一个旅行社如何处理COVID-19
经过戴恩·泰勒(Daine Taylor)/
随着旅游行业在本月初处理冠状病毒(Covid-19)爆发的影响时,一家机构利用这场危机作为一个机会来适应其商业模式,通过为客户提供机会成为“自己后院”的旅游者。
该机构,Pack Up + Go是一家拥有独特业务计划的旅行公司。他们提供令人惊讶的度假行程,旨在同时消除与计划旅行相关的压力,同时为客户提供自发感。就像目前运营的许多机构一样,他们不得不应对爆发的后果。
“Due to the disruption from the Coronavirus, and the media frenzy surrounding that, we mostly have our travelers reaching out and we’re doing our due diligence to see if their destinations declare a state of emergency, or what happens if airlines stop service,” said Lillian Rafson, Founder and CEO of Pack Up + Go.
作为一个惊喜旅行社,Pack UP + Go必须代表客户监测冠状病毒在其许多目的地产品中的进度。“That’s been a big challenge for us, we are following the lead of the government officials [and] agency officials… We have a small team, so we’re just trying to communicate as thoughtfully, thoroughly and personally as we can with our travelers to make sure that their safety is always prioritized.”
随着实施新的旅行限制,对整个旅行的需求低,并且对事情何时恢复正常的深刻不确定性,Pack Up + Go选择了为那些可能保持警惕的人提供新的服务在全国旅行;“住宿”。
尽管该计划是在最近的锁定措施和社会疏远计划进行之前引入的,但它是企业改编其迎合市场不断变化的策略的一个很好的例子。
“因此,作为一个团队,我们的使命始终是促进探索和自发性,我们正在思考‘即使我们有点害怕进入未知的地方并前往新地方,我们如何继续促进这一点?我们如何继续鼓励开放的思想和冒险精神,并以更多的安全网?’”
“因此,这就是我们决定推出'住宿'的方式,我们认为这是鼓励旅行者成为自己城市的旅游者的绝佳机会。”
Pack Up + Go arranges entire surprise itineraries by letting clients decide how they’d like to travel (road trip, by plane, etc.), how many people are going on the trip (solo, couple, family, etc.), their budget for the trip, and then having them fill a pre-trip survey, which asks about their previous travel history, personal interests, and anything else the agency will need to know to make the trip an unforgettable experience. The more information they provide on the pre-trip survey, the better agents can cater this trip to match their expectations.
But while ordinary Pack Up + Go trips could have clients travel across the country to discover new places to explore and enjoy, the ‘Staycation’ program is designed to let people discover the hidden gems in cities nearby that people don’t often take the time to appreciate.
“我们在这里总是在促进美国各地的游客,发现一个您可能没有想过要参观的新城市,但是您后院里的地方又如何访问?”拉夫森说。
“我曾经住在纽约,我永远不会去大都会或古根海姆或任何博物馆,这确实是因为它们太容易了,太容易了。因此,我们真正想到的时间和空间是在家中成为游客。”
该公司最初将新计划销售给了前Pack UP + Go Travelers,后者对新想法表示兴趣,并为该行业的这种艰难时期提供了称赞。“我们有很多很好的反馈。A lot of people said ‘oh this is so much easier for us, because I’ve got kids, and it’s hard to arrange childcare for a whole weekend, but I can make one night happen’… The logistics are so much easier, and it’s also a lower price point.”
As part of its ‘Staycation’ package, Pack Up + Go is offering both one-night and two-night ‘Staycations’, so this will include the one or two nights in their accommodations, valet parking, customized itineraries based on the traveler’s interests, as well as one guaranteed surprise activity or attraction.
拉夫森说:“目前,我们正在全国大约80个城市提供'住宿'……我们总是会随着我们的发展增加更多城市。”
“这是一个很好的机会,可以在自己的城市成为游客,并为自己改变风景,改变步伐,而不会走得太远。”