We all know that when you start to think about your next vacation it can be overwhelming. You want to make sure that you are finding just the right destination for your traveling party and you also want to make sure that you get the best value for your money.  First you will want to contact your professional travel planner here at Must Love Travel!  Your planner will be able to take all the stress away from planning your trip and will save you so much time in trying to find that perfect place and the best deal.  Let’s talk about a great vacation, and that would be an All-Inclusive Resort!  Let’s highlight why an All-Inclusive vacation can be right for you!

– All-Inclusive vacations are a great way to save money.  There are so many choices; which leads to great deals. We as travel planners know all the new promotions that are available.  With an All-Inclusive there will be no additional cost to you.  Once you budget your vacation you know that all food and drinks are included.  The only extra cost would be up to you if you ad on an excursion.

– With an All–Inclusive resort you feel like royalty! The wonderful staff makes it apparent that you don’t have to work at all! You are on your vacation and they strive to make everything perfect for you! This means bringing you room service, taking care of your luggage. The staff is always happy to help so that you can relax and enjoy your stay.

– There are many All-Inclusive resorts to suite your needs.  From 5-star luxury resorts, couples resorts or budget and family friendly alternatives.  We will be able to find you the current deals for the All-Inclusive that fits your needs as well as give you recommendations for the resort that would best fit your interest!

-At an All-Inclusive each resort has its own entertainment and facilities to keep you as relaxed or as busy as you choose to be! You can spend your time by the pool or catching some sun on the beach. Or you can fill your days with adventurous excursions and resort activities! OR… a little mix of both! There is something for everyone!

Recently some of our Must Love Travel Planners got the opportunity to visit some of the AM Resorts in Punta Cana!  On this Island they had many resorts and each was tailored to fit a certain demographic and some fit many demographics. There are resorts for couples, friends traveling for fun and family friendly resorts with so many activities to do at each.  So when planning your next vacation you should consider an All-Inclusive and we will help you find what is best for your travel needs!

Our Travel Planner Annette Colburn recently visited Hawaii! I sat down with her recently via a video chat to talk all things Hawaii! Annette shared with me that the islands of Hawaii are one of her absolute favorite destinations! Through our conversation, she shared with me a few of the reasons why Hawaii is her happy place as well as why Hawaii is a perfect destination for truly everyone!

Annette shared that Hawaii is ideal for couples, families, kids, truly everyone! Everyone can find something that they enjoy! She detailed that Hawaii is filled with romance making it a great spot for couples! From renewing your vows, to your honeymoon or even a romantic getaway, Hawaii can provide the most amazing backdrop for you and your partner! Families can enjoy some relaxing time on the beach or choose to take some incredible once in a lifetime excursions to experience everything the islands have to offer!

I asked Annette what her favorite excursion was and she said she loved snorkeling and whale watching! She showed me the incredible photo she captured of a whale jumping out of the water and it is so breathtaking! Annette shared with me that she loves wildlife so seeing these beautiful creatures was a real stand out moment!

You can hear more in our new YouTube video!

I personally have always wanted to travel to Hawaii and now that I have heard Annette’s stories I am even more excited to one day get to experience this beautiful state!

I would like to thank our wonderful Must Love Travel Planner Annette Colburn for sharing her incredible Hawaii experiences with me! Contact our Must Love Travel team today to plan your next vacation to Hawaii or to wherever your dream destination is! We are excited to make your travel dreams a reality!

Let’s address the myth out there about what really a travel planner’s job is. Many think we are always flying off to some wonderful vacation. True, we do take vacations just like you. However, many of our other trips are trips to educate, learn and discover new locations for our clients. These are long days of what we call site inspections. Granite they are in wonderful locations so that makes our work a bit more pleasant.

So what is behind the scenes of a travel planner? For many of us the day starts early when the home office is quiet and we can be prepared for the day. Many hours are invested into quoting and planning vacations. The quoting process alone can be 2-5 hours depending on the details of the trip. Even specializing in certain destinations, a travel planner will want to ensure they are matching up everything the client is looking for. It can even exceed the 5 hours it is an involved Itinerary to ensure the client is receiving multiple options just to get them started! From there the choices are narrowed down and then final quoting is done before completing the booking. Prices and availability can change at anytime so keeping up on it all is sometimes a challenge.

Once the client is prepared to book and deposit their vacation the administrative work begins. Reviewing and recording of information for accuracy takes time and is an extension to their customer service. Calendar reminders are set to ensure on time payments and important dates such as booking dining for a Walt Disney Resort guest. Once the booking is complete, then Itinerary planning begins! Meetings with clients to determine their most desirable activities and then research to find the best options to meet those needs. There are many hours of phone calls to make it all happen! They love it!! They do this for each of their clients and can be juggling many of these things each and everyday.

In addition, to servicing our clients, we are marketers and students. We spend time attending webinars, reviewing promotions from our preferred suppliers, and keep up on our social media, websites and local events. There are also occasions where travel planners have to troubleshoot and assist clients when things come up and plans need to change. This is a very important service we do as typically when things like this happen the client needs to be with family and just simply can’t focus on getting things done. There are times we joke that we dream about our clients vacations because the brain is always thinking!

Needless to say, there are many reasons to choose booking your vacations with a travel planner. They are you personal connection to your vacation. When using the services of a travel planner you don’t pay more money for the booking of a resort or a package as those are the same no matter how you book them. They can save you money as they receive the most updated information about various promotions and news about different destinations. Often, planners don’t charge a fee, however, when they do it is for the costs not covered by commissions. Just like we pay a lawyer a fee for their professional advice, travel planners may charge a fee for their research and itinerary planning. For many clients, this is well worth the money, as you can see it save many hours of time and headaches! You can always discuss this with your travel planner.

The real perk for a travel planner is the amazing people they meet. Lifelong friendships develop and knowing that they are responsible for helping their clients create moments that will last a lifetime is so rewarding. The best compliment for a planner is sharing their information with others and giving them feedback post trip. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into some of the aspects of the job of a professional travel planner!

Many clients have inquired about traveling outside of the United States and in particular to Mexico, Jamaica and other locations that have had recent travel advisories. I thought I would share some insight as to how to best know where to get your information and some best practices when traveling outside the United States.

First, let me say that no matter where you travel, even in the United States, you should take precautions to ensure safety and be discerning. When purchasing your trip, it is highly recommended to include Vacations Plans or Travel Insurance. This will protect you should you become ill or injured, and require medical treatment and/or evacuation. This is particularly important when traveling to foreign countries.

Mexico is a fabulous destination to visit, in particular the resort areas of Cancun, and Riviera Maya. These resort properties work very hard to ensure safety for their guests and employees. Recently, the travel advisory has been lifted to these areas and you can read the complete details on https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html.

Just as you would view your life at home, common sense is your best protection. Follow your instincts and avoid any areas or situations that seem as though they could become dangerous.

1. Stay in the well-known tourist areas of the cities.
2. Know and respect the laws in the country you are visiting.
3. Visit only legitimate businesses and tourist areas, and avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur.
4. Leave your itinerary with a friend or family member back home. Contact them should you plan to deviate from it.
5. Check with your cell phone provider prior to departure to see if your phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G/4G international networks
6. Do not display expensive looking jewelry, large amounts of money or other valuable items
7. Make every attempt to travel during daylight hours, and stick to main roads
8. If traveling with children, be sure to keep an eye on them at all times, especially near water as the resorts do not offer lifeguards.

When traveling to a specific area you can stay abreast of the latest advisories by visiting the https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html and also to register your travel https://step.state.gov.
Here you will receive the most accurate and updated information and can make an educated decision about your travel arrangements. Be careful not to get caught up in the media stories and stick with this official source and work with your travel planner. As Must Love Travel Planners we keep abreast of the latest information and work with our clients to assist them in adjusting plans should it become necessary.

We all have plans or at least we should. When we are young and finishing High School, we set out our plans for college, and getting the right degree so we can start an awesome career. Then we thinking about getting married, and go through the planning and we think about our lives together with our spouse. We ask questions like, when do we want to purchase a home, start a family, retire? We get awesome jobs and we set goals for success. Then we have children and set goals for their lives – milestones that will help them become independent. Let’s face it – our lives are a series of planning and setting goals then striving to meet them.

So, why not establish a vacation plan? How many times have you turned the corner of another year and said, “I wish I had the budget to take a cruise” or “ I wish I would have thought of this sooner so there was availability where I wanted to go.” A vacation plan can help eliminate the stress of last minute planning. It is even more important these days to plan out your time of disconnecting from the everyday, relaxing, reconnecting with your family or friends, and going to places that will help your accomplish just that.

Here are some steps that you can share with your travel planner that will help you establish your 5 year vacation plan.

1. Share with your travel planner some of your favorite things you and your family like to do on vacation. Do you like to swim, hike, visit historic locations, fish, etc.?
2. Think about the best time for you to travel during the year. Some vacations may require to travel during months you might not think of and may need to do some creative scheduling.
3. Make a list of places that you may consider” Bucket List” travel. Going on a cruise, visiting an island, visit your favorite Disney Destination, or going to another country.
4. Establish a 3 – 5 year vacation budget and share it with your travel planner so they can begin to research the best packages. Many times certain vacations can be planned in advance which will help with the budget.
5. Lay out a Vacation Calendar with your Travel Planner and beginning dreaming of awesome vacations!

Establishing your vacation goals relieves the stress of last minute decisions, not having enough money to go where you want to go, and just settling for another visit to the same old location you go every year.

Must Love Travel Group specializes in planning awesome vacations across the globe! Contact your Travel Planner and start your 5 Year Vacation Plan today!