Riding it out, pt 3

This post is by Sue Tindell.


   It's nearing the middle of July, and we've had a lot to talk about in our newsletters the past several weeks. Here's what we shared with our readers in the month of June.

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June 1

   Summer is here, and traditionally that’s been the time for Americans to pack their kids into the car and hit the road. Almost all of us can remember trips like those—sitting in the back seat and bickering with our siblings while Dad kept one hand on the wheel and his left elbow out the window, and Mom was tuning the radio to a different station every twenty minutes in a vain attempt to keep us quiet.

   These days, American families still hit the road, although it’s usually a lot different. The cramped sedan is now a spacious van or SUV, with ports for the kids to plug in their games and TV screens on the front-seat backs, just like on an airplane. Or maybe it’s Mom and Dad in retirement, packing up the motor home or 5^th-wheel and setting out to see the country, with plenty of time to do it and rather nice accommodations every night, no matter where they stop.

   As we wait for overseas destinations to open up again and cruise lines to resume sailing, we might be considering a road trip. Where would you like to go? Every state has must-see places to visit. Here are a few you might want to consider for your summer trip this year:

·          --Are you a fan of Westerns? If you’ve seen John Wayne in the classic Stagecoach or Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part 3, you’ve gotten a glimpse of Monument Valley in Utah. Breathtaking vistas of sacred buttes and desert greet you when you visit this must-see area in the Beehive State.

·          --History buffs will want to visit San Antonio, Texas, and tour the Alamo. The famous site of Davy Crockett’s last stand in 1836 is a treasure trove of artifacts and great photo ops.

·          --One of America’s great natural landmarks is Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. If you’re a rock-climber, scaling its heights is a breathtaking challenge. Hikers can stay on the ground and circle the monument along challenging trails.

·          --When major Eastern cities open up to visitors, and that will be soon, make sure to put Boston on your itinerary. Walk the Freedom Trail in the steps of our forefathers past Faneuil Hall and up Bunker Hill, then board the USS Constitution for a tour of America’s most famous warship.

·          --Speaking of Eastern cities, they don’t come any grander than New York. You’ve seen Times Square in the movies countless times, but there’s nothing like being there, and the Empire State Building is just a few blocks away.

·          --If you’re in New York, you might as well head upstate. A trip through the beautiful Catskills is definitely worth your time. For baseball fans, a stop in quaint Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame is a must, and then head up to Niagara Falls, our nation’s most famous waterfall.

·          --Still rockin’ after all these years? Then you have to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where you’ll get a musical tour back in time. And don’t miss the glass pyramid out front.

·          --A visit to the South has to include a tour of a plantation. Right next to the Mississippi in central Louisiana is Nottoway, the largest antebellum mansion in Dixie. It’s the ultimate bed-and-breakfast destination, in which you can immerse yourself in old Southern charm.

   We’ve barely touched the surface of what’s to see in America, much of it just a few days’ drive from our own front doors. If your summer of ’20 travel plans have been scaled back and you have to stay within U.S. borders, we can help you with destinations, hotel and site bookings, and more. Plus, we’ll let you know if any of your stops require quarantines or have any other virus-related restrictions.

   Remember how Dad would always haul out the big road atlas…and got lost anyway? We’ll help you get there this summer. You just plan on enjoying the drive and having the fun. 

June 8

   America is re-opening, and how! Last week’s jobs report by the Federal government turned the experts on their ears and gave us a strong indication that the U.S. economy is rebounding even faster than we might have hoped. This is good news for everyone, especially those of us who want to resume traveling.

   The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which is a forum for business leaders in the tourism and travel industry, is helping all of us in the industry in keeping our clients informed about safe practices and standards as travel opens up, both domestic and foreign. The Council is working closely with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and other partners to enhance safety for travelers and industry workers. These new policies for the transportation and hotel/resort industries will include more sanitizing and use of personal protective equipment, re-training of staff, and implementing contactless procedures for customers within airports, airliners and land-based venues, such as hotels and resorts.

   We will see lots of new things when we start traveling again. Airliners may be boarding differently, such as from back rows to front. Social distancing could be enforced in terminals and queues. The Director General of IATA, Alexandre de Juniac, said, “COVID-19 is a game-changer for the travel and tourism sector.” He’s certainly right about that, but as we’ve shown throughout American society, while we are grudgingly allowing it to change the game, we are not going to allow COVID-19 to end it.

   When we reach our destination, hotels and resorts will have new procedures that might be a little inconvenient, but which will give us a much greater degree of safety than before. (And who doesn’t want things to be clean, right?) We might have assigned seating on tour buses, staggered entry to sites and venues, even limited access.

   Much of this attention is being focused on the airline industry. WTTC President/CEO Gloria Guevara said, “Aviation’s return is critical to help re-power the global economic recovery.” And while we all had our occasional complaints about crowded terminals and herds of luggage-carrying passengers clogging the aisles of planes, we might now just appreciate these new methods as a way to increase efficiency and comfort, as well as mitigate against the virus.

   All of us are excited about the prospects of traveling again. We want to re-schedule the vacation that was a victim of the shutdown, or we want to be free to plan something new for the near future. Here at Travel Designers Travel Leaders, we’ll be on top of any restrictions or policy changes that might affect every step of your travel experience. Just like you, we can’t wait to get traveling again! And, by the way…

   We’re launching a new feature this week, designed to help our clients stay in closer touch with us. On Tuesday, June 9, we’ll be inaugurating a Facebook Live weekly event, talking about issues facing travel in general and our clients in particular. Log in at 1:30pm Tuesday, right here: https://www.facebook.com/TravelLeadersRiceLakeWI/ 

June 15

   Summer is here (the solstice is this Saturday, making it official) and we’re hearing from more clients every day about traveling. Many of them had scheduled trips canceled due to the coronavirus shutdown, many others deferred booking a trip until things would be settled down. It looks like that time is getting very close. And when our clients start traveling again, many will want to go to Europe. Let’s take a look and see what’s happening over there, with regard to travel.

   Technically, the island nation of Iceland is not in Europe proper, but it’s close enough, and visiting this exotic land is a vacation all by itself. Iceland has re-opened to visitors as of today. Icelandair is offering some direct flights to Reykjavik from Boston, and we can help get you there. But if you’re planning a visit, there are some requirements. First, you must fill out a pre-registration form with contact details, and you will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival in the terminal at Keflavik Airport. Tests will be free until July; after that, the test will cost $113. Visitors then go directly to their lodging and await results of the test, usually delivered that day. Children born after 2004 will be exempt. If you decline to be tested, you will be quarantined for 14 days. Once you’re cleared, Iceland’s renowned touring companies will gladly accommodate you, and with tourist numbers expected to be only about 25% of normal, you’ll be able to explore and enjoy Iceland in a lot more comfort and solitude.

   Meanwhile, on the continent, the European Union plans to have its internal borders open very soon, but visitors from the States and other continents will not be allowed in until July 1. If you’ve been to Europe, you have experienced the benefits of the “Schengen travel zone,” which allows virtually unfettered movement of people and goods throughout 26 countries, without border checks. When various countries in the zone started closing borders due to the virus, it caused massive traffic jams and delayed delivery of critical supplies, but they’ve got that sorted out now. Like Americans, many Europeans travel around the continent for vacations, but they’ve been prohibited from doing so since shutdowns started being implemented in late February. And like Americans, Europeans are happy to welcome foreign visitors. It looks like that will be happening again soon, and we’ll make sure to keep our clients apprised of any remaining restrictions at their destinations.

   Where to go when you get there? Europe has a virtually unlimited menu of delights for foreign visitors, from cruising on majestic rivers like the Rhine and Danube to visiting castles and touring ancient ruins. And for outdoor enthusiasts, here’s a new one: Italy is opening a trail that will connect all 25 of its national parks. It’s called the “Sentiero dei Parchi,” or Path of Parks. Hikers will be able to start in the Alps and go all the way through Tuscany and along the coastlines of Cinque Terre, through the caves and forests of Abruzzo, and even onto the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The Italian government is beginning a 13-year project to upgrade many of its trail networks, but for the hardy American traveler—and we know that means many of you—the beauties of Italy await. Give us a call, and get your hiking boots ready!

June 22

   As we take our first tentative steps back into the world of travel, we know that at some point, we'll need help when we're out there. Sometimes that help is at the end of a telephone line, or an email link; we often get calls from clients who get hung up overseas, dealing with unexpected things ranging from mistaken hotel reservations to approaching hurricanes. When we got those calls and emails, we work very hard to help fix the situation and ensure the clients will have the best travel experience possible.

   Sometimes, though, travelers get help from unexpected sources. And many times it doesn't have to be more than a smile. Dignity Health, one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., recently surveyed its clients and found that two of three Americans say that a smile or greeting from another traveler reduces their stress while traveling. Three-quarters of travelers say they've done something kind to make another traveler's day better.

   Maybe you've experienced a "travel angel" already. He can be the front-desk clerk at the hotel who goes out of his way to assist you when your room turns out to be substandard, or she can be the shuttle driver who waits that extra few minutes so that you can get aboard safely. You can be a travel angel, too. Here are some ways to spread goodwill when you travel:

·      Spread the love. If you have it with an airline, maybe you can give up your business-class seat to the pregnant woman or elderly gentleman behind you in line at the gate.

·      Pay it forward. Standing in line at the coffee shop counter at the airport, offer to pay for the next person's order, and don't tell them. Let the barista give them the good news.

·      Go above and beyond. When someone asks for help, go the extra mile. If you're in a place you're familiar with, lend a hand to the couple who are newcomers, maybe by escorting them to a nice restaurant or a reliable tour operator.

   Being a "travel angel" can make your own travel experience much more rewarding, and like all good deeds, they come back around.

June 29

   When it comes to travel destinations within the continental United States (not counting Alaska), New York City and Florida (especially Disney World) have been at or near the top of the list for many years. Las Vegas isn’t too far behind, but going to “Sin City” these days is not quite as easy as it used to be. But with many people unable to travel out of the country this year, their eyes have turned inward, so to speak, as they look for a place within a short flight or a decent drive. Las Vegas is working hard to put itself right back in the running.

   The coronavirus hasn’t spared Nevada, and last week, Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered that all residents of the Silver State, and visitors, wear face masks in public. His order was hailed by Nevada’s tourism industry, which relies heavily on visits to Las Vegas and Reno, where tourists can shop, dine, gamble and see shows to their hearts’ content. At least, in normal times. These aren’t (yet) normal times, but Las Vegas is doing its best, and visitors are returning.

   Even before the governor’s order, several Vegas properties, including MGM and Caesars, had mandated that all staff and guests wear masks. Anyone refusing to wear a mask is escorted off the premises. With the governor talking about taking action against non-compliant businesses in the form of fines or even revocation of business licenses, Vegas isn’t messing around.

   But visitors can still have a good time, even if they’re masked everywhere (except when they’re eating; you’re allowed to remove your mask then). Gambling tables and slot machines are open, as are the city’s voluminous shops and stores. Entertainment options are more limited than usual, but for many Americans who have been largely cooped up at home for the past few months, just being able to walk around and explore new surroundings is a breath of fresh air, if you will.

   We can help our clients get to Las Vegas, Reno or any other U.S. destination. Recent months have been stressful enough; why not let us take care of all the details? All you have to do is show up and have fun…and isn’t it time you allowed yourself some of that?

   And remember: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

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   Whew! All caught up at last! Now, let's get back to the enjoyable business of getting you back out there into the wonderful world of travel. Give us a call at 715-234-2174, or visit our website at https://ricelakewi.vacation.travelleaders.com/. The world is waiting!

Riding it out, part 2

 
This post is by Sue Tindell.

   Wow, it's been over a month since my last blog entry! Things have been picking up at our office, as travel restrictions both in the U.S. and abroad begin to loosen. Our clients are anxious to get back out there, and we're just as anxious to help them!
   Let's continue with our look back at our weekly travel newsletters, picking up with the April 27 edition, and carrying us through May.

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April 27

   With the month of May around the corner, most of us have experienced six weeks or more of quarantines, lockdowns and other reactions to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve been busy at our office, helping clients sort out the often-confusing paths toward resolving the problems of canceled vacations, vouchers and more. As we all wait for a resolution of our particular issue, we also start thinking of the future. We are starting to hear this from clients: “When things get back to normal, I’m anxious to travel again.”

   We’re all anxious to have things get back to normal, and surely we all want to travel again. And we probably don’t know it, but there’s a chemical at work inside all our brains, helping to ramp up that sense of anticipation. It’s called dopamine.

   Dopamine is the neurochemical of anticipation. It’s released when we start thinking about things that we want to make happen, things that will bring us pleasure and fun. Why is it that when we start thinking about traveling again, we get excited? There’s an extra spring in our step, and we start looking at our calendar a little more frequently. Yep, that’s dopamine at work.

   Experts are telling us that one of the ways to cope with all the virus-related lockdowns is to plan for the future. Sometimes that means just jotting down what you’d like to get done on any particular day this week: mow the lawn, plant the garden, start that book, cook that special meal. And the activity in mind doesn’t have to be inherently pleasurable; uncertainty releases dopamine, too, because our brain starts thinking that this activity it’s considering could turn out to be a good thing, after all. Mowing the lawn may not exactly be fun, but looking at that neatly-trimmed lawn afterwards sure is. (And the smell of newly-mowed grass is a rush, too!)

   Planning the little things helps us to get through the day. We’re all used to thinking on Monday about what we’re going to do on Saturday, but these days we might have to focus more closely on today and tomorrow, in addition to weekends, when traditionally we have planned our more pleasurable activities. We can still think of those, though, especially those of us who are fortunate enough to still be working. And for everyone, thinking of very pleasurable things farther down the road, like that trip we wanted to take this spring but couldn’t, gets that dopamine rush going. And when the time comes to start really putting those dreams into action, we’ll be here for you. Maybe that time is this week. Whenever the time is right for you, we’ll be ready to share that dopamine rush with you! 

May 4

   One of the many great reasons to travel is to see exotic wildlife in their natural habitat. We’ve sent many clients on safari to Africa and to parts of Asia and Australia, where they can observe many species that most Americans will see only in zoos back home. But while most international travel is virtually shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mother Nature is getting ready to welcome us back.

   In fact, she is rather quickly repairing much of the damage caused by human pollution and greenhouse gases. The canals of Venice are cleaner than they have been in years; many cities in Europe and Asia have reported air-quality improvements of as much as 40 percent; and in spite of falling gasoline prices, some areas of the U.S. and Europe have seen road traffic fall by more than 80 percent. What’s been bad news for humanity, both from health and economic perspectives, has been good news for the environment—particularly many species that have been endangered.

   In Thailand, one such species is the dugong. The travel magazine Afar reports that off the Southeast Asian country’s southern coast, with beaches nearly devoid now of humans, the dugong has returned. A close relative of the manatee, which is found in Florida and is also known as the sea cow, the dugong is a mammal that can grow up to 11 feet in length. Although they are not legally hunted, the dugong population there has been ravaged in recent years by human pollution, in particular the presence of plastic trash in both inland and coastal waters.

   The Thai government estimated that its dugong population was down to perhaps only 250 animals, yet they may be coming back. A herd of some 30 dugongs was spotted in late April near an offshore island, feeding on seagrass. Other marine animals, such as dolphins and sea turtles, are also taking advantage of the human retreat from the beaches by coming closer to shore.

   According to the British newspaper The Guardian, UK wildlife has been thriving. Peacocks have been seen strutting through Welsh streets and sheep have been filmed in deserted playgrounds. Wild boar are rooting through towns in Italy and Spain. Over here, deer have been grazing near homes not far from the White House, and coyotes have been trotting over the Golden Gate Bridge. One cartoonist, illustrating that tourism has been reversed, drew a picture of wild animal “tourists” gazing through the windows of houses, looking at the humans locked down inside!

   There might be a downside to the human pullback, temporary as it is. In Africa and South America, cash-strapped governments have been scaling back their environmental protection efforts. Local populations might turn to illegal poaching, mining and logging to support themselves.

   Overall, though, this “pause,” as painful as it has been for us humans, has been a net gain for nature. Eventually, travel to Thailand and Africa and Australia, and all the places where Americans want to see exotic animals in the wild, will return, and we’ll be there to help our clients realize those dreams. Hopefully, we will all go there and be newly reminded of how fragile our environment, with its non-human denizens, really is, and when we come home we will be more willing to help with efforts to preserve it.

            

May 11

   If you had a travel event planned for 2020 that has now been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, you’re certainly not alone. But if you’re feeling more optimistic lately that you’ll be able to reschedule your trip soon, you’re not alone, either.

   MMGY Global released its third Travel Intentions Pulse Survey on May 1, and some encouraging trends can be found in the results. The survey queried some 1,200 Americans who consider themselves frequent travelers, and 90% of them had plans that were altered or canceled due to the pandemic. And 59% say they are eager to embark on leisure travel as soon as they can, when the pandemic has passed or, perhaps earlier, once restrictions are eased.

   Many of these eager travelers are planning to start slowly, with a trip by car to someplace within a day’s drive or so. That’s understandable; a lot of us are eager to hop in the car and head to Grandma’s house, welcome our adult kids from downstate, or maybe just get together with friends. Looking farther down the travel road, the survey found that nearly four out of ten travelers are likely to take a domestic leisure trip by plane or train.

   The MMGY surveys, going back to late March, when pandemic lockdowns began across the nation, showed a dip in optimism as of mid-April, but rebounding numbers at month’s end. The surveys also are telling us that overall concern about contracting COVID-19 are starting to go down. Overall, respondents said that the biggest factor in determining when they’ll travel again is a further slowing of the spread of the virus, both in the U.S. and worldwide.

   As travel advisors, we’re certainly making every effort to be in tune with your concerns and stand ready to help when you feel comfortable to travel again. We’re confident that travel will rebound, and to find out the reasons, we did a survey ourselves, conducted by the trade industry publication Travel Market Report. Here’s why we’re still bullish on travel:

·       Travel has an intrinsic value that will never go away. It’s one of life’s great pleasures, and in the past, natural calamities like hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards and even other epidemics have not slowed travel for long.

·       Canceled bookings are coming back, and new bookings are still coming in. Clients who had to cancel their plans when the pandemic lockdown settled in are now starting to contact us about re-scheduling for later this year, or early in 2021.

·       What have people been thinking about during quarantine? Certainly not staying home any longer than necessary! It’s called wanderlust, and that feeling has only been growing.

·       Travel has become a necessity for many. We’ve all had to give up things we like to do as we quarantine. For some, it’s going to a concert or a ballgame or even just a movie. For many others, it’s travel, and many of us didn’t realize how much we liked it until it was no longer there. How we spend our leisure time is an important part of our lives; it helps us keep things in proper balance. Traveling is a vital part of that.

·       Travel is the best escape, because that’s what it literally is: getting out of our homes and our daily lives, if only for a week or two. If you want to “get away from it all,” recharge and revitalize yourself, that’s what you need to do: get away. And once you’ve discovered all the wonderful places you can get away to, the desire to return to favorite places, or get out there and discover new ones, is strong indeed.

   All across the nation, pandemic-related restrictions are being eased, and it won’t be long before it becomes easier to travel as well. And when it does, we’ll be here to help you get away, again.

May 18

   For many weeks now, we’ve been bombarded with numbers about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and all of the numbers seemed to be bad. We were all wondering when, or even if, we’d start to see good numbers, or even good news of any kind.

   Well, it’s finally happening!

   Last week, statewide restrictions in Wisconsin were lifted, and while many communities maintain some, businesses are re-opening at a rapid rate, albeit usually with some restrictions still in place: wearing face masks inside, limits on seating capacity, and so forth. Wisconsin isn’t the only state; even those hardest-hit, like New York and New Jersey, are re-opening. It’s a cautious time, to be sure, but also joyous.

   One of the first big restrictions that hit as a result of the virus was a travel ban. Nations closed their borders to incoming travelers, except their own citizens hurrying to get home. Many of these closures go back to early February, but they’re starting to be lifted now, which bodes well for the travel industry, and for your plans to get back out there.

   The industry magazine Travel Weekly notes in its May 17 issue that many European countries are starting to re-open their borders. Slovenia was the first, opening up to regional travelers, but requiring non-European Union visitors to quarantine for two weeks upon entry. Austria and Germany have opened border crossings with each other and also with France and Switzerland. Two of the major European travel destinations for Americans are Italy and Greece, and those nations will be open to international tourism by July.

   Closer to home, many Mexican beach destinations plan to open in June. Southwest Airlines is resuming flights to Cancun from several U.S. Cities. Some other destinations around the world are re-opening first with what are being termed “travel bubbles.” Australia and New Zealand are planning one of those, in which residents of those two countries will be able to travel back and forth without restrictions. Another “bubble” contains the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

   It’s important to beware of “fake news” regarding travel. One such instance was in regard to Italy; there was a news report in late April that the Italian government had declared the nation closed to international visitors for the remainder of 2020. The president of the Italian National Tourist Board had to issue a statement debunking the report. As with all news, we should be careful to blindly trust sensational headlines. News organizations love calamity, disaster and controversy; good news, not so much.

   As travel professionals, we have our collective ear to the ground on your behalf, ready to advise you about where it’s safe to go, what restrictions might still be in place there, and what you’ll actually be able to do when you get there. We’ll do our best to give you the facts and help you shape your travel plans accordingly. Travel will come back in 2020, and it’s coming back soon!

May 25

   As businesses around Wisconsin and the country re-open their doors, we’re getting calls from clients about when other countries will be re-opening theirs. People are anxious to travel, and we’re just as eager to help them, so we’re doing our best to stay on top of the news as it develops. Here’s the latest about traveling abroad in 2020:

   --Our closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico, are popular destinations for Americans. It might be easier to go south than north, at least in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that his country’s border with the U.S. would remain closed until at least June 23. But the closure does not apply to air, rail or sea travel. Visitors should still anticipate restrictions: many Canadian businesses and hotels could still require visitors to wear masks and practice social distancing. To the south, the border with Mexico will stay closed until at least June 23, but like Canada, Mexico makes an exception for travelers arriving by plane, train or ship. Mexico anticipates having its entire economy re-opened by June 1.

   --In the Caribbean, restrictions and re-opening dates vary by country. Aruba will re-open by July 1, which is also the tentative date set by the Bahamas. Jamaica plans to be ready for visitors a month earlier, by June 1. Puerto Rico is still requiring all visitors to arrive via San Juan and self-quarantine for 14 days. Things aren’t as bad in another U.S. territory, the Virgin Islands, which plans to open by June 1. Restrictions and re-opening dates vary throughout the Caribbean, and we’ll always be able to give our clients the very latest information about their chosen destinations.

   --For those going farther abroad, Europe won’t be open again until June 15, and non-E.U. residents may not be allowed in until well past that date. Australia may not welcome foreign visitors (except from New Zealand) until July or August. As for China, a popular destination for Americans, including our clients, the country where the pandemic began is not allowing any foreign visitors and hasn’t said when it will open its borders.

   --Several of our clients have already booked cruises to Alaska or have inquired about them. Alaska has had relatively little trouble with the virus and will be fully re-opened by the end of this week, but since many of our cruise itineraries include stops in Canada, clients should understand that the cruise itself may not be able to go until Canadian ports are fully open. As for Hawaii, all incoming travelers are subject to a 14-day quarantine until at least July 1.

   

   Foreign travel is exciting but can be daunting, even for those experienced in going abroad. You can always count on us to have the latest information available about your chosen destination. We want you to travel as much as you want to, but we all want everybody to be able to travel safely. It will happen again, and perhaps soon, and we’ll help you get there and back.

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   Well, we're almost up to date! Next, our newsletters carry us through June and into July, as travel restrictions continue lifting and the travel industry begins to ramp up...with some changes.