Jamie Biesiada
Tzell Travel Group has again found a creative way to help connect clients with hard-to-find hotel rooms for their last-minute travel during a busy holiday season, underpinning the value advisors offer clients: the Festive Desk.
According to New York-based Tzell, the desk is tasked with working with suppliers to track holiday availability, including cancellations. The desk works with both hotel and tour operator partners. In addition to availability, the Festive Desk also keeps track of minimum-stay requirements.
While the Festive Desk is primarily focused on availability in the Caribbean and Mexico, it is also tracking rooms in Hawaii, Costa Rica and elsewhere.
This is the second year Tzell has run the Festive Desk.
Tzell co-president Cindy Schlansky called the Festive Desk "a unique initiative to ensure Tzell advisors can serve their clients in the best way possible during the holiday season."
In the case that the desk can't find availability in a particular location, Schlansky said, advisors will suggest the best alternatives.
Co-president Monty Swaney noted that travel in 2019 has been strong, and the holiday season reflects that. As a result, travelers who booked early enjoyed the best availability and prices.
But for those who didn't, travel advisors can prove their worth, Swaney said, noting "at Tzell we arm our advisors with the most up-to-date information so they can proactively provide their clients with the best options for holiday travel."
Tzell isn't alone in seeing a strong festive season.
According to Allianz Global Assistance, 24% more Americans are traveling domestically and internationally for the holidays this year than they did last year, and 42% more than 2017.
According to AAA's annual holiday forecast, 115.6 million Americans, the most ever on record since AAA started tracking holiday travel, will travel from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. That is a 3.9% increase in travelers over last year.