Jamie Biesiada
Getting through the coronavirus crisis as a travel agency is a matter of weathering the storm.
Amanda Klimak, president and co-owner of Largay Travel in Waterbury, Conn., and I discussed the topic recently.
Most are confident that, when it's safe to travel again and the traveling public's confidence returns, the agencies still in operation will benefit from a great deal of pent-up demand.
The big question is, when is that going to happen?
Klimak recalled the pandemic's initial weeks, when travel came to a screeching halt. Most everyone assumed that if the industry could just hold on until the fall, travel would resume again, she said.
But that's no longer the case. Most are assuming significant business will not occur in 2020, Klimak said.
"Now the question is, how far into next year do we have to make it?" she said.
No one can predict the answer, but there are some things to do in the meantime: Focus on different types of travel and collaborate with your peers.
Related: Largay Travel and other agencies have turned to the internet to stay connected
At Largay, for instance, Klimak divided travel advisors into groups. Each group picked a state. They performed in-depth research on their state and compiled it, and now, when a client is interested in visiting a drive destination, Largay's advisors are ready to help.
The project provided a positive focus on something other than cancellations and rebookings, Klimak said.
Largay's marketing efforts, which include featuring domestic destinations, are starting to pay off, too. After a recent outreach about travel in New England, Klimak reported, a client immediately booked six nights at the Ocean House in Rhode Island. The price tag? Some $1,700 per night.
The Society is calling on members to lobby for the inclusion of travel agencies in the next, and likely final, round of coronavirus relief. It has set up a portal to send messages legislators.
Bookings are happening, just not at the level they were previously, Klimak said. For instance, Largay has recently had clients in Montana and Mexico. Some clients want to travel, they're just not as plentiful as before.
One thing that Klimak has found particularly useful during the coronavirus crisis has been collaborating with other agencies. She has been participating in multiple calls a week through Virtuoso, Travel Agency Management Solutions, ASTA and the Professional Association of Travel Hosts.
Getting in touch with other agencies has been a positive experience and one she believes will help all involved. They've been sharing ideas and what they've been doing of late, working together not as competitors, but as survivors, she said.
"There is no one in this industry who is smart enough to think of every possibility," Klimak said, "so the more we can create brain trust within our industry, the better."