Fridays are the busiest day of a travel advisor's week. And January is the busiest month in the travel year. So, you can expect that Fridays in January, particularly the last Friday in January, gives you a day that is absolutely cray cray.
Folks looking to go away, with the help of a snowstorm or freezing rain spat or too, certainly can make the work day interesting for me as a travel advisor. There's never a dull moment. Throw in some news reports about grounded or managed traffic at Laguardia and Jacksonville see and other airports https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/LaGuardia-Airport-Ground-Stop-Staffing-Shortage-Shutdown-504861791.html, and https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/US/flights-delayed-york-florida-due-air-traffic-control/story?id=60622220 , as well as a new security system for office software, and life gets interesting quicklly! (Thankfully, the US government went back to work. And systems got sorted.) And it's a wonderful thing that I really thrive off of helping people get away - I love my job. I just eat my wheaties on Friday, and hit the double espresso!
Besides the usual busyness of a Friday in January, experts are saying there are lots of other disruptors ahead in the travel world.
A December 10, 2018 article in Canadian Travel Press talked about the big disruptors coming in 2019. See https://www.travelpress.com/digital_posts/seven-big-disruptors-for-2019/#.XE3U7Vy6Pcs featuring their Women in Travel series.
Some of the things highlighted as possible disruptors in the travel market this year by leading women in the travel industry:
- Gillian Tans, CEO of Booking.com talked about "artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and speech recognition"; with items like "keyless room-access with your phone, real-time luggage tracking through mobile apps, and robotic concierges."
- Kelly Galaski, director of global programs, Planeterra talked about “The concept of giving back through travel will continue to evolve, thinking beyond voluntourism"
- Adrienne Lee, director of programs & partnerships, Tourism Cares talked about "2018 saw the tipping point and recognition of how unnecessary plastic straws were for our industry and across the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries"
- Ulla Hefel Böhler, CEO, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold talked about “The travel industry’s biggest disruptor for 2019 will continue to be technology, as advancements further streamline travel advisor experiences for the better."
- Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-owner of AmaWaterways talked about "travellers are being presented with more options than ever before. With increasing competition comes the need for companies to think innovatively and stand out. We’re staying ahead of the curve at AmaWaterways with our commitment to personalization." as well as the new AMA Magma.
- Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, president, Collette talked about making “travel convenient continue to invest in technology and additional resources to ease the burden for travellers, and will account for some market share, but we know that the human element of having a tour manager by their side continues to be such a major contributor to the market." and
- Carolyne Doyon, senior vice president, Canada and Mexico, Club Med talked about “Offering a new location, untouched by tourism, is highly sought after by avid travellers. By providing a new, undiscovered getaway like the new Club Med Miches Playa Esmerelda, guests are able to experience a destination in its most organic state and be the first to explore the scenery."
So, there are exciting days ahead, that's for sure. And I'm thrilled I'll be playing a part in it, and helping my clients travel the world!
Sheila Gallant-Halloran
613-837-0699