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I am a cultural traveler. I don’t often check-off lists of places to see. Instead, I prefer to spend time in the world’s classroom of cultural lessons and social interactions that are enjoyable, mind-expanding opportunities. I seek memories, not photos, and every trip sends me home a better person in a smaller world.
This last year has limited just about everything in the paragraph above. There has been little social interaction, no flights to different cultures or countries, and few ways to feel closer to the rest of the world (except through shared struggle and adaptation to the “new normal”).
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For me, the pandemic started while I was on a Pacific island and quickly morphed into sharing my home office and sending educational lessons to families under Italy’s quarantine. But it was not without travel entirely (there are thousands of unexpected miles on the car). And 2021, contrary to what you might think, has the promise of overcoming our limited travels.
It is an exciting time for business-minded travel enthusiasts who want to pursue a travel franchise.
Ready, Set, Go
Although all those months of hoping, planning, canceling, and rescheduling have taken their toll, there is hope. We’ve said it before: People are ready to travel as soon as destinations are more open to us.
Consider the progress already made: Pre-travel testing is readily available in most cities; even airlines offer testing at the airport right before a flight. With vaccines in distribution, we are moving in the right direction to eliminate health concerns for travelers and hospitality employees. Hotels, airlines, and restaurants are all still operating and growing their numbers each day. It has been tough, but we’re mentally eager and getting ready to go.
Specialty Travel is About Experiences
Even during the pandemic, there are ways to get out the door for adventure and fun. I’ve seen more ads and press on outdoor vacation in the past year than ever before. From biking or hiking trips to small educational tours, specialty trips planners focus on safety, small groups, and opportunities to explore unusual locations.
Rather than museums with long queues, travel franchises can provide niche experiences like a private tour of an artist’s loft with a painting lesson. Or perhaps a historic home becomes an outdoor venue for a private concert. We’ve been on well-planned days of guided fly-fishing and hiking and, like most, are planning more of the same type of outdoor adventure in 2021. These are tremendous niche opportunities for creative travel planner franchisees.
You Get to Go, Too
As a travel franchisee, travel is your business and your world.
For 2021, that means you will often travel to build your brand and customer base. The key is that business-related travel is allowed more than pleasure travel, so as a travel franchisee, you won’t have all the same restrictions as others. It will be a year to build alliances and customers in other locations where you’ve always wanted to go. I can’t tell you how many posts I received from a travel planner friend who seemed to be all over the globe this year. I might have to book something soon.
An online travel franchise has the luxury of being an at-home franchise opportunity, too, so it is quick to set up and easy to enjoy the flexibility of working from home. With the world getting ready to roll (and cruise and fly), a travel franchise makes sense for 2021.
Anne Daniells is a co-owner of Enterprising Solutions, a professional services firm specializing in corporate communication and financial improvement for businesses where she shares decades of corporate and entrepreneurial experience—including franchise ownership—in her writings on business culture. She has authored hundreds of articles for publications including AllBusiness.com, TweakYourBiz.com, and MSN.com. Reach out via her website for more on where corporate culture, communication, and human architecture collide.