IMO - Travel Expert vs. Expert Traveller?

Everybody is an expert these days, at least it seems that way, and there is no shortage of them in the Travel and Tourism space. The world is full of people who claim to be a “Travel Expert.”

They appear on TV shows, radio and podcasts. They have blogs and they write articles. For the most part, these folks have travelled extensively. Their hearts are in the right place, and they are well-intended. They can talk about the “cutest“ coffee house in San Diego. Give you a heads up on where to find “absolutely scrumptious” scones in Fredericton. Sometimes they will wax lyrically about the latest, greatest airport hotel. But, are they a Travel Expert or an Expert Traveller?

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Whenever questions regarding the complexities of Travel arise such as: Q: Can you tell our listeners if their Credit Card insurance will cover them if they catch COVID when they are out of the country? Or Q: If a customer pays nine months in advance for their vacation, what happens to their cash? Or perhaps: Q: A friend of ours has a voucher they want to redeem as a result of a COVID vacation cancellation and are having a tough time. Any recommendations on what they need to do?

Invariably the answer you will hear from the Travel Expert is: “That’s a great question. A tough one as it can be a little complicated, my recommendation however would be they reach out to a professional Travel Agent (Advisor).”

We urge you to be cautious when reading travel related articles. When writers over embellish on products and services which, are at best marginal, you know there is some form of remuneration somewhere. When you see terms such as " yummy ", " quaint " or " " rustic ", multiple times in an article, this should be a red flag the writer was paid to produce the content. Wether it be cash, free flights, accommodation or plain old swag, they likely have been compensated in one form or another.

Look for " sponsored post " or " advertorial ", heck if you feel inclined send the writer a note and ask if they received any compensation for writing their piece. As the great Gord Downie ( Tragically Hip ) said " somebody's payin' something " in their great song Morning Moon . BOOM! There you have it, the transformation from being a “Travel Expert” to an “Expert Traveller” is complete.

Do you know who the real Travel Experts are? Those who can answer the questions an “Expert Traveller” cannot. A professional, licensed seller of travel. A Travel Advisor. An individual who has made travel and tourism their career. It is their life.

They may have gone to school for it. They have been certified. They are members of the ACTA, the Association of Canadian Travel Agents. They are members of ACITA, the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors. They are licensed to sell Travel Insurance. They are licensed and registered to sell travel by provincial regulatory bodies. They have spent countless hours on webinars and training on destinations and technology. They have been to countless destinations and tramped through hundreds of hotels. They are the true “Travel Experts.”

Their service has value enormous value. The travelling public needs to understand this. Pay the small service fee when asked by your advisor. Let’s face it, you can’t even have a dishwasher repair company come and look at the problem without handing over $150.00 just for them to show up. When you have a professional travel advisor taking care of you, you get the best of both worlds: a “Travel Expert” who, lucky for you, also happens to be a “Expert Traveller.” You get someone who is there to take care of you in case something goes sideways.

In Canada, we are slowly emerging from the pandemic and travel is on the rebound. When you are ready to start planning your next adventure, call a professional Travel Advisor. Don’t know one? Phone a friend and ask who they use. Or visit ACTA.ca or connect with the folks at ACITA, these are great resources where you will find a professional Travel Advisors.

To all the “Expert Travellers” out there, on behalf of all of us in the travel industry, thank you for your support, and thank you for loving travel. We appreciate it very much, and as we rebound every little bit helps. It would be helpful though for Travel Advisors across the country and around the world if you could mention and include resource links to directories for professional advisors in your articles, blogs, interviews or posts.

I am a Travel Expert.

I’m comfortable putting that in writing. I have my TICO license to sell as a Travel Advisor. I have my TICO management license. I sat on the RBC Travel Insurance Advisory council. I was part of the TICO e-commerce committee. I was a member of CATO. I’ve been a member of SKAL. I have also been a member of ACTA, back when wholesale companies could be members.

I was SVP of Retail Distribution and e-commerce at Thomas Cook North America for six years, overseeing the day-to-day management (along with Michelle Loveridge and John O’Neill) of a retail network of over 350 Travel Advisors across Canada -- BelAir Travel, The Last Minute Club, Wholesale Travel Group, Avion and Tempo Travel. I was the founder of Porter Escapes, the vacation division of Porter Airlines. I was a product buyer for Red Seal Tours for seven years. I’ve travelled to countless countries around the world.

I’m a Travel Expert. Are you?