As you can see, the date of my last blog was several months ago. That is because Covid-19 and how it flipped my world upside down. Not just my world but the Travel Industry as a whole. Literally life as we knew it stopped and changed in an instant. Now some of the things I wrote about previously have changed too.
I think for my first post-Covid blog I will try to keep it short and sweet but with important information.
First, if you have a trip planned for 2020 and don’t feel confident proceeding with it, contact your travel agent and reschedule it for 2021. There are so many people’s livelihoods on the line that a rescheduled trip vs. flat out cancelling one can save. By postponing vs cancelling you are telling hotels, car rentals, tour and cruise operators, and more that you WILL use them just next year. This helps the people in charge know they will need their staff and hopefully keep layoffs lower.
Second, USE A TRAVEL AGENT! When this mess first hit, I can’t tell you how many people booked who had online or via big box stores to save a few dollars called ME for help because they were left STRANDED! With a Travel Agent you have someone to have your back, who will work hours on end to make sure your helped, and won’t leave you stranded. Not only that but my agency at least is making sure we all stay on top of industry changes and updates so that YOU stay informed.
Third, know that while things have changed, now is probably one of the best times to travel in terms of cleanliness. Think about it, hotels, car rentals, cruise and tour operators and more are investing in things like electrostatic sprayers, new filtration systems, and other CDC/WHO Recommendations to ensure they meet clean and safe protocols. This is huge because having worked as a housekeeper for a hotel in my early 20’s I am critical of cleanliness when I travel and knowing high touch items like throw pillow and key cards are going away, and electrostatic spray and new air filtration is coming makes me feel safer when I travel.
Finally, in the interest of keeping this informative but not super long, remember that having a vacation or trip to look forward too will help with other side effects of this pandemic like depression and work from home stresses. Even if you just book a short drive trip or a staycation for now it is something to lift your mood and give you something HAPPY to look forward to.
I will close for now but please feel free to message me with questions, like/friend my Facebook page, and find me on Linked In or Twitter.
Jenn's Travel Adventures 