Just watched the CEO of Virtuoso being interviewed on the Today Show on NBC, extolling the benefits of using a travel advisor.
Some of the key things in the interview?
Using a travel advisor:
-saves you time,
-provides the best value,
-gives you someone to collaborate with in your travel planning, and
-gives you someone to back you up when things go wrong.
It’s all about value. Using a travel advisor can still save you money (even with any attendant ticketing fees and consultative fees) but you have to remember the value. If you don’t get what you want, a great rate doesn’t matter. Travel advisors work with you to deliver your travel dreams. As Warren Buffet says, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. ”
When looking for the right travel advisor for you, you should get referrals, check their accreditations, and make sure they are part of a great network like Virtuoso. (I get a lot of my business through referrals. The referral from a friend or client is the greatest sign of trust I can receive.)
So, use a travel advisor to:
a. get the best value (if you’re focussed on price, a great travel advisor will tell you how they can add value)
b. back you up when something goes wrong (a Virtuoso travel advisor in Albuquerque had a client on the Costa ship, and got involved in the flight arrangements to get them back to New Mexico – by routing the clients through Barcelona instead of Rome, the travel advisor saved the clients thousands of dollars)
c. give you options you may have not considered (a Virtuoso travel advisor can talk to you about Europe, but maybe help you consider something like river cruising – an option to let you see the great cities, pay in USD, unpack once, and not have to leave your moving hotel room)
d. help you orchestrate your travel dreams (a travel advisor will call you when you get back home – focus in on what you loved, what you can improve next time – so that you’re already planning your next trip)
You hire financial advisors to manage your money, so you should also hire travel advisors to manage your most important asset – your free time, and your time with your loved ones.
Travel advisors are not order takers. They are collaborative partners with you to orchestrate your travel dreams.
Hire a financial advisor to maximize your return on investment. Hire a travel avisor to maximize your return on life.