We travel for so many reasons. Whether it is to see the sights, visit and learn about a new culture, for business, or any other reason, we are all around the globe. With travelling comes a degree of fear of safety, and with everything that has been happening around the world, that fear is quite reasonable.
I was reading an article the other day that was all about the “duty of care” for a travel agent and their clients. This article really had me thinking about the amount of information that is out there, and how fast it can come out.
Now, I do believe that it is the duty of the travel agent to inform the client of any types of travel warnings that are happening (if any) for where they are travelling to. However, I also believe that the client needs to keep an eye themselves.
You see, for us travel agents, our “duty of care” is from the time you contact us until you have returned home from your trip. As an agent, there are things that I do to ensure that you are aware of any travel warnings.
First, when you initially contact me to discuss your trip, I will search for your destination. I use websites like, https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories. This is the Canadian Government travel site, it is a wealth of information for all Canadians who are looking to travel. I also read through the resources (magazines, articles, blogs, newsletters) that travel agents receive. These all can include things that are happening at the destination, or in the country your destination is located.
As we wait for your trip dates, I will continue to check these sites and articles, you never know what could happen. However, this is where I also ask my clients to be aware and vigilant. I am only human after all, and I may miss something. On all invoices that I send out, you can find either the Canadian Government site or the U.S. Government site. This way you have the website needed to keep an eye out for warnings and even find the documents needed for travel. Again, this is something that I watch carefully, but I do urge my clients to be aware,
Second, prior to 72 hours passing after booking, I ensure that you are well informed and have purchased the proper travel insurance. With the proper insurance, if a travel warning/advisory were to come up for your destination, you could very well be refunded for your trip. I cannot stress enough the importance of proper travel insurance coverage. There are so many insurance companies and packages available, and they are not all the same.
Third, once my clients have booked, we will have another personal safety talk. Usually this just involves the basics. For example, keeping your money safe, staying away from certain areas at night, whatever the case may be.. Every destination in the world has some form of warning, usually this is something that is minor in comparison, to say the Paris riots for example. But, they are all worth a discussion about. This is also another opportunity for me to go over any current news that is happening in the destination.
In conclusion, I work hard to ensure that my clients have everything they need to make an informed decision on the safety of a destination. But, I do urge all of my clients (potential and current) to visit their Government websites and see the travel warnings that may be on there.
The Canadian Government: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories
The United States Government: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Both links open in a new window.
Travelling with Nichole 