Coping during COVID-19
This week Travel Courier checks in with Ned Ambrus of The Travel Desk in Spruce Grove, AB, who says the last eight months have been the most challenging of her 23 years as an agent, but she can’t imagine doing anything else.
What has it been like being a travel advisor during this challenging time?
It has been the most difficult experience in my 23 years as an agent. Having been through a variety other political and natural disasters, this one has pushed me to the edges of my sanity some days.
Trying so hard to fix everything, help everyone, when rules change by the minute and flights are canceled under your nose is tough. Doing all of this for free hasn’t helped the situation either. The desire to help my clients is enormous and I will continue to do so, but some days I feel like I’m banging my head against the wall.
Admiring the views in Tahiti
We’ve now reached the eight-months mark of the pandemic. How are things going right now?
I’m still working on refunds for clients and dealing with insurance, searching out paperwork that doesn’t really exist to help clients with insurance claims. I can only hope that my clients all get the refunds they deserve, and I’m utterly grateful my clients have been so patient with me, waiting for a refund for eight months (air specifically) has been torture and I still have files outstanding. Commission recalls are brutal at the moment, and the constant change of FTC vs refunds is adding an enormous amount of stress, particularly financial to an already dire situation. Sales are at a stand still so I worry about the business as well as the profession on the days when I’m weary with it all. Other days I believe I will get through this, the business will survive and we will bounce back as an industry.
St. Petersburg, Russia
“I live, breathe, work to travel. To see the far corners of the earth, weird and whacky things, go to places that don’t interest most. It’s been my education, my memories, my friendships from around the globe. I simply can not imagine a life where I can not travel, it would break me.”
Ned Ambrus
What do you miss most about travelling?
Exploring new cultures, seeing new landscapes, meeting new people. Discovering architecture and archeological sights I’ve only seen in books/TV. Learning the history of the places I go, and how their lifestyle is. Being brought to tears seeing something I’ve been waiting decades to explore and feeling my heart explode with happiness. And coming home and being so incredibly grateful that I have clean drinking water out of a tap, have the right to vote, express my opinion and walk around freely. Travel has taught me not to take that for granted.
Greetings from Jordan
Are you doing anything to grow business through domestic travel?
We have discussed it, looking more towards 2021 summer season is a definite must going forward. Expressing to Canadians to travel more in Canada with our help will be the biggest message I would like to get out.
If there’s one positive thing that’s come out of this situation, it’s been that more people have seen the value of using a travel agent firsthand. Do you agree? How can advisors get this message out?
We can continue to use social media, newsletters etc. to express that we are here for our clients. Asking clients for reviews on our website so people can see how helpful we were during this pandemic. I also post info on my personal FB page as well, the more people see/hear it, the better it will be.
Making new friends in the Galapagos
Do you have any strategies to get through the next few months?
Just breathe. Take one day at a time is all I can suggest at the moment.
How has travel impacted your own life?
Travel Completes Me. I capitalize that as it has been my motto for so many years. I live, breathe, work to travel. To see the far corners of the earth, weird and whacky things, go to places that don’t interest most. It’s been my education, my memories, my friendships from around the globe. I simply can not imagine a life where I can not travel, it would break me.
Ambrus says one of the most pivotal moments in her travel life was encountering mountain gorillas. “Staring into the soul of that gorilla was utterly breathtaking and that moment has stayed with me ever since.”
How long have you been in the industry and what are some of your secrets to success?
I started in 1997 and have been full-time every since. I took a break from being an agent to be a Sales Manager for 8.5 years and now co-own a Travel Agency, so variety has helped me learn and experience more, being on both sides of the desk. Success comes from hard work, tears at times and exceptional customer service. I truly believe going that little extra mile can make a huge difference when building long lasting relationships with clients. And knowledge is power; the more places I travel to, the more of a walking encyclopedia of travel I become to help my clients create their dream vacations.
What do you think is standing in the way of recovery?
Honestly? The Federal Government. We need the 14 day quarantine lifted as well as the ‘avoid all non-essential travel’ ban. Until that happens people can’t afford (time wise) to travel and have reservations about it, plus it can cause some insurance issues as well, so people stay home. Lift the advisories and quarantine and people who are dying to travel will start traveling and those who are unsure at the moment will wait and watch.
Do you have anything to add?
I love this industry, I love travel and I love helping clients find that perfect vacation. Adventure travel is my speciality and I just hope that we can turn things around (and soon) in order to start growing the industry again. It will be slow, it will take time, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.
