Travel advisors have welcomed business picking back up the past two months.
While that is to no doubt be celebrated, they have also come new issues, including constantly changing protocols and testing requirements that differ from country to country and even state to state and continuing uncertainty, with the media reporting of a spreading Delta variant.
Lori Wilson, a travel advisor with JCo Travel Inc., told Travel Market Report her agency’s biggest struggle right now is the high demand and being met with low supply in air, resort, and excursion options.
“Trying to infuse excitement into clients’ travel while also tempering that with fair expectations is a tough balance right now,” she said. “Praying that all of the resorts can see enough in their revenue that they can bring employees back and staff their properties.”
Carrie Mahoney, of Carrie Mahoney Travel, a Travel Experts advisor, has faced the same issue, saying “some can’t even manage to answer the phone to take a reservation. That’s fine if you’re doing something basic and can do it online, but not helpful with special requests, connecting rooms, and VIPs.”
The same frustrations have extended to suppliers, said Eileen Anderson of Journeys Afar. “We’re hamstrung in delivering prompt responses to clients due to extensive hold times, slow responses to email inquiries, even chat features are not functioning due to increased volume and understaffing.”
