Can you get by without a travel advisor? I'm not gonna lie; yes, you can get by without one. But what kind of vacation is a 'get by'? Is that how you want to invest thousands of dollars? Are you telling your friends, "I can't wait for the family's 'get by' to Iceland this summer!" Or, "I think a river cruise 'get by' sounds like a wonderful idea!" Sure y'are.
Virtuoso put together some myths about travel advisors, and here are just a few:
Myth #1: Travel advisor = travel agent
Think of a travel advisor like a financial advisor: a trusted, knowledgeable source who helps shape and support big decisions in your life. Travel is an investment, and it can yield an incredible return. Deciding where and how to go shouldn’t be taken lightly, whether it’s a years-in-the-making Italian sojourn, a bucket-list world cruise, or a mountain getaway over a holiday weekend. Travel agents, in their day, were transactional – booking plane tickets and finalizing hotel reservations – but travel advisors (TA's) are transformational. We make it their business to get to know you, and we'll work with you again and again on your travel plans, learning everything from your favorite spa treatment to the go-to bottle of wine you like to have waiting in your hotel room.
Myth #2: You can plan the same trip faster by yourself online
Searching through the overwhelming volume of online content often yields questionable results, with conflicting or outdated information. We believe leisure time is your most valuable, nonrenewable asset. Once it’s lost, you can’t get it back. Virtuoso advisors know the answers to questions you may not even think of – and plan things you never knew existed. Many of us spend a good amount of our own time traveling the world, researching and collecting ideas for our clients. We know about the travel experiences you can’t find on the internet (and yes, those do actually exist).
Myth #3: You can find the same prices and perks on your own.
Through our global connections and years of cultivating industry relationships, Virtuoso TA's have access to special rates and offers that are not made publicly available. And beyond the hotel perks and cruise amenities available to Virtuoso advisors, there’s one more skill we have that online booking websites don’t: the ability to pick up the phone. Your TA can call the general manager at your hotel in Prague to see if an upgrade is available. With luxury travel, it’s definitely about what you know and who you know.
If a hotel’s website says it’s fully booked, there’s a good chance a Virtuoso advisor can still secure a reservation for you. And if your flight gets canceled or delayed, your advisor can probably get you on another flight faster than you can. Your TA will also make sure you’re set up with the best car services, the most personalized tours, those impossible-to-get restaurant reservations, and the right travel insurance. Stop staring at the 73 tabs open on your internet browser and just email me already!
Myth #4: Nobody uses travel advisors anymore.
Ha! The biggest myth of all is that travel professionals are extinct, having disappeared with the advent of the internet. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Virtuoso's network of 22,000 advisors around the globe is proof. And if the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’ll never take the ability to travel for granted again. When it comes to something as valuable and important as your leisure time, it’s absolutely worth it to work with a professional who will always have you covered.
I always have time for you and your travel dreams. Reach out to me with yours so we can turn it into a travel masterpiece.
'til next week.
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I create indulgent, transformative vacations for people who crave immersive travel. If you’re too busy to take time to plan the details of your own well-deserved escape, don't know where to begin, or are longing to make unforgettable memories with those you love, then don’t wait another day. Let's talk. Contact: GLOBAL EXOTIC ADVENTURES -Juliet Weller, Founder
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