Felicity Long
Like a lot of people who have a long-standing love affair with Europe, my next trip to the Continent won't be "if," but rather "when."
That said, these are dark and unsettling times, and that "when" is a giant question mark. This uncertainty got me wondering what Virtuoso travel advisors who book a lot of Europe were hearing from their clients.
The good news? Most are rescheduling rather than canceling altogether.
"I would say 95 percent of my clients want to postpone and rebook, which is a great indication of the optimism of clients toward future travel," said Nancy MacLeod of Gateway Travel Service, a Virtuoso agency in Farmington Hills, Mich.
However, they are hesitant about summer travel to Europe, she said, noting, "Italy is a top destination for clients in the summer months, and with the situation as it now stands, I don't see that improving yet. What may happen is if the situation improves, there will be a surge to travel to Europe in August. But at this point, I am looking at September/October for the upswing."
Melissa McKinley of Travel With Melissa, an affiliate of DLUXE Travel, a Virtuoso agency in Plano, Texas, said she's been spending 90 percent of her working time deferring trips to future dates.
"I want to believe summer travel is going forward but have begun making changes to June and July plans," McKinley said, noting that about 10 percent of her clients are already focused on booking fall, winter and 2021 trips.
"We have high hopes that travel to Europe may be able to resume in June, but we are going to focus on fall once we see some of the travel bans start to lift," said Craig Mungary of Elite Global Journeys, a Virtuoso agency in Fresno, Calif.
"Most of our postponed travel has been rebooked. So, unless clients were directly affected by the travel ban, they are just taking a wait-and-see approach," Mungary said, adding that his only cancellations so far have been "forced ... such as canceled cruises ... [or where European] hotels advised they would be closed."
As for travel insurance, Mungary said clients who routinely declined policies in the past are now coming back to purchase plans.
"We have always highly recommended to our clients that they invest in travel insurance," he said, adding that his company requires clients sign a waiver if they decline insurance.
"This policy requires us to have a conversation about travel insurance up front with every client at the time of booking ... and the sale of insurance [his company sells Allianz] is an excellent revenue source in these tough times. And the peace of mind for our clients is invaluable."
Travel protection is also not a new concept to MacLeod, which -- even without a pandemic -- makes sense with any big financial investment.
"Most of my clients' trips are quite involved, and the idea that an unforeseen event could cause them to cancel is still a consideration," she said. "We have elderly parents, young children and business to consider. I always recommend purchase at time of deposit to include the preexisting coverage."
McKinley said that, while she has always offered insurance with every trip, the pandemic is new territory, and it's not always clear what is and is not covered.
"But more importantly, the hotels, tour operators, airlines and cruise suppliers have been very supportive and gone above and beyond," she said.
Finally, when asked for a message of hope for the future, all three advisors echoed the sentiments many of us feel about the enduring appeal of Europe.
"Europe is a land full of history," said Mungary. "The current situation is another chapter in the history book, and the allure of history is what makes Europe so appealing to many Americans. I believe no matter how many times one travels to Europe, there are still new locations to visit and experiences to be had.
"If anything, recent events have created an even deeper desire for many clients to travel the world to get to their bucket list destinations while they are attainable," he said.
"It will come back and big!" agreed MacLeod. "With the global communities we all live in and operate from, we know so many people worldwide. There has always been a thirst for European travel, and it will return."
As for McKinley, she said, "One thing for certain in life is change. We will not only get through this, but thrive going forward. I know together we are stronger. My hope is that everyone keeps dreaming and uses a travel advisor to help them create their next European adventure. Europe is a beautiful place and will be waiting for you!"