When your business depends on the oceans and the skies, you get used to battening down the hatches. As the coronavirus impacts more destinations, many travel advisors are thinking about adapting their business models and rolling out contingency plans.
Some are relying on the traditional coping strategies: using downtime to travel themselves or take courses; selling alternative destinations when some are out of favor; serving always as a voice of calm and reassurance; never nudging clients to travel but instead offering information and letting the clients make up their own minds.
Some are reaching out to all clients who are scheduled to travel; others say that will just feed the fear.
Sally Black, who specializes in family travel, for example, is reaching out to her spring breakers; Lori Hinken Spoelstra is only contacting those headed to a Level 4 destination. “If I don’t feel they should be concerned, I’m not bringing it to their attention,” she says.
Get Out Custom Travels owner Theresa Chu-Bermúdez is contacting those who have trips in the next 60 days to areas the CDC has raised to Level 3 (including Italy). “I tell them the current situation in the country and any governmental recommendations from the CDC and/or WHO (with links to the website). This may mean multiple emails as this is still quickly developing. I also provide them options should they need to cancel or reschedule via the airlines and tour operators.”
It's better to be proactive, she believes, “so my clients know I'm looking out for them and staying on top of current events. I provide facts and statistics and point them to the appropriate direct sources to make their own decisions, and give them updates from suppliers on the extra measures they are taking to ensure health and safety.”
MaryAnn Fusco is reaching out to leisure clients but not to corporate ones; “their procedure is set; I cannot try to change that. I’ve adopted ‘the final decision is always yours.’ “
Taking a Longer View
Others already are looking for new business in new places not affected by the virus. Scott Walters of Go Away Often Travel is doing more training with new vendors and destinations he thinks will be strong next year and “sending out Lysol wipes to those who have shown concern.” But he also sent out an email blast to all current, former and prospective clients in his database saying that “while nothing is ever assured, travel is still a viable, safe thing to do to most areas and to use proper precautions in any situation. I added that they can contact me with any questions or concerns.”
Judy Karwacki of Adventure Angels is raising her vision farther into the future, looking at destination weddings and other groups for 2021 and 2022, when things hopefully will settle down.
In a serendipitous turn of events, Christina Ernst of VIP Southern Tours already was focusing on domestic travel—and that’s a market she will spend time developing even more. She has just launched a local wine tour business for 2013, “and the phones have been ringing off the hook for it. I am going to sink additional funding into local tourism and really push the wine tours hard,” she says.
Angela Rice at Boutique Travel Advisors also is looking at domestic travel, recommending “off-the-beaten itineraries in the U.S., from The Resort at Paws Up to visiting national parks and staying at amazing properties such as the Aman Resorts. There is also a greater interest in traveling to Central America and South America. While these unprecedented circumstances may cause short-term losses, we are confident that the hard work and dedication that we are offering our clients today will increase our long-term value.”
For now, Ernst has emailed all clients traveling in May that “their travel is subject to change day to day and at this point there is no need for them to make any decisions. We are monitoring and will be in touch as necessary based on their circumstances.”
Like many, she hopes this latest travel emergency will highlight the importance of using a travel advisor – and allow her to steal clients from those who are not being professional. “We have received calls from people who have booked with other neighboring agencies or online, and have found themselves lost or unable to get help understanding what they purchased, the penalties and insurance coverage. We take this as an opportunity to form new relationships. We listen and let them know their anxieties are valid. The time we have spent with them has been appreciated (a nice bottle of wine was delivered). We have also been told we aren’t your normal ‘mill’ agency.”
Sarah Fazendin at Videre Travel has been “super-busy with travel insurance but also taken this as an opportunity to educate people about how travel insurance works and why it's important always.”
Stef Katz is promoting the value of travel advisors’ relationships with suppliers like Abercrombie & Kent. “My clients and I know that they'll never be put in harm’s way and the supplier will make anything right, so they truly can travel without stress and worry.” Linda Rasmussen gave a shout-out to AmaWaterways for allowing her to move $190,000 worth of 2020 business that canceled in the past 10 days to 2021. Overall, she said, she is pushing hard for 2021 business from all her customers.
Cruising the Cruise and Answering the Phones
Like many, Dillon Guyer is walking the walk, cruising himself and posting photos that highlight the extra steps the cruise lines are taking, the great deals, the attentive staff, and reminding people of “the facts, the actual recovery rates of coronavirus, and the protocols in place.”
Marissa Fontanini also is “getting on a cruise ship on Sunday and will be posting to social media. I’m not cancelling my upcoming trips to France (March), and northern Italy (mid May). I am also including Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer with all of my client’s travel documents."
Everyone, of course, is fielding more calls, making more changes, holding more hands. While many report losing just a few vacations, others have taken a serious financial hit and are scrambling to get their books in order.
Lauren Capotosto Doyle has put a stop on all marketing in the short term for her agency, The Travel Mechanic, and is “focusing on being there for our clients, continuing to build trust and reiterating why you need a travel agent” on social media.
Helen Prochilo is trying to stay positive about her Greece cruise group in May; with final payment due next week, only about half have said they are going so far. She e-mailed the group and “told them what their losses would be if they cancel before final. I told them they need to make their own decision but that we are still going.”
She also reached out to Celestyal Cruises—a supplier she is using for the first time—to ask if they would consider extending final payment.
Tracy Whipple, owner of Travel on a Dream, has been hearing repeatedly from her cruise clients—and is concerned about the cruise companies dropping prices. “The people who are scared to travel are not going to do so just because the pricing is better. The ones who are already booked are coming back to us constantly to check pricing. This is making things much busier and resulting is us making less commission as a result,” she says.
At Jennifer Walker Travel, though, the ringing phones have brought a new opportunity. Walker has been approached for interviews by the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and a local TV station.
“The news anchor who interviewed me today said she had reached out to several travel agencies in my area for comment, and was shocked at how rudely several advisors she spoke with treated her over the phone. She said she now knows who she will NOT be calling for help with her next trip.”
Others are just trying to keep their sense of humor.
Bev Gallant, who figures she has lost $140,000 in bookings, went snowmobiling. Denise DelVecchio is drinking prosecco and mango smoothies. Yu Kailin is eating chocolate and going to Disney World.
Perhaps the best advice comes from Lisa Katz Lee at Braemar Travel. “I’m adding Corona Virus Therapist to my resume,” she says.
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