Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

What happens when the things that we enjoy having and wearing are not safe to display or enjoy anymore? How frustrating it is to see people getting robbed and/or beaten up just because they have something they worked hard to get.

My dear friend just got robbed and badly beaten up by a robber who demanded everything she had in her house. It was a very traumatic ordeal and the perpetrator got caught a few hours later. Unfortunately, her trauma didn’t disappear at the same time.

My husband has a love for expensive cars. He had a couple of Maseratis and his latest car was a red Aston Martin. He really loves his cars! When he heard that someone in our neighborhood got beaten up after parking a Ferrari on the street, he sold his cars right away and got a Tesla.  I asked him if he was sad, and he said his life is worth more than his “hobby.”

I am telling you this not to complain about life, even though it is very upsetting, but to look at the other side of life where we all can enjoy life safely: by traveling!

We don’t need fancy cars, jewelry, expensive clothes or anything to become a target. By traveling, we can go first class, business, coach or even by private jet and enjoy life safely (just don’t scream too loud on social media, LOL!) You can go to a Presidential suite, a suite, or any kind of room when you cruise. Go to a fancy or simple resort. Just enjoy life safely and don’t become a target by wearing fancy jewelry and advertising for a fancy brand!

Enjoy life, travel as much as your life desires, and know you do not have to be a target!

Cheers to life!

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Every time I write a blog or I post something on Facebook or Instagram, I remember an old cartoon of two men, side by side, digging deep in the ground. The man on the left finds a small diamond. The man on the right sees the man on the left with the diamond, so he stops digging on his side, and moves to the left where the other man stood. We can see that if the man on the right continued digging on his side, he would have found a much bigger diamond, but he gave up, thinking that all the diamonds were all on the other side.

How many times have we heard success stories like that of Coca Cola? Today, more than 1.4 billion servings of Coca Cola products are enjoyed every day — nearly a million servings every minute. But in their first year, 1886, they sold an average of 9 drinks a day. Today, Coca-Cola is available in more than 200 countries around the world.

We can talk about the success stories of Disney, Oprah and so many others. The biggest secret to success is focus and persuasion.

These stories sound so wonderful BUT what if I am following the wrong path?

What if this is not the right thing for me?

What if my neighbor has a better idea?

So many of these thoughts come to me in the middle of the night and I can almost feel my bedroom being “invaded” – it feels crowded!

There are so many people that just want to make their mark. To be famous and respected, to have their opinions quoted by many – to find the diamond when they are digging.

To those people and to myself I say: Continue digging! Don’t move to another place – follow your heart and do it with love. It doesn’t matter how many sales you are booking at this moment. Just focus and persist. At this moment you are creating! No one can do it for you, and in few years from now, you will remember how good it was.

Cheers!

Follow me at:

Facebook @travelwithrosana

Instagram @ travelwithrosana

Blogs @www. travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Sometimes I wonder how much knowledge a writer in the media has. Maybe, just having a pulse is enough qualification to write an article. How does the New York Times have the nerve to publish something about travel while obviously not doing any due diligence in learning how travel agents work?

Here is the piece they wrote last week about travel: “Fly direct if you can, carry on essentials in case your bag is delayed, and consider using a travel agent if you can afford it.”

It goes on: “Beyond that, even if you’re too broke or overwhelmed to plan the ideal trip, try to go somewhere you’ve never been before for at least two nights. Spend some time in nature even if you’re not outdoorsy. Talk to a stranger even if you’re not an extrovert. My observation is that a lot of people are mentally struggling right now. Years of working from home, obliterated routines and exhausting daily risk assessments have taken their toll. I love how even a short trip can help reset us and extract us from the pandemic blur.”

Whoever wrote that article didn’t understand some basics. The most important point that needs to be cleared up is: Using a travel agent doesn’t cost MORE. This is like saying if you are sick, go to the doctor IF you can afford it, otherwise, Google your symptoms. Who really cares?

In the next paragraph, he/she/they prove their stupidity by recommending nature for someone who doesn’t enjoy the outdoors and suggesting that an introvert to go talk to people. How about an amusement park for those who hate lines and roller coasters? Genius!!!

I don’t know what is worse – the writer, the newspaper, or the readers who believe this nonsense.

In this world of so much news that is not actual news, but personal opinion, often offered without any research, can we stop and think for ourselves, and stop reading articles like this.  

Let’s work harder to educate people, especially when the media is working against us!

Cheers!

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

I have always up to a challenge in my life. In the past, I struggled with my weight and during 2004, lost 80lbs and have kept it off since. I went from a size 16 to a size 4. Back then, I tried many different diets and different kinds of exercises (I even hurt my back in group classes!) until I found my own way. It was not surgery or magical diets – in my opinion, they DONT WORK for the long term!

Why am I sharing this? Like many new TAs who are struggling to find their niche and how to keep their clients, one formula doesn’t work the same for everyone. Unfortunately, it is not one size fits all.

I love self-help books for losing weight, to how to become a billionaire, and everything in between. Hopefully, they help the writer make money, and are very inspiring to read. But again, everyone is different and what works for Jane will probably not work for John or Jessie.

When trying a new diet and learning that it doesn’t work for you, or that it is making you feel miserable, don’t just try another diet. Or even worse, continue to stay on the same diet, calling it “research.”  How about trying to analyze why it is not working FOR YOU?  

How can you do this? Some people are good at analyzing themselves. Others work best in a support group or with friends. Some are lucky to find coaches or mentors. There are free mentors like me out there who love to pay it forward.

There are people who don’t believe that a free mentor will really help without an ulterior motive. I am sorry for them! For those people, I am working on getting 900 number and charging $5 a minute!

To less research and more accomplishments!   

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Here we are – it has been over 2 years since the beginning of Covid. So many predicted that tourism was done for, and no one would ever travel again, maybe only inside one’s own country. Well, here we are facing summer of 2022. We all know that more and more flights are being canceled and that there are more delayed than on-time flights, not only in the US but all over the world. Airlines prices are skyrocketing and luggage is missing or lost like never before.

Let’s try to understand why, so you can explain to it your clients. Make sure you advise them of two very important pieces of information. In my opinion, these two things should be highly recommended by you, and your client should have to sign that he/she/they were advised and can’t blame you for bad consequences:

• Comprehensive Travel Insurance
• Highly recommend traveling with carry-ons

Now, as for what is going on:

Airlines, especially American ones, are not supposed to increase the price of the airline tickets because of the price of the fuel or inflation. So why are the prices so high? There are two big reasons: many pilots are retiring, and airlines are reducing the number of flights to major destinations, controlling supply and demand. This way, they can raise prices and try to make up for the revenue they lost, especially on the corporate side, since they don’t make as much money on leisure. The corporate side is coming back slowly.

Should we cross our fingers for 2023? In my humble opinion, it will take a couple of years until the airlines get more new pilots and corporate travel goes back to the way it was before Covid.  

About luggage being missing or lost, the problem is that airports don’t have enough ground workers to send the luggage to the different airlines. The situation is made worse because of canceled and delayed planes. This is happening a lot in Europe. So, using carry-ons is the real solution. Less is more. Get wrinkle free clothes. Undergarments that can be washed in the shower in the evening and be dried by morning time. Summer is great for shorts and t-shirts. Mix and match colors. Travel with older tennis shoes and some other clothes and leave them behind to make space for souvenirs. Ship home bigger souvenirs or presents. And don’t forget to make sure the comprehensive travel insurance covers for clothing in case of misplaced or lost luggage.

Once you cover these topics with your client (apps don’t do this!) you will have a client for life and hopefully soon, easier times when traveling for all.

Cheering for you!

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com