by Scott here, a personal travel advisor and founder of Gravitate Travel.
I wanted to update you on how, over the past weeks, I’ve been working with many Canadians who have been desperate to get back home.
For example, a client in Nepal and I have been working together for over three weeks. We looked at all options to ensure that he got home as safely and quickly as possible. I’ve spent three to six hours on hold with our preferred travel agent lines because the client couldn’t get through on their own. I even was in contact with him via text to ensure he got home safely.
You may be thinking, “That’s great, Scott. But what’s the point?”
The point is that as a Personal Travel Manager, I care. I’m invested in the safety of my clients.
If you’ve been following the travel news, this is not the case with many online travel websites – many who have gone under and left their clients stranded. Or if they are still in business, the wait times and poor communications at the company’s call center are a source of frustration for many.
Without the threat of a pandemic, travel planning, in general, can be stressful. We’ve all been through it: “Is this ship accessible for my ageing parents?”, “Does this hotel offer fitness classes?”, “Am I getting the best value for my money?”, and now more than ever, “What do I do if anything happens?”
These are just some of the many – and very important – questions that might be popping into your head when thinking about your future travels.
Travel Advisors Make YOUR Travel Dreams Come True
A travel advisor will listen to your wishes to plan the vacation you’ve always dreamed of.
No matter how small or big your budget is, or how long or short you want your itinerary to be, they’ll make your once-in-a-lifetime getaway come true.
Plus, they’ll take into consideration any special needs – dietary, mobility, accessibility – so you stay safe and can enjoy your time away.
And if you want to incorporate your passions, interests and lifestyles into your travels – whether it’s food, art, biking, yoga or more – they can do that too!
Travel Advisors Can Save You Money
Contrary to many beliefs, the best deals are often not accessible on the Internet!
Because they have relationships with many top travel suppliers and a strong network of trusted on location contacts, travel advisors have access to exclusive offers and deals you won’t find anywhere else.
Plus, they’ll often be able to include free perks to elevate your experience.
Our Job Is To Plan Travel – Literally!
Think about what you know about your job that no one else does. Then, think about how you’d like to have similar, insider knowledge when it comes to planning your next trip.
A travel advisor can not only save you money, but also a lot of time and effort.
If you’ve ever booked travel by yourself, you know how many hours, and often days, you can spend digging through the avalanche of options and (mis)information available on the Internet.
Travel advisors are master planners who can efficiently coordinate everything from flights and hotels to tours and transfers to create a seamless and worry-free journey.
They can also advise on questions you might not have considered, like visa requirements, vaccinations, current travel advisories and others to help prevent any troubles while you’re at your destination.
Travel Advisors Can Take You Places You Couldn’t Get To By Yourself
By asking the right questions, your travel advisor can suggest countries, cities, tours, excursions and such that you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.
Because they have contacts all around the world, they’re the first to know about up-and-coming and exciting destinations, so you can experience them before everyone else flocks there.
And they can make sure someone of trust waits for you and guides you to the best places to see from a local’s perspective.
This is the type of unique, personalized experience you can’t find on the Internet.
Plus, they might have been there themselves and be able to offer insider tips and suggestions on what to pack before your departure.
Travel Advisors Offer You Peace-Of-Mind
From the very beginning of the planning process to the moment you come back home, head full of memories, your travel advisor is with you to ensure you can focus on one thing: having the time of your life.
But despite perfect planning, some misfortune can still occur.
And if anything goes wrong while you’re traveling, know that you have someone by your side who’s just an email or a phone call away; one person to go to rather than having to call the travel supplier and be one in a thousand others.
The world will be open for travel again before you know it, so keep daydreaming about your perfect vacation, and rest assured that the insider knowledge and expertise you to make your travel dreams a reality is right here.
Some content in this article was used with permission from Ensemble Travel Group of which Gravitate Travel are members.
