Dear Travel Agents and Advisors,

I strongly believe that the ones who succeed in the travel business are the creative ones. (Actually, that’s true in any kind of business, but our niche is travel, isn’t it?)

Say you approach a prospective client and offer a trip to a nice resort in the US and find that the person is still not ready to sleep in a bed that someone else has cleaned, or eat from a restaurant, or share public areas with strangers. So what do you do? Cross that prospective out for 2020…or offer an RV?

Did you know that RV rental companies pay commission?

Yes, they do!

The rental of RVs has increased 600% thanks to Covid-19. As in the case of any travel business, there are travelers who will try to deal directly with the RV rental company. It seems that they don’t value their own time, and many don’t know that by using a travel agent/advisor they will save themselves time and headaches, get all the information they need and the benefit of tips from an expert.

RVs come in all sizes, from the most simple and least expensive, to the most luxurious. Overall, they are a well priced vacation rental and combine the best of both worlds. Travelers pack and unpack only ONCE. Their accommodations travel together with them while they explore each and every place they decide to stay.

At the time of the rental, the group can designate how many drivers they need from their group, and plan how far and how many days they will travel. Together with a travel agent, they can find places that the group can explore, and still feel safe in every way.

Along the route, they can stop at Walmarts and gas stations, or Costco or Sams to purchase a variety of food. They don’t need to go to any restaurants if they don’t want to. They can feel safer being completely self contained for their entire vacation.

So what is the excuse not to sell travel this year?

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

We all know that now more than ever, travelers need travel experts to help them with their vacations and making decisions for future trips, otherwise they will be throwing away money like there is no tomorrow.

So, let’s see what is new in the cruise world (and I am already apologizing for any “old” information, since it changes almost every day!)

All eyes have been on the Caribbean as a likely source for an early return to cruise service, one reason being that the islands rely heavily on tourism for their economy. Yet far away in the Pacific, the island paradise of Tahiti fits the bill as well: heavily reliant upon tourism, and mercifully with few cases of Covid to date (60 cases and zero deaths), and no CDC regulations.

That said, the first major cruise line to return to service following the Corona Virus travel suspension, Paul Gauguin Cruises announced that it would resume offering cruises for international passengers to Tahiti on July 29, 2020.

Meanwhile, changing what I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the use of masks on airlines, on June 16th, United Airlines announced that it is doubling down on its mandatory mask policy. Starting on June 18th: “any passenger who refuses to comply with its mask requirement will be placed on an “internal travel restriction list” and will lose their travel privileges on United for a duration of time to be determined pending a comprehensive incident review.”

That is the same “mandate” as for Spirit, Delta and JetBlue. Southwest will provide masks if passengers “forget” theirs. Allegiant Air will begin providing passengers a kit that includes a single-use face mask (even though they encourage passengers to wear a face mask but will not require it!)

American Airlines had tension over wearing face masks which led to a passenger’s removal from a flight on June 17th as the airline enforces stricter safety measures.

While US aviation officials have not mandated face coverings for air travelers, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said in congressional testimony that passengers are expected to wear masks when directed by flight attendants.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in his testimony that air travelers should wear face coverings “for their own protection and the protection of those around them. Face coverings are especially important in situations where social distancing is not feasible.”

I know that when we discuss the use of masks especially during flights, people have strong opinions. I just think it is not fair to give the flight attendant one more responsibility and enforce the use of masks.

Travel Agents/Advisors have a lot to keep updated on. Use that information and show your prospective clients and regular clients how much they can benefit from your knowledge.

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

A few weeks ago, we talked about river and ocean cruises. Now, I want to focus on cruises vs. resorts, as travelers are getting more and more antsy to get going on their well-deserved vacations.

As we can see, other countries like Europe and the Caribbean will be open for the tourism before the US. We don’t see US ports being open to the cruise lines yet because they need to follow CDC guidelines.

But, in order to get to the river or ocean cruises in Europe, a traveler will have to fly to Europe.

I am wondering how soon and how many travelers are comfortable taking a long flight overseas, when we talk about keeping social distance, wearing masks, and especially with food, and sharing a bathroom.

Another choice is flying to the Caribbean (still overseas but not such a long flight from many US gateways). Cruises would have to start from a Caribbean island and would not need to follow the CDC’s guidance. Keep in mind that the Caribbean survives mostly from tourism generated from the cruise lines.

Another choice for those who are not comfortable with the social distancing rules of the cruise lines or the long flights overseas to catch a river cruise in Europe, is to relax in a resort.

Resorts offer the experience of the vacation one needs, while at the same time, allows guests to be socially distant from strangers.

Ultimately, resorts can be the place to go for many people who still want to have a vacation in 2020.

Many resorts offer day excursions to different areas around them, so the traveler doesn’t need to feel confined with just one place to visit. Another idea is to combine a couple of resorts and enjoy a broader area to visit.

The more options you can offer to your client, the more inclined he/she will be to find a reason and an opportunity to travel, despite the circumstances.

You, the travel agent/advisor, have the tools to make any vacation a great experience for your clients.

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Now is the perfect time to build your clientele and their bucket lists!

How?

Virtual Tours by Zoom!

Yes, you can, and this is one of the way to do it:

• Get a list of your clients and prospective client’s emails (ask for recommendations once you tell them what you are doing, no strings attached!)
• Contact your tour operators and get materials the you’ll need for different countries and different subjects (culinary, museums, beaches, etc.)
• If you don’t know much about a destination, try to get a local(s) to talk to your audience.
• Remember that pictures talk louder than any expert in any subject.
• Keep it short, a 30/40 minute presentation, and allow time for questions.
• Many tour operators will be ready to help you with a presentation.
• Give ideas for tours but mostly let clients build their own bucket lists.
• Be creative in ways to get more prospective clients to watch your virtual tours.

Tour companies and even river and ocean cruise representatives are ready to help hard working travel agents/advisors. This is the perfect time for great partnerships and creativity. Travelers are still dreaming about places to go, and with a little help from creative travel agents, they can “visit” some places and build a stronger bucket list.

Travelers have more time to dream now. Take this as your opportunity to build your business. You could sit and feel sorry for yourself, but instead, spend this downtime working on a fun and adventurous virtual tour.

Change CAN’T to CAN and just do it!

I am your cheerleader, keep me posted!

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Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Let me first disclose that I am a cruise lover and totally believe that the cruise industry will be stronger than before, and ready to accommodate all the requirements of the CDC and other health organizations once their ships are back out and about.

Unfortunately, science doesn’t yet understand all the details of how Covid-19 will act in the summer (northern hemisphere) or winter (southern hemisphere). No one knows how many ports will be open, and which countries will be accepting cruise lines.

It is still too early for cruise lines to announce a definitive date they’ll start sailing. Some have dates as early as August 1st. By booking those early dates, travel agents/advisors can easily set themselves for double the work (booking and rescheduling), plus spending hours on the phone and having their clients frustrated.

Cruise lovers who are concerned about crowded places but still love the freedom of having the “hotel” traveling with them without the hassle of packing and unpacking, should look into river cruises with a maximum of 200 cruisers.

Since rivers are different than the big sea, there are many short itineraries with very good prices for “tasting and trying” or like one of them is called, “Short and Suite!”

The river cruises will have the public areas disinfected, touch-free temperature checks and luggage disinfection prior to embarkation. They will strongly recommend passengers on tours use masks, which will be provided prior to departure of every excursion, along with gloves and hand sanitizing gel.

It is easier to control and check a smaller number of crew and passengers on a cruise ship, than a large one with 3,500 passengers.

Another important reason to choose river cruising is that medical services can be summoned easily from local hospitals, doctors and ambulance services, unlike ocean-going ships that must effectively act as their own hospitals until land can be reached. That can give some peace and tranquility to some cruisers.

I suggest learning more about river cruises when suggesting a vacation to your client.

As I said before, travelers are ready and eager to travel. Even the more skeptical ones just need some suggestions, opportunities, and clarification.

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