Second jobs, volunteer work, Zooms, some bookings: Advisors keep busy

During these long months of isolation, lockdown and masks, a time during which fist bumps have replaced hugs, toilet paper has been hoarded and hand sanitizers praised, what have travel advisors been up to?

I’ve seen and heard dozens of them on destination webinars, soaking up information on entry regulations, sharing how-to strategies for communicating with clients through virtual happy hours, what to include when updating their websites and where to find sources of food photos for culinary Zoom sessions.

I had spoken in August with Angie Fanning, the owner of AwayBug Travel in Wilmington, N.C., an independent affiliate of the Travel Experts’ network, following her first fam trip to Jamaica, organized by Couples Resorts.

In July I profiled Kelly Fontenelle, the founder/creator of the Facebook group Travel Advisors Selling the Caribbean that she formed as a one-stop source of information vital to advisors, especially during the pandemic.

It’s provided me with a window into the highs and lows of this business, the hurdles, obstacles and challenges that advisors have overcome in dealing with a myriad of cancellation requests, itinerary changes, where’s-my-refund questions and, at times, difficult clients.

Last week I reached out to Nikki Miller, travel consultant-owner of TravelWithNikki in Portage, Mich. Like many of her colleagues, Miller took on a part-time, additional job during the pandemic.

“Before the pandemic hit, I had been working as a guide at Weight Watchers,” Miller said. “Once it hit, I was able to increase my hours working there virtually.” She described that job as a “great support system for me as well as the members I was assisting. It was therapeutic to talk with others that were going through the same issues I was, and it helped me and others find creative ways to avoid eating our emotions.”

Miller also has been using the down time to build a program to help travel professionals turn their passion for travel into a business.

“I came into the industry at a time when many agencies considered everything they did as proprietary and no one was willing to share their best practices,” she said.

Her program helps guide travel advisors to treat their agency as a business where they are the CEO, CFO and COO. She described it as “a hybrid of online learning, one-to-one coaching and group collaboration. We strive for community over competition.”

Miller reported that her agency business is beginning to pick up again.

“I had no travelers from March 15 through August, but they slowly began traveling in September, mostly to domestic destinations, but also to Jamaica, the Maldives and Mexico,” she said. The majority of the bookings that Miller is taking now are for Jamaica, Mexico, Hawaii and Disney World.

“October was my biggest booking month since January; November was down but December has been great, thanks to a villa reservation for a client who rebooked the same villa he’d had over Thanksgiving for next March.”

I checked in with Linda Welch, owner and sole employee of Blue Ash Travel in Blue Ash, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati.

She and I last spoke in May as she grappled with cancellations, juggled arrangements and fielded questions from clients.

“I had 93 cancellations,” Welch said. “A lot of these clients are now sitting on travel credits, and some fear they will never be able to use them because of future scheduling conflicts with school and work vacations.”

Welch said it took between 30 and 90 days to get refunds for her clients, “but they all got their money back. I always advocate that they buy cancellation insurance.”

After that flurry had quieted down, Welch realized she had some time on her hands. “I knew at some point this would end but in the meantime, I wanted to put my energy to good use.”

She and her grown daughter, who had graduated from college in June (the graduation ceremony took place in the Welch’s living room instead of on the Ohio campus due to the pandemic) volunteered as court-appointed special advocates for an organization that deals with abused and neglected children who are in foster care.

“Our job is to monitor their school and medical progress, work with the foster parents to address mental health issues and to speak for the kids in court,” she said.

They visit the children regularly, outside in parks wearing masks, listen to what’s going on with them and make recommendations regarding special programs or needs.

“It’s been an eye-opener for both of us, and very rewarding,” Welch said.

As for her travel business, she’s taken a few bookings since borders began reopening and has had a lot of inquiries from clients, although she said that the entry requirements have been challenging, especially with regards to the timeline for getting negative test results back in time prior to departure.

“We will all be incredibly busy when it seems safe to do so, but it’s hard to know now when clients will have the confidence to travel again,” Welch said. “They want to talk and dream about it, but many aren’t ready to get on a plane and go at this point.

“Since many had to cancel trips at least once already, they’re hesitant to book too soon and then have to cancel again.”

She herself has not flown since January, and she’s an all-inclusive specialist, having visited 241 of those resorts in the past.

Mary Smith with Delightful Destinations in Appleton, Wis., a member of the Avoya Network, said, “I do see a light at the end of the tunnel and I believe there is some pent-up demand for travel.”

During the lull in the action, Smith got some items off her business wish list. She hired a copy writer for her soon-to-be new agency website. “A website is like a front entry to your home,” she  said. “It sets the tone, and mine needed a big makeover.”

Smith has taken advantage of all the destination and supplier training. “There’s always something new to learn,” she said. She’s also taken on an outside sales person to help generate more group business, and she credited her host agency that’s assisted with updates on company records, supplied Zoom get-togethers and marketing upgrades.

“As I look back on 2020 and forward to 2021, I’m hopeful and excited to see the rebound,” Smith said.