 You’re probably aware that some travel agents/advisors claim that their services are completely free and that other travel agents charge fees.
But how much do travel agents charge - and why do we charge at all? Travel agent fees vary from agency to agency, but to give you a quick idea, you can find a typical range between $100 to $1200 depending on the destination, length of stay and complexity of the itinerary. In keeping with my honesty and transparency, I feel it’s necessary to have an open discussion about travel agent fees, why Destinations HD charges fees and what you're actually paying for. In light of the current situation regarding COVID-19, this has been a hot topic and more travel professionals are introducing fees, so I wanted to take this opportunity to help you to understand the reasons why and the role of your travel agent as you begin to book travel in the future. This is quite lengthy, but there is so much to cover. Grab your cup of coffee - I hope you find this informative and enjoy a glimpse into the agent life...
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 As parts of the world begin their initial phases for re-opening during COVID-19, we are starting to see a glimmer of what hotel and resorts stays could look like as people move forward with vacation plans.
As we touched on in a previous post about what to expect when you travel next, the new normal for accommodations will look a little different than what you’re used to. While certain factors will be similar across the board, each hotel – whether it’s state specific here in the United States, or abiding by country regulations that differ from place to place – will also have their own take on how they are choosing to incorporate safety and sanitation protocols in the future. With the above in mind, I wanted to give you a heads up about what you might expect in the near future.  If you are anything like me, your travel bug is getting anxious to explore again! It's been great to see many destinations starting to re-open and accepting tourists again these past few weeks, and I'm looking forward to seeing even more this summer. As I have started planning new vacations again, there is one thing I noticed trending in regards to the immediate future of vacation planning... You must plan in advance and prepare more than you normally would. Let me take you on a quick imaginative journey of one of these exclusive experiences you must pre-plan, even earlier than before, to guarantee your spot! Imagine breathtaking views that are still largely untouched by commercialism and not overrun with tourists. Picture mountain views, canyons carved by rushing waters, and stunning landscapes. Now imagine being able to view it all from a world-class train that puts you up close with nature while transporting you in luxury. You can enjoy all this and more with one of the many Rocky Mountaineer luxury train tours. While this year is a no go for this adventure - there are already limited options for the 2021 season as everyone had to reschedule from their cancelled 2020 trip. They have a short season any how (from late April to October), so you should jump on pre-planning now or you may be stuck with waiting until 2022!  As the world begins to implement various reopening strategies, so too is the travel industry and we think it’s important to take a look at what travel in the foreseeable might look like.
Although we all want to spring back into things and get back to celebrating, traveling and experience all that this amazing world has to offer, things are not going to be the “same” for a while. As we prepare each of our clients as best as we can for their adventures going forward, we also want to share with you some new expectations to keep in mind when for your future travel. Moving forward, travel is going to look a bit different – at this point vendors throughout the industry are beginning to release their new policies and procedures, and we can continue seeing changes as we proceed. Please read on for some things you will most likely expect when you travel next...  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I know that there are so many of us who won’t be able to celebrate our mother’s, mother figures, and the outstanding father’s who’ve played both Mom and Dad to us, in quite the same way this year. With travel restrictions slowly lifting however, we can give the Gift of Reconnection in the form of a future travel certificate – and start thinking about the kind of travel that we can safely embark on as we enter our new normal way of life. For those of us wanting to get back into the world and see new places or different scenery, but who are still wary of jumping right back into the fray of extensive multi-destination trips or mega-resorts, there are a number of smaller boutique and secluded style options available that are ideal to start. Let's explore a few of those today...
 As you can imagine, I’ve been working 'round the clock recently assisting clients with refunds, rescheduling and cancellations of everything from the quick 4-day getaways to Mexico, to rearranging entire wedding groups, as well as, month-long European adventures.
Throughout these last couple of months, as the situation has continued to evolve, I’ve noticed significant differences in vendor/supplier responses and treatment towards their guests, travel partners and staff members. As a result, it’s made me appreciate the additional levels of security, protection, and options that are available when choosing to work with vendors that are stable enough to provide most (if not all) components for a lengthy multi-destination adventure versus securing each individual travel component with multi-vendors. As a small business owner, I strongly believe in supporting the local communities and businesses abroad when I travel, but it’s important to understand that when working with a larger vendor, it doesn’t actually mean that you’re choosing “big business” over small and local. Quality vendors, partner with locals in the community to ensure that they help the local economies and people, in addition to providing travelers with an immersive local experience. To this end, I want to shine a spotlight on the “tour” experiences offered for multi-destination vacations. There are still a lot of misconceptions about taking tours, and the most common one is that a tour is squeezing onto a bus with a group of strangers and being driven past sights to snap some pictures before quickly moving on to the next place. While those kinds of tours do exist and can be the right choice for some, there are a multitude of other ways to take advantage of the tour benefits while maintaining the flexibility of independent travel. You want to ensure that your trip is protected and that you work with the suppliers who have your best interest at heart!  I hope you have been staying safe and well during this period of uncertainty we all are sharing! I have been overwhelmed by the kind words and support I've received from so many of my clients about the travel industry and how they can help us.
I know a lot of people have been displaced from their work and income amidst the pandemic, and to see the community unite to support small and local businesses where they can, has been truly inspirational! I feel so blessed to have amazing clients like you! Since so many of you have reached out asking, I felt like it was a great opportunity to write about all the ways Destinations HD could use your support if you should feel compelled.  It’s crazy to think that just two weeks ago I was sharing my journey to Africa with you, and now many of us are under "stay at home" orders as we face one of the most widespread pandemics that humanity has ever seen.
While you’re probably overwhelmed with news and updates regarding COVID-19, I wanted to touch on a few things related to your travel – whether you currently have travel booked with us, another agent, or booked on your own. Sorry it's a little long - there is a lot to go through. Here are a few things to consider if you have travel plans currently booked...  The last decade was an eye-opener when it came to the real problem that plastic is having on our environment. We saw countries and citizens around the world taking action to cut down on plastic use.
But what about when you travel? Trial size toiletries, plastic cups at hotels, ziplock bags for TSA screening – the list goes on and on. Some countries (and even some local US states) have banned the use of plastics, so be sure to check your destination before getting on that jet plane. So what can we as travelers do to minimize our impact on the beautiful destinations we visit and reduce plastic waste?  Well, this newsletter was supposed to be about my recent trip to a bucket list dream of mine – specifically Exuma, in the Bahamas.
If you don’t know about the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas, give me a call and I can fill you in! It’s been a personal dream of mine to swim with the pigs in the crystal-clear waters, and this year I finally booked the trip! As the departure date got closer, I got more and more excited – I was packed and ready to go a week before we had to leave, the house was clean, and I was tying up loose ends at work – next stop, Bahamas! Until three days before I had to leave... |
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