Dear TA’s,

Are you and your clients ready? Europe is rolling out the red carpet to welcome American tourists this summer.  In hopes of reviving the crucial summer tourist season and as vaccinations rates increase, Italy, Greece, Croatia and Iceland are already welcoming Americans. France and other countries have stated that they will open in coming weeks. There are still some restrictions, and some annual events have been cancelled or postponed, but Europe is now welcoming American tourists.

For travel, Americans will need either a vaccination certificate, a recent negative Covid test or proof of recovery from Covid within the past six months.  These policies may vary by country. As a standard precaution, masks are required indoors, even for people who have been vaccinated. Masks may not be required outdoors, or when social distancing is possible.

In the United Kingdom it’s now possible to have a pint at the pub again. Shops and restaurants also are fully open. Theaters in London are open and so are museums and historical sites, many with special exhibits. Some of the U.K.’s festivals have had schedule changes, so it is best to confirm before planning a trip around a certain event. Americans heading to England must get a Covid test before flying and then are subject to multiple tests and a 10-day quarantine period upon arrival, even if they have been vaccinated. The U.K.’s travel restrictions/precautions are updated every three weeks, and the next adjustment expected June 7.

Visitors to Italy who take “Covid-tested flights” from the U.S. to Italy offered by certain carriers including Delta, Alitalia and American can avoid a 10-day quarantine upon arrival.  Museums such as the Uffizi in Florence and Rome’s Galleria Borghese are among the many museums that will require reservations this year.  In Venice there will be many events to celebrate the city’s 1,600th birthday, and the opportunity to see churches and art not usually on display to tourists.  

This week, after more than a year, France will welcome visitors from the U.S. There are many famous attractions in France that are outdoors, including the Champs-Élysées, Luxembourg Gardens, the Place des Vosges and Place Vendôme. The Eiffel Tower can only be seen from below until July 16, when it will be possible once again to enjoy its spectacular views by taking the elevator or stairs. The Palace of Versailles now requires timed reservations, and in Paris, most reopened museums also require reservations.

Greece has been open to tourists from the U.S. since mid-May. There is currently a push by the Greek government to vaccinate all of its citizens, which will attract more tourists and bolster summer business. The Acropolis in Athens is open, as are most outdoor cultural sites throughout Greece. Ferries to the Greek islands also require proof of vaccination, a negative Covid test or proof of recovery.

Iceland was the first European country to let in vaccinated tourists from outside of Europe. Several major airlines are offering flights to Reykjavik. Nature lovers will enjoy a new 590-mile driving route around Westfjords in the northwest part of the country taking visitors to see cliffs, fjords, waterfalls and traditional Icelandic villages. Another driving route is the 155-mile Diamond Circle, which passes by massive waterfalls, the horseshoe-shaped Asbyrgi canyon.

Croatia is also now opened up to U.S. visitors. Tourists must prove they have paid for accommodations and there is also a vaccine-test-recovery requirement. Later this summer, Delta and United will have direct flights from the U.S. to Dubrovnik.

Even though the CDC recommends essential travel only at this time, be aware that ticket prices and demand will increase dramatically at the slightest policy change here in the U.S., or in your destination country.

I hope you have your clients signed up for travel to Europe and that you are too!

Cheers!

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Dear TA’s,

As summer approaches, and the outlook on travel improves, certain added fees are making a comeback. During last month, for example, most major airlines reinstated charges for some ticket changes. That didn’t take long at all!

To attract travelers during the pandemic, many companies suspended additional fees and charges, but they never stopped needing that additional revenue.  Now that people are starting to travel again, the fees have come back. These fees fall into two categories: new ones imposed by countries on international visitors, and the fees charged by companies such as airlines, travel agencies and vacation rental firms.

The island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean is now charging a mandatory $30 fee for a Visitors Protection Plan, which covers medical expenses and a medical evacuation – even if you do not need or want it. The Bahamas is charging visitors $50 to $70 for a Bahamas health visa. The visa covers basic medical expenses on the islands. It is predicted that even after the end of the pandemic, countries may keep these medical Visa requirements to offset medical costs for tourists, or institute strict medical insurance requirements.

Certain vacation rental companies have added security charges and increased security deposit requirements.  There was an increase in high-risk bookings during the pandemic – resulting in raucous parties and property damage.  Guests have used fake IDs and stolen credit cards to book and even uses the rented spaces for criminal activity.  New fees cover the costs of noise sensors, cameras, and guest-screening services.

In the past, a travel agent’s earnings came almost exclusively from commission from service. Since the pandemic, many agencies are now charging a fee for their professional services, time and knowledge, and most customers are willing to pay these fees. Booking travel with a travel agent provides a peace of mind, especially with the ever-changing travel rules and restrictions implemented since the pandemic.

The time a travel agent spends creating an itinerary and talking with the client is worth money. If a travel agent is not comfortable charging a service fee, they can offer to deduct it from the booking at the end of the trip or use the fee amount as a credit for a future vacation.

Don’t be embarrassed to charge a service fee. If your client doesn’t want to pay, you can easily add his/her name to a waiting list so you can eventually work on their itinerary AFTER you work on the ones for those who are willing to pay for your time and expertise.  

Once you value yourself, your clients will too!

Cheers!

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Dear TA’s

Have your clients dust off their passports! Leisure travel to Europe is closer to reality after the EU’s recent decision to relax some of the regulations regarding tourism travel for visitors from outside the EU, and ambassadors have agreed to allow fully vaccinated visitors in.

Changes were also made to the criteria for nations to be considered a “safe country,” from which incoming tourists can travel.  At this time though, it is still unclear when the welcome mat will be fully rolled out.

The strict measures imposed last year to contain COVID-19 outbreaks have been eased. Now, the European Commission has said entry should be granted to all those fully vaccinated with EU-authorized vaccinations. These immunizations are those produced by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.  Though it has been recommended that certain restrictions should been eased, some EU countries have not formally approved this measure yet.

An updated list of countries that meet the new vaccination criteria is expected soon, and many experts expect the United States to make the next cut. Until now, the list of countries from which travel is permitted includes seven nations: Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China. There is also an “emergency brake” plan which will stop dangerous virus variants from entering the EU which can be quickly enacted if infection rates rise in a non-EU country. There is also the possibility that new entry measures will also include PCR tests or quarantines.

These new measures are expected to prop up the EU’s tourism industry and help recover some income over the peak summer season. Greece has already lifted quarantine restrictions for the U.S., Britain, Israel, and other non-EU countries as negotiations between governments and EU lawmakers to introduce COVID-19 certificates aimed at facilitating travel across the region this summer continue.  Greece has reopened to international tourists and no quarantine is required for vaccinated Americans

Cheers and have a safe trip!

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Dear TA’s,

Before the pandemic, travel agents’ job prospects were declining, thanks to online travel agencies making it easier for travelers to handle their own arrangements. Now,  it feels as if the role of a travel advisor has a new relevance. Many travelers who have previously booked their own travel are turning to travel agents to assist with their upcoming vacations. The pandemic has led to a feeling of uncertainty, and constantly changing rules and policies have left travelers unsure of navigating the post-Covid travel world on their own. They are now seeking the expertise of a travel advisor to guide them through the process.

After a year during which so many travelers were burned, it just makes sense! Travel advisors are advocates for their clients. They provide travelers with advice and guidance based on their experience, knowledge, and industry insight. A recent survey indicates that 33 percent of travelers anticipated an increase in their use of travel advisors because of the pandemic.  Even a demographic who was not likely to use an agent in the past (travelers aged from 18 to 38), say they are more likely to book upcoming travels through an agent.

People often seek the advice of a professional when they are making  big purchases such as homes or cars. Travel can be one of the largest expenses people have in a year. If there is a possibility of borders closing or flights being canceled, there is a feeling of safety knowing that your travel advisor is on top of issues that might affect you, and is working to reschedule your trip or get your money back.

Travel agencies across the country are already seeing unprecedented levels of interest. Business is booming for agencies because of pent-up demand for travel, combined with  confusion caused by complexities involved with traveling right now. It seems that travelers feel safer booking with an agency that will provide the latest travel safety information, can change or cancel tickets if necessary and help get them home if a problem arose. 

This does put additional strain on the agent. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and regulations, some itineraries require frequent changes. Some borders have not reopened as planned, and ever-changing travel restrictions affect a destination’s ability to welcome incoming travelers.  Add to that, calming the nerves of clients traveling for the first time since the pandemic – the job of an agent has become more challenging than ever before.

It’s a challenging yet exciting time to be in the travel field.  Especially for agents who are dedicated to their clients and making sure they get the most out of their travels.

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Dear TA’s,

As I have said before, get ready to be busy booking trips in 2021. I am sure many of you travel agents/advisors are already working overtime. Clients are eager to travel and many of them haven’t been anywhere in over a year. Many travelers, especially the savvy ones who use travel agents, believe that going back to traveling will be like going back to riding a bicycle.

Well, they may be surprised when they find out that it may take a lot longer to check into a hotel. If they find that the room is in a little noisier location of the building or they’re disturbed by the sound of another family upstairs, changing rooms may not be as easy as it was before Covid due to new hotel regulations. It’s very important to teach your client to speak up and get another room, and not let that be an inconvenience for their vacation. If frustrated, your client may reach out to you, but certainly him/her that they can get a better solution in person than you could so far away by phone. So, prepare your client and let them know how to deal with this, and other situations.

When eating at restaurants now, reservations are the name of the game. Make sure they know that the best places (not necessarily the most expensive) need reservations sometimes months ahead at prime time for all meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. For those who (like me) enjoy looking at the menu over and over, have them satisfy their curiosity now by downloading the menu onto their phone and check it there as often as they like. Some restaurants still give you (if you ask, and if they still have) a disposable or laminated paper menu. Food cannot be sent back to the kitchen. So, it is smart to remind clients of this information.

By having a good night’s sleep and good meals, most of the vacation is guaranteed; and for that, a travel agent can guide their clients. In terms of weather, it is hard to predict when it is going to rain or shine.

Another factor for a great vacation is the company the client chooses to travel with. Well, in that, no one else has any say! LOL!

Cheers,

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Dear TAs,

Now that vaccines are going into arms and travel is beginning to resume, it’s time for travelers to begin to think about their impact on the environment, and how they can travel more sustainably.  We saw earth’s temperatures reduce as result of people staying put for an extended period of time – which may have your clients already wondering how they can travel more responsibly. In fact, It is time for us all to think about travel differently. We need to stop thinking just about what our own personal experience is going to be – and start looking at the impact of our experience on the ground, on the destination and in the communities we visit.

There have been many newsworthy stories lately regarding overcrowding, climate change, and unfair working conditions in the travel and tourism industry. You can advise your clients how to have a wonderful trip while being mindful of their own global footprint.

There are several different “sustainability” certification labels in use, each with their own criteria and little enforcement. Of course, saying your company is green is not the same as taking the necessary steps to ensure that your business practices are green.  There is a lot more to it than simply reusing the towels in a hotel room or paying for a carbon offset for a flight. “Sustainable travel” means a different thing in different places, because of each country’s unique location, climate, and people. There are more than 230 travel organizations that have joined the Tourism Declares initiative, members of which have pledged to publish a climate action plan and cut their carbon emissions. If a company is classified as a “B Corporation” — they meet a rigorous sustainability standard that’s not limited to the tourism industry.

The time to ask questions about sustainable travel is before booking.  Tour operators, hotels and the actual destination should make their stance on sustainability clear with an obvious statement on their websites.  Some things travelers should consider:

• Does the money they spend end up in the local economy? Are locals hired as tour guides? Are hotels sourcing food locally?
• Are your clients traveling during a peak time where cities can become overcrowded, putting additional stress on local resources, or wear and tear on historic or natural sites?
• When flying, clients should choose a long-haul flight to the destination, and then choose trains or other less-polluting ways to get around, even if cheap short-haul flights are readily available.

Rules that all travelers should follow when going anywhere include:

• Hire local guides
• Ask permission before taking photos of people
• Stay on designated trails in natural areas
• Think twice about handing out money to children
• Call out waste or abuse when they see it

The world is reopening for exploration. If we all take the necessary steps towards traveling sustainably, we will leave our destinations a better place for travelers who come later, and for the people who call these places home.

Cheers,

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Dear TAs,

Americans are more ready to travel than ever before in this pandemic-era, according to results of recent surveys.  There is also a feeling of increased confidence in travel’s safety, and even business travel is beginning to recover.   Most people surveyed are even supportive of tourism in their own communities and are welcoming to visitors.   

Even though coronavirus cases are rising in nearly half of the U.S., anxiety related to COVID grew only mildly. This could be because two-thirds of American travelers say they have, or plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Half of those surveyed believe that the pandemic situation will improve in the next month. Americans’ confidence in their ability to travel safely has resulted in 72% saying they are in a ready-to-travel mindset.

Being ready to travel means more people are dreaming of, planning, booking—and actually traveling. Three-quarters of American travelers did some travel planning, with 16.4% actually making a reservation or booking. Half made a hotel reservation, nearly a fifth reserved a vacation home/Airbnb and a third bought airline tickets. Over 75% of American travelers will take at least one trip in the next 3 months, and a record 88% have at least tentative travel plans for the future. More than half are open to inspiration for a trip they might not have previously considered.

American travelers are showing a receptiveness to travel messaging in a variety of channels. Different aged travelers need to be reached in different ways.  Social media is most common for younger travelers, who are open to travel messaging on a variety of platforms, while older travelers remain largely committed to Facebook. TikTok has a growing influence on younger travelers, and search engine marketing is reaching more older travelers. Both demographics are reached equally through email and online articles/blogs as well as lifestyle magazines.

Another statistic showing support of travel: a record 50.4% said they would feel happy if they saw an ad promoting where they live as a place for tourists to come visit. But, 39.5% said they aren’t ready for tourists in their community just yet.

Will road trips sustain their current level of popularity?  Two-thirds of American travelers road tripped during the pandemic, taking 2.5 of these trips on average. Over 62% of these road trippers agreed that this travel reminded them of how much fun road trips can be and made the idea of future travel by car more appealing. Interestingly, this sentiment was even stronger among younger travelers.

Business travel has resumed, up 8 percentage points from last month. Fewer business travelers report that the pandemic will change the way their employer does business travel (47% down from 50% in March). Fewer business travelers now believe that their business trips will be replaced by virtual meetings.

All of the above is really good news!

Cheers,

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear TAs,

As travel agents, it is very interesting to see what the traveling public is currently thinking and feeling.  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently conducted a survey, and below are some of the results. 

88% believe that when opening borders, the right balance must be struck between managing COVID-19 risks and getting the economy going again

85% believe that governments should set COVID-19 targets (such as testing capacity or vaccine distribution) to re-open borders

84% believe that COVID-19 will not disappear, and we need to manage its risks while living and traveling normally

68% agreed that their quality of life has suffered with travel restrictions

49% believe that air travel restrictions have gone too far

In summary, there is public support for travel restrictions, and it is becoming clear that people are feeling more comfortable with managing the risks of COVID-19. People dislike the loss of freedom to travel – and the health, social and economic consequences that come from these limitations. Many feel stress and have missed important moments as a result of the restrictions. Restrictions have prevented others from doing business normally.

More survey results:

 57% expect to be traveling within two months of the pandemic being contained (improved from 49% in September 2020)

72% want to travel to see family and friends as soon as possible (improved from 63% in September 2020)

81% believe that they will be more likely to travel once they are vaccinated

84% said they will not travel if there is a chance of quarantine at destination (largely unchanged from 83% in September 2020)

56% believe that they will postpone travel until the economy stabilizes (improved from 65% in September 2020)

These results indicate that people are becoming more confident to travel, but do not want to do so if they have to quarantine.  Testing and vaccination improvements should remove that barrier. Most potential travelers believe that there should be a standard vaccine and testing certification process, such as the IATA Travel Pass app, as long as they retain control of their personal data.

The return to travel is coming, because travelers are beginning to feel safer and more confident.

Cheers,

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Dear TAs,

There are currently seven countries who have declared that they are free of Coronavirus and have never had any reported cases.  This information is self-reported and may not be accurate when compared to reporting from official sources, such as the World Health Organization and the CDC. 

However, it is interesting to note what precautions were taken to prevent the widespread infection that has affected most of the world.

North Korea

North Korea was the first country to close its borders. The country closed its borders in January 2020 and haven’t re-opened since. It implemented strict measures for those coming into the country (foreigners and nationals) including a one- or two-month quarantine.  While the North Korean authorities report zero cases, one should consider the likelihood of China’s nearest neighbor being completely free of the virus.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. All the bordering countries have reports of coronavirus infections. Most of the land borders have been closed, and in early February 2020 Turkmenistan cancelled many flights, and all flights to and from China. It has been noted that the official statement of zero cases may not accurately reflect the number of infections and the country was advised by the WHO to act as if there were infections within the country and take necessary precautions.  

Kiribati, Tonga, Palau, Tuvalu, Nauru – Oceania

As of April 5, 2021, these countries have no reported cases of COVID-19.

There have been no cases in Kiribati, but a state of public emergency has been declared. Tonga has been strict with travel rules since February 2020. Since Fiji’s first reported case of coronavirus, Tonga closed its borders to foreigners and only allowed flights for foreigners to travel back to their own countries.  Tonga began repatriation flights in mid-July to get Tongans back from Fiji. The flight was limited to less than 60 people, all of whom were under strict quarantine at the same hotel.

As one of the least visited countries in the world, Tuvalu sees fewer than 200 tourists per year. This has prevented an outbreak in this country.  Nauru is a country so small that you can walk around it in one day.  Along with Tuvalu, it holds the record for being one of the least visited countries in the world.

The above information is proof that travel agents should do research and find accurate information about the number of Covid cases in all destinations, and also, the limitations and restrictions imposed by certain countries for travelers.

Cheers!

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