It’s that time again!  Each year, I take a bit of a break for the final weeks of the year to push a virtual “reset” button.  And boy do we need a reset for 2020. Normally, I’d suggest that no one is thinking about travel leading into the holidays and business is slow until Wave Season. Normally, I’d suggest that you take advantage of the slow time to spend time with your family and rest up for a robust year. But…you are probably tired of your family at this point. And the start of 2021 does not look terribly robust. Right?

OK, snap out of it.  We’re still standing. And this is what we do best. We have been written off more times than I can…

On occasion a neighbor or an acquaintance, knowing I am somehow connected to the travel industry, will ask me about a vacation they would like to take. I use those opportunities to refer the person to a rotating selection of travel professionals I know. I tend to use different travel advisors depending on the person’s request. About a month ago, a neighbor asked me about a trip to Scotland she and her family wanted to take next year. We had the obligatory discussion of Covid-19 issues, refunds and cancellations. I checked with a travel agent friend to see if he wanted the referral and I then put the two of them together.

Yesterday, weeks after our original conversation, I ran into my neighbor and asked how…

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I was thinking about this word the other day (mediocrity) and, for reasons unknown to me, I connected it with the travel industry. Maybe it had something to do with a previous article I wrote focusing on doing things above and beyond that which is expected. I am sad to say that the “expected” involves more than simply showing up today. On the other hand, the “unexpected” demands attention, admiration, and a certain degree of creativity.

To borrow from a book titled with the same reminder, the secret is to Become The Exception. This, like all good advice and good intentions, is easier said than done. Allow me to fill in a few…