If you’re like most travel advisors, you have probably seen a recent increase in clients who are new to using an agent. Whenever I talk to travelers who have never used an advisor, they often think an agent only handles booking details — rooms, cruise ships, tours, etc. What I tell people is that, while managing those arrangements is a great benefit to customers, the real value of a travel professional is their experience and knowledge. An agent can save a vacation by telling the client what not to do on a trip, as well as what they should do.
Without a doubt, this summer has been chaotic, with many destinations struggling with historic heat waves, overcrowding, staffing shortages, flight disruptions and more. The return of travel has been rocky, to say the least. As advisors face these current challenges, it’s important for them to put their expertise to use and, in some cases, provide a clear-eyed counter to a client’s unrealistic expectations. Where not to go — or how not to go — might be the most important service an agent can provide. And it seems that many travelers understand this. As you can read in our latest cover story, 64% of travelers say they are willing to skip popular destinations and attractions entirely to avoid overcrowding, according to recent research.
An agent can save a vacation by telling the client what not to do on a trip, as well as what they should do.
In the story, we share some destinations where travelers will be able to have a great time while avoiding some of the present-day hassles and headaches that are posing such a challenge right now.
Perhaps a silver lining to all of this has been the resilience of consumers who, in large part, refuse to be deterred from taking long-delayed vacations no matter how bad the headlines are. Overall, travel is way up this year, in some cases even when compared to 2019 figures. Clients are more than ready to hit the road again; they just need your help creating a dream trip instead of a nightmare.
