What Are an Advisor's Responsibilities in a COVID-Cycling World?
byPaul Ruden/
We are all naturally inclined to think about important events and processes as having relatively clear beginnings and ends. Especially when the subject is troublesome, our innate desire for clarity and safety often leads to unrealistic expectations.
这种现象存在于COVI的响应D. We desperately want it to “end” and to have life return to “normal.” Unfortunately, the evidence indicates that is an illusion when it comes to the COVID pandemic.
The reasons are straightforward. Even as the world vaccination rates continue to increase, COVID continues to mutate and defy expectations about its eradication.
Inan article a few days ago, Travel Market Report reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had moved four new countries to the highest COVID-19 warning list. That group included both the Cayman Islands and the Netherlands, both significant tourism destinations for Americans. The article explained that there are 80 other countries in the Level 4 category, including Belgium, Barbados, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, the Bahamas, and Greece, among others. CDC advises against travel to Level 4 countries and provides advice about protection against COVID for those who do travel to such destinations.
We know that the volume of international travel is increasing. The United States has re-opened for vaccinated international visitors. There is growing optimism that the worst of the pandemic is behind us.
But the evidence indicates the threat remains in many places and that the identity of those places changes. And that is the critical point for travel advisors.
顾问必须,我强调“必须”,待通知ed about the changing landscape of COVID warnings and the available data from reliable sources about the prevalence of the disease, the degree of community spread, and other key information. You cannot assume that your clients are adequately informed about these matters. The reality is that many people either do not want to know or rely upon dubious sources of information such as social media. As a professional advisor, your responsibility is to inform them even if they don’t want to hear it. This approach will avoid potential liability on your part and equip you to redirect travelers to destinations where the risks are lower.
To refine this point a bit, an advisor’s task is not to persuade people who don’t want to believe that COVID is real or who don’t believe they are vulnerable to it. Your job is simply to inform. You should make a written (digital is fine) record of the information and advice given, as well as the client’s indication of understanding even if they decide to travel into Level 4 destinations.
Be aware that this is not just a problem for international travelers. The state of COVID infection with the United States continues to change rapidly. You can view a video timeline of community transmission rates by county onthe CDC Data Tracker website. As of this writing, the Community Transmission rate in US counties looks like this: 2222 counties with High Transmission rates, 554 counties with Substantial Transmission rates, 364 counties with Moderate rates, 79 counties with Low rates.
Rates in the bottom three categories are increasing. TheWashington Postreports that:
The late summer and early autumn easing of the nation’s burden of new coronavirus infections has come to a halt over the past two weeks … Dramatic drops in caseloads in the Deep South, including the high-population states of Florida and Texas, have been offset by increases in the Mountain West and the northern tier of the country.
Twenty-three states have seen at least a 5% increase in cases over the past two weeks, with Illinois, Minnesota, and Vermontreporting 50 percent more cases on average.
Whether the country is facing a fifth surge is uncertain, but the lesson for advisors is clear: be actively informed and provide good information to everyone considering travel. You are not doing this to discourage them, but to educate them so that the decision they make will be rational. After that, the responsibility is on them.
Some excellent sources of information about COVID risks include: CDC Data Tracker and theJohns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
There are other sources as well, but be alert to over-simplification of the information and do not rely on political broadcasts or websites for COVID information. Many of them still maintain that COVID is a hoax. If you belong to a host agency or consortium, you may want to check their systems for possible data sources. If so, be sure the data is current at all times.
The problem with CDC and John Hopkins sites is complexity. Each displays much more information than you can use. You should decide which information is most important to inform your clients and create links directly to that information. That way, you can reach the key data quickly, have an efficient conversation with the client and move on to the sale.
Finally, remind your travelers to take an adequate supply of masks even if they currently don’t plan to use them. Conditions at the destination may change while they are there. You will also want to remind your travelers to review their health insurance coverage as to whether an international trip is covered. The chances of getting a COVID infection may be small but it happens. The consequences of being seriously ill in a foreign country and having no insurance are grim. Travel insurance policy limitations and supplier cancellation policies are other categories of information that should be reviewed before every trip, regardless of destination.
These are difficult times, for sure, and your responsibilities to your travelers are greater than ever. On the other hand, you are the most knowledgeable and trusted source of advice about where to go and how to do so safely. As travel resumes, capitalize on your skillset and your reputation will only grow.