Written by Rob Merlin

As a luxury travel advisor with  SmartFlyer  for the past 12 years, I’ve seen many ebbs and flows within the industry. However, we’ve never faced anything like this pandemic – for the first time ever, my team and I are recommending clients stay put, seemingly in direct contradiction to our passion for helping travelers get out and see the world. As we adjust to the new normal and stay up-to-date on this fluid situation – thanks to open lines of communication with our partners around the world – our best advice is to look toward late summer and fall for future travel. If you had a trip booked for spring or early summer, we urge you to postpone, don’t cancel.  

In this unprecedented time, the value of a trusted travel planner has never been more apparent. I’ve been working tirelessly on behalf of my clients to rebook and plan their 2020 travels seamlessly, ensuring all moving parts are accounted for in terms of risk minimization, logistics and helping to protect their investment with insurance. We don’t know what the state of the many of our most beloved destinations like Italy will be in a few months, but we do know that our common goal to be able to ‘press play’ and return to a world that’s more vibrant than ever. It’s likely that many families may want to stick closer to home initially, perhaps reconnecting with nature as we explore US National Parks and domestic beach destinations. But, we’re hopeful that before long, we can set off for international adventures, too. 

One thing is for sure, we will travel again. When self-and government-imposed isolations come to an end, everyone is going to be more eager than ever to take a vacation. So, now is the time to start dreaming– use the travel stories in featured in Sophisticated Living as an inspiration, and let them be a reminder there is beauty waiting in your journey ahead. From the heritage trip to Poland to the bucket list journey through the Amazon, I’m here to guide my clients through outlining these once-in-a-lifetime trips. My team is using this time of stillness to have these conversations with our community of travelers – even without the ability to put firm dates on some trips, half the fun is brainstorming! That’s what we’re here for; as travel advisors, we love talking about that hidden restaurant you can’t miss, the shopkeeper that will tailor the most beautiful blazer you’ve ever seen or the family-owned hotel that will leave an imprint for years to come.