Photo by: Bruno Scramgnon
Friends in Travel,
Two weeks ago, I was preparing travel documents for my spring break travelers, and scheduling pre-travel calls with many of you to ensure that travel would be seamless, filled with only pleasant surprises along the way. My child was in school, and like many of yours, he was anticipating our own family's spring break trip.
The past week has felt like a month. I’ve spent hours on the hunt for toilet paper, and braved the grocery store madness. I have also been clocking in some of the longest days of my career, working to make sure that you were able to make informed decisions regarding your travel plans. With circumstances and policies constantly changing, this has been a challenge, and I have been forced to work by departure date. I have worked through March travel and April, and we still have no way of knowing what will be our reality come May.
Disrupted travel plans may seem like the least of our concerns as we work to maintain some kind of normalcy for our families. With children home from school, more businesses closing daily, and the constant uncertainty of what is to come, we are wearing more hats than normal. I have become a teacher, lunch lady, guidance counselor, and thankfully no one has been expelled (though there is still time). Like you, I am also doing everything I can to keep my family safe and healthy.
Though we may be physically separated, we will walk through this time of uncertainty together, anxious to emerge on the other side stronger than before. Over the past week, I have had heartbreaking moments, as the travel industry has been one of the hardest hit in the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting through means seizing all the precious moments we have with our families, maintaining hope, and planning things to look forward to when the uncertainty is finally over.
I know just how many of you had special, Awestruck-Moment-filled trips planned that now need to be postponed. Know that I am here to piece those experiences back together for you and that I cannot wait to help you continue to travel. Even in the midst of this hardship, people want to travel and have already begun to plan vacations for later this year and into 2021. I am here to help you plan those moments, to give you something to look forward to on the other side.
As we deal with this pandemic, know that I believe travel is more important than ever in its capacity to inspire hope. Even as I cancel reservations for March and April, I am planning new family vacations, destination weddings, and corporate group travel later this year. COVID-19 has disrupted our lives, but it has not disrupted what makes travel, and travelers, unique: endless curiosity and a fearless desire to explore the world together.
We will be traveling again soon, and our travel partners are excited to welcome you with flexible policies and open arms. Stay healthy and stay hopeful! I am so grateful for your support, and I cannot wait to continue to create Awestruck Moments with you.
With Kindness,
Denise
