Showing posts with label Corporate Travel Agents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corporate Travel Agents. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Covid-19 have Derailed Our Travel Plans but Our Will to See the World Prevails

People have already started looking forward to thoughtfully planned and booked trips for the spring and summer during the beginning of 2020. Some have also started drawing up plans for mid-year holidays and destination weddings, which mean a trail of family and friends planning their trips, following suit.

Business travels couldn’t look more optimistic and busy at the start of such an exciting sounding year (2020, can you see it clearly? Get it?) And more start-ups and multinational companies around the world had looked forward to globalising their businesses. And with this endeavor would have come thousands of corporate foot soldiers bringing training, pitches, negotiations, and deals to all corners of the world.

That is until the novel corona virus threatened to infect the world in mid-March and almost overnight, life as we knew it became inaccessible. Hugs and kisses were almost considered illegal in some countries. Six feet between people was a mandated measure, unless one wanted to risk going six feet underground.

One by one, countries have sadly shut down their borders to prevent the spread of the disease especially from highly infected cities and areas. Regardless, the spread of the virus was faster than you can say toilet paper and eventually all countries, save for a few very vigilant and very lucky ones, were suffering from increasing rates of infection and deaths.

Needless to say, flight and hotel bookings were cancelled by millions all over the world. Business as usual, companies completely reformed their tactic to ensure safety and operated through skeletal workforce in the workplace, with the rest of the workforce working from home dressed from the waist up, which by the way, has become an actual bizarre pandemic fashion trend.

Slowly, but unsurely, some countries have flattened their COVId-19 curves and opened their border, albeit with a gazillion of conditions and policies. With the global economy hit hard and recessions manifesting rapidly in markets around the world, countries are doing their best to regain strength in their national economy by allowing work visa-holders and business travellers, among homecoming citizens in the list of prioritised travellers especially for borders with entry limits.

This gradual increase of allowances did not mean a return to ease of what we knew traveling to be.

Visa applications have become more critical, multiple health tests and certifications are required, and often vary per airline of choice, or country/city of destination. Official permits from national and local authorities have to be obtained prior to travelling. Several countries require mandatory quarantine stays in accredited hotels and establishments post-arrival, and a comprehensive itinerary is now mandatory for several countries and cities.

To be concise, travelling has become WAY a lot harder. And for several people, it almost feels like it’s not even worth trying anymore.

But we have to stay strong and remember that we should continue on living and making the world a livable place, but with much precaution, consideration, patience, and compliance.

Our team here at Spencer Travel understands the difficulty, infuriating struggles, and wasted time, finances and effort when it comes to travelling during the pandemic.

Whether your purpose is to reunite with family, attend a wedding, create business, or make a living, Spencer Travel focuses on researching what you need to travel smoothly, planning a timeline of your acquisition for specific requirement to make sure you can collate them in a timely manner for your planned trip, and helping you process your visa, your bookings, and health diagnostics for you to relax and pack your things and walk confidently into the airport, with the knowledge that your trip is covered with assurance and impeccable planning from start to finish.

Call us +61 2 9281 5477 today or send us an email at contact@spencertravel.com.au to let us know how e can help you move through the skies.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Getting To Know…. Dayna Porter


Dayna Porter has recently joined Spencer Travel’s sales team through an internal promotion. She has worked in the travel industry for quite a few years and shares with us why she is so passionate about this industry. We also learn more about her favourite travel destinations and what her travel top tips are: 

What do you like about the travel industry and what are you looking forward to in your role at Spencer?

“I love the travel industry and everything that comes with it. The diversity is what I love the most, no day is ever the same – more so at the moment in these crazy times.  I hadn’t travelled a lot prior to working in this industry and it has opened my eyes to what can be seen and experienced, for this I am extremely grateful.


My new role as an Account Manager is going to challenge me and I am excited to take on this challenge and to learn new things during the journey. My team is extremely knowledgeable, I am really looking forward to working closely with all of them, learning from them and bouncing ideas off one another.”

What’s your favourite travel destination?

“This is always the hardest question to answer, I find it so difficult to narrow down so I will give you a few of my favourites…. You may also notice a common theme – seaside, sun drenched locations are definitely my holiday style.  I am a self-proclaimed scout and researcher for “best beaches worldwide countdowns”. Read More...

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Getting To Know… Adrian Gonzalez


Adrian Gonzalez recently started at Spencer Travel in the role of National Account Manager. Adrian has been working in the travel for quite some years and shares with us he why he is so passionate about this industry. We also learn more about his favourite travel destinations and what his travel top tips are.

What do you like about the travel agency and what are you looking forward to in your role at Spencer? 
“It’s such a dynamic industry with so much going on and always something new to learn. It’s different everyday – no two days are ever the same,” says Adrian.

“I enjoy assisting clients to improve their overall travel program and adding value. Spencer Travel is a well-known and respected brand within the travel industry. The culture and values sit very well with me. I look forward to bringing in some fresh new ideas to the team, further growing and rising together.”

What’s your favorite travel destination? 

“This would have to be Europe, with Spain being my personal favorite. The food, culture and people all make me smile. Peru also holds a special place for me, with Cuzco and Machu Picchu as the highlights.”  

What’s your top travel tip? 

“Avoid bank cards with fees. ING Everyday will refund all ATM fees as an example. Buy a local sim card if staying for an extended time. Take a can of Bushman insect repellent for any exotic locations and make sure to keep it in your checked luggage unless under 100ml.”  

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

GETTING TO KNOW… DEB COLLINS


Deb is Spencer Travel’s leisure consultant for our corporate clients.

What she loves about her job:

“My clients and the Spencer team. We feed off each other, and help one another when necessary,” says Deb.

“I love working for Spencer Travel. Penny Spencer is such a generous boss. The educational and training opportunities I have had, plus the many travel experiences, have made me the consultant I am today.”    
Her favourite travel destinations:

“I have many favourites, but there are a few travel memories that really stand out. Firstly, my most recent trip to the Maldives, where we experienced the floating breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria – it was out of this world. Another trip that brings back great memories is travelling through Africa with my Dad, an unbelievable experience.”

“And lastly, India with my husband. We had the pleasure of visiting and staying at the beautiful Taj palaces. The displays of colour everywhere you go and the people. Amazing!” Read More

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

The Must Have Apps for Business Travellers

Whether you’re going for a business travel or for just a few days or for several weeks, time management and efficiency can often mean the difference between rousing success and debilitating stress.

Technology plays a big part in this; specifically, smartphone apps, many of which have come after many years of trial and error in their attempts to expedite travel necessities and avoid any mishaps.
Not sure which ones you should be downloading? Theupsider.com.au has rounded up a few of the best. 

These are the essential apps every savvy business traveller should have – aside from the obvious Drop box, Google Maps, Google Translate, WhatsApp and the many ride-sharing services, of course.

Drops

Let’s face it, brushing up on a new language beyond a few phrases often demands more time than you may have. That’s where an audio-visual learning app like Drops comes in.

Particularly if you’re on a last-minute trip, Drops is a valuable program for those who need help building, strengthening and maintaining their vocabulary in any of 32 different languages, which include Japanese, Korean, French, German and Portuguese.

Through a rote learning approach and a clean, attractive interface, the app successfully gamifies the time-consuming task of building a sufficient vocabulary in another language, doing so in engaging and meaningful ways that don’t feel tedious or demanding.

This is mostly done through gestures, whether it’s swiping a word towards the correct illustration or re-constructing broken words by syllable. And it frames that with time constraints as well, allowing you just five minutes per day on the unpaid version, and while that may not seem like much, the app does pack a lot in that short span.  Read More