Why You Need a Travel Advisor

Are you currently planning a big post-pandemic trip?

Now’s the time!

Canada is now over 50% of the full population vaccinated! Woo hoo!

Golf courses and tennis courts are re-opening in Ontario, vaccines are now open to 12 and over, and we have the premier announcing a 3 phase return to public gatherings and restaurants. Yay!

With the new hope, and this slow return to normal (well, let’s reach for better, as Michelle Norris says), travel bookings are starting to return as well. I’ve had a very busy week not just booking and rebooking older holidays that had to be postponed for CoVid – now, Canadians and Americans are booking new holidays.

For example, is a river cruise in your bucket list of ideas? Now’s the time to get started. Here’s just an overview of what is happening at Uniworld.

• Uniworld is currently 50% over their best sales in 2019 (pre-pandemic), with most of their worldwide sales are coming from the US, and now starting in Canada.
• They offered a “mystery cruise” for June’22 sold out in 24 hours. Their second “mystery cruise” also sold out in a day. They now have 250 people on the wait list for their 3rd “mystery cruise” (not released yet).
• Their river world cruise that they just announced was 50% sold out in one day. Like AMA Waterway’s world river cruise, the marketplace is eating up Uniworld’s world river cruise – especially since Uniworld has added Egypt.

Now, how to navigate getting started. Contact me. Let’s plan a consultation call.

Here is the info I’ve been providing new clients about why they should be working with a travel advisor.

Why travel suppliers (sellers of travel services) work with Travel Advisors https://lushlife.ca/value-of-quality-advisor-to-travel-supplier/

Yes, travel suppliers (like cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, destination management companies, etc.) are still working with Travel advisors (like Lush Life Travel). If anything, the pandemic has proved the value of travel advisors to everyone. Here’s why travel suppliers work with travel advisors.

Travel advisors:

• represent travel suppliers, and sell their services;
• save travel suppliers time and money over the travel supplier providing this service directly to you (the client, or buyer of travel services);
• promote travel suppliers’ products to you the client (if they determine it is a good fit);
• promote travel generally; and
• help travel suppliers grow their market.

Why you (as a client/ buyer of travel services) should work with a Travel Advisor https://lushlife.ca/value-of-using-a-quality-travel-advisor-to-you-as-a-client/

And if travel suppliers are still working with travel advisors, of course you, as the client (the person buying the travel services), should also be working with a travel advisor.

Why should you work with a travel advisor?

There is a value to you, as the client, to working with a quality travel advisor, such as Sheila at Lush Life Travel.

A quality travel advisor brings the following advantages/ value to you:

• Time
• Insight and Personalization
• Information and Expertise
• Connections
• Accountability

Read https://lushlife.ca/value-of-using-a-quality-travel-advisor-to-you-as-a-client/ for full details.

Why you should work with Lush Life – My Value Proposition / 3 Things Lush Life Travel Does Better than other Travel Advisors

And while I think you and everyone out there should work with a travel advisor, here’s why you should work with me, specifically. Here are 3 Things that I do better than other travel advisors. https://lushlife.ca/value-proposition-3-things-lush-life-travel-does-better-than-anyone-else/

1.) Connection for Adventure

2.) your SERENITY from my EXCELLENCE

3.) Success – with Case Studies

Some other links are embedded in these links, but for ease of reference –
Case Studies – https://lushlife.ca/case-studies/
Testimonials – https://lushlife.ca/testimonials/
About Me – https://lushlife.ca/about-2/

Here are some recent articles in the news this week:

Eight Myths about Travel Advisors – Debunked

This is an important article , and gives great information to you if you worry or think you shouldn’t be using a travel advisor. You’re wrong. You should!  See https://www.virtuoso.com/travel/articles/8-travel-advisor-myths-debunked

Myth #1: A travel advisor is just a fancy name for a travel agent.

Myth #2: Every travel advisor is the same.

Myth #3: It’s expensive to use a travel advisor.

Myth #4: You can’t be part of the trip-planning process when you use a travel advisor.

Myth #5: Travel advisors are just trying to earn a commission.

Myth #6: I can plan the same trip faster by myself online …

Myth #7: … and I can find the same prices and perks on my own too.

Myth #8: Nobody uses travel advisors anymore.

Please give the article a read, because it really does debunk these things that folks think.

Here’s another great article – Consumers Are Ready to Travel Again, Here’s Why They Should Use an Advisor which notes:

• A travel agent is more important now than ever before in helping you navigate the new travel landscape…The new protocols, travel authorizations, insurance requirements, and documents needed are a hurdle for a first-time visitor however using an agent that knows this would save you so much time or at the worst being turned away at the airport. 
• Some people will be taking bucket list trips after a year inside. Consumers will need the knowledge and skill of a travel advisor to put together these types of complex and meaningful trips without issue…. which also quoted a travel advisor as saying this past year reminded me that my professional expertise has value and exclusivity with numerous trade partners beyond the reach of novice travel planners
• Whether it’s through a relationship with a supplier, industry know-how, or providing a human voice at the other end of the phone, advisors save their clients from the confusion and frustration that might arise…. and travel advisors have proved by securing client refunds, future travel, and cruise credits, “we proved the value of a fully engaged travel advisor advocating for clients during a very tough time.
• I maintained a list of canceled reservations and whether they were refunded or had FCCs. This allows me to follow up at appropriate times to see if/when they will be ready to rebook while managing the expiration dates. Some clients opted to rebook along the way and have weathered multiple suspensions and we have been working very closely with them to continue to manage expectations.