Why Use A Travel Advisor?
In the age of overwhelming access to information on the internet, sure you can easily book a hotel or flight reservation and put together a great vacation. But if it’s possible to elevate that trip to an extraordinary level while removing stress and freeing up time for you to focus on other things —and just enjoy being excited for your trip, why wouldn’t you?
This is where a personal travel planner comes into play—someone who uses expertise in the best travel destinations, properties, activities, and itinerary planning to design incredible custom luxury travel experiences. If you are someone who loves to travel and appreciates unique personalized experiences at incredible destinations, find out why hiring a travel advisor is the best decision you can make for your next trip!
THINK OF A TRAVEL ADVISOR AS A TRAVEL MATCHMAKER
When you use a professional travel advisor, you’re essentially getting an expert matchmaking service to ensure what you envision for your trip is not only delivered, but often over-delivered by being presented with better options you may not have even known were available to you. Perhaps you know the style of trip you want, but don’t know the best destination. OR, perhaps you know exactly where you want to go, but aren’t aware of some incredible experiences or opportunities available in that destination to elevate your trip to another level. A luxury travel advisor will take the time to get to know you, your travel likes and dislikes, what you envision for your trip, and of course budget considerations and pair you with the best properties and experiences that fit your needs and interests.
Your trip is an investment, both in time and money, and a professional travel advisor will match you with incredible travel experiences that deliver the best value for your vacation dollars.
YOUR PERSONAL TIME IS PRECIOUS, SO LET THE TRAVEL EXPERT TAKE OVER
There is information overload on the internet these days and it’s difficult to know what’s accurate and what’s not. It is so easy to get completely swept up in conflicting reviews and deceptive advertising or promotions. Not all properties, tour guides, and experiences ranked high on google are created equal or even the best out there.
Luxury travel advisors are able to utilize resources and industry expertise to know the best options based on your personal travel needs and interests better than a google search or unreliable reviews. In addition, a personal travel advisor is often able to zero in on the best options very quickly. Your travel advisor will also be the one to sit on hold, check fares, price changes, present personalized itinerary options, etc.—ultimately saving you hours and hours of time that you likely want to spend in more valuable ways.
YOU CAN’T VIP YOURSELF
When you book a trip on your own, you are just another reservation in a system. When you work with a luxury travel advisor, you become a VIP and can receive special treatment thanks to your advisor’s personal relationship with travel suppliers. This can often result in providing you with additional amenities, upgrades, and other VIP touches that you won’t have access to on your own. So even though many fully capable “do-it-yourself” travelers may pat themselves on the back for saving a few bucks with some online bargain, a professional travel advisor can often deliver special amenities and more valuable personalized service worth way more than that online deal.
IT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOKING ENGINE AND A TRAVEL CONCIERGE
When you do a simple accommodation booking, or maybe you’re combining accommodation with transportation as part of an online booking engine reservation, there is no personalization or customization. If you’re spending your precious vacation dollars and time on a trip, why not make it truly special and personalized by working with a travel advisor? By working with a luxury travel advisor, you receive that high touch customization and concierge support to deliver comprehensive luxury travel services.
So what do travel concierge services look like? These may include finding the best restaurants your travel advisor will know you’ll love and take care of those arrangements for you. Whether it’s a Michelin-starred world-renowned restaurant or an intimate mom and pop restaurant favored by the locals and those “in-the-know”, your travel advisor can facilitate trying to get you that coveted reservation. In addition to special dining arrangements, travel concierge services can also include booking special activities, private tours with the most respected guides tailored exactly to your interests, golf tee times at some of the most exclusive golf courses around the world, spa appointments, unique shore excursions away from the crowds while on a cruise, and any additional activities you may be interested in depending on your trip. You can also expect a luxury travel advisor to add some surprising touches for your trip to make it extra special!
In addition to the “fun stuff”, a luxury travel advisor will also make sure you are fully prepared for your trip so there are no unfortunate surprises. This may involve checking that your passports are current and entry/exit requirements are met for that country as well as any travel visa requirements, expert packing advice specific to your custom travel itinerary, and even helpful tipping guidelines when traveling internationally.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Unfortunately, it is a reality that no matter how meticulous and well-planned a trip is designed, there is always the possibility of something not going according to plan. This is especially true when designing custom luxury travel itineraries with numerous moving parts that often have to be coordinated well in advance.
Whether it’s a cancelled flight, a missed connection causing a domino effect with other scheduled reservations, or someone falls ill during the trip and has to miss a planned tour, your personal travel advisor is just one phone call away to help sort things out for you.
You can sit back and let your travel advisor go to work dealing with the airlines, finding alternative routes, or coordinating with suppliers for any emergency situations. Just try getting immediate assistance from one of the online mega-agencies or through a generic booking engine! They also won’t understand your personal situation, full travel details, or the big picture of your travel plans like a personal travel advisor.
Also, for any serious emergencies while traveling, you will have not only your personal travel advisor, but your advisor will provide you with additional on-the-ground support contacts, ensuring all your needs will be tended to with a sense of care and urgency—just another example of a travel concierge service you won’t have access to when booking on your own or through a big-box online platform.
YOUR NEXT PERSONAL TRAVEL ADVISOR
As a professional luxury travel advisor, I make sure all of these components are part of the service I provide my clients. I take the time to learn about my clients so that I can recommend and design unique personalized travel itineraries that they wouldn’t be able to find on a google search.
By utilizing my relationships with the best luxury travel suppliers in the industry and my host agency’s affiliation with the invitation-only luxury travel consortia Virtuoso, I am able to ensure my clients are treated as VIPs along the way to add that extra touch and personalized service. I view myself as a travel concierge, and that custom travel planning doesn’t stop with a reservation and deposit. I love to stay connected leading up to the trip, delivering helpful tips, coordinating extra reservations such as restaurants, tee times, and tours, and providing special touches prior to the trip so my clients are prepared and eager to start their vacation. And of course I always hope this service is not required, but if it is, I am available to my clients to work out any bumps or emergencies while they are away.
So if you’re thinking about your next great vacation, why not take advantage of all the benefits you receive when you work with a professional travel advisor? Simply click below to connect with me so we can start planning your next incredible trip!