So everyone thinks that if you’re a travel agent that you get to go on loads of trips for free and that you spend most of your time traveling. Sadly, that is not the case….. This job I’m currently in, owning an LLC as a travel agent marks my third time working in the industry. Over twenty years ago I worked for a large travel agency and primarily did corporate travel but I also booked leisure travel for those clients and the occasional walk-in. I did travel for work, but much of it was Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, D.C. all for software training where I’d stay in a plain hotel out by the airport. But that’s not to say I didn’t get to do some cool things. I definitely did and I want to tell you about those.
One thing that I got to do a few times are called “cruise ship inspections”. Essentially cruise industry organizations, such as CLIA would invite agents to a port, be in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, or Port Canaveral and when the ships were in port after the passengers disembarked, agents could come on and see the ships. We’d get to see the various types of rooms and amenities and usually taste the great food. It’s a wonderful way to see a lot of ships, from different cruise lines and really get a feel for them so that you could better sell to your clients. As someone who’s not a big cruiser myself, it really helped me see the benefits and be able to offer the right cruise line to the right client. Selling travel isn’t just about closing the sale, you have to meet your clients’ needs so that you’re *hopefully* building a relationship where the clients want to come back to you for services year after year. That’s one great thing about booking corporate travel is you have the same clients, you know what they like so if they call and say they’re going to Birmingham, they need a hotel and a rental car, you know the brands of hotels they like, the brand and size of the rental car and it’s a pretty quick transaction. I do have to say, that’s something I miss I made some really great friends who worked for some amazing companies.
My first legit “fam” trip (which, by the way, is short for familiarization!), was with Tauck Tours, a company that still does tours today. My Tauck Trip was to Quebec City and Montreal. It marked my very first time flying internationally by myself….. I remember going through immigration in Toronto and answering all the questions the officer asked with “Yes sir” (see I grew up in Kentucky, everyone is “sir” or “ma’am”) and he was like “please don’t do that, it makes me feel old!”. We started in Quebec City, which really is a lovely taste of France right here in North America! We stayed at The Fairmont Chateau Frontenac (pictured at left) and it was so lovely! Right in the old town within walking distance of shops and restaurants and quaint cobblestone streets. We then made our way down to Montreal (after having stopped for maple syrup candy tasting) and were able to enjoy the sights of the city such as Notre Dame Cathedral (bottom left), the cool underground tunnels so you can get from place to place without going out into the elements and enjoying poutine. And yes, the thought of french fries with gravy and cheese curds was disgusting but it is not. It’s gooooooooooood.
In late fall one year I was due to go on a trip to Costa Rica and sadly it was canceled due to a hurricane. So I was keeping my eyes peeled and came across an amazing fam trip to Russia. The trip was hosted by General Tours (now called Alexander and Roberts). It took place in late February and early March and was by far the biggest trip I’d gotten to do for “work”. I flew Finnair to Helsinki and then into Moscow. We spent 3 nights at the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski where the view from our room was St. Basil’s cathedral and the Kremlin. Everything was snow-covered and it was just like a dream. We took the subway, toured all the sites, and did amazing shopping. We then took the overnight train to St. Petersburg.
Once in St. Petersburg we stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe which was within walking distance of a large indoor shopping mall as well as the Church of the Spilled Blood. Personally I enjoyed Moscow over St. Petersburg as there was a lot more petty crime in St. Petersburg so even as “tourists” we had to be mindful of where we were at all times. Essentially, women would come up to the tourists and ask for help and then their children would circle the groups grabbing and pickpocketing what they could. I don’t know if that’s still the case but it was very disconcerting at the time.
We were able to tour The Hermitage museum and take a ride out into the suburbs to see The Catherine Palace. While out there we also got to go on open sleigh rides with horses pulling us through the snow, and it was one of the most beautiful things ever.
And I have to admit, the food at the Grand Hotel Europe was some of the best I’ve ever had. I still can remember the taste of the stroganoff!
Alexander and Roberts, the tour company, focuses on small group travel and ensures a safe experience. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and gave us information on how to be safe everywhere we were and how customs would go at the airport upon departure, etc. And since crime can be an issue on the train we had private compartments and a guard who traveled with us.
Hopefully this gives you a bit of an overview of travel agent “travel” and how we learn about destinations. I have a few more items to touch on, but I’ll cover those in future posts.