If you do not know my story, let me take a moment to enlighten you. I have enjoyed travel planning and vacationing my entire life. In my family, I have always been the trip planner. I developed the itinerary, researched the hotels and restaurants, reserved the tickets, booked the flights, and anything else that was involved in the family vacation process. Yes, sometimes I even used a travel agent to do it for me!! Travel has always been my passion, but for twenty plus years, I was a speech-language pathologist. In 2020, I experienced a family tragedy with the passing of my dad from glioblastoma. I had also been experiencing severe career burnout. I found myself just going through the motions and I dreaded going to work. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my coworkers and clients, but I just didn’t love my career choice anymore. I felt as if I no longer made a difference. I made a decision that has simply changed my life. I decided to open my own travel company in the middle of the COVID pandemic!! I reached out to a senior member of my church and he graciously took me under his wing and for that, I will be eternally grateful. Blue Marble Travel signed a contract with Fred’s Travel World on August 18, 2020 and has never looked back.
I have been asked several times how I developed my company name, Blue Marble Travel. I had a sweet friend that suggested it to me during one of our conversations. He asked me if I had ever heard the story where an astronaut said the Earth looked like a big, blue marble from space. It was like a lightbulb went off. What a great way to encompass the travel aspect along with using my last name. Blue Marble Travel was named after that conversation and has been traveling around this big, blue marble ever since.
When it comes to travel planning, the most asked question I get is “how much do you charge for your services?” My response to this question has always been, “I am free.” Yes, you heard me correctly, I do not charge a planning fee. My commission is paid by the vendors I book with and not directly by the client. More often than not, my quoted price is the same as what you were quoted online. Why is that do you ask? Well, simply put, the commission is already bundled into the final price. An agent is getting paid somewhere whether it is via the call center or online. So that leads me into the next question, “what is the benefit of using a travel agent?”
I think the first benefit of a good travel agent is their availability to their clients. If I get an email, text, or phone call, I will answer in a timely manner if not immediately. I am not some random agent in a call center or an online chat bot. You receive the same person on the end of that communication each time you reach out to Blue Marble Travel.
A second benefit of a travel agent is their networking and relationships with other professionals within the travel industry, such as tour operators, resort/hotel managerial staff, locals, and so much more. Speaking from personal experience, when I travel to a new destination, I scope out the area by touring area hotels and resorts, experience what the destination offers by booking excursions with a variety of tour operators, taste the local delicacies at restaurants and pubs, and try out the area’s transportation options. I do this because I want to be comfortable and confident in the destination I sell to all of you. One of my hobbies is to make destination binders. In these binders, I have put all of my itineraries, tours, transportation, maps, brochures, and anything else I may have experienced while on my vacation. I have to admit I still have my itineraries from my high school senior trip from 1994! I have always characterized myself as a travel agent who TRAVELS!
I think a misconception associated with a travel agent is we get all of our trips free of charge. Speaking from experience, a travel agent’s familiarization trips (FAMS) are usually an out of pocket expense. We do these to become familiar with the destinations we sell in order to become more marketable and profitable in the industry. Ultimately, the more familiar we are with a destination, the better we are at matching the destination to the right traveler. Please remember that by choosing to hire an agent’s services, you are usually supporting local, small business owners.
When you book your vacation with a travel agent, you get another level of service as compared to doing it online or with third party vendors. Agents take the hassle and stress of vacation planning off of your shoulders. Some destinations can be very intimidating for first time travelers and I am here to answer all the questions, to ease the stress and burden, and make the process seamless. When I plan a vacation, I plan it the way I would do it for myself and family. The only thing I cannot do for my clients is make them have a good time, but I do try my best.
If you have traveled with us before and you are local, then you have received the “gift of travel.” Yes, I wrap my travel packets in a cute brown bag with a big, blue ribbon. I told my husband that travel is a gift you give yourself and I stand by this motto 100%. I can never put a price on the vacation memories that I have with my family and friends.
I read a wonderful quote from Collette the other day that completely sums up this blog, “Travel agents do not sell travel. Clients can buy travel anywhere. The main product a travel agent sells is their knowledge, experience, and service.” Thank you once again to all of my past and current clients. You stepped out in faith, on this budding business of mine, and supported me wholeheartedly. You loved me through my mistakes and my successes. I have grown by leaps and bounds and that growth is because of the referrals you have made to your family and friends. You have made my 4 years in business unforgettable! I am looking forward to many more years of growth. I am constantly learning and exploring so I can better serve all of you.
Happy Travels!
(These thoughts and comments are strictly my opinion and how I choose to operate my own business. These comments in know way reflect other agents/agencies in the industry.)
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