If there’s anything travelers have learned from the Internet, it’s that there’s an obscene amount of information out there regarding travel.
If there’s anything travelers have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that the shelf life of information regarding travel on the Internet is remarkably short. Travel restrictions change validity dates, hotels and attractions open and close, and nonstop flights that are available one day suddenly disappear as airlines scramble to rework schedules.
Even outside the midst of a global crisis, the amount of information travelers must contend with when planning their journey is massive. Travelers who research and plan their journey with the assistance of a professional travel advisor have a seasoned expert right on hand to help them sift through all the muck.
I tend to like “Travel Advocate,” for there are many situations where advisors must also put their sourcing skills to work advocating for their clients’ needs, like when suppliers cancel or change arrangements, requiring rebooking or refunds.
Today, in the midst of a pandemic, many travel advisors have put together working lists on various country’s travel restrictions, and they can also help clients sift through often confusing information about whether borders are open or closed, which destinations require quarantine, and which hotels are allowing flexibility for prepaid reservations.
When travel advisors aren’t meeting with clients or visiting their most popular destinations on-site inspections, their time is often dedicated to research.
In short, advisors shine for their clients when travel gets confusing, not because they’re experts on travel (even though they are) but because they’re experts on information—if they don’t have it available, they know exactly where to find it, and whether to trust it.