TRAVEL: HAPPY TRAVEL ADVISORS’ MONTH!

    Leo Tolstoy wrote, “Spring is a time of plans and projects.”   For me, this is the time to dream of the future.  So that is why I am sure that May is the best choice for Travel Advisors’ Month.  Furthermore, I am excited because our vendors send exclusive offers for our clients not found on the web!

    What does that mean? It means special offers from some vendors do not appear online, or on the vendor websites.  The offers are something special that advisors have in their back pocket for our clients. So, I thought that it would be an opportunity to just review a few reasons to use a travel advisor and get yourself a deal.

  The first reason is that a travel advisor is dependable. While there are plenty of people out there that have planned for family and friends, I encourage the use of someone trained, recommended, knowledgeable and most importantly, has experience. Vacation dollars are precious. It is an investment, not an experiment. Invest the time to have a meeting of the minds with the advisor when it comes to vacation planning.

   My second big reason is that travel advisors have standards that they meet.  There is real education that goes into being a travel advisor.  How can you tell?   It’s all in the post nominal letters after our names.  You can tell if someone is a Certified Travel Associate, (CTA), Certified Travel Counselor, (CTC), Master Cruise Counselor, (MCC), or an Elite Cruise Counselor, (ECC).  Those that have these post nominal letters must prove worthy of them and pass exams to obtain them.  The work is not easy, and it takes time, money, and diligence to learn and earn.  These special advisors are trained in how to locate the best prices, various vendors, itineraries, and destinations. There is real research that goes into each booking made whether it’s for just a hotel room or an around the world trip. It’s not just searching the web by no means.

    My third reason is time. Do you find yourself explaining to others that there is not enough time in the schedule? If the answer is ‘Yes,” now comes the real question, “Is there an advantage  for you to do the research, spend a lot of time that is not available to plan your vacation, cruise, or life experience trip?” The answer should be “No, there is no advantage.”    There is no point searching the web for hours in an unproductive and confusing manner when travel advisors insert all information into search portals and find several options within the course of fifteen minutes. Save time. Time is not a renewable resource.

My final reason is relationship. Travel advisors want to have an ongoing relationship with their clients. We are relational and not transactional like a vacation planner voice on the phone. We build trust.  We want to be the “Go To” person for all travel questions now and in the future. We do not want to provide one vacation but a lifetime of vacations!

  So, if you do not have a travel advisor in your life, what are you waiting for?

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there including those Moms who have fuzzy, feathered, scaled, or hoofed babies! And if you are wondering what to get the “Mom” in your life this year, just call me. I always have plenty of ideas for you… and some pretty spectacular deals, too.