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即将错过旺季,旅游中介如何在疫情中生存

RACHEL KING
2020-04-14

格温·布克斯建议客户等一阵,考虑重新安排行程,而不是全部取消。如果直接取消的话,航空公司很少退款。

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现在这个时候,本来应该快到旅游旺季了。

过去18年里,格温·布克斯一直经营着加州一家高端旅游公司。“我的办公室正对着花园,”布克斯谈起在家工作时说,“我的工作环境很舒适,也能启发灵感。”

布克斯的客户为硅谷“高净值人士”,以及“年轻的科技巨头亿万富翁、房地产大亨、时装设计师和一些电影演员”,她为他们提供量身定制的度假和旅行计划。“他们频繁的全球旅行,都靠我们来安排行程,”布克斯说。

布克斯2015年曾被《好莱坞报道》誉为“梦幻度假经纪人”,2019年被《硅谷现代奢华生活》杂志誉为“最佳生活方式礼宾顾问”。她说,她的业务纯靠口碑推荐。“我们的网站不是为了吸引新客户,网站只是为了方便客户了解目的地、酒店和旅行体验。”

布克斯说,他们不提供”千篇一律“的旅行,所有行程都是专门定制。“博客当中推荐的酒店我基本都亲自住过,客户也信任我。”

最近,《财富》杂志采访了布克斯,谈及新冠病毒如何影响她所在的行业及未来规划,也聊到了她在面对疫情时如何管理自身情绪和财务状况。为简明起见,以下对话内容有所删减。

2004年,格温·布克斯创立了旅游和生活方式代理公司。图片来源:COURTESY OF GWEN BOOKS

《财富》:每年这时候生意怎样?在没有疫情的时候,通常一天或一周是怎么过的?

布克斯:正常情况下,这时我们会忙着做各种旅行规划,预订酒店、航班,计划春假和暑期活动,列出详细行程单。今年,前往墨西哥、希腊和大峡谷安缦酒店的春假旅行全都取消了。夏天还说不好。

《财富》:你什么时候意识到新冠病毒爆发会影响到你的生意?目前情况怎么样?

布克斯:1月31日,我离开美国去约旦和埃及,出了两周的差。当时中国爆发病毒的新闻刚传出来,我没觉得我的旅行有危险。回来后,我们细细检查了接下来的每项行程,建议客户取消预订。大多数酒店都能灵活处理,提前24到48小时即可取消。杜卡普酒店一开始要提前30天取消,后来他们改过来了,不过目前我们还没取消6月下旬去那边的行程。

我们也建议客户等一阵,考虑重新安排行程,而不是全部取消。如果直接取消的话,航空公司很少退款。但如果等一段时间,等到航班取消,航空公司就只能退款而不是只给积分。斯坦福大学闭校后,我们取消了一场庞大的希腊之旅,但去希腊的航班我们一直等到了航班取消,后来拿到了全额退款。酒店能接受取消预订,我们在雅典的旅行社团队慷慨地退还了原本不可退的押金。需要时我们会提供退款。意大利旅游服务的退款一直很慢,但估计当地公司会全额退。

我们刚刚为一位年轻的高管和家人取消了温布尔登网球公开赛的行程,他之前还买了中心球场的贵宾票。好几位客户都把重要行程推迟到了明年。不过他们仍然热爱旅游,这点我们很高兴!

《财富》:等一切结束后,你认为旅游业要怎样才能复苏?时间需要多久?

布克斯:我认为旅游业格局在很多方面会发生变化,会出现全新的商业模式。现在,旅行中介都在家工作。大型旅行社可能关闭实体办公室以减少开支,他们会用上远程工作新系统。多数公司有独立承包商,而没有独立承包商的公司可能也会用上新系统。旅行社员工数量可能会缩减,我就认识不少被强制休无薪假的人。

在时间和信任方面,家庭和上年纪的游客可能不愿意去繁忙的城市。一些原来坐普通飞机的客人可能现在选择私人包机。在美国,旅行者希望找到可靠来源获知准确信息,但政府并未提供可靠的信息。

游轮会比较麻烦。因为行动全在船上,所以对游轮旅行,旅行者会非常非常犹豫。新闻报道里那些可怕的游轮感染的故事仍然铺天盖地。游轮业要完善退款政策,我在一些私人社交媒体账号里提到,退款政策这方面,游轮不是很慷慨。

航空公司可能愿意修改佣金结构,他们之前给旅行社的佣金越来越少,但现在,航空公司急需旅行社带来旅客,他们从来没有像现在这样那么需要旅行社。

酒店业的话,我知道多切斯特酒店等品牌还在支付员工薪水,疫情过去后,他们复苏会比其他酒店快,伦敦的博蒙特酒店也还在给员工支付工资。

《财富》:非常时期,除了工作之外,在情绪和心理方面你是怎么应对的?

布克斯:自从我在家办公以来,日常工作没变。工作必要的设备齐全,可以100%正常工作。我可不会趴在餐桌边,坐在非人体工学椅上工作。

做好计划后,我就很高效。有时会晚睡,或者早上多看几份旅游杂志。我每天都在办公室里至少待上五个小时。我在期间写博客,翻阅大量旅游杂志寻找灵感,注册参加9月以后的旅游峰会,我还会观看有关财务策略的网络研讨会,我也参加了旅游写作的网络研讨。

我认为疫情是件喜忧参半的事。我们取消了一些行程,但保留了12月圣诞季期间的活动,还帮12位朋友安排了2021年一场重要的南非之旅。

我没法去健身房,不过我在家有健身器材。我也会找朋友散步,相互之间保持近2米距离,她是一家奢侈品杂志的编辑,我们经常一起讨论创意。我觉得这些锻炼,让我工作时更积极,而且我也可以利用锻炼时间进行创造性的思考。旅行也有同样的效果,在这种随意偶然的时间里,我脑中就不会有日常商务琐事的噪音,更容易专注于思考。

客户感谢我们能退款,也感谢我们及时建议取消行程。我们的客户群稳定而忠诚,他们也赞赏我们的主动作为。有些客户给我们发来一些很棒的感谢信。这种互信,我在社交媒体上称之为“客户之爱”。

我是不是有点疯狂?没错!我热爱旅行,只要能出门,我立即就会启程。这周本来几位年轻的科技行业高管预订了大峡谷安缦酒店的房间,当然后来取消了。安缦酒店有个新的豪华露营区,预计4月30日开放,我收到了邀请,只要一开门就马上会去参观。(财富中文网)

译者:梁宇

审校:夏林

责编:雨晨

现在这个时候,本来应该快到旅游旺季了。

过去18年里,格温·布克斯一直经营着加州一家高端旅游公司。“我的办公室正对着花园,”布克斯谈起在家工作时说,“我的工作环境很舒适,也能启发灵感。”

布克斯的客户为硅谷“高净值人士”,以及“年轻的科技巨头亿万富翁、房地产大亨、时装设计师和一些电影演员”,她为他们提供量身定制的度假和旅行计划。“他们频繁的全球旅行,都靠我们来安排行程,”布克斯说。

布克斯2015年曾被《好莱坞报道》誉为“梦幻度假经纪人”,2019年被《硅谷现代奢华生活》杂志誉为“最佳生活方式礼宾顾问”。她说,她的业务纯靠口碑推荐。“我们的网站不是为了吸引新客户,网站只是为了方便客户了解目的地、酒店和旅行体验。”

布克斯说,他们不提供”千篇一律“的旅行,所有行程都是专门定制。“博客当中推荐的酒店我基本都亲自住过,客户也信任我。”

最近,《财富》杂志采访了布克斯,谈及新冠病毒如何影响她所在的行业及未来规划,也聊到了她在面对疫情时如何管理自身情绪和财务状况。为简明起见,以下对话内容有所删减。

《财富》:每年这时候生意怎样?在没有疫情的时候,通常一天或一周是怎么过的?

布克斯:正常情况下,这时我们会忙着做各种旅行规划,预订酒店、航班,计划春假和暑期活动,列出详细行程单。今年,前往墨西哥、希腊和大峡谷安缦酒店的春假旅行全都取消了。夏天还说不好。

《财富》:你什么时候意识到新冠病毒爆发会影响到你的生意?目前情况怎么样?

布克斯:1月31日,我离开美国去约旦和埃及,出了两周的差。当时中国爆发病毒的新闻刚传出来,我没觉得我的旅行有危险。回来后,我们细细检查了接下来的每项行程,建议客户取消预订。大多数酒店都能灵活处理,提前24到48小时即可取消。杜卡普酒店一开始要提前30天取消,后来他们改过来了,不过目前我们还没取消6月下旬去那边的行程。

我们也建议客户等一阵,考虑重新安排行程,而不是全部取消。如果直接取消的话,航空公司很少退款。但如果等一段时间,等到航班取消,航空公司就只能退款而不是只给积分。斯坦福大学闭校后,我们取消了一场庞大的希腊之旅,但去希腊的航班我们一直等到了航班取消,后来拿到了全额退款。酒店能接受取消预订,我们在雅典的旅行社团队慷慨地退还了原本不可退的押金。需要时我们会提供退款。意大利旅游服务的退款一直很慢,但估计当地公司会全额退。

我们刚刚为一位年轻的高管和家人取消了温布尔登网球公开赛的行程,他之前还买了中心球场的贵宾票。好几位客户都把重要行程推迟到了明年。不过他们仍然热爱旅游,这点我们很高兴!

《财富》:等一切结束后,你认为旅游业要怎样才能复苏?时间需要多久?

布克斯:我认为旅游业格局在很多方面会发生变化,会出现全新的商业模式。现在,旅行中介都在家工作。大型旅行社可能关闭实体办公室以减少开支,他们会用上远程工作新系统。多数公司有独立承包商,而没有独立承包商的公司可能也会用上新系统。旅行社员工数量可能会缩减,我就认识不少被强制休无薪假的人。

在时间和信任方面,家庭和上年纪的游客可能不愿意去繁忙的城市。一些原来坐普通飞机的客人可能现在选择私人包机。在美国,旅行者希望找到可靠来源获知准确信息,但政府并未提供可靠的信息。

游轮会比较麻烦。因为行动全在船上,所以对游轮旅行,旅行者会非常非常犹豫。新闻报道里那些可怕的游轮感染的故事仍然铺天盖地。游轮业要完善退款政策,我在一些私人社交媒体账号里提到,退款政策这方面,游轮不是很慷慨。

航空公司可能愿意修改佣金结构,他们之前给旅行社的佣金越来越少,但现在,航空公司急需旅行社带来旅客,他们从来没有像现在这样那么需要旅行社。

酒店业的话,我知道多切斯特酒店等品牌还在支付员工薪水,疫情过去后,他们复苏会比其他酒店快,伦敦的博蒙特酒店也还在给员工支付工资。

《财富》:非常时期,除了工作之外,在情绪和心理方面你是怎么应对的?

布克斯:自从我在家办公以来,日常工作没变。工作必要的设备齐全,可以100%正常工作。我可不会趴在餐桌边,坐在非人体工学椅上工作。

做好计划后,我就很高效。有时会晚睡,或者早上多看几份旅游杂志。我每天都在办公室里至少待上五个小时。我在期间写博客,翻阅大量旅游杂志寻找灵感,注册参加9月以后的旅游峰会,我还会观看有关财务策略的网络研讨会,我也参加了旅游写作的网络研讨。

我认为疫情是件喜忧参半的事。我们取消了一些行程,但保留了12月圣诞季期间的活动,还帮12位朋友安排了2021年一场重要的南非之旅。

我没法去健身房,不过我在家有健身器材。我也会找朋友散步,相互之间保持近2米距离,她是一家奢侈品杂志的编辑,我们经常一起讨论创意。我觉得这些锻炼,让我工作时更积极,而且我也可以利用锻炼时间进行创造性的思考。旅行也有同样的效果,在这种随意偶然的时间里,我脑中就不会有日常商务琐事的噪音,更容易专注于思考。

客户感谢我们能退款,也感谢我们及时建议取消行程。我们的客户群稳定而忠诚,他们也赞赏我们的主动作为。有些客户给我们发来一些很棒的感谢信。这种互信,我在社交媒体上称之为“客户之爱”。

我是不是有点疯狂?没错!我热爱旅行,只要能出门,我立即就会启程。这周本来几位年轻的科技行业高管预订了大峡谷安缦酒店的房间,当然后来取消了。安缦酒店有个新的豪华露营区,预计4月30日开放,我收到了邀请,只要一开门就马上会去参观。(财富中文网)

译者:梁宇

审校:夏林

责编:雨晨

The high season for the travel industry should have been just around the corner.

Gwen Books has been running her own boutique luxury firm in Atherton, Calif. for the last 18 years. "My office opens up to my garden," Books says about working from home. "It’s an inspiring, comfortable environment."

Catering to "high net worth individuals" in Silicon Valley (as well as "young tech titan billionaires, real estate magnates, fashion designers, and a few movie actors"), the agency provides highly-tailored vacations and journeys. "They rely on us to design and implement their frequent worldwide travels," Books says.

Books—who has been lauded by The Hollywood Reporter as a "dream vacation agent" in 2015 and by Modern Luxury Silicon Valley as the "Best Lifestyle Concierge" in 2019—works strictly by referral. "Our website is not up to garner new clients," she explains. "It is up for the sole use of our clients to read about some of the locations, hotels, and journey experiences we offer. Each journey is bespoke; we don’t offer ‘canned’ trips. For the most part, I have stayed in all the hotel properties featured on the blog posts, and my clients trust me to know the perfect property for their escapes."

Fortune spoke with Books for a new series, The Coronavirus Economy, to ask about how COVID-19 has affected her business and her plans for the future, and to get a sense of how she has been handling this news, both emotionally and financially. The following Q&A has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Fortune: What's your business normally like this time of year? What did a typical day or week look like before this happened?

Books: We would be inundated with planning and reserving hotels, flights, and activities for spring break, summer planning, and itineraries. We’ve canceled all spring break trips to Mexico, Greece, and Amangiri in the desert. Summer is still on hold.

When did you realize that the outbreak of COVID-19 was going to affect your business? How has it so far?

I departed the U.S. for Jordan and Egypt on January 31 for a two-week business journey. The virus news in China was just percolating then; I didn't feel there was any danger in my travels. When I returned, we went through each and every upcoming itinerary and advised clients of cancel options. Hotels, for the most part, have flexible windows, i.e. 24- to 48-hour cancel [windows]. Hotel du Cap has a 30-day window; they have since modified their cancel window. We have not yet canceled a two-week stay there in late June.

We also advised our clients to wait and think about rescheduling rather than canceling their trips. Airlines—rarely, if ever—provide a refund. If one waits, and the airline cancels flights, they have to provide a refund rather than a credit. We canceled a glorious trip to Greece when Stanford sent kids home to parents; we waited to cancel airfare, and we're happy to achieve a full refund. Hotels accepted cancellations, and my touring teaming in Athens graciously refunded a non-refundable tour deposit. We’ve made refunds when necessary. Italy has been slow to refund for touring services, but we expect the [local] firm to fully refund.

And we just canceled Wimbledon for a young executive and his family who had tickets for Centre Court in Debenture seats. Several clients have rescheduled significant trips to next year. But we are happy they are still enthusiastic about traveling!

When this is all over, what do you think it will take for the travel industry to recover? And how much time do you think that would require?

I think the travel landscape will change on many fronts, a new business model. Agents are now working from home. Large travel agencies may close physical offices to cut their overhead; they know the new system works. Most have independent contractors, and those who don't may navigate to that system. I know many agents who have been furloughed.

Time and trust: Families and elderly travelers may be reluctant to head to busy cities. Some who fly commercial may decide to fly privately. In the U.S., travelers need to find a reliable source for accurate information; our government is not providing reliable information.

Cruise ships: Travelers will think twice, if not three times, about being confined on a ship. Visible horror stories still dominate the news. The cruise industry will need to refine their refund policies. I’m in some private social media posts that mention cruise ships are not being particular generous in cancellation policies.

Airlines may be willing to modify their commission structure, but they need agencies now. They have become very stringent in commissions; they will need the industry more than ever.

Some hotels, like The Dorchester brand, is paying its employees; it will ramp up quicker than other hotels. The Beaumont in London is still paying its staff.

Aside from business, how have you been coping—emotionally, mentally—from day- to-day during this tumultuous time?

Since I work from a home office, my routine has not altered. I am set up with the necessary equipment to function at 100%. I’m not sitting at a kitchen table in an uncomfortable, non-ergonomic chair.

I function best with structure. I may sleep later and read more travel magazines in the morning. I’m in my office every day for a least five hours: writing blog posts, pouring over my piles of travel magazines for inspiration, registering for travel conferences for September onward, watching webinars on financial strategies. I took a travel-writing webinar.

I look at this time as a mixed blessing. We are canceling some trips, but we are reserving December festivities, and coordinating a significant South Africa safari for 12 friends in 2021.

I have workout equipment at home since I can’t go to the gym, and I walk with a friend, six feet apart. She is the editor of a luxury magazine, and we brainstorm stories. I feel it has provided time to be more proactive in my business and allows me time to think creatively. When I travel, I find my head is clear of the day-to-day business noise, and this less structured time has provided that same benefit.

Our clients have been grateful for refunds, and for keeping them appraised of cancelations. We have a strong, dedicated client base, and they appreciate our proactive approach. It has inspired tangible loyalty; we have received some lovely thank you notes. "Client love" is how I phrase it on social media.

Am I a little stir crazy? Yes! I love traveling, and the moment we can depart, I will be out the door. A couple of our young tech execs had reservations for Amangiri this week, which of course, were canceled. Amangiri has a new glamping tent area, Camp Sarika, which is supposed to be opening on April 30. I have an invitation to visit the moment they open.

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