Community Voices: A Travel Advisor on the Power of Partnership

“You never look bad by making someone else look good.”

That was one pearl of wisdom I took from a live panel on mentorship within the travel industry at the recent Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, held virtually by TravelAge West from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.

The discussion, which featured three veteran travel advisors and suppliers, offered hard-earned perspectives on recovering from a crisis. Moderated by Kenneth Shapiro, Vice President, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West, the panel included Randy Garfield, former president of Walt Disney Travel Company; Christen Perry, founder and owner of Classic Travel Connection; and Cory Wallace, manager of national accounts for Celebrity Cruises.

To be watching these powerhouse leaders was truly inspirational. I came away feeling empowered to reach out to those whose input and advice I value. I felt energized to stay connected with clients and suppliers. And I felt encouraged knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I felt energized to stay connected with clients and suppliers. I felt encouraged knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The first question of “How do you feel about mentorship?” yielded enthusiastic responses from all three panelists. Wallace’s response — that he has had multiple mentors over the years — reminded me of my own mentors, both in the industry and in other parts of my life. Perry, on the other hand, wished she had had a mentor when she started in the business, which brought to mind the Largay Travel Mentoring Program, of which I am a graduate and now a mentor. 

For a while now, newer advisors have talked about the need for better training, and I firmly believe that mentorship and training go hand in hand. 

For a while now, newer advisors have talked about the need for better training, and I firmly believe that mentorship and training go hand in hand.

Even now, three years into my career, I sometimes feel lost. I cannot imagine how it would feel to be entering the travel industry during this global crisis — without someone to talk to and learn from. It’s true that some of my mentors have been assigned to me through programs, and while they are all wonderful people and excel at what they do, the best mentorships I have had have been the ones I made organically.

The panelists also discussed the importance of having the right mindset, an idea that I have personally been using as a mantra this year. (I suspect many other travel advisors can say the same!) Wallace said that when reflecting on his mentors, the relationships were not necessarily all about business. Rather, he was inspired by the “way they carried themselves, and the mindset.” 

Perry described a difficult family time during which she had to lean on others and depend on those who could help her, and she compared it to travel industry professionals navigating the COVID-19 crisis. She adopted a mindset of “doing what you have to do” and putting one foot in front of the other, while also keeping a focus on her goals. This ultimately helped her and her family keep going, because, as she said, “if you don’t have something to work for, you’re never going to get there.” 

Although I cannot speak for all travel advisors, I felt so lost in the first few months of the pandemic — so uncertain of what was going to come next and unsure of when my next paycheck would arrive. Having the support of my agency family and my mentors made a world of difference to me.

I felt so lost in the first few months of the pandemic — so uncertain of what was going to come next and unsure of when my next paycheck would arrive. Having the support of my agency family and my mentors made a world of difference to me.

Garfield, an industry icon, shared that he has been through a lot of difficult times, including 9/11. His mindset at that time, as chair of Visit Orlando, was to reach out directly to clients.

I know many of my fellow travel advisors did exactly that early in the pandemic — whether it was via weekly or monthly emails, postcards just to say hello or short videos on social media with key information or stories of travel. For me, this was one way to keep going and stay in front of clients and potential clients.

I will admit to having very little experience with hard times — and even less experience with being a business owner during a hard time. However, two additional messages from Future Leaders resonated with me: Keynote speaker Orlando Ashford, the former president of Holland America Line, said that “there’s power in the way you respond,” while Virtuoso’s Misty Belles highlighted the importance of communicating with clients during a workshop on crisis communication. 

Stay accessible, she said, but remember to “meet people where they’re at.”

I absolutely love both those messages, and I have tried to keep this in mind with my own client base: Travelers are at different places in their mindset. Some are ready to get on that next flight while others are staying home as much as possible. 

I knew that if I did not stay connected to my clients, I might lose them. One of the things I did (after weeks of canceling and postponing trips, and trying to get refunds for clients who were extra demanding and not very understanding) was to reach out to some of my supplier friends and record us talking about travel. We didn’t talk about anything specific, and we made sure it wasn’t too “salesy,” but we focused more on the experiences that travelers can have around the world. 

I feel lucky to have such people in my life whose mindset aligns with mine. Some of the ways we can help each other and keep going through this pandemic include adopting a community over competition attitude and an abundance mindset; embracing an open-mindedness toward learning and teaching; and vowing to make others look good.

Some of the ways we can help each other and keep going through this pandemic include adopting a community over competition attitude and an abundance mindset; embracing an open-mindedness toward learning and teaching; and vowing to make others look good.

The relationships we make as we collectively put one foot in front of the other and walk through tough times together will not weaken us, but rather strengthen us, our industry and our global community.