Travel experiences back on local bucket lists

THE travel industry has bounced back with people from all over the North East and Southern NSW renewing their hopes and dreams to travel Australia and the rest of the world. It was one of the hardest hit during the COVID years with border closures and restrictions turning people's plans on their head. But it only made seasoned travellers more persistent in their desires to return to their favourite overseas spots, or revitalising people's ambitions to create new memories through travel. Renee Nightingale, owner of Hello World Wangaratta, Wodonga and Albury, said there was a pent-up demand because people had been locked up for so long and they just wanted to go out and have those experiences and those bucket list trips that they were thinking about when they couldn't travel anywhere. "We lost everything over those couple of years and for it to come back as it has, it has been huge," she said. Renee has managed to retain most of her staff through the COVID years and she is back to a full team of 15 experienced consultants who offer that extra layer of support for travellers looking to set up on their next adventure. "I got the three shops through with as many staff as possible - we did have to downsize but to be back fully staffed with 15 consultants is absolutely terrific," she said. "There is a demand out there for travel agent consultants, so to have the team that I have that are so well travelled and passionate and have been doing it for as long as they have is a real credit to each and every one of them." The staff feel like they travel around the world every day considering the never-ending list of places to visit and experiences to be had. Japan has been a popular destination of choice and Europe has returned as another favourite for people to visit. Domestic travel to the wide selection of locations in Australia is always high on the list for customers. Renee said the destination of choice at the moment is Japan and it's possibly because it's perceived as a very safe destination and it's not the 24-hour flight that Europe is. She said people generally look for guided tour groups such as river cruises as it adds that extra layer of security in travelling. "For these people it's about just being around other people when travelling," Renee said. "It has changed in recent years with people wanting smaller groups and more intimate experiences." Europe is always a popular place for people to make travel plans for through Hello World with its iconic landmarks, and travel packages offering amazing experiences. Renee also recommends that someone's first trip to Euroa could be to touch on all the iconic spots and work out where they would like to go back to and spend a more in-depth time on another trip. "It's a great eye opener and a great way to start travelling to Europe and it's probably something that you either do it once and do it well, or you keep going back to different areas that you like. "People are really looking for those niche itineraries, for example a foodie might be chasing a Bordeaux river cruise." It has been great for staff at Hello World staff to see people coming back in to plan their next adventure, albeit it took a few some time to regain confidence again. "The regulars who continue to travel, I do think it didn't affect them as much and as soon as the borders opened they were ready to go again," Renee reflected. "It was the ones who had saved up for so long and were let down in not being able to go, it was hard for them to get the momentum back." Renee reassured any potential travellers looking to plan a trip. "The one thing we've found coming out of COVID is that when you're booking with us, you're booking with someone who is local and trusted," she said. "We're 24/7 so if something happens in the middle of the night the caller will generally get me on the end of the phone. "You've got that person and that reassurance that somebody is there for you the whole time and you're not going to go to a call centre and be 87th in the queue at three o'clock in the morning when something is actually happening. "It's not that we anticipate something will happen, but we all know that with everything changing in the world, to have that security is important. "Your consultant has either been where you are going, or they've got a colleague who has which can also add that extra layer of support. "Whether it's your first, second or even your 50th trip, just to know that your consultant has your back the whole way, can be an easy and reassured way to travel."

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