As I write this, my daughter — like thousands of other kids across the country — is on a spring break trip. In her case, it’s a school trip from Los Angeles to New York and, judging by the social media posts and occasional texts, she is having a wonderful time. Not so wonderful, unfortunately, was the email we got from the teacher on the trip about the student who tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival and has to quarantine at the hotel. Sadly, this is the unpredictable world of travel now — with highs and lows, surges and calm times in between.
Now that spring is here, to borrow a term from the action movies, it’s “go time.” All the speculation about how likely people are to travel despite the fear of COVID-19 will be put to the test. It seems like they are willing to take the chance: A new Longwoods International survey reports that more than 90% of travelers have trips planned in the next six months, and only 20% say that the coronavirus would greatly impact their decision to travel.
Now that spring is here, to borrow a term from the action movies, it’s 'go time.' All the speculation about how likely people are to travel despite the fear of COVID-19 will be put to the test.
We will soon see if those numbers hold up when faced with the real-world ups and downs of the pandemic. But regardless of what happens, we know that travel advisors are going to be on the front lines of whatever comes next. The job of making sense of this complicated travel landscape has clearly fallen to agents. And as we enter what will certainly be one of the most interesting times in our industry, I’m certain advisors are up to the challenge.
Of course, agents cannot do it alone — they need the help of strong suppliers — and now is the time to recognize your favorite partners with the WAVE (Western Advisors Votes of Excellence) Awards. Voting has already begun for the best travel companies, destinations and tourism boards across 69 categories. Take a look at the nominees, then go to www.travelagewest.com/wave to vote for the suppliers that best supported you during these difficult times. Winners will be announced at our WAVE Awards gala on June 9, and will be featured in our July 11 issue. So, vote now!
