To My Fellow travelers,

Overnight the whole world changed and as a result, the travel industry is going through yet another massive transition.

I wanted to reach out to my good friends and good clients and let them know I am still working as a travel consultant with my own company Travel the Horizon.

People who booked their own travel and had to rebook or cancel and negotiate refunds came to realize part of the immense value of working with a travel agent.

People who had hired a travel agent are incredibly grateful and those that didn’t are regretful.

Visiting Facebook daily now many people are commenting “I don’t know about you but the first thing I’m going to do when this is over is jump on a plane and have an adventure somewhere on our beautiful planet.”

People LOVE to travel, crazy cool expeditions, gorgeous resorts, fun and accessible tours for all people with disabilities, people of all ages, large multi-generational groups of people, amazing cruise ships, and so on.

While it’s not safe to go anywhere for a while since more than half of the world is currently on lockdown, restrictions are expected to be lifted as the virus runs its course and new treatments are found.   In other words, this will be over eventually.   Once it is, you can help the travel industry by booking a trip as soon as possible – even if it’s just a few hours away and within driving distance.

A Few Tips:

>>> Book a Trip Through a Travel Agent

Not only can a travel agent help you score a better deal on your trip, but they can help you get a refund or deal with problems if your trip is brought to a halt for reasons beyond your control.  Specifically, travel agents are experts at crisis management, and they provide direct assistance when your travel plans go awry.

>>> Book  Guided Tours

Tour guides have also been hit hard by coronavirus since, in many cases, their current load of work went from stable to nonexistent.   Once you’re able to travel, you can help guides get back on their feet by booking private tours of your favorite sites or even guided tours with a group.

>>> Book Refundable Travel for Later this year or next year

If you’re worried about booking travel now, make sure to check with the vendors for flexible cancellation policies.   Cruise lines, in particular, have rolled out new policies that let you cancel up to 48 hours before departure and still get credit for a future cruise, and hotel brands like Hilton and Marriott have announced similar policies for travel booked now.

Sincerely, Melody Hagerman (Owner)