We are all going through an unprecedented time. None of us will ever forget March/April 2020 when this invisible virus altered the world. From one week to the next, our entire worlds changed. Time spent with people we love has been curtailed, religious gatherings have been canceled, travel plans have been put on hold and a routine trip out of the house is not routine anymore.
But this is temporary. Hopefully we are taking advantage of the time to accomplish some things we never got around to before.
But as an owner of a travel business, I wanted to express my deep APPRECIATION for YOU, the public for your resilience and flexibility during this difficult time. We operate tours every month to different parts of the United States and other parts of the world. Of course, this virus has disrupted much of our business. Cruises have been canceled. Major events that were to happen in 2020 have been postponed and there is uncertainty about the rest of the year.
HOWEVER, people have been very resilient.
In many cases, tours planned for the spring have been moved to summer or fall. Some big events have been rescheduled for future years. We have been amazed and grateful for the large number of people (over 80%) that are sticking with their trips and simply being flexible as we watch things unfold. We are thankful for that. Everyone has been respectful and patient as we work through these unprecedented times. We appreciate your patience as we wait for suppliers to refund us, so we can refund you. Every single person has been kind, respectful and patient and we hope you have felt that from us as well.
We have been here 52 years and we aren’t going anywhere. We will work to make everyone whole. We are financially strong and we are a company that lives within our means. We do not have huge overhead so we are able to weather storms like this. Don’t get me wrong – it’s painful – but we’ll get through it and we’ll be ready to pick up where we left off when it is behind us.
I just wanted to share two examples of what I mean. In early March, we had a group on a Holland America cruise ship heading for the Panama Canal. Five days into the cruise, it was canceled and folks returned home. The group was incredibly flexible and positive. They were healthy, they had a great time and they want to do a reunion cruise because they had a ball. Their cruise will be refunded in full and they will get another free cruise next year. But all were happy, positive and very adaptable in the circumstances and we appreciate that.
On at least FIVE occasions where tours have been canceled, we have had people say “We are worried about you and your business so keep our deposits because we’re going somewhere with you when it’s over.” These are the kind of people we are blessed to travel with. You are our friends, and we appreciate very much the opportunity to travel with you.
There is going to be pent up demand when this is over. I would suggest you get on tours that will be happening late summer/fall as they will fill fast when things settle down.
Thanks again for your goodness and let’s look forward to great travel experiences ahead!
THANK YOU AGAIN
David Webb, Webb Tours
Your letter is very thoughtful Dave. Great message!