Letter: Travel agents offer valuable resource | Opinion

To The REVIEW:

Everyone’s lives have definitely changed in one way or another. Our change began the beginning of March when many conferences and meetings were canceled, many spring break vacations were questionable, and all of our study abroad and spring mission groups were told to come back.

Some of these the urgency was not so bad. Others the groups needed to leave the country the next day or the borders would close. With the six- or seven-hour time change that would mean working through the night or early in the morning. We had mainly one agent this load fell on and she handled it so professionally.

The rest of our agents worked at getting honeymooners back from Caribbean or Mexican destinations because the same thing was happening there as well as hotels were shutting down. Waiting on hold for four to five hours was commonplace to get something changed. Knowing all the rules each airline had and telling our clients only to have them change the next day was probably the hardest part.

We want to do what is absolutely the best for our clients and when a refund wasn’t an option, only a voucher, that is what we went with. When the American Society of Travel Advisors got involved and reminded the airlines that the DOT law is if the flight is canceled or changed many hours they are required to refund, the rules changed once again.

In trying to go back and change our vouchers into refunds we found this new change was retroactive. Our office tried calling and e-mailing everyone but President Trump and got nowhere. We are continuing to keep a handle on when borders will open, when hotels will open, when cruises will sail, when things are canceled so we can get refunds, and the list goes on and on.

We are optimistic people are going to want to travel again when we are allowed to. That is the question. Are flights to Europe canceled through September? Is Disneyland closed through 2020? When will we be able to go to Canada again? Can anyone get married and take a honeymoon to Mexico again? Will we be able to lead a tour to New York City at Christmastime? We sure hope so as that is what we love to do at Siouxland Travel and Tours. We want to find that perfect place for your next getaway. Our professional agents are here to help.

Now, more than ever, the value of booking with a travel advisor is clear. When things go wrong, we have your back. Given the current circumstance our industry now faces, and the overwhelming complexities of what travel may look like in a post COVID-19 world, we’re eagerly waiting for guidelines and action from our government. We know that travel will return, but it will come back in phases.

Wednesday, May 6, was National Travel Advisor Day. As a proud member of the American Society of Travel Advisors, I want to share some information about the critical role that travel advisors play in the broader travel and tourism industry as well as the challenges we are facing due to the coronavirus crisis.

The travel agency industry in the United States is a vital part of the travel and transportation infrastructure. While the physical elements of travel include planes, trains, cars, hotels, cruises and tours, it is the travel advisor who is the link.

Once the virus is unmistakably in retreat, hopefully soon, it seems likely that the traveling public won’t return to the nation’s skies and cruise ports until they have discretionary spending money securely in hand and feel safe. Unlike consuming most other products or services, the travel industry’s customers must show up in person.

I believe in the travel industry’s long-term prospects. It is endemic to the human spirit to go and see. Regardless of how long this crisis lasts, Americans are unlikely to give up the life-enriching experiences that travel provides. In the same way that social distancing slows the infection rate, new government policies and procedures will be instrumental in speeding travel’s recovery. We call on the government to provide support to travel advisors during these challenging times and to utilize them as a valuable resource for helping the recovery of the travel industry.

The future of travel depends on two things: Making sure that travelers feel confident in the travel system and making sure they have the discretionary income to take those trips.

To that end, we support the necessary measures to renew consumer confidence in the U.S. economy and the travel industry, such as widespread, consistent and quick coronavirus testing and work toward an eventual vaccine. Doing so will help instill consumer confidence and get America’s economy, and its intrepid travelers, moving again.

Laurie Roesner,

Orange City