Travel Leaders Group Offers Advice for Travel During Coronavirus Outbreak

Travel company recommends following expert guidelines from health officials and U.S. State Department

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Mar 06, 2020, 11:16 ET

NEW YORK, March 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Leaders Group, one of the world's largest travel agency companies, acknowledges that travelers may have questions about traveling during the coronavirus outbreak. Travel Leaders Group advisors are providing the following helpful advice.

Don't panic. Be wary of misleading information on social media and online click bait. Look at the statistics to keep things in perspective and be sure to rely on official sources of information, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Talk to your travel advisor about ideas for booking a spring, summer or fall vacation. Many travel providers, including cruise lines, airlines and tour operators, have great offers and savings and have introduced flexible policies in the event your plans change.
Seek out information on the places you are planning to visit. Both the U.S. State Department and governments and official tourism bureaus of destinations are great resources. They will give you up-to-date travel advisories and warnings as well as any information about the spread of coronavirus in their countries.
If you do travel in and around impacted countries, be prepared to follow the CDC recommendations for health screenings and quarantines. Practice good hygiene, good hand hygiene, cover your cough, avoid contact with symptomatic people, stay home if you are ill, and use a disinfecting wipe to clean hard surfaces while traveling.
Whether traveling domestically or internationally, we encourage you to purchase travel insurance for an additional layer of protection. Only certain "cancel for any reason" policies will allow you to cancel your trip without a specific incident.
When traveling internationally, we encourage you to enroll in the STEP program. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. As an enrolled traveler, you can receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in a destination country, help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, and help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
If you were traveling to an affected area, don't assume you'll have to forego your travel altogether. Speak with a travel advisor who can assist you in finding an alternate vacation destination or moving your trip to a later time. If you have to make changes or cancel your trip, a travel advisor can help you navigate through change and cancellation policies of hotels, cruise lines, tour operators and airlines. Also, if you've purchased travel insurance, check with your insurance provider about your plan's coverage.
Consider your risk tolerance. Make the best decision for you and your family. Consult a medical professional if you have concerns.

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control are closely monitoring the outbreak caused by COVID-19, and while there is currently no vaccine to prevent the disease, both organizations have issued guidelines to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Travel Leaders Group leaders believe that these organizations are the best resources for up-to-date, fact-based information about the coronavirus disease.

The company is also being proactive in reaching out to our travel advisors in providing the latest information and links to assist advisors in having conversations with clients, compiling supplier updates across all sectors, including airlines, cruise lines, tour operators and hotels, and organizing webinars for advisors featuring top experts in travel medicine and risk management and travel insurance.

"Our goal is to ensure that travelers have the facts when making travel decisions," said John Lovell, President of Leisure Travel, Supplier Relations & Networks for Travel Leaders Group. "At the same time, we don't want our travelers to avoid vacations or business trips because of misinformation. Our travel advisors are advocates and destinations experts who can offer tips, advice and insights. We encourage you to reach out to them when planning your travel." To find an expert travel advisor, visit https://www.travelleadersgroup.com/advisors/.

In addition to monitoring the WHO and CDC sites, Travel Leaders Group recommends monitoring the U.S. State Department web site for travel advisories.

Travel Leaders Group is a unified collection of premium brands that empowers its global community of luxury, leisure, corporate and entertainment travel advisors to create unique travel experiences for clients through the world's leading travel companies. Travel Leaders Group represents more than 65,000 travel advisors worldwide and ranks as one of the industry's largest travel agency companies.

About Travel Leaders Group
Travel Leaders Group (www.TravelLeadersGroup.com) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients through our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers, Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands. With over 6,000 agency locations, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry's largest travel agency companies.  Travelers also have access to The Travel Collection by Travel Leaders Group, a portfolio of select travel offers including discounts on international and domestic flights, value-added benefits at lodging establishments, shipboard credits on cruises and savings on escorted and vacation packages. Membership to The Travel Collection is offered at no additional cost to U.S. American Express Gold Card, Business Gold Rewards Card, Platinum Card® and Business Platinum Card® Members. For more information visit www.TheTravelCollection.com.

Contact: Elizabeth Gaerlan
646-747-9312
[email protected]

SOURCE Travel Leaders Group