Hey, it's
Meaghan McMahon!
BDM, Eastern Ontario & Quebec, Collette
Tell us a little bit about moving to Barcelona and what it’s like working for Collette remotely?
Moving to Barcelona for school was definitely a whirlwind, especially dealing with all of the VISA procedures in the lockdown. However, I have loved it since I have been here, the weather is gorgeous and it is definitely nice to get to experience new things in these unprecedented times. I was working for Collette remotely at home before I left for Barcelona and as most agencies and reps are working from home now it really does not feel any different. The only thing that can be tricky to manage is the time change but you get used to it very quickly and I have communicated with all of my clients and agent partners of my new working hours and it has been going well so far.
“Travel has enriched my life in so many ways. It is such a blessing to be able to meet people from all over the world and interact with different cultures. I find travel opens my eyes to so many different opportunities and yet also has made me appreciate how good we have things in Canada as well. At the end of the day, I truly believe you will never look back on a travel experience and regret going because whether it was a good or bad experience (like an airport delay) it still makes for a great story and makes you more well-rounded.”
Meaghan McMahon
Collette
How long have you been there and what can you tell us about the situation in Spain/Europe at the moment?
I left Ottawa on Sept. 20 and actually travelled to France for two weeks before settling in Barcelona. Back in September and early October everything was relatively open. The biggest difference in Europe is you have to wear face masks outside as well as inside in a lot of countries. Now things are a bit more closed down, in Barcelona we have a curfew implemented for the time being. I think a lot of the European countries are imposing stricter measures and territory lockdowns for November and beginning of December in order to get the second wave under control and save the Christmas season. However, a lot of these countries have way more access to rapid testing and as long as you are willing to get tested you can travel between countries.
How have you been managing earning a Masters degree in a new country while working remotely during a pandemic?
My school is still open which is fantastic. I have classes from 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Spain time and I have a good schedule set for myself. I get my schoolwork done in the mornings. Dedicate my early-mid-afternoons to work and then I head to class. I also have my email on in class if something urgent does come up I can answer or do a quick call on my class break. I also have Fridays off school where I am more accessible in the EST time zone. Overall, I have found managing the two very easy.
If you could pick just one, what’s the next Collette tour you want to embark on and why?
That is a tough question because when I started working at Collette my bucket list expanded exponentially and they have several amazing tours. I think for me however, it would have to be Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana. It is one of our Explorations Small group tours and a top seller for good reason. Firstly, the best way to see the area is guided because you get so much more out of the experience. The tour also offers something for everyone as it incorporates the Metropolitan city of Cape town and Johannesburg so you get that city feel but you also get several game drives (not only by 4×4 but a cruise safari too) and Victoria Falls which is a Natural Wonder of the World.
Is there something that a lot of people don’t know about Collette?
A lot of people do not know (mainly because it is brand new) that we will start offering Private Touring for smaller groups in 2021. So if you want to travel but only want to be with your bubble of 10 or so people you can now arrange that through us which is fantastic.
We have also added additional flexibility to our Cancel for Any Reason travel waiver. Now you can move/push your travel date back 60 days prior to departure if you do not want to go just yet and you will be fully price protected land and air. (This is of course if you purchase our Cancellation Waiver) This means clients can book for next year and always move their date if things aren’t exactly where they want them to be yet.
Do you have anything you want to share with travel agents?
I would love to encourage my agents to start promoting travel again! The second things open up people will be itching to get back out there. We have so much shareable content on our agent Facebook page that they can join (it is called the Collette Travel Agent Network) and they can take anything we post there and repurpose it for their own websites and pages to get people excited. Plus, as I mentioned above we make it so flexible for their clients to move their date or cancel that they do not need to worry about the state of the world because they are covered.
There’s been a lot of talk about the industry coming out better on the other side of COVID-19. What are your hopes?
I am extremely hopeful that we are nearing the end of this. Firstly, rapid testing will hopefully soon be replacing the 14-day quarantine in Canada and that will lift a huge barrier. Secondly, the Pfizer vaccine coming back 90% effective is incredible news and by early Spring 2021 a lot of people will hopefully be able to take it which will also improve the situation drastically. All in all I think people can expect to be travelling again come late Spring 2021 and once travel starts up again it will explode.
How has travel impacted your life?
Travel has enriched my life in so many ways. It is such a blessing to be able to meet people from all over the world and interact with different cultures. I find travel opens my eyes to so many different opportunities and yet also has made me appreciate how good we have things in Canada as well. At the end of the day, I truly believe you will never look back on a travel experience and regret going because whether it was a good or bad experience (like an airport delay) it still makes for a great story and makes you more well-rounded.
How have you been connecting with travel advisors during this time?
I have tried to operate my territory as I normally would. I reach out to my agencies in each town and rotate through all of the towns in my territory every couple of months. I also send out weekly newsletters for any important updates such as sales or new tours, new procedures, etc. I have face to face communication and trainings through Zoom, I also use Zoom for virtual consumer nights with my partners. Finally, I started a blog when I moved to Barcelona about traveling around Europe and living here/the situation so they can get up-to-date information from someone who is actually in Europe experiencing everything firsthand. It is called www.meagkm.com.
Do you have anything to add?
I would love to encourage my clients or anyone reading to check out Collette’s website at our New Travel Well page to see how touring has changed and evolved and everything we are doing to make it safe and comfortable for our guests. I also am happy to answer anyone’s questions in real time about the situation here so please feel free to reach out to me whenever.
