As the pandemic wears on, travelers are tired of simply staying home and, while the world was essentially closed for business, travel companies spent time reinventing the way people travel in order to make getting away safely.
TravelPulse spoke to Laurence Pinckney, CEO of Zenbiz Travel, a full-service travel agency that manages travel arrangements for groups and individuals but also offers media, event management and promotion services.
In this new age of travel, simply going online and purchasing a vacation package is not the best way to purchase travel.
"The best way to book travel is with the assistance of a travel advisor," said Pinckney. "There are many good ones out there who keep abreast of the situation. Currently, there are so many changes going on in the travel space, we do our best to stay on top of it all."
Right now, the risk of booking isn't great.
"Book early and cancel if you have to, he said. "It gives you the best prices and something to look forward to."
For those who are looking to travel during the holidays, Pinckney notes that it depends on when and where you are going.
"In the COVID-19 world, one must have the answers to those questions to give a proper answer," he said. "For example, this year, I would suggest booking now for Christmas but waiting a bit for Easter."
He also noted that if you are looking to cruise in the summer, now is the time to book.
While travel came to a halt due to the pandemic, that is no longer the case.
"People are already traveling to destinations that they can travel to," said Pinckney. "Many more would like to but quarantine and other restrictions make it more difficult."
One of the most complicated questions that people are asking themselves when it comes to booking travel now or waiting, there really is no good answer.
"That is the million-dollar question, isn't it," said Pinckney. "I think people should have a serious discussion with their travel advisor. It is very specific to the client. Things are so different than they used to be. Now more than ever is the time to be strategic."
So it all depends on the traveler's preference in style of vacation as to when they should book, but it's becoming more apparent than ever that booking with a trusted travel advisor is the best way to buy travel moving forward.
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