Hey Traveller,

We’re finally getting there; Australia’s international border has re-opened; countries around the world are increasingly accepting fully vaccinated travellers – with fewer restrictions and more consistency; people and businesses everywhere are learning to operate in a COVID-normal world; the top cruise lines have become some of the safest environments to vacation in; global vaccination rates are reaching more and more milestones; and everyone involved in travel is either itching to partake or to enable (both, in my case ! ^^).

The last two years have presented many of us with unprecedented challenges, and I’ve learned a lot – about myself, and about the industry – during what have been arguably the most turbulent times in travel agent history. (Boy, those first eight months were a doozy)

You’ve seen me busier than I’ve ever been before yet living off job-keeper, losing my amazing colleagues as the entire team at Manuka all gave up one by one to move on to other things, bounce around from store to store, leave Flight Center all together, set myself up with TravelManagers Australia so I could work independently from home, and enter the public service full-time while simultaneously starting to build strong foundations for what will eventually be my primary occupation again. I’ve also gotten married and started planning to buy our first home, so definitely an eventful couple of years for me.

Just like I wanted to get all my ducks in a row before leaving Flight Center - ensuring that all my customers’ trips, credits, refunds, etc. were taken care off before jumping ship – so it was with getting set up fully and properly with TravelManagers. Now that the world is ready to be explored again, I am ready to help you do so. After two challenging years, the time has finally come for travel to resume!

So, exceptionally, this month’s newsletter is also a request, from me to you. You know, as anyone who has worked with me does, that I take the planning of your trips very personally, and my part in it very seriously. I’ve tried to get to know you, to understand what’s important to you – your likes and dislikes, your interests and preferences, your dreams and dreads, and what is special to you. I want to enable the planning of your trip to make you dream, and then take care of the arrangements to make that dream a reality. I want to make the best recommendations for you, to find the deals that will give you the greatest value, to provide my assistance for your peace of mind, just like I would for my own mother, brother, grandparent, etc.

All I’m asking, is that you have a think about who you know that enjoys travelling to wonderful places like you do, that could use or would appreciate the assistance and benefits that I can bring - and who is preferably ready to start planning their next trip - and you tell them about me. ^^

Tell them about your experience with discussing your trips with me; having me help you with your travel arrangements; coming to me for advice and recommendations about certain offerings, cruise lines, airlines, tour operators, or destinations; seeking my assistance with travel requirements, insurance, or getting paperwork, forms and other administrative tasks in order; then give them my details.

Your personal referrals are going to be essential for me during 2022, because between working full-time at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and making travel arrangements in the evenings and at weekends, I’m not going to have the time or the resources to go out and find the right kind of new enquiries. Of course, Traveller, your own travel plans are amongst those I will be relying on to get some traction towards shifting back to full-time travel agent in the next couple of years.

As you know, though I hope to get busy taking care of travel arrangements for you and your referrals in 2022, most of those arrangements will likely be for travel in 2023 and beyond (as I have been recommending, although travel in 2022 is no longer the source of concern it was 3 or 4 months ago) so aside from the few small fees that I have had to start charging, I won’t actually see any revenue from these until the trip has been completed in 2023 or 2024 or even later.

What I mean by “the right king of enquiries” are like-minded people who are going on a trip for more than two weeks and require a variety of services such are cruises, tours, or resorts – not just airfares and insurance (especially now that most airlines have all but completely removed agent commissions - certainly all the airlines I would feel comfortable recommending). These sorts of enquiries give me the most opportunities to assist with planning, make great recommendations, have interesting discussions, demonstrate the value I bring, find deals to save you money, and still have a worthwhile income upon travel completion – plus they usually make for the best stories to share with me when you get back, and you know how much I love to travel vicariously this way.

So dust off your passport (checking that it’s still valid), take out your bucket list, and give me a call, send me an email, or schedule an appointment with me (all my new details are at the bottom of this email).

Next weekend is my anniversary, so I’ll be at the coast with my wife, but after that I have three nights a week plus the weekends set aside for discussing, planning and arranging amazing trips to Witness the Wonders of Our World.

One final note before I leave you. You may have noticed that a marketing email snuck through last week, I’m normally very picky about the marketing that I allow to be sent to you as I don’t want to clog up your inbox with deals deals and mores deals that you probably have no interest in – I preferer to personalize my correspondence with you, and try to include valuable tips and fun anecdotes that I hope you enjoy.

Although that one was unintentional, it’s content is worth noting – especially as Qatar Airways is generally my go-to airline recommendation for going to Europe. It was voted world’s best airline for the fifth time in 2019 (by the independent “Skytrax”), has the best Business Class in the skies, and was the most consistent, reliable, and flexible airline to fly to Australia throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic.

Doha and Qatar have changed a lot since the dawn of the new millennium! It’s a small Muslim country with an ultra-modern and diverse metropolitan capital, rich cultural and historical sites and experiences, unique nature and wildlife (including some UNESCO world heritage sites), and has been recognized as one of the safest places in the world. With the upcoming FIFA world cup being held there later this year, a lot of money has been thrown at developments for public transport, accommodation, entertainment, food, experiences, etc. and the tourism board are currently offering massive subsidies for staying at some of the world’s best known hotel names when having a stover in Qatar to break up a long-haul flight on Qatar Airways. These are the best stopover packages I have ever heard of, so well worth considering.

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It is said that a picture paints a thousand words. Following that premise, then a video clip shows a thousand pictures. But neither words nor pictures nor even a thousand videos will ever come close to the first-hand experience of being there, in person, to Witness the Wonders of Our World!

Have a wonderful day,
Best regards

P.S. If you enjoy my content, please feel free to forward this email to others you think may also enjoy it; they can even subscribe as a member for free. 

P.P.S. If you are ready to start planning your next WOW trip, please reach out to me or schedule an appointment by clicking on the link below.