As a former full-time travel agent and an avid traveler, I cringe every time I see a new coronavirus headline. It's all over the news, all over social media feeds and all over conversations taking place around the world.
The U.S. State Department recently raised a worldwide travel advisory, and President Trump suspended travel from Europe for 30 days. It's becoming a more serious matter by the day.
My heart goes out to the travel agencies dealing with clients canceling trips left and right, losing money and worrying if they'll be able to keep their businesses afloat. I think about all the cruise line, hotel and airline employees who won't be seeing their raises this year.
And although I feel bad for the travel industry as a whole, I know how resilient it is. This isn't the first time a situation has caused people to not want to travel.
Samantha Brown, a TV host and travel expert, recently told to TravelPulse that she was prepared to speak about the topic at one of her recent travel shows. However, the topic never came up.
"I had like my coronavirus speech spiel, and there was just something about the awesome energy of the crowd that I just realized no one's really thinking about that now and then no one asked me any questions about it, they just wanted to know about travel," she said.
That is exactly what is needed right now: "awesome energy." And I don't know too many other industries with the type of energy the travel industry has.
Whether you're a travel agent, a flight attendant, a hotel manager or an avid traveler who is always thinking about the next trip, keep your energy positive.
So how can we do that?
Yesterday Brown shared a lengthy Instagram post with her followers, ending it with the words of Steve Perry, "Don't Stop Believing."
It's important for travelers and travel industry employees to focus on what they can control and absolutely make sure the information they are receiving about the coronavirus comes from trusted sources.
In her Instagram post, Brown explains, "A little fact I love is that simply the act of PLANNING travel puts us in the same psychological happy place as BEING in a destination. Did you know that? So dream + PLAN your next trip for this spring+summer because right now your Mental Health is just as important. What makes us happier makes us healthier."
She urges travelers to work with a travel agent as "their job is to navigate this world and be your advocate." Not only do they help with the logistics of a trip, but they stay on top of which destinations are open for business. They help to make sure you have everything you need.
Don't stop dreaming and planning about your future trips, because travel will bounce back. It always does.
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