11/03/2020
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For all my family and friends. You know I’ve never been precious about where you book your travel in the past. I have always worked on the premise that there is enough business for everyone.
However I will ask this of you all when moving forward when everything is calm again and your confidence to travel has returned.....by all means, research your travels online, but please don’t point and click and give your money to a soulless multinational online business without thinking of real people like me working hard for their families.
You have a local agent somewhere in your town or suburb. Find them. Ask around and get a recommendation. Take your travel plans in and have a conversation with them. Ring them. I promise you, it won't cost you any more than what’s online direct with the airlines, cruise line or hotels.
By doing so you will be doing the following :
* Keeping your money in the community
* Supporting a local business that employs people within your community
* Keeping your local Main Street businesses thriving
* Supporting a business that values your business
* Spending your money in Australia
* Using a business that has most likely paid for accreditation and licenses to trade with our industry standards.
* Hopefully starting a personal relationship with a professional who will get to know you and your needs for all of your adventures.
* Having access to the latest information on whatever disaster is happening (there’s always something random happening!). We are the first to get updates on anything affecting the industry to advise our clients.
Some of these businesses are in communities that have recently been affected by drought, floods, and bushfires. Sometimes all three! Many of them are independent and small business owners. Even big companies have franchises and are locally owned and or operated. They would be so touched and grateful if you gave them a call to discuss your travel plans and told them you wanted to shop locally.
I think one thing I have learned so far in 2020 is to be more thoughtful about how I spend and where I spend it. We won’t have our small businesses much longer if people purchase everything online. I’m trying to support as many Australian businesses as I can and I’ve been blown away by some of the gorgeous retailers we have.
You have a personal hairdresser, beautician, financial planner, mechanic, local cafe... it’s really time for you to find your trusted travel advisor. If you take the time to find an advisor that’s the right fit for you, I can promise you, in times like these, you will be so happy you did.
I get asked all the time, “how do you even exist when people can book online?”. It’s because almost every single travel agent I know, from London to Toronto, to Melbourne to the Barossa Valley, from Launceston to Perth and everywhere in between are fantastic professionals and exceptional humans. We have survived because we continually evolve our businesses, invest in our people and because we offer something the Internet can’t give you - reassurance, service and a human connection.
We are real people with real-life experiences and we are better than a website!
We have had so many people calling us for advice that hasn’t actually given us the business. They’ve booked online with an anonymous machine, and we still are gracious and help as best we can.
In this age of the Internet, please let’s get back to connecting and transacting with real people in local communities and help them rebuild.
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