I spent some time in Florida last month exchanging ideas with the top travel professionals in the nation. While I was there I realized that even among my travel agent peers, the same word meant different things to different people.

Take “Adventure Travel” for instance. The definition of “Adventure Travel” depends entirely on your perspective, doesn’t it? I know people for whom just flying in an airplane is a terrorizing adventure. I know others who relish the thrill of a good zip line, and even more who love snorkeling with amazing marine life. Several people conjure up an image of an African safari when they think of the words “adventure travel”.

“Luxury Travel” is another one whose definition is all over the spectrum. For a stay at home mom who never gets 5 minutes to herself a simple all- inclusive vacation with two full days on the beach and no kids tugging at her seems like the lap of luxury. Someone else prepares her meals and cleans her room. All she has to do is sit back, relax and enjoy it.

For others the definition of luxury has to include a beachfront room complete with 24 hour butler service, gourmet food and a spa that’s to die for.

For a person who has never been to Europe, going on a river cruise where all of the meals and excursions are included would also seem like lifestyles of the rich and famous. Or perhaps a grand tour of Europe in a luxury motor coach with 24/7 guide service and the opportunity to see and experience several country would seem like an over the top luxurious experience.

Neither one of my two sets of grandparents ever stayed in a hotel. Not even a motel. If they left home they were going to see relatives, and they were staying with them. It was beyond wasteful to pay for a motel when you could stay with relatives. Just leaving home and staying with relatives was a true luxury to them.

The point is this-every possible description of your travel expectations are based on your personal perspective. That’s why we insist on speaking to you on the phone before making recommendations. We want to provide the best service you’ve ever had, we truly do. As we are now rounding the corner of our 14th year experience has proven one thing-nothing tops a one-on-one conversation with you when it comes to understanding exactly what you want from your vacation.

The written word is often very misunderstood. Depending on sentence structure, punctuation and emoji’s a text or email can be taken a wide variety of ways. When you speak directly to a person, even very briefly, you are much more likely to understand their meaning by the tone of voice, inflections inferences.

I encourage you to thoughtfully consider your expectations and then call your favorite agent here at the office. Whether it’s a luxury vacation, an adventure vacation or both, let’s work together under the very best conditions to get you exactly what you want from your next vacation. We appreciate the opportunity to work for you!

Joy

Different Meanings