Travel Upside to Economic Woes

(May 12, 2008 - Travel Agent Central.com) -- Consumers are buzzing about the “R” word. With rising foreclosure rates, soaring gas prices and an economy teetering on recession, you’d think selling a vacation right now would be an impossible task. Not so, says Margie Jordan, owner, ASAP Travel in Jacksonville, FL.

Despite the state’s plummeting home sales and the second highest foreclosure rate in the nation, Jordan is coping by helping new and existing clients find value in travel. Still, “the economy definitely has had a less than desirable effect on my clients’ travel plans,” Jordan emphasizes, citing one soon-to-be-married client who previously purchased two homes as an investment. Now, his primary home is in foreclosure and he’s moved into a smaller investment property.

“He’s also made sacrifices in his Hawaii honeymoon plans as well,” Jordan says, noting that “the client is renting a timeshare from a friend at a deep discount rather than staying at the luxury hotel where he’s getting married.”

But “it’s interesting because we’re also getting more new clients than ever before,” says Jordan. “The state of the economy has prompted many travelers to seek the help of a travel professional in the hope they can find lower costs that they can’t find on their own.”

Noreen and Mike Price, owners of Lighthouse Travel in Camanche, IA, agree. Their agency caters to a middle-class, small-town and rural clientele, and specializes in Caribbean and Mexico packages. “We are still attracting new clients at a steady pace,” says Noreen. While several clients are waiting to put down deposits until tax rebate checks arrive, “I am a bit surprised—and pleasantly so—that as we have progressed into 2008, the answer is ‘no’ to seeing an impact in regard to the economy and our customers’ travel plans.”

Still, others see a mixed bag. Gordon Dirker, director of sales and marketing,Brendan Worldwide Vacations, says high-end packages and retiree vacations are selling as usual, but otherwise, it depends on where you are in the country. “Some parts are doing well,” he says, “but in the upper Midwest, for example, things are a bit tougher.”

Selling in Nevada, which has the nation’s highest foreclosure rate, Margie Dolgin, president, Coast to Coast Travel in Las Vegas, acknowledges that “clients [in this area] are very concerned, but they feel they need a vacation.”

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