Written by Alexandria Hilton
I attended Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas this year.
I sat in the audience as someone on stage said, “Gen Z…is one of the most likely (generation) to use travel advisors…”
And I, a Gen Z-er myself, was shocked.
I made a note of it.
I quickly forgot.
I went about my life.
I went to Ireland with my family and friends.
I decided to extend my time in the UK and then from there, decided I wanted to go somewhere warm and European!
On a whim, feeling empowered and brave, I went to Mallorca with no plan. I booked my accommodation night-to-night. And after night one, I thought to myself, OUT LOUD,
“I understand why people don’t enjoy traveling.”
My entire life has been blips of staying in one place. Mostly just so I could attend class. Blips of fake life between the continuous thread of ever-changing landscapes that made up my real life.
If my life thus far has been me sitting on a train traveling through holes in the sides of mountains, then the parts where I am in one place, abiding my the small-town structures of my home and school — those are the soundless, dark tunnels. And the parts where I am looking out over open fields and blue skies and blooming tulips and jagged mountains — those are the parts that start and end at the airport. Those are the parts on the road with my family.
I have become accustomed to arriving to the airport early just in case the inevitable thing goes wrong.
It makes intuitive sense to me that the hotel also has breakfast and I should wake up with enough time to eat.
All of these pieces of evidence add up to the fact that I feel comfortable traveling — and because none of us know what we don’t know and I am officially coming into the chapter of a person’s life where the many things I don’t know reveal themselves, I am gathering that it is a rather extraordinary thing, a privilege to feel comfortable traveling.
Only in the past two years has it become clear that I am the exception, not the rule
And that travel has felt wildly easy for my whole life because I was raised by travel professionals…
DUH! DUDE!
Of COURSE it has felt easy!! Are you kidding?!?!?
And so, after some thinking some about my spontaneous Spanish minibreak, I’d like to offer my thoughts on
Why you should use a travel advisor
Reason number 1: Time
If traveling stresses you out, I’d bet it’s because one time you went to Costa Rica (or somewhere similar) and all the time you intended to spend with your family or partner or friends, enjoying your vacation, you ended up spending on your phone or laptop until midnight booking the last 4 ATVs on the lot (or some similar inconvenient time-suck), crossing your fingers that whoever happens to be on shift tomorrow morning at 9am has access to the booking platform…and shows up on time… (or some similar wishful, stressful thinking).
On this last-minute trip to Mallorca, my first mistake was a sneaky one:
I thought that by using public transport I would save a few bucks. I quickly found that Mallorca’s bus system wasn’t precisely punctual. I sat on the curb with a banana and a coffee because I thought I had time for a quick desayuno. I peered to my left and was rather horrified to see a bus (presumably mine) hurdling down a narrow street. I stood to gesture to the driver that I’d like for him to stop. To make a long story short, I’ll say what you assumed: I took the wrong bus to the wrong side of town so my morning’s plan for two buses so that I could have some afternoon time at the beach turned into a morning and afternoon of four buses and a tired, grumpy hotel check-in just before the lady at the front desk took her siesta.
Yes, my mistake cost me a bit extra out-of-pocket; I was happy to pay the first bus driver even though he yelled at me in Spanish — something about throwing my coffee cup away, I gathered. Or maybe it was about my banana… On that day’s third bus, I couldn’t help but think that if I had booked my transportation ahead of time, stress could have been avoided and I could have stuck to my intended plan and seen less of the island’s winding roads and more of its bustling beaches.
Reason number 2: Money
A common and devastating misconception we face as travel advisors goes a little something like this…
“I just thought it’d be more expensive to book through you so I did it myself online!”
I wish I was old enough to remember the MythBusters theme song…
Planning ahead with the help of experts is almost guaranteed to save you money — I have zero expert sources to quote here. All I have is my personal experience. I thought I would save money on my trip to Mallorca.
*Dramatic pause so you’ll stop cackling at the preposterous idea of saving money on a trip to Mallorca… in August… without any sort of planning…*
The second mistake of the trip, one could argue, was perhaps choosing a destination I couldn’t really afford — this could have been avoided had I spoken to someone who could explain to me that
MALLORCA IN AUGUST is OBVIOUSLY EXPENSIVE!! DUHHHHH!!!
My third mistake was booking my plane ticket the night before I wanted to fly — airline prices are notoriously yuck, so, I can’t be sure of much in terms of lower rates… but there is something that stings a specific kind of way about clicking a screen and to authorize hundreds of dollars to flood from my account THE NIGHT BEFORE FLYING — the initial rush of a purchase (any purchase) is nice, sure, but I much prefer the anticipation and the build up that accompanies buying a plane ticket in advance — that way, when I board the plane on the day of travel, I ~kind of~ ~almost~ forgot about the financial sting of many months past … and I am mentally prepared for the *ahem* experience that lies in the many hours ahead…
Reason number 3: Relationships
I realize that the promise of a complimentary bottle of bubbles upon check-in may not be reason enough to book a hotel through your trusted travel advisor. I’ll be honest and tell you that right now, sitting here in my normal day-to-day routine, that gift seems quite small. When I think, though, about the warmth I’d feel in that small gesture after a long travel day wrought with unexpected obstacles and dysfunction, I start to crave that kind of luxury — that kind of they know what I want before I even know I want it kind of luxury.
If we’re talking perks, we feel the value ATI can add to your booking is much more about the intangibles than it is the free breakfast or 4-nights-for-the-price-of-three deals. The world of luxury travel, while expanding as we speak, is still small; we are not the betting kind but if we were, we’d risk it all on the fact that we know someone (or at least know someone who knows someone) at whatever hotel you’re eyeing up for your next big trip.
Of course, we have our favorites around the world. Our closest partners will prioritize you, acting as an extension of our ATI team, operating on the ground in your destination, making you feel at home from the moment you arrive because they value their relationship with ATI. You’ll immediately feel more at ease. You’ll be able to settle into your holiday more quickly. When you feel safe, you free up space in your mind and body — you make it possible to full immerse yourself in your holiday — whether your intention is full relaxation or rough adventure, you can get fully present only when you know your basic needs will be met — it’s science! Psychology? Whatever! It’s real!
In summary and at the risk of repeating myself, you don’t know what you don’t know. And we know that! Because, well,
We ALSO don’t know what we don’t know!
But when it comes to some things (and we HATE to toot our own horns here), we really do know.
You should use a travel advisor if you respect your time, if you value your money, and if you honor and revere personal relationships. You should use ATI because we respect your time, we value your money, and we honor and revere our relationships to our suppliers and, above all else, our relationships with you all. There is an element of risk in trusting someone else with something as precious and special as your travel plans, of course. But I’ve heard that the sweetest rewards require a little risk…
