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SOURCE: TravelPulse

Religious travel, often also called faith-based travel, is a unique subcategory of the travel industry that focuses on connecting travelers with religious travel experiences around the world, from experiencing the Holy Land or hiking along the famed El Camino de Santiago to pilgrimages to Mecca and beyond.

Faith-based travel is estimated by ETS Tours, a leader in faith-based group travel, to be worth around $50 to $100 billion. The World Tourism Organization estimates 330 million travelers visit the world’s largest religious sites each year, while millions more stop into historic churches and temples during their travels and wander along ancient pilgrimage paths to connect deeper with Christian saints, Buddhist philosophers or other religious figures.

But if you’re a traveler looking to take your first faith-based trip or a travel advisor looking to learn more about selling faith-based travel, it can be difficult to know where to begin. So before you look further, check out this beginner’s guide to religious travel to learn how to begin!

What You Need to Know – Traveler Edition
Faith-based travel is often a group affair, but whether you’ll be traveling solo, with family or with a church group, tour operators often offer the best opportunities to enjoy a truly faith-based journey.

Reputable land tour operators are often going to be the easiest way to get an in-depth connection to the destination in question, whether it be in Jerusalem experiencing the three major world religions coexisting within one ancient city or following in the Apostle Paul’s footsteps across Greece or Italy along ancient Roman roads.

Tour operators are unique in that your itinerary is set with a faith-based approach to your trip, led by a knowledgeable guide who can provide the historical and religious insights to each destination and attraction, as well as provide enough time for prayer and reflection in between seeing the sights.

Many tour operators offer religious or faith-based tours. Collette and Globus, for example, offer group tours with others or private touring options for church groups, families and more. ETS Tours, which specializes in faith-based travel, is a great choice for travelers taking church groups or larger groups on a faith-based trip.

If you’re more inclined to go your own way without the benefit of a guide and other additions like included transportation, check out some tour operators’ itineraries to get a good look at what you want to visit during your own trip. They can be great starting points for your own trips, which may be longer or visit different countries depending on your travel desires.

Lastly, check in with a travel advisor. They’re great resources for planning trips of all kinds, and will be able to guide you through your vacation planning process no matter if they’re faith-based travel experts or not. Whether you’ll be leading your own tour group or joining in with a tour operator’s group, advisors will be able to guide you every step of the way.

“Planning ahead is the best – you can make payments and you can really plan a great trip if you have time in advance,” said Tammy Levent, President of Elite Travel Management Group. “Make sure to go with an agency that is familiar and knows what visas to get to all the countries you are visiting.”

What You Need to Know – Travel Advisor Edition

Travel advisors know that specialization can often be a superpower in their field. Whether it be specializing in faith-based travel in general, a specific destination that offers plenty of religious or faith-based travel opportunities or in a tour operator that offers faith-based travel as a tour category, specializing can give advisors the tools they need to successfully plan travel for their clients, while giving their clients the confidence they need knowing they’re working with a specialist.

But how to begin?

“Find a reputable tour operator that specializes in faith-based travel – I like ETS. Reach out to their sales team with questions, look over their itineraries, and do their trainings,” said Nicole Lovell of NML Travel, who planned a Catholic group pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

ETS Tours routinely offers webinars for travel advisors looking to begin getting into the faith-based travel category, as well as plenty of tour options for groups to choose from.

Advisors can also research tour operators to learn which ones offer training or expert programs for advisors, which can help, or check into the Travel Agent Academy, which partners with destinations like Jordan, Japan and Malta to offer travel advisor specialty programs. They offer training and resources to help advisors plan all sorts of travel, including religious travel.

Travel advisors who are part of a religious community should also consider talking with the leaders of their communities about tours to a specific destination. For example, many Christian churches will offer pastor- or priest-led tours to the Holy Land, visiting Christian sites in Israel and Jordan.

One consideration that advisors should also have is to plan well in advance, especially for group travel.

“Faith-based travel needs to be planned well in advance,” said Lovell. “If it is a group trip (as most are), I recommend that you begin promoting it 16-18 months ahead of time. This gives the pastor plenty of time to promote the trip within their congregation, it gives you time to host information sessions (in person or virtually), and more people will be available to travel on the chosen dates, as they probably haven’t scheduled much that far in advance.”

The Faith Travel Association is another great resource and way to learn and showcase your expertise with planning religious travel. For a fee of $49 a year, travel advisors can become a member of the world’s leading network of advisors, tour operators, destinations and travel suppliers focusing on faith-based travel.

Advisors who belong to the association will enjoy access to the member-only newsletter, seminars, webinars, exposure as an FTA-member travel advisor and much more.

Faith-based travel is an important subcategory of the travel industry, and advisors who belong to religious communities can benefit greatly from learning how to sell religious travel. Travelers themselves who want to begin planning a religious trip should consider getting in touch with a travel advisor and familiarize themselves with different tour operators and travel styles far ahead of their prospective travel date.

SOURCE: Agent at Home

SOURCE: TravelPulse

Nearly half of Americans did not know whether their domestic health insurance plans would cover any emergency doctor or hospital visits while traveling abroad, according to a survey conducted by InsureMyTrip, a leading travel insurance comparison site.

“Travelers should know about any limitations of domestic health insurance policies while out of the country,” the company said.

“In most cases, there are gaps in coverage. Some gaps are significant. Travel insurance is recommended because it can act as supplemental or primary coverage.”

Travel advisors couldn’t agree more.

“I always recommend travel insurance to my clients, especially when traveling internationally,” said Amy Daniel, owner of Custom Design Travel.

“I let them know that many private insurance companies do not cover you while traveling abroad. Sometimes a minor medical issue while traveling can turn into a catastrophe without proper insurance. Travel insurance provides an added layer of protection for you as you travel.”

Daniel noted that it’s also important that clients have a policy that offers both cancellation for covered medical reasons as well as medical coverage and emergency services.

“I never travel without it personally,” she said. “If clients seem hesitant, I tell them real stories of things that I have had happen to clients over the last 25 years.

“They always respond with ‘Gosh I never thought about that.’

And although the pandemic is ebbing, it is clearly not over.

“When you add COVID into the mix – and the COVID testing requirement to return to the US – travel insurance is a must,” VIP Vacations President Jennifer Doncsez said.

“VIP Vacations primarily recommends Travel Insured, which has quarantine coverage at a specific reimbursement rate per day should anyone test Doncsecz positive prior to returning home,” she said.

“If our clients are solely interested in the medical coverage while abroad and the quarantine allowance in destination, we highlight that through Travel Insured. They can purchase a policy that provides for both of these items without purchasing a full policy that covers pretravel cancellation.”

Doncsecz said this is especially recommended for “clients are close to their travel dates and are getting nervous.”

“When we send our clients their documents and have notated that they declined purchasing insurance from the onset, we gently suggest adding the medical/quarantine insurance and more often than not, it is purchased before they travel.”

Another compelling reason why travelers should opt for insurance is trip delays, said Tammy Levent of Elite Travel. “With all the airline delays these days, my clients are opting for this more and more.”

There are also an excellent reasons why older travelers in particular should opt for travel insurance.

“My clientele tends to be a bit older, so one of the first things that I let them know is that if they have Medicare, they will not have medical coverage outside of the US,” said Trish Gastineau, owner of Simply Customized Travel. “It’s something that they have not thought about.”

Gastineau said that one of her current selling points is “a travel policy I offer with a $200 per person, per day coverage in the event the clients get quarantined if they test positive overseas for COVID.”

The per diem benefit is in effect for 10 days, which therefore provides travelers with “a benefit for hotel meals and transportation of about to $2000 per covered passenger,” Gastineau said.

“Given COVID times, the lack of certainty regarding air schedules, and the US government’s insistence on a 10-day waiting period before those who test positive may return to the States, everyone traveling with us must carry travel insurance,” said Churchill & Turen Managing Director.

“It is a “travel IQ” thing. If you’re not smart enough to want proper insurance you’re not smart enough to be a Churchill & Turen guest,” he added.

“The new reality is that to be insured or not insured is no longer a question. The only question is whether or not the guest will/should supplement travel insurance with emergency medical evacuation coverage such as that offered by Med-Jet.

Turen’s advice?

Look at the medical evacuation line of the insurance policy. “If it is less than half a million dollars – move on to the next policy,” he said.

These days, many travel advisors are insisting that their clients sign waivers. “They are theoretically absolving the advisor from legal responsibility,” Turen said.

“So what? I don’t care about the legal ramifications. I care about the guests and their welfare. Too stupid to insure – visit Disneyland instead of Tuscany.”

In the end, err on the side of caution.

“Emergencies are just that – emergencies!” said Grant of Custom Design Travel.

“Nobody plans for one, but you want to be protected should it happen to you.”

SOURCE: TravelPulse

CLAUDETTE COVEY  MAY 02, 2022

The ubiquity of technology combined with the lasting impact of the pandemic has formed a perfect storm of confusion for consumers – which is why it’s absolutely crucial that they book their trips with travel advisors.

“Living in a world where endless information is at our fingertips, planning a vacation has gone from being independent and booking it online yourself, to ‘I am so overwhelmed with all of the options out there,’” said JoAnne Weeks, vacation division director at Acendas Travel.

“We are finding even the savviest travelers are now seeking out a travel advisor. What consumers are coming to realize is what they see online is not as unsettling as what they don’t see. That’s where a travel advisor comes in.”

Added Churchill & Turen Managing Director Richard Turen: “You cannot use the Internet to find the world’s top-rated cruise line. You cannot use the Internet to obtain a professionally written hotel inspection report. You cannot find a caring personal travel health advocate on Twitter. For that and so much more you need a travel truthteller who represents you and you alone.”

Turen said he likes to think of a great travel advisor as a trusted physician who knows their clients well.

“The trip ‘diagnosis and recommendation’ should never be placed in the hands of a commissioned call center robot working out of Miami, Mumbai or Manila.”

Then there are the issues of time.

“Clients call us frustrated that they have long hold times,” Elite Travel Management Group CEO Tammy Levent said while being on hold for two hours with a cruise line.

“I have so many people calling me saying, ‘I booked online and need to change my ticket,’” she said.

“If it’s an airline issue, the client has to wait on hold for hours at a time, and then there’s the change fee for third-party bookings. So, at the end of the day, it costs clients both money and time.”

“There have been so many last-minute changes due to COVID and our clients were spared the endless hours on the phones with the airlines or hoteliers,” said VIP Vacations President Jennifer Doncsecz. “Having a travel advisor on speed dial is the best travel hack out there!”

There are also the myriad issues relating to protocols, travel advisories and red tape stemming from the pandemic.

“I can’t tell you how many times in the past year VIP Vacations has helped our clients with getting their passports or having to walk them off the ledge when they were confused with online forms that needed to be completed before arrival in a destination,” Doncsecz said.

“We thoroughly detail travel insurance options to meet their very specific needs so they protect their investment.”

For his part, Turen believes it would be helpful for every advisor to keep a carefully designed list of the multiple functions they perform – virtually all of them complimentary.

“We help interpret dreams, we operationalize them and then we become advocates of strength for the clients who entrust the best moments of their lives to our care,” he said.

“In defining what we do we must explain to clients that if they book directly with a supplier call center they are likely entitled to a refund of the entire travel advisor’s commission.

“If we don’t do this, suppliers will continue this massive consumer rip-off in which naive consumers who do not use a professional travel advisor are charged the advisor commission anyway.

“Travelers deserve to be covered by consumer protection laws.”

In the final analysis, the value of using travel advisors boils down to their formidable knowledge and experience.

“The value of providing first-hand destination experience, having personal relationships with preferred vendors – which goes a very long way in today’s world of travel challenges – and being up to date with any and all COVID requirements is priceless,” said Weeks.

“We’ve been a trusted resource long before Google and we know the correct answers,” said Sarah Kline, president of Time for Travel.

“I don’t do my own taxes, cut my own hair or change my oil. I use someone who specializes in these services who I trust.

“Without a travel agent, you are on your own!”

SOURCE: TravelPulse

DONALD WOOD  APRIL 19, 2022

As the United States and other countries move to decriminalize the use of medical and recreational marijuana, many travelers are left wondering what kind of impact the legalization would have on domestic and international tourism.
In the U.S., recreational marijuana is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C. and medical use is permitted in over 35 states. From an international perspective, countries like Canada have completely legalized the plants and more than 40 other nations support its use for recreational or medical reasons.

Malta recently legalized it. Germany is on the brink of full legalization for recreational use. Mexico has talked about the possibility of legalizing it someday, which would undoubtedly lead to a rise in travelers visiting popular places like Cancun and Los Cabos.

Marijuana tourism first took off in the United States but it is absolutely going global now.

In a study conducted in the Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, Soo Kanga and Jaeseok Lee break down the positive manner in which residents in Colorado have reacted to the influx of marijuana tourism—also known as cannabis tourism—following its legalization.

Research findings suggest that the more residents perceive a positive impact, the more likely they will support tourism.

To be blunt, the perception of weed has changed, and that’s a good thing for travel.

“Every aspect of the travel industry could see a boost in sales,” Travel Agent expert Tammy Levent said. “Travel agencies could sell more packages, transportation will increase, restaurants will have more patrons, hotels will enjoy more bookings, and even the entertainment establishments such as performing arts centers and sporting stadiums will see more guests.”

A Gallup poll from August 2021 found that 49 percent of Americans have at least tried marijuana, with 12 percent of respondents regularly using it. The total is even more for Millennials (20 percent) as compared to Gen Xers (11 percent) and baby boomers (nine percent).

A study conducted by Kayak also found that nearly 33 percent of American travelers 21 years of age and older are interested in visiting a cannabis dispensary while traveling and about 25 percent of respondents ages 21-34 have already traveled to a destination because cannabis was legal.

“Cannabis tourism has come a long way over the past five-10 years,” Front Row Travels’ Ayanna Lawson said. “Initially seen as just a walk through a few weed farms and another reason to get high, the cannabis tourism industry as a whole is starting to pull back the curtain and mystery surrounding cannabis and plant medicine in general.”

SOURCE: ABC Action News

TAMPA BAY — St. Petersburg retirees Alan and Jessica Kapell have traveled around the world for the last three decades. The avid cruisers say they never leave home without travel insurance.

“We’ve never taken a cruise without having insurance because everything and anything can happen,” Alan told ABC Action News.

And for 30 years they’ve never had an issue with a claim, until their planned trip was canceled and they tried to get reimbursed.

The couple had purchased a week-long cruise around the Caribbean last fall and were set to sail out of Port Canaveral the day after Christmas.

But in December Alan suffered a debilitating back problem and his doctor grounded him from the trip. Alan said the condition prevents him from walking without pain.

By January, the Kapells said they’d filed everything needed to process the insurance claim. Then they waited. January came and went and so did February. Alan said he tried calling and emailing the customer service number for Nationwide but received nothing more than an email stating the company was experiencing a very high volume of claims.

Tammy Levent, President of Elite Travel in Clearwater, understands travel insurers are busy as travel hits post pandemic highs. She advises checking out online reviews before choosing a travel protection plan. “You have to research before you book with anyone to make sure they pay claims,” Levent said.

After two months of waiting on his insurance money, the Kapells made a call for action to Jackie Callaway, who in turn reached out to Nationwide.

Alan Kapell said that’s when he got a call telling him everything had been finalized.”

In this email to the Kappels a Nationwide travel claims customer service staffer stated: “We sincerely apologize for the delayed response and for the email that you received in error on February 10, 2022. Your claim was not approved at that time however, your review was completed today and payment was approved in the amount of $2074.07.”

Two checks totaling just over $2,070 – the cost of the cruise – arrived in the Kapells mailbox in late March.

If you run into trouble with any insurance claim the state of Florida has a helpline run by Florida’s Department of Financial Services.

SOURCE: TravelPulse

The experience of taking calls from those traveling during an ongoing pandemic has been quite challenging for us working within the travel industry. Some of the more common types of calls we get are from travelers who booked a trip on their own and didn’t take the time to learn about the many COVID-19 restrictions in place.

This is frustrating for travel experts. Travelers who choose to book their own trips do so without the professional guidance travel agents offer. This means they’re likely taking more time and spending more money to book their travels online without professional assistance. Then as soon as they experience a problem they want to contact an expert in the field to help them figure out their problem.

This is why patience is key when taking calls from travelers. Many people who don’t have a lot of traveling experience will have questions they could probably have figured out themselves. While common sense answers are obvious to travel professionals, it’s important to be patient when dealing with calls from new or inexperienced travelers.

Handling Travelers Calls

So how should a travel professional address these phone calls? As a travel expert, the best thing you can do is to try and help the person who called you. Depending on how you handle the call could decide whether or not you get a potential new client.

Traveler: I booked my vacation trip weeks ago and my passport hasn’t come back yet. Can you help me?

Answer #1: You didn’t book with me so I can’t help you. This answer ensures the traveler won’t call back.

Answer #2: We can’t help you with a passport that’s already being processed. While this answer is true, also offering them the number to the National Passport Information Center lets them know you’re still want to be helpful.

Answer #3: Where did you book? If you booked online, you could cancel, get a credit with the airlines and let me help you book a trip now. This answer let’s a traveler know that you’re really interested in helping them solve their travel-related problem!

Personally, the third answer is how I handle taking traveler calls. I always ask them who helped them book their travels, but when I get no reply, I tell them it’s best to go to the government site where you’re traveling to and see what the restrictions are since they change on a daily basis.

Then I tell them that in the future we would love to help you so you can become a part of our family of clients. In doing so, we’re always available to you when you have questions. We even offer a price match guarantee, giving you the peace of mind that you’re not only paying the best prices but also that someone is here for you 24/7. Can you remember us next time you’re in need of travel assistance? Here’s my information…

At the end of the day, you’re still coming across professional, and you can possibly even gain a new client. I know this is a frustrating time for travel professionals. But as experts in the niche, know there are ways to get travelers back, even if it’s just one traveler at a time.

Source: Tampa Bay News 10

Most people are booking staycations to avoid getting stuck outside the country.

Tammy Levent, a Palm Harbor, Fla. travel advisor, speaks for many agents—and airline customers, and members of Congress—when she says she is frustrated.

While nearly every major domestic airline is waiving change fees to rebook flights and providing credit for future travel in the wake of the coronavirus global pandemic, that credit is usually only good for one year from the date the original flight was booked. So if a customer booked a flight in November of 2019 to travel to Positano, Italy in June—as Levent did—you have to travel before November of 2020.

And with 10 million Americans having filed for unemployment in the last three weeks, either money is tight or, well, as Levent puts it, “Who goes to Positano in the fall and winter?”

“It’s a very difficult situation,” Levent told TravelPulse.com. “I will keep working on this, but I might have to tell one of my customers he’s losing $2,800 in flights.”

Rarely do Americans travel to Europe in the fall and winter, except perhaps at Christmas time, since many tourist and seasonal businesses close down. Positano, for example, is a gorgeous, romantic seaside town on the Amalfi Coast whose peak times are between March and October.

Levent, who said part of her frustration is that policies seem to change call to call, said that agents want a uniform policy.

“We would all be happy with an extended travel credit, voucher or whatever with penalties waived,” she said. “So if they booked in November or December of 2019, and they were traveling in June of 2020, extend that option not to November 2020 but November 2021. Allow customers to try to book the same time period but in the following year, or one year from when they were supposed to travel and not one year from date of booking.”

Pleas from Levent and the industry are not falling on deaf ears. She did receive a notice from Delta saying it would try to process credits/refunds as soon as possible although it might take up to two billing cycles. And, according to the Huffington Post, carriers are facing mounting pressure to give customers cash refunds for canceled flights after Congress approved a $50 billion bailout package for the airlines.

On Wednesday, nine senators sent letters to the chief executives of 11 major airlines arguing that each company “has a moral responsibility to provide real refunds, not travel vouchers, to consumers, and to support State Department efforts to repatriate any American citizens trying to come home. It would be unacceptable to us for your company to hold onto travelers’ payments for canceled flights instead of refunding them, especially in light of the $25 billion bailout that the airline industry just received from Congress. We urge you to offer cash refunds for flight cancellations so that Americans can better weather this crisis.”

The letters were signed by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Robert Casey (D-Penn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

SOURCE: USA TODAY

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many Americans to cancel their vacations and destination weddings planned for the next two months and left a looming uncertainty for those looking to travel this summer.

Mexico – one of the most popular destinations for American tourists – could be poised to take a big hit after President Donald Trump’s March 19 announcement that he was closing the U.S.-Mexico border to all nonessential travel, including tourism, through April 20.

Trump has not yet banned tourist flights to Mexico. However, the same day he made his border closure announcement, the State Department issued a travel advisory urging Americans not to travel abroad.

Mexico is the top destination for American tourists, according to the the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office. In 2019, some 32.3 million U.S. citizens traveled to Mexico, the NTTO reported. The most popular cities include Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cabo San Lucas.

Now that the border is closed, USA TODAY is asking travel agents to help advise travelers about whether they should cancel and what it might cost them.

What should a traveler planning to visit Mexico in the next month do?

Jennifer Doncsecz, president of VIP Vacations Inc. in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is among the travel agents scrambling to reschedule their spring vacations to Mexico for the summer and fall. She says a large swath of her clients are now booked to go to Mexico orother countries in June.

She is cautioning travelers to research cancellation policies before requesting a refund, lest they lose a portion of that sum to cancellation fees. Also, some hotels  are not offering refunds at all, meaning the trip could be a complete loss if you choose not to reschedule the trip.

No penalty?  Hotel chains differ on cancellation fee policies around the coronavirus

Doncsecz recommends that travelers rebook their trips for later in the year. That way, the traveler remains whole and the tourism industry doesn’t lose money during this rough time.

“That keeps that other person’s job at the hotel, it gives you the vacation you wanted and it keeps the economy in the cycle,” Doncsecz says. “The worst we can do is cancel and get our money back and not travel.”

Some hotels may also offer lower rates, room upgrades and extra discounts for travelers who immediately rebook, Doncsecz adds.

The Hyatt Ziva, which has resorts in Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, is currently offering room upgrades at no additional cost when guests rebook their stay, she said.

What if someone has put money down for a trip that is scheduled between late May and August?

Tammy Levent, CEO of Elite Travel in Palm Harbor, Florida, advises tourists with summer travel reservations to hold of on canceling or rebooking for now. If the pandemic worsens, the airline could cancel the flight or the resort could close, meaning the traveler is more likely to get a full refund.

Don’t want to fly during coronavirus crisis?   Don’t rush to cancel that ticket. Here’s why

Levent also suggests that people on trip payment plans ask for a deadline extension.

“A lot of things can happen between now and May,” Levent said. “People are freaking out way prematurely. I would just wait and see.”

Still trying to change or cancel your flight amid coronavirus crisis?  4 (new) things to know

Why aren’t all hotels offering automatic refunds given the spread of coronavirus?

Many hotels and resorts view the coronavirus as an act of nature, similar to a hurricane, which doesn’t make them accountable, Doncsecz says. And in most cases, trip insurance would not cover a pandemic.

Hotels and resorts also stand to lose a lot of money if they refund every customer. Many are already in jeopardy of closing if the deadly virus continues to force travel restrictions.

“Our economy needs people to not be scared,”  Doncsecz says. “If we (the tourism industry) are the hardest hit, the world is going to have a huge unemployment crisis.”

Travel insurance and coronavirus: What it covers – and what it doesn’t

What has been the impact on destination weddings?

Doncsecz, who specializes in destination weddings, says most brides with destination weddings in Mexico or the Caribbean are postponing them for later in the year – such as July or August – or even 2021.

She says the biggest problem with rebooking is that some guests are unable to make the new date. And because most destination wedding venues require group contracts, guests may not be able to cancel their individual reservations.

In this case, the guest can either transfer their reservation to someone else or receive a credit for a stay on another date, she says.