advantage of the opportunities as they come without worries.
Research shows that individuals who plan are more likely to use their time off, take more vacations and report greater levels of happiness and success. And rest assured I will be ready when you are!
So, let’s FOCUS FORWARD together!
I wish you, your family and your friends the best as we move through and beyond COVID-19.
