New Local Agency Books Dream Vacations
Trevor Phipps
With the dawning of another new year, and a further distancing from the COVID-19 pandemic, many locals may want to consider winter or spring vacation plans; or that trip they always dreamed about.
However, even though embarking on a vacation is a relaxing break, taking the time to plan a trip can become quite a frustrating ordeal.
Searching for vacations on Google these days presents trip hunters with hundreds of results. That’s the good news.
But searching through them and finding the best option can become quite stressful and time-consuming. One way of eliminating the time and stress involved in planning a trip is to use a travel agent, especially one with strong local and community connections.
“Be About Traveling” recently opened up shop in the Ute Pass region to once again provide a different option to the vacationing experience. Owner Deb Idleman, who also works in real estate with her husband Tom, and is well-known in the community, said she decided to become a travel agent and purchase a franchise due to her lifelong love of traveling.
“I purchased in December of 2022, I had my first booking the first week of January which was a wine river cruise for a group,” Idleman said. “And it hasn’t stopped. It’s just been constant. I’m working on nine quotes and I have seven bookings that are waiting to happen.”
She said that her customers have enjoyed the services she can offer, when it comes to getting out of town. She has recently been working on helping some people get to Croatia.
“I vet the suppliers and their destinations, their excursions, their hotels and their restaurants and that’s what I offer to my clients,” Idleman said.
She emphasized that using a travel agent can help take the stress out of planning a vacation.
“I take care of all of the planning. I take care of all of the problems,” Idleman explained. “If there is an issue then that’s what I am there for. I am here to guide you step by step. It’s like having your personal concierge. I will take care of ‘a’ to ‘z’ for you.”
She said that when people find fun activities to pursue in researching a vacation online, sometimes they don’t consider issues like safety. But by using an agent, she can use her resources to find the best vacation options and consider everything essential.
Booking a getaway through an agency like Be About Traveling can also make it a unique experience as the company has exclusivity to many of their vacation packages. “What’s offered to the general public is sometimes different,” Idleman said. “And I can give better prices and exclusive offers.”
If someone needs help on a vacation, then the travel agency is always available to help if things may go wrong during a trip. When people book their own trips or purchase vacations in other ways, they may not have anyone they can call for help.
Travel agents are also the first to know about new vacationing opportunities. When new cruise lines hit the water, or new resorts open, travel agents, such as Idleman, know about the newest travel trend or perk before the general public.
So far, Idleman has booked all types of trips, including couple getaways, family vacations and large group outings. She also has experience in booking trips for those who have special needs and require certain accommodations.
She agreed that with the prevalence of the internet, travel agents initially become a thing of the past, and an industry that almost vanished. But that has recently changed.
“I think that people don’t have time or the patience to book their own trips any longer,” Idleman stated. “People are willing to use a travel agent because they just don’t have time.“
She also pointed out that when someone uses a travel agent like Be About Traveling, they are not paying for the services offered. She said that her agency gets paid from the vacation package suppliers, which ultimately benefit from the company referring people for their vacations.
Idleman said that she first grew a love for traveling when she was stationed in England in the military, and she toured Europe with her family. She has continued traveling all of her life, and she wants to encourage others to get out and see other places.
“Some people think that they don’t have the money to do it or the resources to go on these trips,” she explained. “You would be surprised sometimes how inexpensive it can be to travel. You don’t have to travel to a different country; we do trips in the United States. I can send you on a river cruise on the Mississippi. I can send you on a train ride from Denver to Moab and make it the best experience you’ve ever had.”
For more information about Be About Traveling, call 719-286-0779, or visit BeAboutTraveling.com.
