Where Travel Advisors Dream of Traveling in a Post-Coronavirus World

With coronavirus travel bans affecting most of the world, travel advisors have been focusing solely on canceling and rebooking their clients’ travel plans. For now, like most everyone else in the world, they are putting their own travel plans on the backburner.

Nonetheless, there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to the day when those travel bans are lifted.

“My life revolves around daydreaming. That’s probably the main reason I got into travel in the first place. Recently, I’ve really been dreaming a lot about New Zealand,” said Hannah Nowicki of Sunset Travel & Cruise. “I’ve visited 48 countries and I still always dream about New Zealand – so much so in fact that I’ve just watched “Lord of the Rings” for the millionth time and am currently taking the New Zealand Specialist course.”

Nowicki noted that Sunset Travel & Cruise just launched a social media initiative – Daily Daydream Series – in which she posts virtual tours of advisors’ favorite destinations. “It’s been quite popular amongst our followers,” she said. “I hope it allows for people to daydream as much as I do. We need to have something to look forward to!”

Becky Lukovic of Bella Travel Planning, a member of Travel Experts, has been daydreaming about her favorite place in the world: Positano, Italy.

“I just love the dramatic views up the cliffs and over the turquoise blue Mediterranean waters. The food, with its lemons, capers and fish, is light and exquisite,” she said. “Being on a boat in the water is possibly the closest thing to heaven I can imagine. Plus, you can explore the ruins of Pompeii, learn to make Limoncello, explore the cathedral in Amalfi, hike, stop in some quaint towns along the coast and practice your Italian.”

For Claire Schoeder of Elevations Travel, a dream trip would be a return to India. “The rich and varied culture has intrigued me since my first visit several years ago,” she said. “I fell in love with India and it is calling me back.”

In particular, she noted she would like to experience Varanasi, Ranthambore National Park and Kerala.

“I thought this year would be my year to go back, but it looks like 2021 will be the year,” Schoeder said. “I will add that my good friend Ajay Sharma of India with Ajay has been helping me look at my next trip. Ajay is devoted to his country and has helped fuel my enthusiasm for returning.”

Similarly, Ben Gritzewsky of FROSCH is daydreaming about exotic destinations. “Like everyone, I’ve been traveling all over the world by Internet, lately,” he said. “My latest most entertaining, non-virtual outing was to the supermarket (where a mask was provided and obligatory), so I am definitely fantasizing about going somewhere as soon as possible – and mask-free.”

Gritzewsky is dreaming big. “My current fantasy is a journey by private jet to ancient cities around the world – mainly remote places I have not been to yet, like Persepolis, Iran; Carthage, Tunisia; and Bagan, Myanmar,” he said. “The people of those places faced adversities that we can hardly imagine. It would be fantastic to do this as one tour, and soon.”

Travel Edge’s James Ferguson had been scheduled to serve as a Virtuoso Voyages host on an August Alaska cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth. “What was going to be a life-enriching reality of a first-time Alaska cruise now is a day-dreaming future vision,” he said. “My current dream/wish is for Canada to lift the embargo on Canadian ports of call, now extended to July 1, to salvage the Alaska cruise season.”

At the top of Susie Chau’s list is Hawaii, where she and her husband had been planning to travel with their soon-to-be-born baby before year’s end. “Maui is one of my happy places, and we were going to add on the Big Island, which would be new for us,” said Chau of Carpe Diem Traveler, “I really hope that’s still possible to do safely. Fingers crossed!”