It’s Time to Start a New Day as a Travel Advisor in 2022

 

Written By: Jackie Friedman, President – Nexion Travel Group

 

 

Let’s recap Groundhog Day 2022: At Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his den and saw his shadow. We can now expect six more weeks of winter, which is certainly not surprising as many of you look out the window and see snow and ice all around you.

 

Groundhog Day is now behind us, but like Bill Murray in the classic movie, travel advisors all over the world are waking up to the feeling that we are stuck in a never-ending loop of Covid variants, travel restrictions and vacation cancelations. But I’d like to give you my perspective.

 

My company, Nexion Travel Group, has seen an increasing amount of new travel advisors coming in, and I know that my fellow host agency executives are seeing the same thing. I am incredibly grateful for these new recruits, and it’s not just because of business reasons. These people have chosen to enter an industry that was rocked to its core by the pandemic. They took a gigantic leap of faith, and some might wonder what on earth possessed them.

 

When I talk to these newcomers, I try to ask what made them decide to become a travel advisor, and while everyone has their own story, common themes do emerge. These people have always loved travel. They like the idea of becoming their own boss instead of being entirely dependent on an employer. In some ways the pandemic made way for them to follow that dream, and I deeply admire that.

 

These new advisors don’t have a Groundhog Day mentality. While they may not have travel advisor experience, they wake up to new challenges and with fresh eyes to solve them. We desperately need that perspective.  I challenge the experienced travel advisors of the world to seek out new travel advisors. Not only do they need the wisdom of your experience, you may well need their enthusiasm.

 

The pandemic has given travel advisors the feeling of one step forward two steps back, but just like flowers bloom after a long winter, new talent in the industry gives us all reason to feel hopeful. The groundhog saw its shadow and we are still in a pandemic—but no matter what, even if it takes a bit, spring will come.