Jamie Biesiada
Every traveler has a personal risk tolerance when it comes to disruptions in a destination. It's up to their advisor to understand their preferences and help them navigate what can be a complicated world based on that.
That was the takeaway from a recent travel advisor panel in New Yok hosted by Global Travel Collection, Internova Travel Group's luxury division.
"The world's a big place, and there's always hot spots and different things happening," said moderator Don Jones, senior vice president and general manager of Andrew Harper. "There could be some uncertainty. There could potentially be some unsafe scenarios in certain spots."
For instance, Harper pointed to Mexico, Israel and Turkey, which have all been in the news recently.
"It's not that we don't want to encourage people to visit those locations, but we need to understand what their appetite is for risk, and help them navigate how to do that right," he said.
Tiffany Bowne, owner of All Star Travel affiliate Lounge Couture, offered her take.
"We really get to know our clients, so knowing their personality, and again, what their risk threshold is, is really important," Bowne said.
She draws heavily on personal connections on the ground in destinations to share what is happening in real time. Sometimes, clients are concerned about something that's happening in a completely different area of the country than where they're traveling.
"Sometimes, we're just supporting the destination," Bowne said. "If they're having some bad PR and it's actually really safe to travel there, it's a great place for us to educate the clientele to say, 'We actually want to help that destination grow back their business.' By having our one-on-one relationships with our clients, it can really affect change."
It's an issue Elaine Srnka, senior vice president of editorial at Internova, encountered recently. The March issue of the Andrew Harper Hideaway Report covers Turkey, and the following month features Mexico.
Srnka talked about the decision to go to press with the Turkey coverage, despite the devastating earthquake that took place near the Syrian border in February and its aftermath.
"We decided to press on, not just because of the logistical challenges of coming up with a six-page replacement," Srnka said. "But also, because we decided to lean into the economic power of the travel and tourism industry, and a lot of these economies really depend on tourism dollars. Turkey more than ever needs our help."
It's a reminder of the importance of travel, she said, and how it supports people and cultures.
"It is not the travel advisor's job necessarily, or the editor's job, to tell travelers where they should or shouldn't go, because everybody's tolerance level varies," Srnka said. "I feel it's our job to educate them."
Generally speaking, travel advisors only have a duty to inform clients about a danger in a destination they wouldn't have known about otherwise, but that can vary on a case-by-case basis. Lawyers do recommend advisors put warnings in writing, including links to organizations like the Department of State, the World Health Organization and the CDC.