From Your Travel Advisor:

Virtuoso, the consortium for my host agency, Gifted Travel Network, uses wrote an article about the myths of a travel advisor. The updated article posted on the Virtuoso website on March 8, 2021. Virtuoso alone has 22,000 travel advisors in 50 countries. That is just a drop in the hat. Travel advisors are not a dying breed. No matter how well you are traveled, travel advisors have connections you don’t have to make your trip outstanding.

Here are 8 myths to debunk:

1. Is "travel advisor" just a fancy name for "travel agent"? - As I posted in my electronic newsletter – “Travel is the only thing you can but that makes you richer.” Why would you entrust this to the internet? Travel is an investment. A travel advisor wants to get to know you so they can learn about your favorite wine, favorite food, or even your secret passion that you only indulge when traveling – i.e. skydiving, a hot air balloon ride, race car driving, etc. This is why they are your advisor, not your agent. An agent just takes orders, whereas, an advisor makes dreams come true. We find the extras that make your vacation extra special.

2. All travel advisors are the same – Travel advisors are not all the same. Some specialize in families, whereas others, such as I, specialize in cruising – both river, ocean, and expedition. As Virtuoso says: “not only are our advisor’s specialists in travel they are specialists in you”. We have a network of people we can contact, either through our host agency or through our consortium.

3. Travel advisors are too expensive – As a rule, travel advisors receive a commission for your bookings, but over the years that has been reduced. Airlines pay nominal to zero commission, hotels have reduced their commission over the years, and tour/cruise companies vary. I have booked adventures for clients where I received no commission on the hotels or air flights. The only compensation I received was a planning fee. My fee is nominal - $250 per trip/per couple. I am much less expensive than your lawyer or doctor. This is a small fee to know that you have had your trip customized just for you and have someone available to you before, during, and after the trip. This is money well spent.

4. The traveler is not part of the trip-planning process when you use a travel advisor – This is totally up to you. You can be involved as little or as much as you want to be. One of the greatest joys of travel is the anticipation and the planning. It is said that the greatest joy when planning a trip is when you place your deposit. Or you may choose to leave the stress and worry to your advisor. Note: Decision paralysis is real! It is fun to swap ideas with your advisor and make decisions about your vacation. So make your planning collaborative, personal, efficient, and most of all, fun! Your advisor will help you make the largest or smallest decision.

5. Travel advisors are just in it to make a commission – Travel advisors need to make money but they are in the travel profession because they love it. I totally enjoy and take pride in crafting amazing adventures for my clients. It is more than a career – it is a calling. I know where you are each day of your vacation. If we wanted a quick buck, we would just be a travel agent – an order taker.

6. I can plan this trip faster online by myself – Sure you can look up information online and, maybe, find what you think you are looking for. Just looking up a hotel in Maui will give you over 13,000 links. Whoa! Remember time is your most valuable asset – when it is gone you cannot get it back. Your advisor can ask and answer questions you never thought about, plus they can plan adventures you never thought about – many that are not on the internet. They really exist. Your travel advisor has contacts around the world.

7. So, I can find the same prices and perks on my own – Your travel advisor has access to special rates and offers that are not publically known because of their connections through their host agency or consortium. Remember, your travel advisor was the one making all the telephone calls and sitting on hold for hours to recover your funds from canceled vacations last year. If you booked online, you were at the mercy of the internet for your refund. Travel advisors even assisted those that booked online as a show of good faith. We assist with those hard-to-get restaurant reservations, individualized tours, unique adventures, and canceled or delayed flights.

8. And lastly – nobody uses travel advisors anymore – We are not extinct. If we have learned nothing else this past year, we have learned that we cannot take our ability to travel for granted. Remember, because your leisure time is valuable, it’s worth it to work directly with a travel professional.

You may or may not use a travel advisor. Today I hope I have shown you how valuable your travel advisor, preferably me, is to you.

One of the vendors I have several groups with, AmaWaterways, clarified the value of a travel advisor. As you begin planning any vacation – river, ocean, land, etc. – remember your travel advisor is your most valuable resource. One of our roles is to continually inspire you with our passion for exploring the world and provide you with essential advice while taking care of all the details of your journey from start to finish.

Here are the top three reasons why you should use a travel advisor:

1. Easy Planning – the travel advisor saves you time and energy by taking care of all the travel logistics and by listening to your individual preferences, matching you to an ideal vacation experience – all the while finding you the best value. Contact me today to start planning your next adventure.

2. Tailor-Made Travel – travel advisors have the power to coordinate customized experiences such as private events, special occasions, family reunions, group travel, and much, much more. With a tailored experience designed for you, you and your travel companions will enjoy an unforgettable journey.

3. Your Best Advocate – travel advisors are your advocates, managing your expectations, and overall experience from the time of your reservation request through your return home, and can seamlessly resolve any disruptions that may occur along the way. Many of you saw the value of your travel advisor over the past year with cancellations, bookings, cancellations, etc.

Rudi Schreiner – the godfather of river cruising – with AmaWaterways said: “We must never forget that at the heart of the travel industry is the human desire to connect with people and nature in the world around us. The desire to travel had not disappeared – in fact, people are at home dreaming of the vacations they are going to take once this has passed. No matter how the times change, the reasons people travel stay to same. They want to connect with others, have immersive experiences, and discover different cultures which they can only do by seeing the world – and what better way to see the world than by sailing its rivers?”

So let’s start planning our “revenge” travel now!