Now that summer is behind us, families are turning their attention to the rituals of autumn — including Halloween, Thanksgiving and going back to school. For most of us, however, those familiar routines have been disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This issue’s cover story, “How to Combine Education and Travel This Fall With Schoolcations," examines changes we are seeing in fall family travel. Specifically, with people working and taking classes remotely — and in the aftermath of so many canceled summer trips — some families are looking for ways to combine school and travel this fall. As a result, many travel advisors are creating itineraries that feature opportunities for hands-on learning. Whether these are trips throughout the South and East that highlight U.S. history, or vacations that include eco-education in the West, advisors find themselves in a unique position due to their extensive destination knowledge and partnerships with suppliers that offer a range of experiences.
As families think about traveling this fall, sometimes a key tipping point in their decision-making is the additional work that advisors do to make parents feel safe and confident in their choices.
“We’ve done the vetting in the region, we know the idiosyncrasies of the place, and we’ve compiled a list of great resources that we share,” said Amie O’Shaughnessy, founder of travel agency Ciao Bambino, in the story. “That really has an impact and is key to clients feeling comfortable with taking the trip."
There is no denying that this assistance can be helpful to many parents. And if you can make it easier for families to get away, your services will be even more valuable to them — now and in the future.
