Here’s how travel pros are keeping busy while social distancing
March 30, 2020

Are you game for improving your chess skills?

 

IAN STALKER

 
Home sweet home might not seem as sweet right now for some travel industry personnel starting to feel a little cooped up while spending day after day in their dwellings during these days of self-isolation, but that doesn’t mean that they have endless time on their hands.
A quick Travel Courier survey showed some familiar industry names are continuing to keep busy and have some tips for industry counterparts who might be starting to find it a little difficult to fill their days when those days don’t have them setting foot outside. And those tips range from brushing up on technology skills to mastering the making of the iconic Cuban drink.
So, here’s a look at what some in our industry are both doing and suggesting to others struggling with no longer physically going into work:

Dallyce Macas

Eminence Canada

Dallayce Macas certainly hasn’t been putting her feet up during the coronavirus pandemic.

Macas — with Eminence Canada, which represents a number of foreign tourism companies — reports that she’s in constant contact with travel industry colleagues during a time when everyone’s being urged to stay at home.

 
“I have been hosting brief call-in sessions for the trade that are my main contacts in order to keep people connected, trade stories and seek advice on postponing or canceling client trips. Coffee Talk Tuesdays and Watercooler Wednesdays allow small groups of trade (agents, operators, business development) who are now working solo to call in and contribute to the discussion that may normally take place in the staff coffee room or watercooler area,” she reports. Macas has tips for those in the industry struggling to fill their time these days.

“Video technology is keeping local and global businesses moving right now,” she says. “Crisis management meetings, status update meetings are what leaders are now using for effective communication with their teams. Even those who have shied away from a video in the past are being mandated to use technology like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams. This is going to have a lasting effect, and agents need to get ready for a new way of being introduced to products and suppliers. Use this time to get comfortable learning and communicating on video technology platforms. Interactive web sales calls and meetings are here to stay.”

Meanwhile, Macas notes that coronavirus is at times bringing out the best in people who work in travel, citing the likes of the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ont., donating  thousands of pairs of disposable gloves and cases of hand sanitizer to a hospital after the resort temporarily closed because of the current environment.

Jonathan Sargeant

Royal Irish Tours

Those hoping to breathe a little more easily during these stressful times should look to Royal Irish Tours’ sales manager Jonathan Sargeant, who’s spending part of his time turning to a practice that for well over a 1,000 years has been seen as a way of alleviating anxiety. Royal Irish Tours employees are on a reduced work week and a few volunteered to take some time off.
 
“How am I staying busy? I am helping out in reservations, and with our groups department. The majority of agents have opted to change their clients to a later date in 2020 or 2021, so I am assisting with this and phoning agents each day. We are actually getting a lot of group quotes for 2021 at this time, which is great,” Sargeant reports. “Orla Killeen, our sales executive and I have put together a virtual sales plan for the next few months which we will start to implement in April. We are currently creating some of the content, which will include the following: Virtual trainings – pre-recorded webinars on each our touring styles and destinations. Share one a week with agents. Online videos – we are creating a few fun video series to engage agents – Orla cooking Irish scones, me making an Irish whiskey, etc. We will be posting these on our newly created agent Facebook group. Facebook lives – we will host some live streaming on Facebook, answering agents questions, doing fun quizzes and contests.”
 
Sargeant reports that he’s in regular communication with key suppliers in Canada, Ireland and Britain for updates on the Covid-19 situation.
He’s quick to add that it’s not all work and no play for him these days.
“I am doing daily yoga, learning German and getting good at headstands! I will begin working on my chess game soon,” he reassures.

Sally Mikhail

GMTours

International travel has largely ground to a halt but that doesn’t mean that Sally Mikhail has been left with little to do. Mikhail runs GMTours, which sends people to Egypt and other parts of the Middle East and countries outside that region as well. Disrupted travel resulting from coronavirus means Mikhail now has her hands full.

“We’re rescheduling groups to later days, we give our clients a free change policy up to end of end of the year or maybe to 2021 where applicable. It’s the same as most tour operators — lots of changes and rescheduling. We are busy helping our clients make the right decision in a difficult time for all of us.”

Mikhail notes that GMTours has had to contend with travel industry crises before.
“We have been in the business for the past 33 years and we are here helping our clients in this tough time,” she states.

Lessner Gomez

Cuba Tourist Board

The director of the Cuba Tourist Board’s Toronto office says he and his staff are staying at home these days but continue to work and remain happy to hear from travel agents, who can email [email protected] or access www.gocuba.ca.

“We are here to support you!” Lessner Gomez says to the travel agent community. “We are planning to use regular posts through social media, regular press releases with updates through our PR agency and revamp our website with more videos and updated information that agents can use to update their knowledge about Cuba.”

Gomez says “staying at home is the right thing to do” as officials struggle to stop the spread of coronavirus but “we can still dream online or learn to make the perfect mojito” during spare time. 

Meanwhile, Gomez is well aware that these are tumultuous times for an industry he’s long been a part of. “Our hearts go out to all our travel partners in these difficult times,” he says.

Western Canada BDMs, ASMs and Sales Reps share the love

& thank travel agents for their support

The video was spearheaded by Lindsay Sande, Area Sales Manager for Air Canada Vacations.




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