Natural Disaster? Call a Travel Agent!
By James Shillinglaw
August 25, 2011 11:45 PM
August 25, 2011 11:45 PM
What a week it’s been. First there was the earthquake here on the East Coast, and now we’re facing Hurricane Irene, which is taking aim at the Carolinas and then is expected to head up the East Coast this weekend.
Sure, the earthquake was nothing compared to what our friends on the West Coast have experienced in the past, but it scared a lot of people in Washington and New York. And it even had some tourism implications: Washington Monument was closed to tourists after cracks were found in the upper part of the structure. Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious quake, just unexpected for our region. I even joked with a friend that the folks in Washington always overreact to things like snow, earthquakes…and debt ceilings.
The hurricane, of course, is another matter. You’ll notice that nearly every one of our top stories in this issue of TravelPulse has something to do with Irene. We have stories on cruise lines forced to leave passengers in Puerto Rico, on cruise lines changing even more itineraries in the Caribbean, on resorts closing, and on Amtrak stopping service south of Washington, among other items.
I’ve been watching the Facebook posts of my travel agent friends and also seeing them tweet about the successes they’ve had rebooking clients to other vacation destinations (for example, one moved a client from a top resort in the Bahamas to another top resort in Mexico). Agents also had to help clients stranded at various airports in the Caribbean. Still others have been working to get their customers home early from areas that may be affected by the hurricane (it’s likely that airports from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast will be closed or will have extremely truncated service).
And let’s not only cite natural disasters. My thoughts are increasingly focused on the anniversary of 9/11 coming up in a couple of weeks. Air service in the U.S. came to a full stop for four days, but travel agents were there to serve their clients throughout (and I was one of those clients). I’ll have more to write about 9/11 and its effect on travel in a couple of weeks, but for now it serves as yet another example of how travel agents remain essential service providers in times of crisis.
Maybe someday the general public will realize that travel agents do their job not just during times of disaster, but also often 24/7, 365 days a year. They work to serve their clients in good times and bad – and they really can’t be replaced by technology. Agents provide a personalized service that simply can’t be replaced.
James Shillinglaw is editor in chief of TravelPulse.
Sure, the earthquake was nothing compared to what our friends on the West Coast have experienced in the past, but it scared a lot of people in Washington and New York. And it even had some tourism implications: Washington Monument was closed to tourists after cracks were found in the upper part of the structure. Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious quake, just unexpected for our region. I even joked with a friend that the folks in Washington always overreact to things like snow, earthquakes…and debt ceilings.
The hurricane, of course, is another matter. You’ll notice that nearly every one of our top stories in this issue of TravelPulse has something to do with Irene. We have stories on cruise lines forced to leave passengers in Puerto Rico, on cruise lines changing even more itineraries in the Caribbean, on resorts closing, and on Amtrak stopping service south of Washington, among other items.
Why do many people only discover or understand the importance of travel agents when a natural disaster occurs?
And if you’re searching for a travel agent connection in this column, well here it is. Why do many people only discover or understand the importance of travel agents when a natural disaster occurs? For the past few days, agents have been busy dealing with their clients’ vacation disasters – at least those who had booked trips to the Bahamas and other areas of the Caribbean affected by the storm. But that is exactly what agents do! They help their customers out in times of crisis.I’ve been watching the Facebook posts of my travel agent friends and also seeing them tweet about the successes they’ve had rebooking clients to other vacation destinations (for example, one moved a client from a top resort in the Bahamas to another top resort in Mexico). Agents also had to help clients stranded at various airports in the Caribbean. Still others have been working to get their customers home early from areas that may be affected by the hurricane (it’s likely that airports from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast will be closed or will have extremely truncated service).
Last summer travel agents found their services suddenly appreciated when the Iceland volcano eruption stopped air service in Europe.
None of this is new. Last summer travel agents found their services suddenly appreciated when the Iceland volcano eruption stopped air service in Europe for several days (I was affected by that little disaster). But agents were there to rebook their customers and help get them home.And let’s not only cite natural disasters. My thoughts are increasingly focused on the anniversary of 9/11 coming up in a couple of weeks. Air service in the U.S. came to a full stop for four days, but travel agents were there to serve their clients throughout (and I was one of those clients). I’ll have more to write about 9/11 and its effect on travel in a couple of weeks, but for now it serves as yet another example of how travel agents remain essential service providers in times of crisis.
Clearly President Obama is getting material for his speeches from someone who doesn’t understand the vital role travel agents play today.
Of course, yet another “disaster” of sorts for the travel agency trade came last week when President Obama basically put travel agents in the category of evaporating professions, even though, as I pointed out in my column last Friday, travel agency groups are actually creating jobs today. Clearly President Obama is getting material for his speeches from someone who doesn’t understand the vital role travel agents play today.Maybe someday the general public will realize that travel agents do their job not just during times of disaster, but also often 24/7, 365 days a year. They work to serve their clients in good times and bad – and they really can’t be replaced by technology. Agents provide a personalized service that simply can’t be replaced.
James Shillinglaw is editor in chief of TravelPulse.
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