The good news is hard to keep up with these days. According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, only 30% of respondents say COVID-19 will greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, the lowest level since March of last year. In addition, a survey of U.S. Tour Operators Association active members shows that eight out of 10 are “enthusiastic” to “cautiously optimistic” for a complete resumption of business by the end of 2021.
Encouraging results to be sure, but another recent survey caught my attention. A study from Medjet and Worth Media finds that travelers continue to be ill-informed about travel insurance, medical evacuation (medevac) and personal protection. In 2020, 85% of respondents felt they knew about the same or less about medevac coverage due to the pandemic, and 64% of travelers felt they should know more. While illness and injury were top concerns for those surveyed, only 34% of business travelers concerned about their health had ever looked into the conditions of their company’s policies.
Travelers also need to be reminded that by working with a travel professional, they will have a true advocate.
As you can read in this issue’s cover story (“A Long and Winding Road,” page 10), many agents report that a huge portion of their time these days is spent navigating the complicated — and seemingly ever-changing — details related to insurance policies, cancellations, refunds and vouchers. Sometimes overlapping rules between different suppliers create unique situations that are nearly impossible to resolve. And, in many cases, advisors are sorting out these conflicts without any direct compensation for their efforts.
Suppliers who recognize the difficulties that advisors face, and strive to make things a bit easier on them, are sure to gain the loyalty of agents well into the future. But travelers also need to be reminded that by working with a travel professional, they will have a true advocate. These days, that kind of peace of mind is priceless, and well worth highlighting to potential customers.
