GREEN BAY (NBC 26) -- The coronavirus pandemic has put a major hold on plans for international travel or vacations across the country.
For people with upcoming trips, travel agents provided some advice for how to best handle the situation.
“If they have a trip on the books and they're booked with an agent, stay in very good touch because things are changing daily and if you are not booked with an agent, maybe you booked some airline tickets to travel somewhere, stay in touch with the air carrier because many airlines have stopped service to some cities," Amy Hobbins and Journeys Unlimited Travel said.
“The first thing I tell everybody is wait until the vendor or the tour operator or the cruise chip or the airline cancels," Rose Gray at Fox World Travel said. "If you’re the one that makes the cancellation, you’re not in as good a position as you are if they cancel. You have a little more clout, a little more room to negotiate.”
Gray said Fox World Travel has pushed or planned for major trips to get going again in 2021. Right now, passport operations in the United States are undergoing major delays, and travel can be heavily restricted to some parts of the world. Still, experts said there are still options to get away from home this summer. There are many options right here in Wisconsin for travelers to enjoy.
“People are getting busy," Wisconsin Department of Tourism deputy Secretary Anne Sayers said. "We’re starting to see people get outside and enjoy some of what Wisconsin has to offer during these summer months. 15,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes, scenic trails, there’s plenty of opportunity to get outside, keep your space, and still make some memories.”
Agents said a vacation is supposed to be a happy, stress-free experience. If there are concerns about the virus that would prevent that, it's best to postpone.
