The global pandemic has rendered every travel agent equally broke, however every agent is handling the situation very differently.
I decided pretty early into the pandemic that I would actually stop selling , or should I say trying to sell travel and focus on my favourite part and actually began producing my own travel TV show which is going to be on every plane of Air Canada and also pending a few network inclusions. I absolutely love doing this and even though my income has seen a huge dive, this creative project certainly kept me busy and smiling.
I decided I would help others to bounce back in a post COVID-19 world of travel which will seem very different and will certainly take much more research and a very different approach to selling travel.
I asked a few other people in travel for their take and found several very different approaches which I thought very interesting.
Meet Deb Buchanan – Ottawa, Ontario
Golf Travel Advisor: www.VacationstoGolf.com
A keen golf specialist who actually retired from her long time government job right at the peak of COVID-19 to become a full time golf travel advisor.
At first, like most people, Deb thought surely this can’t last very long. She continued to develop creative golf travel itineraries that included some amazing local and international destinations like Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward County in Ontario, Ville de Quebec, Whistler, BC., Portugal for the fall, Panama, Mexico and South Africa for the winter. As the weeks turned into months, the reality hit home that our world was not ever going to be the same.
The good news was that golf courses were open and Deb found the opportunity to still go ahead with her golf travel but making them in much smaller groups and within her own province. Keeping in mind the health protocols and travel restrictions in place to keep people safe in late summer when local travel was more acceptable, she dusted off the itinerary for Prince Edward County in Ontario.
After spending the summer learning more and earning her Certified Travel Advisor Designation from ACTA, she personally hosted a small group who enjoyed three days of golf at the local golf clubs, two nights at a wonderful Inn, some wine tasting and dinners at excellent local restaurants. Just what the golf doctor ordered! It went very well.
She is very optimistic about the future of golf travel due to the activity, the wide open spaces and ability to social distance, as well as people looking to travel more for hobbies and activities in their social bubble which is perfect for Deb and her business.
Deb’s Top Post Pandemic Tip
When searching for your next Vacation To Golf, use a travel specialist who knows the region and has great connections. One thing this pandemic has taught us is that having someone to call on if you need is really valuable. The good thing is that golf is outdoors, so there are less restrictions being outside.
You can reach Debbie at deb@vacationstogolf.com or visit her website: www.VacationsTOGolf.com
Paula Everett – Grimsby, Ontario
Wedding and Group Specialist: Concierge Travel Group
Over the past eight months, Paula has wished more times than she cares to remember that she had a crystal ball!
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2020 was looking great: many new destination wedding bookings, arranging group trips; business was growing fast and it was exciting.
Much of her time since the pandemic hit has been spent cancelling bookings, dealing with commission recalls, spending endless hours on hold, rescheduling destination weddings again and again, battles with hotel venues that will not recognize Canada’s government restrictions… All time-consuming work, for no pay!
All very disappointing and not exciting at all. But, she says, there is always a plus side: this summer she also found previously limited valuable time to update and expand her knowledge, prepare new itinerary’s for the future, and of course continue to add more destinations to her own bucket list. Despite many challenges and setbacks, she, as with the other agents I spoke to, is still passionate about the travel industry and knows it will bounce back bigger and better than ever. If there is one thing this pandemic has revealed, it is the value of the travel advisor and Paula has worked tirelessly for her clients for free to re-book and cancel and re-quote, and it has certainly not gone unnoticed.
Paula’s Top Post Pandemic Tip
When you book your destination wedding always book with a reputable wedding specialist who can help if things ever get difficult. Paula says people are looking for more open spaces and unique experiences and less touristy places.
Pamela Pereira: Travel Specialist and Professor, Travel and Tourism, Seneca College
As a Professor teaching Travel and Tourism to students from all over the world, Pamela sees the pandemic through her own eyes, as well as the new eyes of her students. She has had to change her teaching methods, and of course re-write her course content to allow for the new style of travel for those going into tourism post COVID-19.
Pam is a seasoned world traveller, and for her the biggest challenge this year – apart from not seeing her elderly grandmother much – has been the lack of travel.
Travel has been her passion ever since she was a little girl.
She wanted a career in the travel industry after her first trip to Walt Disney World with her mother and has been hooked ever since.
Travelling to over 40 countries (the list is usually growing every year) has been exciting, but it all has been put on a very abrupt hold for now.
Her company, Pear Tree Tours, arranges speciality groups, which she personally hosts and especially loves travel adventures off the beaten path.
Pamela has been in the travel business for over 15 years and says that her optimism is only fuelled by the love of her students who are excited yet nervous about the outcome after their education is over.
Pam is looking forward to the day we can travel again and has a plan to return to Abu Dhabi, as well as South America and her beloved Azores with her family.
If you are looking for a fantastic group travel specialist, then Pam is the perfect person to reach out to and get some advice for your next travel adventure.
Pamela’s Top Post Pandemic Tip
When you are looking for adventure and want to travel within your bubble, check with the tourist board and airline for the latest protocols in place that change very often so make sure you are well informed. You can reach her directly by email: travel@peartreetours.com
