Q – What is the biggest mistake you think clients make when planning their vacations? Is it where they travel or more, how they travel?
A – Many upscale travelers reject the notion of traveling with other like-minded people out of hand. Many of our guests are unaware that there are several, not many, tour firms that appeal specifically to intelligent and relatively sophisticated travelers. It is also true that many of our guests will not even consider a cruise vacation because of the many stereotypes regarding mega-ships at sea. The fact is, that when you did down deep enough, there really is a ship for everyone. You just have to be open to the discussion.
Other “mistakes” might include a reluctance to do off-season travel when recommended to do so. In a general sense, we would argue that the consumer’s tendency to believe social media posts by so-called “influencers” and very part-time travel writers and agents, has created a dung heap of phony and purchased reviews designed to spread product quality misinformation. In public forums and on talk radio we use this example: If you loaded up a bus filled with friends and headed out to the largest indoor mall in your area and then stopped the first 500 people you saw to ask them if they could name the world’s top-rated cruise line – we believe not more than one or two would know. And that is being optimistic.
Our industry, the nation’s third largest, is so filled with deceit and misrepresentation, that a majority of consumers cannot describe how their travel agent is compensated.
