, , ,

To Travel Or Not To Travel In 2020

To Travel Or Not To Travel In 2020??

We know many of you are eager to travel; so are we!!  However, we are recommending to our clients that they not travel right now (especially internationally) because we just can’t offer or guarantee the pre-Covid-19 experience that we strive to provide to all our travel customers.

Currently our agency isn’t selling any travel for 2020 at all, because as travel professionals, we feel it isn’t right to encourage anyone to risk their lives or well being just to take a trip.  However, for those travelers who are itching to go somewhere, we are providing options (and some great specials) for travel in 2021.  With relaxed cancellation and refund policies through our preferred tour operators, Plan Now – Travel Later, is a great option to satisfy your travel blues.

As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, the growing uncertainties about how long it will last, what aspects of travel are safe and what the travel experience will be like puts focus on the fine line that we as travel advisors and travel suppliers are walking between keeping our businesses afloat and risking long-term damage to our reputation and our customer relationships that we have built over the years by selling the wrong trip, or selling too soon.

This was made more evident recently with the cruise industry, which made headlines anew last week as passengers on several of the first ships to set sail since the pandemic began testing positive for Covid-19, despite recording negative tests just before their departure. There has been some criticism that the cruise restarted sailing too soon.  Most cruise lines are currently halting sailings untli the end of October when they will once again re-evaluate whether to resume cruising at that time.

While we would love to get back on the road as soon as possible, as we know you all do, we at Trasformativa are taking an increasingly cautious approach as the crisis has dragged on and uncertainties have mounted. Travel protocols are constantly changing, flights continue to be cancelled, and obtaining Covid test results in a timely manner for travel authorization, are just a few of the stumbling blocks we are seeing on an ongoing basis.

We are in constantly in contact with our preferred tour operators and Tourist Board representatives and ask that they be vocal, and honest, about whether it is safe, or not for our travel customers to come to their destinations.

While many guided tour and group travel companies and cruise lines have officially pushed back start dates only through the fall, conversations about restarting is increasingly focused on 2021; and when in 2021 is still a question mark.

What we are telling our travel clients who call us and are eager to travel, as many Caribbean islands are opening again to tourism, we are telling everybody, don’t push it, because we would hate to make a booking only to have to cancel or rebook it down the road; or even worse….. have a bad travel experience.  As we say at Trasformativa, You Can’t Return A Bad Vacation!!

We know you are itching to travel, as we are still fielding a lot of calls, but we’re also encouraging our travel customers not to book now because we know our clients.  Our clients expect a certain level of experience when they book a trip with us, and we don’t want you to be disappointed and not have the experience that you are expecting or hoping for.

The thing is, it’s not about something or a destination being open. If our customers are going to spend all this money, they don’t want to spend it for a different experience than they are expecting. You don’t want to walk around the hotel in a mask. You want to use the spa, and you don’t want to sit in the restaurants or at breakfast at the hotel and it’s not that enjoyable experience you want it to be.

While some travelers are opting for a domestic destination this summer, they have a good time, but it wasn’t the experience they wanted for the money they spent.

So…Be Patient!!  TRAVEL WILL RETURN!!!  For now, while we are obsessing over when we can travel again, right now we can and should be using this time to plan future travel and possibly booking travel and taking advantage of the great deals that are out there right now.  Again, with relaxed cancellation and refund policies in place, what have you go to lose???

 

 

TRAVEL IN COLOR – NOT BLACK AND WHITE

ABOUT TRASFORMATIVA TRAVEL

Trasformativa is a US based travel company with offices located in Durham, NC and Clarksville, VA.  We are  focused exclusively on transformational travel. Our experienced and qualified travel agents offer many different types of transformational travel opportunities. We work with individuals and groups of many sizes to help them find a true difference. Most of the people who contact us are luxury travelers and leaders of groups who are traveling together. This includes, yoga or fitness instructors, health and wellness professionals, human resource directors, sales managers, CEO’s, church group leaders, corporate trainers, personal chefs, wedding planners, brides, corporate travel professionals, and also individuals looking to plan an exciting and out-of-the-way trip for a group of their friends.

Our transformational opportunities include Exotic Group Travel, Jamaica Travel, Caribbean Travel, Europe Travel, Incentive Travel Reward Programs, Destination Training Events,  Autism Travel, Girls Getaway

To learn more, visit our website or call us at (919) 616-3780.

 

/by
, , ,

The Coronavirus Diaries Of A Travel Agent

The Coronavirus Diaries Of A Travel Agent

Right now, I should be at the very apex of my busiest season. I should be answering multiple inquiries each day, booking dozens of flights, Caribbean resort stays and incredible trips across Europe. However, the only calls I am getting are to cancel upcoming trips, cruises and flights. The finer details of, say, a romp in the Maldives should be top of my mind. Instead, it’s the coronavirus.

I feel really bad for people that chose to book online right now. The global coronavirus pandemic has upended the travel industry, sending customers into a panic as they race to get refunds and reschedule upcoming trips. For travelers who booked their vacations with online booking agents such as Expedia or BookIt.com, the experience is compounded with frustration and anger as they struggle to get a hold of someone on the phone, and worry about potential money lost.

A press release came out from BookIt.com, who essentially shut down their entire operation, leaving their employees with no jobs and their customers to fend for themselves to cancel or rebook upcoming and/or future vacations, or even worse….. figuring out how to get home if they are currently traveling..

On social media, customers who booked with Expedia complained of excessively long call times and being unable to get through to a representative, leading to travelers being unable to make any changes to their travel plans or start refunds. Some people said they could not get a hold of someone for as much as 24 hours and one person said they called over 30 times. At one point, Expedia said “we are currently experiencing technical difficulties and can’t take your call right now.” What kind of customer service is that??

While airlines and hotels are issuing refunds for bookings made through advisors, those who booked online have to have their cancellation first go through Expedia; Good Luck!!

Sounds like a nightmare, doesn’t it? Well I can tell you, IT IS!! Our office has canceled and/or rebooked dozens of trips in the past few weeks, and it’s heartbreaking for us and for our business. But we are not a toll-free number for our clients, we are your friend and advocate, and we are working around the clock to do everything we can to protect our client’s interest. Instead of our clients wondering how to cancel or rebook their trip, and spending hours on the phone on hold to accomplish this, it is us, your Trusted Trasformativa Agent doing this for you. If you were actively traveling during the midst of the coronavirus chaos, we were on the phone with our tour operator creating an exit plan for our clients.

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started warning about coronavirus spreading in the U.S., the calls and emails of travel requests just shut off. Less than two weeks ago, I was so busy I could barely type fast enough to make all the reservations I needed to. Today, I’m writing this newsletter instead. I wasn’t an agent when 9/11 happened, but I’ve heard stories from older colleagues about the uncertainty and fear that surrounded travel and the sudden cessation of business in our industry. What’s happening now feels like what they’ve described.

But never fear…. this too shall pass and the travel industry will once again BOOM!!! Going forward I’m educating my clients on exciting destinations for future travel, and posting pictures of those destinations on my social media outlets, to peak some interest. And….. once we are free to travel again, the airlines, resorts and hotels are going to be offering FANTASTIC Specials and Deals for travelers to make up for the lost tourism during this pandemic. So…. give us a call and let’s make a plan so that we can jump on those deals when they are announced.

And remember, the next time you are planning your next travel adventure, be sure to book with your Trusted Trasformativa Agent, Your Partner In Travel!!

Stay Healthy!!!

 

TRAVEL IN COLOR – NOT BLACK AND WHITE

ABOUT TRASFORMATIVA TRAVEL

Trasformativa is a US based travel company with offices located in Durham, NC and Clarksville, VA.  We are  focused exclusively on transformational travel. Our experienced and qualified travel agents offer many different types of transformational travel opportunities. We work with individuals and groups of many sizes to help them find a true difference. Most of the people who contact us are luxury travelers and leaders of groups who are traveling together. This includes, yoga or fitness instructors, health and wellness professionals, human resource directors, sales managers, CEO’s, church group leaders, corporate trainers, personal chefs, wedding planners, brides, corporate travel professionals, and also individuals looking to plan an exciting and out-of-the-way trip for a group of their friends.

Our transformational opportunities include Exotic Group Travel, Jamaica Travel, Caribbean Travel, Europe Travel, Incentive Travel Reward Programs, Destination Training Events,  Autism Travel, Girls Getaway

To learn more, visit our website or call us at (919) 616-3780.

 

/by
, , , ,

The New Trend In Travel – “Bleisure Travel”

What The Heck Is “Bleisure Travel”??

“Bleisure” is on the rise and it’s one of the biggest trends in business travel.

Blending work travel with leisure travel is one of the best perks of traveling for work. It helps save on vacation costs and creates a better work-life balance for travelers, and the concept is growing by leaps and bounds.

“Bleisure” is when an employee tacks on days to a business trip and turns it into a vacation. The rise of “bleisure” – where travelers mix their business trips with leisure time – is allowing workers to save money and transform what can be an inconvenient trip away into a pleasurable stay.

New research shows that workers in general, and millennials in particular, are increasingly blending business travel with leisure activities, with nearly one third citing their desire to explore new destinations as the number one reason to do so. And…. business travelers of all ages clearly believe that bleisure travel helps them maintain a healthier work-life balance.

For business travelers, the benefit of bleisure travel is on of the biggest perks and helps establish and maintain a better work-life balance. Those who engage in bleisure travel are significantly more likely to be satisfied with their quality of life (93% vs. 75%) as well as their work/life balance (87% vs. 64%) while on the road than non-bleisure travelers.

Bleisure travelers are also more likely to prioritize self-care on the road, including following a healthy diet and exercising while away on business.

There seems, however, to be only one disadvantage to this trend. Many bleisure travelers have said they avoid telling others about taking time for fun while traveling for business. But, this stigma may be changing, as many bleisure travel enthusiasts take on managerial and director roles, they are encouraging their staff to enjoy and combine leisure time with business travel. According to a national survey, 76% of bleisure-traveling bosses and supervisors report encouraging their teams to take time for themselves while on business trips.

While bleisure travel is the best and trendiest perk to encourage a healthy work-life balance for leisure travel, making things simple on the road is another major benefit.

The overall benefit is two fold, if you have a happy employee, they will perform better in the workplace and better performance is good for the company. Consider making your next business trip a Bleisure Trip!!

 

TRAVEL IN COLOR – NOT BLACK AND WHITE

ABOUT TRASFORMATIVA TRAVEL

Trasformativa is a US based travel company with offices located in Durham, NC and Clarksville, VA.  We are  focused exclusively on transformational travel. Our experienced and qualified travel agents offer many different types of transformational travel opportunities. We work with individuals and groups of many sizes to help them find a true difference. Most of the people who contact us are luxury travelers and leaders of groups who are traveling together. This includes, yoga or fitness instructors, health and wellness professionals, human resource directors, sales managers, CEO’s, church group leaders, corporate trainers, personal chefs, wedding planners, brides, corporate travel professionals, and also individuals looking to plan an exciting and out-of-the-way trip for a group of their friends.

Our transformational opportunities include Exotic Group Travel, Jamaica Travel, Caribbean Travel, Europe Travel, Retreat Group Travel, Culinary & Vineyard Group Travel, Wellness Travel Retreats, Incentive Travel Reward Programs, Destination Training Events, Corporate Wellness Retreats, Team Building Retreats, Fitness Retreats, Yoga & Meditation Retreats, Juice & Cleanse Retreats, Spirituality Retreats, and Autism Travel, Girls Getaway

To learn more, visit our website or call us at (919) 616-3780.

 

/by
, , ,

Why Travel Should Be A Part Of Your Self Care Regimen

Why Travel Should Be a Part Of Your Self Care Regimen

In Japan, there was a young journalist, who in one month worked 159 hours and then died!  In Japan, they have a term for this — it’s called “karoshi,” or death from overwork.

Last month, I wrote and article for my LinkedIn Profile called OVERWHELMED AMERICA: WHY DON’T WE USE OUR PAID TIME OFF? which talked about how many employees don’t take their earned time off and this is leading to overwhelming stress and burnout.

Studies show that young women are the most unlikely to use their vacation days. The women of our generation are burning out, faster than ever.

The main problem is that we become the victim of social expectations. We’re not taking time off because we’re afraid of being laid off by our bosses, judged by our co-workers, or don’t see how we can manage stepping away from our role without everything falling apart while we are gone. We’re glued to our jobs and not giving ourselves the opportunity to become un-glued and take some “ME Time”.  As a result, we are working more and more overtime, and no time for our body recuperate and reset, and then come back to center.

The Science Behind Stress

On a biochemical level, burnout and overdrive sends our bodies spiraling into a stress response, which releases cortisol into our bloodstream. Our body produces cortisol to help us respond when we’re in danger — like in a fight-or-flight situation, and that’s no state to live in. Yet, we are. And young women are the biggest victims living like this without a reprieve.

Stress is the leading cause for every major health condition we face in Western society, and it’s killing us, yet it is socially accepted, even praised.  People would rather be seen as a hard worker, instead of someone who takes time off to  make themselves a priority for their mental and physical well-being.

We can do all the meditating and working out we want, and drink all the green juices; however, we need something bigger!!   Sometimes we need to physically uproot ourselves, in order to allow our body a chance to reset.

This is where travel comes in

Traveling is a self-correcting mechanism for change.  When we embrace this and allow ourselves a long period of time to live in this realm, our body has its  own way of re-balancing our mind, body and soul.  It is Transfromative!!  This is why it is imperative that travel be a part of our self care regimen.

When we get rid of the stress and anxiety, take off the weight, go without medication, we create space for harmony in our lives.

Our body then start to create new neurological pathways, and serotonin starts to reproduce naturally. We feel better because we’re having new life experiences, laughing more, having long hugs and even longer conversations. We’re finding real connection, and doing things that bring us natural joy, and our emotions change, so we change.

It’s the norm to go to the doctor who just wants to prescribe medication to make you feel good; when in reality, all he really needs to prescribe is a VACATION!!  No laptop or cell phone, just totally disconnected.  Traveling to a faraway country with a different culture, begins the Transformation from within where your experiences can be defined as the consumption of leisure experiences through which we gain meaningful and lasting memories, knowledge, spiritual enrichment and skills to create lasting memories and a life changing experience.

Viewing travel as a part of our self-care routine, where it’s a slow and steady experience of coming back to center is what we need.  Making “ME” a “PRIORITY”.

It goes against our no-pain-no-gain society. But when we choose ourselves and prioritize our health, we realize feeling good has a ripple effect. When we feel good, we help everyone around us feel good too.

So…  Take The Trip And Spread The Good Vibes.

 

ABOUT TRASFORMATIVA TRAVEL

Trasformativa is a US based travel company with offices located in Durham, NC and Clarksville, VA.  We are  focused exclusively on transformational travel. Our experienced and qualified travel agents offer many different types of transformational travel opportunities. We work with individuals and groups of many sizes to help them find a true difference. Most of the people who contact us are luxury travelers and leaders of groups who are traveling together. This includes, yoga or fitness instructors, health and wellness professionals, human resource directors, sales managers, CEO’s, church group leaders, corporate trainers, personal chefs, wedding planners, brides, corporate travel professionals, and also individuals looking to plan an exciting and out-of-the-way trip for a group of their friends.

Our transformational opportunities include Exotic Group Travel, Jamaica Travel, Caribbean Travel, Europe Travel, Retreat Group Travel, Culinary & Vineyard Group Travel, Wellness Travel Retreats, Incentive Travel Reward Programs, Destination Training Events, Corporate Wellness Retreats, Team Building Retreats, Fitness Retreats, Yoga & Meditation Retreats, Juice & Cleanse Retreats, Spirituality Retreats, and Autism Travel,

To learn more, visit our website or call us at (919) 616-3780.

 

/by