Allan VB – Page 5 – XOOM Tours

Let’s Focus Forward!

March 16, 2020 by Allan VB

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.

NOW IS THE BEST TIME!

March 9, 2020February 21, 2020 by Allan VB

February is a Great Month to Plan Travel!

I’m not a huge resolution-maker, but I have learned from some extremely smart mentors to sit down each year to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Here are just a couple of suggestions for YOU to think over before another year gets away from us:

1. Historically, the busiest time of the year for travel planning is January and February.

Because families and friends get together over the holidays and discuss their travel dreams for the upcoming year. Did you? Have you thought about it? I’m here to help you weed through your choices and save you tons of time researching on the internet!

If I haven’t been there myself, I know someone who has, and have direct lines to people who can add value and extra amenities…we are trained to cut through the slick advertising and fake reviews so that your dream vacation doesn’t turn into a nightmare. After all, there is a good reason why the people in those Booking.com commercials always look so relieved when they walk into a nice hotel room! Don’t leave something so important to chance!

2. It is proven that travel builds and strengthens family bonds like no other experience!

I can tell you first-hand that experiencing a foreign country with your kids is worth more than any class at school. We still laugh about some of the sticky situations and crazy moments that have happened to us along the way…but the most important thing is that my children will remember those stories and, hopefully, share them with their own kids one day. The family that travels together stays together and remember – “You only have 18 Summers” with those kiddos.

Whatever your resolutions, I look forward to spending this year in your inbox each week. I truly appreciate your interest, support and referrals. I am asking a favor of you today…Can you please forward this Ezine to at least one of your friends who you think might enjoy receiving it? If they like what they see, they can go to my website and opt-in! As you know, this is never “sales-y” and I always try to bring you some interesting travel-related content.

Thank you…you are appreciated more than you will ever know!

Best Wishes for a peaceful and prosperous 2020!!!!

YOU ONLY HAVE 18 SUMMERS!

March 9, 2020February 2, 2020 by Allan VB

“One day…we’re going to take the kids to Europe”; “We really want to travel to Asia…maybe Thailand or Vietnam, but we’re waiting until the kids are older”; “We really want to go out West and see the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, but our summers are just too busy”. Do any of those statements sound familiar to you?

The average American family doesn’t think they spend enough time together (guilty). Between school, work, sports, and extracurricular activities it’s no surprise that we feel disconnected and burned out. The best way to reconnect with your loved ones is to get away. No distractions and no excuses: just you and your kids (or Grandkids) spending “quality time”, enjoying each other’s company and maybe even experiencing an unfamiliar culture together. “Next Year, maybe” turns into the year after that…and so forth…until you “blink” and are sitting at their high school graduation wondering what happened and where did the time go!

Travel is proven to be a wonderful learning tool for children. Seeing how people live in other countries can open their minds and hearts and expand their imagination exponentially. Here are a few things that travel can provide for your family:

1. It creates lasting relationships…

between your own family members and people you meet while on the road. The folks that you run into along the way will give you a glimpse of what life is like outside your regular circle of friends and can give you a fresh perspective on how other cultures live. Our family welcomed exchange students, Emilio, Marta and Alberto from Malaga, Spain into our home several years ago. Over the years our relationship has deepened and we often times meet up with them in Europe and travel together. Most recently 2 of our 3 kids, Chris and Megan, met them in Barcelona for their college Spring break. They had a blast exploring the city, tasting mouth watering tapaps and visiting night clubs in the evenings.

2. You can learn another language…

There is something very exciting about being able to throw around a few words of French, knowing how to say hello and thank you in Portuguese, or ordering off of a menu written totally in Italian…and hoping you don’t end up with something inedible! And… knowing that if you do accidentally order something peculiar, that your whole family will still be laughing about it 20 years from now!

3. It gives you and your kids perspective…

Meeting folks from other cultures will teach you that the way you look at the world (maybe through the distorted lens of our mass media) is not always reality– and that you could be dead wrong about certain perceptions! We have had many meaningful conversations about why Europe is so far ahead of the U.S. in its transportation infrastructure, why people of Native Hawaiian descent still protest becoming a part of the US, and why so few French and Italian teenagers feel the deep temptation to drink alcohol in excess like ours do here in America.

Let’s Start Planning Your Family Vacation!

Are you reading this and thinking “Boy…I’ve always wanted to see Italy with my kids”? If you have this thought now, then you’ve probably always wanted to. You’ve imagined it, dreamed about it, envisioned it. Guess what? Now’s the time to JUST DO IT! I have several vacations options on my desk right now for folks just like you, who want to finally take their kids to Europe before they move onward and upward! So, let’s start designing your dream vacation and let’s engage your kids in the planning process!!

Remember…you only have 18 summers!

768 MILLION REASONS

March 9, 2020January 28, 2020 by Allan VB

Today, January 28, 2020, is National Plan for Vacation Day!

Celebrated on the last Tuesday of January, National Plan for Vacation Day is a day to encourage Americans to plan and use their time off. American workers let 768 million vacation days go unused in 2019, of which 236 million were forfeited completely. Wow!

Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to you! I can help you put your vacation days to use – Let’s partner and plan your next vacation.

Research shows that individuals who plan are more likely to use all of their time off, take more vacation days at once and report greater levels of happiness and success. And that’s where XOOM Tours can help.

I believe, whole-heartedly, that YOU deserve a travel journey that wows you every step of the way. I’m here to help you design and plan that, just for you. From educational journeys to anniversary celebrations, escorted tours to family escapes, you’ll get a detailed itinerary imbued with VIP access, local flavor, and a whole lot of heart & soul.

Through thorough research and expert design, I’ll plan a tailored vacation that connects you to your destination in eye-opening ways—and to the travel companions you share it all with.

And, of course, you’re not having to think of where to go next, or how to get there. Whether it’s through a custom itinerary or an organized escorted tour, I take care of all the logistics for you—for a flawless escape that keeps the focus on the astounding destination you’re exploring.

Falling in Love with Fallas

January 7, 2020January 3, 2020 by Allan VB

“Create experiences that leave you in awe,
for these will be the highlight of your life”. ~Ryan Blair

I love experiencing a new culture and learning more about their traditions and customs. It’s enriching, exciting and quite interesting. So, one March morning while exploring Valencia, Spain I set out to see what all the excitement was in the streets and neighboring communities. I knew I was in for a really neat experience. All throughout the city, I noticed many beautiful structures, or ninots (puppets or dolls), on every street corner. Many were taller than the rooftops. Each one was quite unique and brightly colored. I just happened to be walking into the most spectacular and world-famous festival known as Fallas.

Fallas is a traditional Spanish celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph and the arrival of Spring. The origin began from a Valencian carpenter’s tradition of using planks of wood called parots to hang their candles on during the winter, as these were needed to provide light to work by. With the coming of the spring, they were no longer necessary, so they were burned.

To this day, crews of artists and artisans, sculptors, painters, and other craftsmen, spend months producing elaborate masterpieces to honor St. Joseph. These fanciful caricatures are created out of paper, wax, wood and polystyrene foam, with some towering up to five stories in height. Each one is produced under the direction of one of the many individual neighborhood casals fallers who vie with each other to attract the best artists, and then to create the most outrageous allegorical monument to their target.

No matter the size or the detail, each ninot tells their own story and is extravagant in their own way. Throughout the festival there is a contest for the best ninot. At the end of the celebration an award is given to one masterpiece and this statue is the only one that is not burned at the end of the festival. The winning ninot is then placed in a museum with the previous winners, which is open to the public during the festival.

The last day of Fallas is March 19^th and is known as La Cremà. As day turns to night and darkness sets in, every ninot throughout Valencia is set ablaze. As each statue burns the crowd will slowly move to Plaza del Ayuntamiento where the last statue of the entire festival is burned. This is an amazing sight to see and even from hundreds of feet away you can feel the heat of the flames. Being able to go from statue to statue as you follow the path to the main Plaza is an amazing tradition that you simply need to experience first-hand.

Thousands of people travel from around the world, near and far, just to get a glimpse of this breathtaking festival. From the food to the dancing to all the amazing ninots, Fallas is an amazing and lively celebration that should be on anyone’s bucket list. This is truly a festival that you will want to visit more than once.

If you are ready to fall in love with Fallas, or another incredible travel experience, let’s get started!

Travel Agent or Travel Expert?

December 6, 2021January 1, 2020 by Allan VB

Ordinary?
If WOW is what you’re looking for then it needs to be EXTRAORDINARY!

You need a Travel Expert, not a Travel Agent!

Quite often I hear from prospective clients some variation of “I talked with so and so who went on a trip with you and it sounded amazing. She said it was their best trip ever.”

Or…“My friend just returned from a vacation that you planned for her family, and she can’t stop talking about it. They especially loved the dinner in a local families’ home.”

Or this, “I love your website and social media sites. Your pictures are amazing! I wish I could experience it like you do.”

Even, “My friend said they could never imagine planning another trip without you again”.

And they usually end with asking, “How do you do it?”

I smile and say, I’ll let you in on my secret…..(dramatic pause ?)…..I’m a Travel Expert!

“Oh, so you’re a Travel Agent?”. Nope, I’m a Travel Expert! I travel for my living.

Over the past 12 years, I have planned and personally led more than 60 domestic and international group tours, in addition to coordinating corporate, family and educational travel experiences, along with my personal travel.

So when you combine this extensive experience along with my global network of travel partners and suppliers, you get a Travel Expert specializing in luxury and experiential travel. It’s just the same as when you are looking for financial advice, you turn to a Financial Advisor. Or if you need legal advice, you consult with an attorney. Or if you have a medical situation, you consult with a doctor specializing in your area of need. So it makes sense when it comes to travel and planning your amazing vacations, that you seek the advice and expertise of a Travel Expert.

Here are the benefits you’ll enjoy when working with a Travel Expert:

To take it from Ordinary to Extraordinary
As a Travel Expert I make sure you don’t miss out on extraordinary experiences that you may not be aware of or cannot get on your own, as they are only available through our exclusive global network of travel partners and suppliers. I’ll use inside information to arrange behind the scene tours, secure access into exclusive events, have your tours and excursions scheduled at the best times, provide upgrades and amenities when available and more. My goal is that you return from your vacation saying, “WOW! That was an amazing experience!”
Save Time, Save Money and Reduce Stress
It’s easy to book a flight and a hotel online and go on an ordinary vacation. I also know it’s incredibly difficult, stressful and time consuming to plan an extraordinary one. A recent study by Google highlighted the average research time to plan a one-week vacation takes up to 80 hours. And even with all this time and effort, there is a high potential for costly booking and travel coordination mistakes. Your time, money and life experiences are your most valuable assets, so entrust them to a Travel Expert.
Attention to Detail
There are so many components that go into the design of a customized itinerary, and it can become especially complex for highly specialized, group or multiple country travel. As your Travel Expert, all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy knowing I ensure every detail is covered. Before you leave, I do a detailed walk through of your final itinerary and provide your travel documents along with a mobile app customized with your trip specific information and itinerary, with links to insightful and informative destination information.
Trip Advocate
If something goes wrong, and those that travel know eventually it will happen, as your Travel Expert I go to bat for you — no matter the issue – as the most important thing at that time is to get your vacation back on track. With my extensive contacts around the world, you are only one call away for immediate help and local support.

So there is a difference between a Travel Agent and a Travel Expert.

I work with clients from all over the world and would love to meet you and work together on your next adventure.