online tourism travel assistant

See the world your way without breaking the bank

Simplify your journey with our comprehensive services

Plan. offload. travel, itinerary planning.

Whether you're looking for a budget trip or a luxury getaway, we tailor your travel plans to fit your taste and wallet.

Visa and passport management

Forget the paperwork hassle. We handle your visa applications, renewals, and all the essential paperwork.

Travel alerts

Stay informed about travel restrictions, flight changes, and health advisories.

Recommendations

If you’re new to a place and wish to explore it like a local, your Virtual Travel Assistant will search the web to bring you the best local recommendations.

Loyalty & rewards

Get the most out of every trip. We help you maximize your travel rewards and make the most of your loyalty programs.

Handling Rebooking

If your travel plans change suddenly due to business needs, don’t worry, our Virtual Assistants will manage the rescheduling for you while you’re on the go.

Our travel expertise, by the numbers

Experts. experience. everywhere.

Travel assistants to choose from

Trips planned

Countries covered

Why hire a travel assistant from Wishup?

Cost-effective itineraries.

We specialize in creating budget-friendly itineraries.

Cancellation handling

Unexpected changes? We manage cancellations and rebookings smoothly.

Get the best deals

We ensure you get the most out of every trip with loyalty bonuses and card benefits.

Pick a travel planning virtual assistant below

Talk. choose. assign.

virtual assistant

online business manager

accounting manager

Industry-wide expertise

Serving 50+ industries and beyond, interview. select. start.

Hiring was never this easy

Tell us your destination and preferences.

Trusted by Globetrotters

Read. relate. recruit.

I appreciate the value a Wishup VA can bring to a business. The VAs of Wishup are very understanding and well trained in multiple skillsets, making them indispensable.

Niels Van De Bergh

Growth Consultant - Growth-Mechanics

I couldn't be more thrilled with my Wishup VA. It took me a few weeks to get the time to organize the work to assign initially, but it's been the best business decision for me this year.

Andrew McDermott

Founder - Convia Media

Working with Wishup has given our small and rapidly growing business the ability to move faster while simultaneously freeing up many hours a week. As a result, we can now focus on our strategy. The Wishup team will be a significant contributing factor to our future success.

Jason Gorman

Founder and Managing Partner - Jackrabbit LX

We are very pleased with the work that Wishup Virtual Assistants have delivered for us. We use Wishup to augment many aspects of our business, from research, social media to marketing. Their staff is highly educated, very responsive, and experienced. We have been using them for over 6 months and have been telling others about our experience whenever we get the chance. The value they provide is truly immense.

Marvin Gouw

Co-Founder - Cubit

I never considered hiring a virtual assistant for my business but Wishup was different, my virtual assistant exceeded expectations! It is more affordable than I thought and the help she provides on a daily basis is incredible! I get more work done with my VA helping me with important tasks like email management, calendaring, bookkeeping and much more. Highly recommended for any tech founder trying to balance time and productivity.

Lance Rodela

Founder & CEO - Shift Health Inc. (Y Combinator S19)

We are extremely happy with Wishup VAs that work for SendX! If a job can be outsourced to a VA we first do that, instead of hiring a full time employee. This gives a unique execution advantage as hiring a VA takes in a few days rather than spending a few months hiring. Using Wishup for VAs has been a really great business decision for SendX and would strongly recommend them.

Mayank Agarwal

Co-Founder - SendX Inc.

Professional, trustworthy, and competent is how I would describe Virtual Assistants at Wishup. In just a few months, they’ve really impressed me with their services and made my life much easier. I have been able to delegate lots of administrative work and have a good amount of time to work on other serious concerns. I will highly recommend the services provided by Wishup.

Pranay Gupta

Co-Founder - 91Springboards

I have been using the services of Wishup for close to half a year now and I truly feel this is one of the best investments I have made.

Farhan Ahmed

Founder - Confetti Holdings

Browse. Read. Utilize

Have a look at our blogs on travel assistance

Travel Assistant

4 Ways a Virtual Assistant can manage your travel plans

If travel planning, whether for business or leisure, is forever present on your to-do then here are 4 things that your virtual assistant can help you with.

Virtual Travel Assistant: A Comprehensive Guide For 2023

Nobody else could benefit from planned work trips more than an entrepreneur. With a gazillion things to set in order; hotel reservations, cab bookings, and itineraries sink to the bottom of your to-do list. With a Virtual Travel Assistant, you can focus only on the job at hand. Here's how.

Ultimate Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant - Wishup

The USA has the most number of entrepreneurs in the entire world. The “land of opportunity” is indeed a well-deserved title. In a startup, the business operations are limited and manageable. But when you scale up, responsibilities and tasks increase too. For example, there are many administrative jobs, like scheduling meetings and maintaining employee records. A business leader like you cannot do them all on your own. This is where the benefits of a virtual assistant come into the picture. W ...

FAQs about our online travel assistant services

Questions. queries. answers, what services can a travel virtual assistant provide, how quickly can i start with a travel virtual assistant, can a travel virtual assistant help with last-minute travel plans, how does wishup ensure my travel plans are safe and comply with current travel guidelines, what if my travel plans change or i need to cancel, grow your team with wishup.

Hi there! I'm Maya, your AI travel assistant

Consider me your very own virtual travel agent - share your next trip idea with me, and I'll help create a trip plan just for you. Leveraging ChatGPT and Live the World's travel expertise, I am committed to making your trip unforgettable! Not sure where you want to go yet? Let’s chat about the type of trip you have in mind and I’ll recommend a destination that’s perfect for you. Looking for somewhere to stay? Once we know where you’re headed, I’ll happily recommend hotels based on your budget and travel style.

Are you a travel agency?

With more and more travellers using an AI trip planner for travel planning, don’t get left behind. Get in touch and find out how you can incorporate Maya into your own company, or learn more here.

How to get your itinerary:

Chat with Maya

Collaborate on a draft plan

Get a full trip plan

Save & Share

Imagine having a personal travel agent in your pocket, 24/7. Using AI technology, Maya is your answer to fun, easy travel planning, offering up personalized recommendations, itineraries, and travel advice at no cost to you.

Yes, Maya is your 100% free AI travel planner, at your service!

Maya curates recommendations by asking you a few simple questions about your unique travel style, preferences, and requirements. By answering these questions, you give Maya the ability to make sure every aspect of your trip is tailored perfectly to your wants and needs.

At the moment, Maya is unable to chat offline. However, you can download your full travel plan as a PDF so you can easily access it on the go.

Maya is an AI assistant that can recommend hotels based on your destination, budget, group size, and any specifics you’re looking for in your accommodation.

Once you have selected your hotel, you will be directed to our partner site to make your booking directly. You’ll get the best price available, and Maya will receive a small commission!

Of course! Maya isn’t just a top-notch trip planner, she can also use her travel expertise to recommend destinations that she thinks you will love based on the type of trip you want. Maya can plan your trip from start to finish, all in one place.

Once you have received your full trip plan, you can easily go back and continue chatting with Maya to adjust it to your preferences and schedule. Maya is committed to making sure you’re 100% happy! And if you don’t have time to edit it right away, you can save your plan to come back to later.

Yes once you have generated your full AI trip plan, you can easily share it with your travel buddies via email so you can all start getting excited!

She sure can! Maya is ready to give you 24/7 customer service whether it’s answering questions or giving recommendations.

Yes! Maya is available for travel agencies to implement as their very own white-label AI travel assistant offering 24/7 service to your customers, helping to improve client experience and boost your business. Click here to learn more.

Never run out of things to do! Sign up to our newsletter today, what are you waiting for?

• Discover Branson's Finest Hiking Trails
• 15 Offbeat Digital Nomad Destinations You Need to Visit Now
• Cancun vs. Tulum - Which Should You Visit Next?
• How to Play Video Games as You Travel the World
• 21 Unusual Places to Visit in Poland You Must See
• The Best Cenotes in the Riviera Maya
• Work With Us

The Best Online Jobs for Travelers and How to Get Them

Looking for online jobs for travelers? These remote jobs for travelers let you travel the world and get paid at the same time.

A lot of traditional jobs you can do while traveling , like being a flight attendant or pilot, can take you around the world, however you can only go to specific places at specific times. They can be great options, but a job you can take with you as you travel anywhere in the world is more ideal for travelers like us.

What you’ll need to work on the go.

For most of these jobs, you’ll need a solid, reliable internet connection. Other than that, you should be able to do any of these jobs anywhere in the world as you travel.

Online Jobs for Travelers

How do you find the perfect online job just for you? Here’s our helpful list of common remote jobs you may want to try, with information on where to find them, and how much they pay. There’s so much in this list, like working with an easy essay writing service , freelance writing, online teaching and tutoring, and working as a virtual assistance. We’ve personally done quite a few of these jobs over the years!

Tip! To get a head start, check out Virtual Vocations job listings here .

Tip! Even before you start traveling, grab a good travel rewards credit card and charge all of your expenses to that card. Be sure to budget and pay off the card in full every month, and then use those travel rewards towards your future trips.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writers are hired to do all kinds of writing tasks. This is one of the most flexible telecommuting travel jobs out there, but unfortunately the pay can be quite variable. Sometimes the work involves writing articles for online or print publications. Sometimes, it’s copywriting or ghost writing.

How much does Freelance Writing pay?

Writers can make anywhere from 10 cents a word to two dollars a word depending on the project and the niche. Generally, if you can find a solid niche, and establish yourself as an expert and get repeat clients, you’ll get paid more. On the flip side, a new writer with no experience, and no subject expertise may struggle to get clients and get paid.

I occasionally pick up some freelance travel writing, but I’ve found that it’s difficult (even with experience) to get higher paying travel writing jobs (as in 50 cents a word or more).

Where can I find Freelance Writing opportunities?

If you’re interested in freelance travel writing, there’s a helpful article from travel bloggers Goats on the Road post on travel publications and how much they pay here .

FlexJobs is a bit unique in that it screens employers for you. FlexJobs comes with a small, flat monthly fee, but they also vet all of the job opportunities, meaning that there’s a lot less spam to wade through.

FlexJobs is one of the top job boards for remote work, but there is a monthly fee (about $14.95 USD a month).

Check out FlexJobs here.

I’ve gotten jobs from Upwork (formerly Elance) before, but I find that there’s so much competition that buyers tend to go with the cheapest quote, so I stopped using it.

Freelance Writing Jobs is a marketplace for freelance writers. ProBlogger Job Board also has jobs listed for legitimate blogging opportunities.

You can also get jobs in the academic arena, with essay services, paper writing services and the like. Many of these services offer academic editing jobs as well. Writers and editors are needed at many academic levels, from PhD and masters level, to college level.

Technical or Medical Writer

I’ve included technical and medical writing as separate from regular freelance writing because the pay is much better, and different skills are needed.

I worked as a technical writer for over 10 years before transitioning into blogging. For the last three years of that time, I worked mostly online as a technical writer as our family traveled around the world.

Technical writers create user guides, manuals and training materials (among other things) on technical or scientific subjects.

Most technical writers have a university degree, but it’s not required, especially if have either a certificate in technical writing or if you have education or experience in technology, science, or a medical field. To do well, you’ll need the rare combination of medical, scientific, or technical knowledge, and the ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely. A certificate or some training in technical communication, or experience as a technical writer, is almost always required.

Technical writers can work for IT companies, pharmaceutical companies, scientific journals, and really any company that requires professional technical training material or standard operating procedure documentation.

How much does it pay?

Most technical writers earn $30 to $50 an hour, but if you have a specialized skill you can earn more. As a senior technical writer, I was earning over $70 an hour when I quit around six years ago.

Where can I find opportunities?

For technical writers, the Society of Technical Communication (STC) has a job bank , but you’ll need a membership to get access. I was a member of the STC for about 10 years before I moved into blogging. You can get a student membership for $75. Local branches of the STC also post local job opportunities.

Travel Blogging

Travel blogging often sounds like the ideal online job to travel and work at the same time. In some ways, it is one of the best jobs you can travel with. There’s a lot of freedom to travel while you’re building a blog.

The main issue is that it takes most people quite a while to make a living wage from their blog. We’d estimate it takes most people about a year of hard work and blogging before you make any real income (and by real, we mean around $1,000 USD per month). We also know a lot of bloggers that have quit blogging since their expenses eventually outweighed their earnings.

Travel blogging is a lot harder than it looks on the surface. You need to have skills in writing and editing, website maintenance and design, building a brand, sales, marketing, social media, networking, photography, video, affiliate marketing, and a solid business acumen.

To get started, check out the free resources on blogger Sharon Gournay’s website, Digital Nomad Wannabe and her Facebook page. She also sells a course called Build Blog Freedom that gets great reviews, but you can learn a lot from her free content.

This is a tough one. A brand new travel blog can actually cost you money in website hosting and website domain purchase fees. On the flip side, many successful bloggers clear six figures a year. This study by Two Monkey’s Travel Group has a lot more information. Nomadic Matt also offers a Superstar Blogging course. I’ve taken the photography course through him, and really loved it.

Virtual Assistant

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is essentially an online assistant. VAs do a variety of tasks like bookkeeping, online research, email management, travel planning, scheduling, lead generation, and general research. Honestly, the tasks a VA can do are endless. Some work specifically on a skillset, like Shopify VAs and others are more generalized.

I’ve hired a VA to do research, social media scheduling, and creating graphics.

How much does a Virtual Assistant make?

Typically $12-$30 an hour depending on your skills. VAs can work on an independent freelance basis or they can be hired as a salaried employee.

Where can I find Virtual Assistant opportunities?

Capital Typing is an outsourcing company that provides virtual office services, but we’ve read reviews that pay is on the low side. There are also plenty of VA jobs listed on Upwork.

Social Media Manager

Social media managers create online content, schedule posts on social networks and engage with people online.

How much does a Social Media Manager pay?

Usually $16-$40 per hour. If you have solid references, experience, and a skillset in a specific social media platform like Instagram or Pinterest you can earn on the higher side of that range.

Where can I find Social Media Manager opportunities?

FlexJobs , Virtual Vocations , and Working Nomads are all great resources to find freelance jobs for travellers and salaried social media management positions.

Online ESL Teacher

Teaching English to students in other countries is in high demand. Many schools prefer native English speakers and choose to hire people to teach via video calls to ensure English is their mother language. Online ESL teachers need to work in the same time zone as their students.

Generally, you’ll need to be a native English speaker, and most require a bachelor’s degree. Being fluent in another language isn’t often required but it will help with dealing with students whose primary language isn’t English.

How much do Online ESL Teachers make?

Typically $14-$34 an hour.

Where can I find online ESL opportunities?

VIPKids is probably the most popular online ESL company. Teach Away is another option.

Online Tutor

Similar to online ESL teaching opportunities, online tutors can work via Skype or other messaging apps with students in a variety of subjects. Test prep tutors or GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, SAT, and ACT tests are in high demand but often require a bachelor’s degree and high scores on the test you’re tutoring.

To be considered for the role, you’ll generally need to be a university graduate or be enrolled in a four-year degree program.

How much does being an online tutor pay?

Hourly wages can run anywhere from $15-$100 per hour.

Where can I find online tutor opportunities?

Chegg Tutors and Tutor.com hire tutors to do online tutoring sessions. Magoosh hires tutors for GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, SAT, and ACT tests.

An editor improves writing quality for writers and media companies. Editors can do everything from proofreading for minor grammar and spelling mistakes to substantive editing that essentially rearranges blocks of text and changes meaning.

How much do Editors make?

The amount fluctuates but editors salaries typically range from $17-$43 per hour. Editors in a niche like science, technical, or medical writing tend to earn more since they typically require a similar background.

Where can I find Editor opportunities?

HigherEdJobs offers positions in resume writing, technical writing, and text editing. American Journal Experts hires remote editors as well. Scribe Media also hires online editors.

Data entry is entering or updating information into a computer program. Often this takes the form of filling out spreadsheets or filling out forms. It is one of the easiest remote jobs to find online, and doesn’t require a lot of experience or education. The downside is that it doesn’t pay all that well either.

How much does Data Entry pay?

Pay varies widely based on the scope of the project, but typically you can expect to make anywhere from $11-$16 per hour doing Data Entry.

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a marketplace for work that requires human intelligence. For example, you may be asked to go through a spreadsheet and delete duplicate information. Pay can be low, but there’s a lot of work here.

You can also find opportunities through SigTrack , which offers opportunities to process voter registrations and petition signatures.

Search Evaluator

A Search Evaluator is usually given a list of different phrases and words and is asked to enter them in a search engine to determine if the results match what is expected. For example, if your search for The Big Apple gets results for Ambrosia Apples, and not New York, then there’s a problem with the search results. Other projects may involve looking at advertisements, images, and text and then writing a detailed description.

How much does a Search Evaluator make?

Search Evaluators usually make around $13-$18 per hour.

Where can I find Search Evaluator opportunities?

Appen Butler Hill is an international company that contracts social media evaluators to test various social networks.

Day Trading or Investing in Stocks

If you know what you’re doing, you can make an income traveling the world and investing in stocks.

I’ve dabbled in this myself, doing some day trading, and buying and selling options. The problem I found is that trading is a complex skill that needs to be developed and practiced. You’ll need to spend a fair bit of time learning (as in, thousands of hours). Even so, there are computer algorithms that are lightning fast that you can’t even begin to compete with, especially in options trading.

There’s no get quick rich easy pill here, and beware of anyone who says so.

Transcriptionist

Transcription involves listening to an audio or video recording and typing the contents up into a document.

However, as computers become more capable of transcription, these types of general transcription jobs are starting to die out, but legal and medical transcriptionists are facing less competition.

The bottom line is this: If you’re a general transcriptionist, without specialized skills, you’ll likely have trouble making a good income online.

How much does a Transcriptionist earn?

$11-$22 an hour with legal and medical transcriptionists making more.

Where can I find Transcriptionists opportunities?

Birch Creek Communications hires legal and general transcriptionists. You can also find work at Net Transcripts .

Online Customer Service Representative

Online customer service representatives interact with customers on behalf of companies. Essentially they behave just like customer service employees do when they’re in a store except this is done online. They answer questions about products and services, respond to customer comments, and process returns.

How much do online customer service representatives make?

Anywhere from $12-$20 per hour.

Where can I find online customer service opportunities?

Online customer service jobs are some of the most common jobs to find for remote workers. Sykes.com is a virtual call center provider that hires remote workers. Working Solutions also offers a variety of jobs including telemarketing, remote agents, and tech support.

Website or App Testing

Companies pay website design teams to ensure that their sites are running smoothly. If the company loses visitors due to complicated designs, poor navigation, or bad content, then they’re losing customers. Website and app testers create objective reviews of the website to ensure everything makes sense from the customer’s point of view.

How much do website of app testers make?

Test are generally paid via PayPal per test, so pay varies a lot. Like online surveys, this may be better for occasional cash rather than a full time job.

User Testing hires remote workers to tests various websites. UserZoom conducts website usability tests for desktop and on phones. The actual user-testing panel aspect of Userzoom is actually called Intellizoom.

Do you have any great ideas for online only jobs outside of these or our 45 jobs you can do around the world post ? We’d love to hear from you below.

Nice Sharing Information about Online job for Travelers

Very helpful and motivating article. Thank you!

Wow! amazing idea. had a little knowledge about these…thanks for the elaboration.

Thanks for sharing..

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing the information mate.

Wow, this was one of the most comprehensive articles on this topic we have read lately. Great job!

Thank you for the article!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Take The Hassle Out Of Travel Planning & Booking With A Virtual Assistant.

Our Virtual Assistants have the top administrative skills and are well versed in technology making them better and faster at administrative tasks and leaving you free to focus on your expertise.

If you’ve planned a trip recently, you know that there are dozens of sites available for helping you find flights, hotels, car rentals, etc., and an overwhelming amount of choices once you’ve put in your search criteria.

Having lots of options is great, but most of us don’t have hours to sift through a mountain of results to narrow it down to the best fit. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, travel planning requires a ton of organization, research, and schedule coordination that can be stressful and time consuming.

At Zirtual, our virtual assistants have years of experience with business and personal travel, both US and international, and they’re ready to plan, book, schedule, and coordinate every detail of your trip from beginning to end including:

Travel itineraries

Researching and booking flights

Researching and booking hotels

Finding restaurants

Get Your Own Travel Planner

Your Zirtual assistant will go beyond just booking flights or hotels to support you with all of your travel planning needs.

Since you’ll have the same dedicated virtual assistant working with you each month, you can give them your general travel preferences (no red eye flights, window seat, not more than one layover) and necessary information (frequent flier numbers, birth date, credit card number, etc.) and they will keep it safely and securely stored for use when they book your travel.

Then, when you need a trip planned, you only have to share a few details, and they’ll be able to take it from there.

Choose from the best available options

Our Zirtual assistants are trained on the most thorough and efficient methods of researching flight, hotel, and other transportation options. They will always search multiple sites to ensure they find the closest match to your criteria.

Then, your virtual assistant will present you with the three or four best choices based on your preferences, plus note any helpful information that will help you to make your decision. (like if flights are much cheaper if you go on a certain airline, or a day earlier or later).

Have your trip organized on your calendar with the info you need

Your virtual assistant will not only book your selection, they will add the information to your calendar and include confirmation numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and any other pertinent booking info you might need so it’s at your fingertips without you having to search.

They’ll also consider your needs for food, transportation, meeting locations, etc., and take care of any research, and reservations needed.

Let your virtual assistant keep things running while you’re out of the office

Get the support you need to stay on top of the small stuff so it doesn’t pile up while you’re away.

Your virtual assistant can manage your inbox and alert you to anything urgent, listen to your voicemail and follow up with scheduling meetings or sending information, keep track of your receipts for reimbursement during your trip (just text them a picture when you pay!), send a thank you gift to your host, and check you in for your flights.

Zirtual Professional Assistants can help with:

Put more time into what you do best

Meet the Virtual Assistant who will support you.

Get More Out of Your Trip

Whether you’re traveling for business, pleasure, or a little of both, you want to take advantage of all the area has to offer.

Finding the best restaurants, entertainment and local attractions for your trip can be especially hard if you have special considerations like small children, someone with health restrictions, or larger groups of people.

Having an experienced Zirtual assistant to plan your itinerary with all your specific needs and preferences in mind allows you to enjoy your time away without the stress and hassle.

Our virtual assistants have planned everything from family vacations at Yellowstone to honeymoons in Greece, to company retreats in Napa Valley.

Your Zirtual assistant can help you find the best options for your budget, group size, and the types of activities you are most interested in.

College educated, US based

Already trained in the skills you need

1 dedicated Zirtual Assistant

2-hour response time during business hours

Flat rate monthly pricing

Support from other specialists on demand

Don’t just take our word for it..

Outsource and automate. The #1 resource we found for outsourcing is Zirtual. They will save you countless hours of work.

Author of "The 4 Hour Work Week"

Now that I am so spoiled, I have no idea how I survived without a VA before. No joke. I am obsessed. Easily the best investment I've made so far at ERW Public Relations .

Managing Principal

As a tech entrepreneur and father of two young kids, I have more things to do everyday than I possibly can. My VA, Molly, takes care of many day-to-day tasks and helps make my life manageable at PG Consulting .

• +1 332 223 8085
• [email protected]
• Virtual Receptionist
• Virtual Assistant For Data Entry
• Virtual Assistant for Real Estate
• Virtual Assistant for Spreadsheet creation & Presentations
• Virtual Correspondence Management Assistant
• Virtual Research Assistant
• Virtual Desktop Publishing Assistant
• Virtual Assistant for Appointment Scheduling
• Virtual Assistant for Event Planning
• Virtual Assistant for Travel Planning
• Website Design Services
• Digital Marketing Services
• Amazon Marketing And Optimization
• Email Marketing Services
• Video Creation Services
• Content And Design Services
• Digital Marketing
• Virtual Assistant

Virtual Travel Planning Assistant

Home / Platform / Hire a Virtual Assistant For Travel Planning

Managed Virtual Store

Virtual Experts

Hire a Virtual Assistant For Travel Planning

Need to plan a business trip but need more time? Don’t stress – our virtual assistant has got you covered! From booking flights and hotels to arranging transportation, we’ll take care of everything so you can focus on your work. With our hassle-free service, you can sit back and relax, knowing your travel plans are in good hands. Say goodbye to the stress of travel planning and hello to a seamless and enjoyable trip with our virtual personal travel assistant services.

Virtual Assistant Services

Virtual Event Planner

Virtual Data Entry Assistant

Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Our virtual assistant travel agent can perform the following tasks.

Planning the budget of your travel

Our tourism online assistants for travel planning will make sure to book all your reservations, hotel bookings and tickets according to your preference and travel budget. They’ll make sure to find you the best deals possible, also ensuring you get all the amenities you wish for, all under the umbrella!

Booking railway and airline tickets

You never have to worry about booking your tickets once you’ve hired our virtual travel assistant service. Why spend time looking for the cheapest and most affordable price options when your remote virtual assistant travel agent is looking out for you? Even in times of urgency, we’ve got your back!

Itinerary Management

From booking your flights and hotels to making sure you’ve got the best deals possible on your meeting locations. When it comes to travelling, there are a lot of things to think about. Our virtual assistants will manage everything for you and get it all done in the best way possible.

Transit arrangements

Forget about the times you had to wait for a cab standing outside the airport or a station, our virtual travel assistants will make sure to book your transport mediums making sure you don’t have to waste your time waiting for them! They’ll also make sure to keep a check on transport mediums required for you to travel places if you’re on a holiday.

Cancelling or rescheduling flights

A last-minute change in plans? Well, you don’t have to worry about that because our virtual travel assistants will be there for you. Whether it is a cancellation or a rescheduling, your travel assistant will make it look easy to accommodate your tickets according to your liking. Without you having to rush!

Accommodation booking

Staying away from home is like diving into the unknown, you’ve got to make sure you’re comfortable and feel at ease wherever you stay. Whether you’re looking for a room with a seafront view or an indoor jacuzzi, your needs will be met. Our virtual travel planning assistants will make sure that you have the most pleasant stay wherever you’re visiting.

Reservation for Apartment hotels/ Luxury rentals

If you wish to stay in a fully furnished apartment instead of a hotel, our virtual assistants are going to make sure you get the best one possible according to your preferences and location check, also ensuring you’ll be comfortable and staying there for the time, short term or long term!

Planning and Scheduling meetings at the desired location

Along with the rooms, if you’ve also got to book locations for your meeting, say no more! The service will be done according to your preferences and measures will be taken to make sure everyone is satisfied.

Reserving cruise tickets

Along with booking your railway and air tickets, our skilled virtual assistants will also confirm that your cruise tickets are reserved accordingly if needed! It can be booked either directly from the cruise line, a travel agent or online. Your VA will make sure you can snag the best deal ahead of time.

Sending timely trip plan alerts and reminders

In the hustle and bustle of your trip, there may be times that you might forget about your next location and where you had decided to meet your client, for the very same reason our virtual assistants will send you timely reminders and you can take one other thing off of your checklist to remember!

Vacation planning

Travelling with the family on holiday or even by yourself involves a great deal of planning and you might have to work a sweat for it. Leave it on our remote assistants for travel planning to make the best plans and trips for you. You’ve just got to enjoy the bit.

Why Outsource Virtual Assistants for Travel Planning?

Whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, taking the time out to plan your itinerary can be a little demanding. Our skilled virtual assistants aim to provide you with the best service by managing all your bookings/reservations, meeting locations, taking your calls, answering your messages and more. Unexpected changes? Not a problem. Last-minute re-scheduling? We’ve got this! Experience and make the best of your trip, be it work or leisure while our virtual travel assistants take care of your needs!

Our Virtual Assistant Travel Planning Process

Meeting your requirements

We’re going to collaborate/contact you to understand your ongoing travel planning process

Suitability

To meet your needs, we’ll analyze and test if the virtual assistant is capable of handling your planning process and timely expectations according to your work.

We’re going to appoint a virtual assistant from our database who is best suitable for your business and working culture.

Once we’ve decided who to appoint, their training will commence that’ll enable them to work properly on your travel plans and itinerary management.

Real-time Operation

Once trained, the tasks and roles will be allotted to your virtual assistants and we’ll make sure that everything is running smoothly.

The quality of our service is of high importance. Routine checks will be performed to ensure no problems and hindrances are faced by you.

Timely reports are created and processed after proper observation and evaluation to maintain high-quality service and standards and work towards a favourable outcome.

Mine is a well-established wellness center, however, the growing market competition was affecting my profits. To outshine other wellness chains, I routed to digital path and got a custom-made and responsive website built from Vgrow. My website has features to book an appointment and chat with an agent too, and yes I again cherish a growing clientele. Thank you Vgrow!

It’s almost like magic - I hired John and his designers to revamp my old real estate website. They suggested getting a fresh theme, make the website mobile-friendly and moving to a secured host. I agreed and they did their job exceptionally well! I noticed a 43% decrease in bounce rate and a 19% increase in sign-ups, and it’s been just one month! So grateful for Vgrow Solutions, I highly recommend them.

I’ve worked with several Amazon digital marketing consultants, but none could deliver results better than team Vgrow. They know their game and have a unique approach to optimize my product listings. I’m amazed with their proficiency - will hire them in future too!

I’m a new vendor on Amazon and was keen to improve the search visibility of my product pages. My friend suggested that I should contact Vgrow, and I’m so glad I did! They are experts in Amazon listing optimization and used the best practices to optimize my product descriptions. I now get more traffic to my pages, thanks to John and his team. Cheers!

I’m a freelance digital marketer and wanted to help one of my clients with high-quality videos. I contacted Vgrow and was impressed with their deep knowledge about video marketing and promotion. They were able to grasp all my requirements and did a fantastic job! Highly recommended!

I have a small educational institute and it was important for me to engage students using relevant explainer videos. I contacted Vgrow Solutions and they did the best job in creating videos for my business. Their demonstration is clean and creative - will hire them in the future for other services.

Being new in the business arena, I wanted a CRM that is straightforward and not too overwhelming. Somebody suggested me to get my CRM customized, and I did the same with the help of Vgrow experts. Now I have access to essential features, and my work has become easier! I highly recommend Vgrow for their pragmatic and professional approach.

We were using an outdated CRM and it was affecting our business operations. We needed a technology partner to migrate our data, and Vgrow was the best help I found. They knew everything about the intricacies of clean data migration and made our transition to the new CRM system a breezy affair. I’ll reach them again with more work.

I hired Vgrow to write technical blogs and marketing decks for my new product-based company. I wanted to create an informed audience while promoting my product, and team Vgrow served the purpose flawlessly. Their writers are smart and productive - will continue to outsource services from them!

I hired team Vgrow around seven months back to help me with SEO - I desperately wanted my new spa facility to get noticed by the targeted audience. John’s team was very active in understanding my business goals - they drafted a solid SEO campaign and bought phenomenal results right from the first month of implementation. Now my website ranks on the first page of Google and I attract new customers every day. Many thanks to Vgrow Solutions!

Hiring virtual assistants is a smart way to cover monotonous but important work. With the help of VAs, my small team can focus on core business functions and bring in more revenue streams. Many thanks to team Vgrow!

Mine is a small business with a small team. Honestly, we lacked experienced executives who could manage customer concerns. We hired team Vgrow for call answering and help desk support, and have seen a dramatic difference in our business performance. Hiring John and his team was one of the most favorable decisions I made. I’d highly recommend using Vgrow solutions to hire expert virtual assistants.

FAQ – Question and Answer

The answering service is used to answer calls, make calls, and provide information on behalf of a company. It not only benefits your clients but your employees as well. They are cost-effective and provide services 24×7, unlike office assistance. This service is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses who don’t have the financial resources to hire an in-house team to handle their volume of calls.

Virtual answering services are nothing but someone answering your phone calls for you, but instead of being in your office, they do it from a remote location.

There are many benefits of having virtual phone answering services such as- Streamlines good communication between organization and customers

• Provide 24×7 support
• Keeps track of information quickly and efficiently
• offers a faster interaction than email, easy and quick to use
• Scalable solutions and expands your business
• Supports more users and new capabilities

A Cost-effective and practical way to boost your business

Virtual assistants handle administrative and customer service tasks. We have expertise in digital services like web development, SEO, content writing, graphic designing, and social media management to help you out in every aspect.

Get In Touch

Get a free quote.

We will get back to you in 24 hours

Travel Assistants

7 Best AI Travel Assistants in 2024

By  Alex  • Updated Oct 28, 2023

Travelling is a riveting experience for many, filled with adventure, learning and plenty of memorable moments. However, the process of planning the trip can be quite daunting, and this is where AI Travel Assistants come in.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of AI Travel Assistants and explore the top 7 tools that are revolutionizing the travel experience.

Best AI Travel Assistants

• Roam Around
• Trip Planner AI
• Copilot2trip

What Makes a Great AI Travel Assistant?

Before we plunge into the list of the top travel assistants, let's understand what makes a great AI Travel Assistant. A perfect AI Travel Assistant should be able to:

• Understand User Preferences: The ability to comprehend and cater to the unique preferences of each user is at the heart of any successful AI travel assistant. This includes understanding the type of travel (business or leisure), preferred destinations, budget constraints, and more.
• Offer Personalized Recommendations: Based on the user's preferences, the assistant should generate personalized recommendations, including destinations, activities, accommodations, and dining options.
• Provide Real-Time Updates: Travel plans can often be affected by real-time factors such as weather conditions, traffic, and more. A great AI travel assistant should be capable of providing real-time updates to ensure a smooth travel experience.
• Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface and seamless usability are crucial. Users should be able to easily enter their preferences and receive comprehensive travel plans without any hassles.
• Integrate with Other Platforms: The travel assistant should be able to integrate well with other platforms for booking flights, hotels, or activities. This allows for a smooth end-to-end travel planning experience.

Now that we are aware of what to look for in an AI Travel Assistant, let's deep dive into our curated list of the 7 Best AI Travel Assistants in 2024.

1. Roam Around

Roam Around is an AI-powered travel assistant that aims to make travel planning a breeze. It generates custom trip plans, offering a simple user interface that allows users to enter a desired location and access a list of popular places in that area.

Key Features:

• Personalized Recommendations: Based on user preferences, Roam Around offers personalized recommendations for places to visit, things to do, and hotels to stay in.
• Optimal Routing: By considering distances between locations, Roam Around suggests efficient routes that avoid unnecessary detours.
• Image Previews: The tool provides high-quality images of popular destinations, giving users a glimpse of what to expect.

Our Take: Roam Around is an excellent tool for those who prefer a hands-on approach to planning their travels. The added benefit of optimal routing and image previews make it a great choice for self-planners.

2. Trip Planner AI

Trip Planner AI is an all-in-one travel planning solution that provides users with flight, hotel, and itinerary booking, along with expense tracking and travel recommendations.

• Comprehensive Itinerary: Users can create travel plans based on their desired travel dates, locations, and activities. The platform uses artificial intelligence to suggest the best routes and activities.
• Expense Tracking: Manage your travel budget effectively with Trip Planner AI's expense tracking feature.
• Integrated Booking System: The platform features an integrated booking system that streamlines reserving travel itineraries.

Our Take: Trip Planner AI is a comprehensive tool that covers all aspects of travel planning. Its ability to track expenses and manage bookings makes it an excellent choice for meticulous planners.

3. Tripnotes

Tripnotes is a travel-focused AI tool that helps users plan their trips with personalized recommendations and detailed itineraries.

• Personalized Itineraries: Based on user preferences, Tripnotes generates detailed itineraries, covering everything from accommodation to activities.
• Easy to Use: With a user-friendly design and intuitive navigation, Tripnotes makes travel planning easy and hassle-free.
• Real-Time Updates: Tripnotes provides real-time updates on travel restrictions, weather forecasts, and flight schedules.

Our Take: Tripnotes is a solid choice for those who value detailed itineraries and real-time updates. Its user-friendly design makes it accessible to all types of travelers.

4. Wonderplan

Wonderplan is an AI-driven travel assistant that curates unique itineraries based on user's passions and budget.

• Custom Itineraries: Based on user's interests, budget, and time constraints, Wonderplan creates a custom itinerary that’s tailored to their preferences.
• Optimal Route Recommendation: The tool suggests the best way to get from one place to another, considering distance, traffic, and user's interests.
• Interactive Experiences: Experience relaxation before getting on a trip with Wonderplan's unique feature of choosing your natural background.

Our Take: If you're looking for a travel assistant that can help you plan an unforgettable trip based on your interests, Wonderplan is a great choice.

5. Copilot2trip

Copilot2trip is a personal travel assistant that helps users plan their trips with detailed itineraries and personalized recommendations.

• Tailored Recommendations: The tool offers personalized recommendations based on user preferences and real-time inputs.
• Detailed Itineraries: Users can receive comprehensive itineraries that include information on destinations, accommodations, and activities.
• Ease of Use: Copilot2trip offers a user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to plan their trips.

Our Take: Copilot2trip is a reliable tool for those who prefer detailed, personalized travel itineraries. Its user-friendly interface makes it a breeze to use.

Tripbot is an AI-powered trip planner that provides users with personalized itineraries and real-time recommendations based on their interests and preferences.

• Personalized Itineraries: Tripbot provides custom itineraries based on user's interests, budget, and time constraints.
• Real-Time Recommendations: The tool offers real-time suggestions as users roam around unknown locales, enhancing their travel experience.
• Fast Responses: Tripbot provides quick and relevant responses to users, allowing them to gain crucial insight for planning their trips.

Our Take: Tripbot is an excellent tool for travelers who value real-time recommendations and quick responses. It makes travel planning a quick and hassle-free process.

7. IPlan.ai

IPlan.ai is an AI platform that generates personalized itineraries based on user's interests in a matter of seconds.

• Personalized Itineraries: IPlan.ai provides custom itineraries based on user's interests, budget, and time constraints.
• Easy to Use: The tool features a user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to plan their trips.
• Cross-Platform: Apart from using it on the web, IPlan.ai is also available on Android and iOS devices.

Our Take: IPlan.ai is a versatile tool that offers personalized itineraries and cross-platform compatibility. Its user-friendly interface makes it an excellent choice for all types of travelers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AI Travel Assistant?

An AI Travel Assistant is a smart tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you plan your trips. It can generate personalized travel itineraries, provide real-time updates, and even help with booking accommodations and flights.

Why should I use an AI Travel Assistant?

Using an AI Travel Assistant can save you time and effort in planning your trips. It offers personalized recommendations based on your preferences and provides real-time updates, ensuring you have the most accurate information at your fingertips.

How reliable are AI Travel Assistants?

While AI Travel Assistants are highly efficient and accurate, they are not infallible. It's always a good idea to double-check the information they provide, especially when it comes to booking accommodations and flights.

Do AI Travel Assistants replace travel agents?

While AI Travel Assistants can greatly simplify the travel planning process, they do not completely replace the human touch provided by travel agents. They are tools that aid in planning, but final decisions and bookings should always be reviewed by the user.

In conclusion, AI Travel Assistants are paving the way for a new era of travel planning. They offer a seamless, efficient, and personalized travel planning experience, enhancing your overall travel experience.

So, the next time you're planning a trip, consider using one of these advanced tools to make your travel planning process a breeze.

All AI Travel Assistants

Promo Banner

Travel & hospitality, delight your guests with control and confidence during their travel journey.

Request a Demo

These are unprecedented times, show your guests you're going to unprecedented lengths to welcome them by providing comprehensive and consistent service at every touchpoint of the customer journey. For travel and hospitality brands, the challenge becomes providing a seamless, fast and personalized customer service experience without raising costs. With an Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) from Interactions, customers can have travel details at their fingertips from take-off, to check-in, to departure, and through the inevitable changes in travel plans.

We make traveling a breeze.

Reservations and booking.

Reduce call handle times and make trip planning a breeze. With Interactions solutions, allow your guests and passengers to locate preferred properties, check availability, make or change reservations, handle credits and refunds and check airline schedules and rental car rates. All helping to decrease the cost to book.

Travel Credits & Refunds

The new increase in unexpected guest travel changes makes for a new volume of credits and refunds, which can be daunting and expensive. Interactions IVA can streamline issuing and using travel credit and handling refunds. This gives your guests the reassurance they need to rebook their next trip with you and saves your live agents time for handling other complex issues.

Contactless Concierge

Streamline the guest experience as part of your Covid-19 strategy with our Intelligent Virtual Assistant. By interacting naturally with your guests, our IVA can handle contactless guest registration and check-outs, provide information on in-room amenities, respond to inquiries and provide personalized recommendations for local restaurants and attractions.

Travel Logistics & Safety Communications

Keep your guests in the know about all of their travel details by providing gate information and ground transportation logistics, responding to travel interruptions with automated alternatives, and offering timely upgrades and promotions. Send safety protocol details and reminders during key parts of their journey to help ensure a smooth experience for everyone.

Guest Account Updates

With Interactions, your guests don’t have to repeat themselves or transfer to complete simple transactions like setting preferences or securely completing a login or password reset.

Loyalty & Rewards

Maintain your brand loyalty by offering guests quick and easy access to their rewards program, including obtaining balance information, requesting travel awards, enrolling new members, and responding to questions.

For 83% of customers, the goal is to complete an interaction as quickly and easily as possible, regardless of whether they do so by talking to an agent or using an automated system.

More than half of consumers are only willing to spend up to five minutes resolving a simple issue.

86% of consumers have stopped doing business with certain with a company based on a poor customer service experience.

Boost your bottom line with an IVA

Calculate how an Intelligent Virtual Assistant can supercharge your profitability and liberate agents for high-value activities. Get personalized results in minutes with our IVA Savings Calculator.

When looking to implement a new customer-facing technology into your travel or hospitality business, it's important to know exactly what your customer do (and don't) want. Read the research report from our recent survey to learn exactly how your customers want to interact with your company.

Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) for Travel and Hospitality delights each traveler from the start of the conversation journey to final resolution.

Digital transformation is (and should be) a top priority within the travel and hospitality industry. With rapid advancement in technologies, changes in the ways consumers communicate with businesses, and consumer expectations of 24/7 accessibility, businesses need to rethink how and where they meet their travelers. Read our ebook to learn more.

Want to learn more? Let’s talk.

FOR PERSONAL

Travel management.

Travel planning is not easy as it sounds! Leave the expertise of travel planning to us. With years of experience, working on 1000’s of travel planning tasks, we have always delivered smiles to our clients over the years.

Tasks you can outsource, but not limited To...

Throughout your business and personal vacation planning, we shoulder ourselves and take responsibility of shadowing your journey to the end.

• OUR SERVICES
• Family & Personal
• Online Research
• Remote Executive Secretary
• Sundry Tasks

Start delegating in 3 Steps

It's simple to get started. Give us a brief and we will guide you through.

Register for a GetFriday Membership. We will assign a Virtual PA in your time zone, based on your needs.

Start sending tasks to your Virtual Assistant via Email, Telephone or any online medium.

Your Virtual PA will perform the task and provide you with updates. You can track usage anytime.

How long will it take to get started?

It usually will take 1 (one) business day to assign a suitable assistant after you complete the signup process. In the event that you want to select someone on your own after talking to a few of our assistants, then it would take a little more time.

How do I keep track of my hours?

Usage can be tracked periodically on our online customer portal. Upon completion of the sign up process, you will be provided with necessary login credentials to access the online portal. The online portal gives access to a dashboard that contains the lists of tasks outsourced till date and its respective time logs. If required, your assistant can also provide you the usage details on a daily/weekly/fortnightly basis.

What is the difference between a Basic Plan and a Plus Plan?

Both are monthly plans that allow you to use a specified number of hours of assistance every month. The only difference is that Basic Plans do not have roll over of any unused hours for the month, while the Plus Plans allow roll over of unused hours subject to certain limits.

How safe is my information?

We are an ISO 27001 certified company (Information Security Standard) that takes utmost care about the safety and security of your information. We provide our staff access to your information strictly on a need to know basis. All sensitive and personally identifiable information is stored in encrypted form and handled according to the ISO standards on data protection.

How different are you (GetFriday) from other VA service providers?

GetFriday is a pioneer and one of the oldest organized VA service providers, having been in this business since 2005. Our service levels combined with flexibility and availability of different services under a single roof make us a very economical, but attractive proposition. Our unique system of secondary assistants backing up your primary one ensures continuity of service on sick days or even if an assistant quits. And of course, last but not the least you can be assured that your information and data is safe with us. We are an ISO 27001 certified company.

What are the skillsets of your VAs?

All our VAs are trained on office productivity tools like MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Chat, Email, Web Search, Calendar Management etc. In addition they undergo some rigorous practical training on Responsiveness, Customer Service Attitude and Cultural Sensitivity before they are inducted into the work.

With lots of unique blocks, you can easily build a page with coding. Build your next landing page . Integer ut obe ryn. Sed feugiat vitae turpis a porta.

Pricing & Plans

$ 200 /month

billed monthly

Hours Included

Hourly Rate

Additional Hour Rate

$ 360 /month

$ 640 /month

Have a single task that you want us to do?

Send your request and we will get back to you with an estimate.

How does it work?

We made it very simple for you to send your tasks to your virtual assistants and get the updates directly. Working with GetFriday would feel as if you are receiving the email, chat or call responses directly from your personal assistant.

How we work can be simply explained in 3 steps:

Sign Up for GetFriday Membership. It's Simple and Easy!

Connect with your assistant

Send tasks to your assigned VA via Email, Telephone, Fax or any online medium.

Relax with your family

Relax while your Virtual PA performs the tasks and updates you in real-time.

We made it very simple for you to send your tasks to your virtual assistants and get the updates directly. Working with GetFriday would feel as if you are receiving the email, chat or call responses directly from your personal assistant. How we work can be simply explained in 3 steps:

Tasks we can’t handle

We may be unable to handle some tasks that fall under the below categories. Make sure you don’t send in such tasks.

• School/College Assignment
• Online Exams
• Fraudulent Content/Plagiarism
• Impersonation
• Completing online courses - on behalf
• Uncomfortable
• Payment collections
• Online Dating
• Culturally Insensitive/Socially      Inappropriate Tasks

8k+ Happy Customers served globally

“I was introduced to my VA end of last year and simply put, My remote virtual assistant who I've been working with has been exceptional. ... Her support in content creation and client database management has been pivotal for my health and fitness business. She's efficient, organized, and incredibly reliable.Her work has not only saved me time but has also enhanced the quality of my services. I can't recommend her enough – she's a true asset to any team and for anyone in Health & Fitness / Online Coaching, I would recommend.”

Gabriel Carroll

General Manager

I have been using GetFriday for the past four months or so. The setup process was simple and quickly set up with my personal assistant. ... She has been very responsive and professional in all the tasks assigned. The most valuable part so far is that in keeping the same assistant, she is better able to understand how I operate and what I need so that tasks are easier to communicate and I can expect a consistent product. I have also found that having a support team behind my assistant for holidays and specific tasks has given me the peace of mind to not have to worry about the successful completion of tasks. I highly recommend their services and look forward to continue working with my assistant and GetFriday!

Jonathan Yu

I've used Get Friday for the past several months and its been one of the best business decisions i could have made. Not only have I been able to optimize ... certain processes and procedures, i've been able to gain more time focusing on more revenue producing tasks and growing my business. I also have peace of mind knowing that the various tasks i need to get done are being done by the best. Dipti is my primary assistant and she makes a point to keep me updated on all the tasks as well as the workflow. I am thankful for her and could not be happier.

Stephanie Fortune

Zaebra Consulting Ltd

I have been using GetFriday for the past four months or so. The setup process was simple and quickly set up with my personal assistant. She has been very responsive and professional in all the tasks assigned. The most valuable part so far is that in keeping the same assistant, she is better able to understand how I operate and what I need so that tasks are easier to communicate and I can expect a consistent product. I have also found that having a support team behind my assistant for holidays and specific tasks has given me the peace of mind to not have to worry about the successful completion of tasks. I highly recommend their services and look forward to continue working with my assistant and GetFriday!

I have loved using GetFriday.It has taken so much work off my plate and created much needed additional time. My VA, Amirtha is intelligent, reliable, hard working and extremely accommodating. I recommend this service for anyone trying to run a successful, well structured business

Dean Parata

I've used Get Friday for the past several months and its been one of the best business decisions i could have made. Not only have I been able to optimize certain processes and procedures, i've been able to gain more time focusing on more revenue producing tasks and growing my business. I also have peace of mind knowing that the various tasks i need to get done are being done by the best. Dipti is my primary assistant and she makes a point to keep me updated on all the tasks as well as the workflow. I am thankful for her and could not be happier.

Like to use virtual assistant services for your business or personal needs? Please fill the form below.

Feel free to call us. We are available 24/7 for your support.

UK: +44-808-222-8275 / US: +1-877-879-4339 / AUS: +61-871-401-005

GetFriday, the World's leading Virtual Assistant services since 2005. We help busy individuals, Startups & Small businesses, handle their personal and business needs better.

• Why GetFriday
• How it works
• 4-Hour Workweek
• Personal VA
• Business Support
• BookKeeping
• Website Development
• Digital Marketing
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Refund Policy
• Social Links

GetFriday, the World's leading Virtual Assistant services since 2005. We help busy individuals, Startups & Small businesses, handle their personal and business needs better..

© 2024 Copyright, All Right Reserved, Made by GetFriday

How we can help you

– 13.03.2022.

A Virtual Travel Assistant For Stress Free Travel Planning

Who needs a virtual travel assistant? Odds are it might be you. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, it’s safe to say that things don’t always go according to plan. And even when they do, it’s not unusual for you to experience an element of travel stress, because you’re wondering what you’ve forgotten, or…

Jennifer Brown

South Africa

Who needs a virtual travel assistant? Odds are it might be you.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, it’s safe to say that things don’t always go according to plan. And even when they do, it’s not unusual for you to experience an element of travel stress , because you’re wondering what you’ve forgotten, or whether all the details have been taken care of. Those subconscious checklists are the kind of thing that can make any trip feel a little less than restful.

Just imagine, for a moment, what it would feel like to have everything securely and professionally planned and monitored, down to the last little detail. Imagine what it would be like to know that even if something unexpected had to happen, that you’d have a backup staff member in place, ready to handle anything on your behalf.

It’s not only a possibility: it can be your reality. And a virtual travel assistant can make it happen for you.

What Does a Virtual Travel Assistant Do?

You can plan and execute every aspect of your trip by hiring a virtual travel assistant.

Broadly speaking, a travel assistant can cover these tasks, and more:

• Planning and coordinating your itinerary according to your instructions.
• Ensuring your documentation is in order.
• Facilitating currency exchange for you.
• Finding and booking your accommodation and transport.
• Taking care of your travel insurance.
• Providing you with travel planner notes and reminders.
• Facilitating online check-ins for you.
• Providing a backup service in case of mishap or change of plans.
• Handling emails and calls on your behalf while you’re traveling.

This is just a broad outline, but it’s easy to see just how much time and effort you can save when you enlist the help of a skilled virtual travel assistant.

Planning and Preparing

For anyone who travels regularly, you’ll know that trip preparation can sometimes be a nightmare. Endless checklists, bureaucracy and administration, and the added pressure of knowing that a mistake can quickly sabotage a trip.

An experienced travel assistant will ensure that every single aspect of your trip is accounted for:

• Research and presentation: a virtual travel assistant will carefully compare and evaluate all the options and present them to you for consideration. Venues, packages, costs, alternatives – you’ll have more to choose from, and more to experience if you want to.
• Bookings and reservations: from flights to events, hotel or resort bookings, and even entertainment or restaurant reservations, your assistant can set everything up in advance. And if there are any changes, you’ll not only be kept informed, but have alternatives at your disposal.
• Scheduling and itinerary: with everything planned to precision, and someone available to remind you of upcoming arrangements, you can set off without having to worry about the details.

In fact, an experienced travel VA will do this so well that you may even want to consider using a virtual assistant for all your scheduling .

Managing Your Trip

Traveling can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to keep tabs on all the arrangements. Airports, hotels, cabs, and on-the-fly arrangements can take more time and energy than you’d think. A travel assistant will arrange the necessities on your behalf, as well as checking in to ensure that your trip is progressing as it should.

• Support when you need it: if you need changes made to your schedule in the middle of a trip, your virtual travel assistant can do it for you far more easily than you can.
• Transit and transport: from car hire to arranging a dedicated driver or cab service, your virtual assistant can make arrangements on your behalf in real time, saving you the work and stress of having to do it yourself.
• Accommodation approval: often, arriving at an unknown destination can be a shot in the dark. Your virtual travel assistant can scan reviews and media information in advance to make sure you’re getting what you’ve paid for.
• Documents and payments: your virtual assistant will ensure that there are no surprises, whether you’re asked to produce a vaccination certificate or faced with an unexpected surcharge on a service.

More Time to be Present

You have more time to focus on what’s important, knowing everything is being handled. If you’re away on business, that means you have more mental bandwidth to devote to the tasks at hand without being distracted. You’ll accomplish more, experience greater mental clarity, and feel more in control of your business responsibilities. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy having an assistant to do the heavy lifting?

For leisure travel or a vacation, a virtual travel assistant can be an even greater help. With all the travel details taken care of, you’re free to become fully immersed in the experience at hand. There are other benefits, too:

• A virtual travel assistant can arrange an itinerary tailored to your exact requirements – a personalized schedule that takes you away from the well-worn commercial alternatives.
• If you’re traveling with a larger group of friends or family, you don’t have to worry about coordinating the paperwork and complicated booking arrangements – your virtual assistant will take care of it on your behalf.
• Discover the road less traveled. Your virtual travel assistant can also investigate and recommend secret travel destinations hidden from the average tourist. Priceless moments, exclusive views, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, courtesy of the organizational skills of your virtual assistant.

Safety and Security

When you’re away from home, you’re more vulnerable. And whether it’s a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a criminal syndicate targeting travelers, you can sometimes encounter difficulties.

Here, a virtual assistant is your safety net. Lost your passport? Cards or cash stolen from you? Need documentation to arrange medical care? You know that you’re covered, and that your assistant can make all the necessary arrangements even if you can’t.

If you’re heading to less populated areas or taking part in adventure travel, have someone check in on you periodically.  And in a worst-case scenario, getting medical care or arranging an evacuation is much easier when you have someone to do it for you.

Handling Things While You’re Away

A virtual travel assistant can fulfill another function, too. They can take care of your business, your property, and even your family while you’re away.

• You can have your calls and mails rerouted and responded to.
• You can arrange for your virtual assistant to provide you with key business updates if you need them.
• Your virtual assistant can also liaise with your house sitter and  your security company.
•  If you’re travelling solo, you can rely on your assistant to keep your family updated on your movements. From arranging deliveries to checking in on parents, a virtual assistant can do it all.

Best of all, a good virtual travel assistant costs far less than you might expect . And when you weigh up the benefits rather than doing everything yourself, hiring an assistant is an attractive option.

Book a discovery call today and we’ll show you just how versatile and professional a virtual travel assistant can be – and how your next trip could be better than anything you’ve experienced before.

Sign up for your free trial

Talk to one of our team members about the tasks consuming your time, and your goals. Going forward, your virtual assistant can work with minimum input from you.

Share this article

The rise of Ecommerce: Navigating through online transactions

The rise of Ecommerce: Navigating through online transactions E-commerce, or as you may have heard E-business, electronic commerce, internet commerce…

Disruptive technology: Roadmap to future, is change always a good thing?

Disruptive technology is a development that fundamentally transforms how customers, markets, or corporations work. They change industries to the point…

Virtual Assistants: Their role in Dropshipping

Firstly, we should start with what dropshipping is. Dropshipping is an eCommerce business approach and model that allows you to…

The Dropshipping Phenomenon: Is it truly a fast and easy way to earn money?

If you spend even a little time on social media, you have probably seen a whole lot of videos with…

Smart virtual travel assistant that speaks your language.

Powered by award-winning artificial intelligence.

For the first time ever, multiple award-winning artificial intelligence  algorhitms come together in a smart travel assistant. This means you get an uniquely personalized experience in Your native language and the best worldwide travel deals in Your favourite chat app.

Personalized offers

Our special AI will design the best travel proposals tailored for You. Created according to your habits and preferences.

Easy to use

The assistant is available on multiple popular chat apps, including Facebook Messenger, Slack, Viber, Discord and others.

Speaks Your language

The smart assistant uses award-winning machine learning algorythms that can communicate in your native language.

Single touch checkout

With our assistant you can search, book and pay without leaving the chat app. This means You can book much faster and hassle-free.

Works on Your favourite chat app

What you get with assistant.

• Best prices and offers
• One-click booking
• Multilanguage support
• Multiperson booking
• Works via chat apps
• Personalized experience (AI)

• Testimonials

Administrative assistants , Blog , Logistics , Virtual Assistants

16 essential tasks for your virtual travel assistance, table of contents, introduction.

We’ve made Virtual Travel Assistance for travelers easy, so you have time for what really matters in your world. Forget about using juggling long numbers of business. The impact of COVID-19 on the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry has brought the entire traveler community to a standstill. The countries that are solely dependent on tourism will take many months to recover post the crisis.

 Starting from March 2020, many countries closed borders without proper notice and this resulted in chaos among travelers who got stranded in places for months together.

Many got anxious over not knowing the policies of the respective countries, and quarantine details and confused about how to book a flight back home. What if there was an assistant who could give the travelers clarity on restrictions, book the tickets on time and assist them every step of the way? 

This is what virtual travel assistance can do for a traveler, anytime and everywhere. Read on to know more about the travel assistants, who are capable of creating a personalized approach for all the clients availing of the service .

The Best Virtual Travel Assistance For The Ultra New Concepts Of Travelling

Cheaper vacations, economical flight tickets, and improved lifestyles, all of these empower more people to travel across the borders, a lifestyle was far different from a generation that used to get awe-struck just by sitting in an airplane. Also, more people are getting visa stamps faster than their counterparts from a different century. Life itself is moving faster, leaving out no time to spare for those decision-makers around the globe.

Whether a person is a backpacker or a business traveler, a hope for a better assistant to take him or her smoothly across the globe is seen as bliss. Meantime, they get to concentrate on what they require to do. A business traveler would want to prepare a talk, a traveler might have to write a blog; these things need utmost focus.

A virtual travel assistance is a professional specialist who is capable of helping the client from anywhere around the globe. They are paid on a project basis and help the travelers in saving money. True happiness is to know that there are absolutely no ends to the list of jobs a travel assistant cannot accomplish.

16 Tasks Perfect for Your Virtual Travel Assistant

Let’s explore 16 tasks that you can confidently delegate to your virtual travel assistant, freeing up your time and ensuring a smoother travel experience.

1. Arrange Accommodations

Your virtual travel assistant can research and book accommodations based on your preferences, budget, and travel itinerary. Whether you prefer hotels, vacation rentals, or boutique stays, they’ll ensure that your accommodation meets your expectations.

2. Book Transportation

From flights and trains to rental cars and airport transfers, your virtual assistant can handle all aspects of transportation booking. They’ll ensure timely bookings and convenient travel arrangements, taking the hassle out of transportation planning.

3. Research Options

Whether you’re looking for local attractions, dining options, or off-the-beaten-path experiences, your virtual assistant can conduct thorough research to provide you with a curated list of options tailored to your interests.

4. Personalize Trips

By understanding your travel preferences and requirements, your virtual assistant can personalize your trips to ensure a memorable experience. Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, they’ll tailor every aspect of your trip to meet your needs.

5. Find the Best Deals

Your virtual assistant can scour the internet for the best deals on accommodations, transportation, and activities, helping you save time and money. They’ll leverage their expertise to find exclusive offers and discounts, maximizing the value of your travel budget.

6. Collate Itinerary Details

Your virtual assistance can create detailed itineraries outlining your travel plans, including flight details, accommodation information, activity schedules, and contact information. Having a comprehensive itinerary ensures that you’re well-prepared for your trip and minimizes any potential disruptions.

7. Prepare a Travel Guide

Whether you’re traveling to a new destination or revisiting a favorite spot, your virtual assistant can prepare a customized travel guide with insider tips, local recommendations, and useful information to enhance your travel experience.

8. Resolve Issues and Complaints

In the event of any travel-related issues or complaints, your virtual assistant can act as your advocate, liaising with service providers and resolving issues on your behalf. Their proactive approach ensures that any disruptions are swiftly addressed, minimizing stress during your trip.

9.Prepare Contingency Plans

Your virtual assistant can develop contingency plans to mitigate unforeseen circumstances such as flight delays, cancellations, or inclement weather. By anticipating potential challenges and preparing alternative solutions, they’ll ensure that your travel plans remain flexible and resilient.

10. Collect Payments

Whether it’s securing reservations or processing payments for accommodations and activities, your virtual assistant can handle all financial transactions efficiently and securely. They’ll keep track of expenses and provide you with detailed billing information for your records.

11. Offer Customer Servic

Your virtual assistant can serve as a point of contact for any inquiries or assistance you may need before, during, or after your trip. Whether it’s answering questions, providing recommendations, or addressing concerns, they’ll ensure that you receive prompt and personalized assistance.

12. Promote Your Business

If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, your virtual assistant can help promote your business through various channels, such as social media, email marketing, and content creation. By maintaining an active online presence, they’ll help attract new customers and enhance brand visibility.

13. Provide Support

Whether you’re traveling solo, with family, or as part of a group, your virtual assistant can provide valuable support and assistance throughout your journey. From arranging special requests to offering travel advice, they’ll be there to ensure a seamless and enjoyable travel experience.

14. Audit Invoices

Your virtual assistant can review invoices and receipts to ensure accuracy and compliance with your travel budget. By reconciling expenses and identifying any discrepancies, they’ll help you stay on top of your finances and maintain transparency in your travel expenditures.

15. Calendar Management

Your virtual assistant can manage your travel schedule and coordinate appointments, meetings, and activities to ensure optimal time management during your trip. By synchronizing your calendar with your travel itinerary, they’ll help you stay organized and make the most of your time.

16. Travel Coordination

Finally, your virtual assistant can oversee all aspects of travel coordination, from scheduling flights and accommodations to arranging airport transfers and ground transportation. With their meticulous attention to detail and proactive approach, they’ll ensure that every aspect of your trip is well-coordinated and stress-free.

Aid During Corona Virus Outbreak

Through news channels and newspapers, we learn about the apathy of stranded students and travelers. It took many days for authorities of various countries to begin with the evacuation operations. One cannot blame on the world leaders. Stringent safety measures are taken to contain the pandemic, travel is a secondary concern in such a scenario.

Many virtual assistant agencies received calls unusually high for requirements to find a flight, book a ticket, etc. in the last few months. Keeping aside these regular demands, queries such as what are the airport screening procedures, should a traveler wear a face mask or covering? What can I expect while entering a foreign country? demanded patient conveyance of information by an expert. 

Those who didn’t have a personal Virtual travel assistance assistant had to wait for long call queues of flight companies and hotels. Lines were unusually busy as many lost jobs in travel and hospitality industry.

A  remote virtual assistant  can help you, if you are stranded or want to arrange an immediate and safe travel to a far away destination. There are people who went on to a beautiful honeymoon vacation in places like the Maldives and got stuck there, not having enough funds.

Then there are business travelers who had to stay back in a country, because of the prolonged project requirements. Whatever is the reason, hiring a virtual travel assistance during the pandemic time is a smart move.

One Can Gain

• 24/7 information on travel restrictions, announcements, flight resumptions and details of Covid-19 testing centers
• Contacts of travel companies that provide sanitized, clean and safe airport transfers
• Bookings with hotels and other accommodations that follow standard operating procedures
• Flight cancellation re-booking
• Smart itinerary
• Emergency contact numbers
• Facilities to attend the calls and schedule meetings, etc.

These virtual travel assistance can help with travel  financial management  too. Queries such as where to get the right travel insurance? How to get back the airline cancellation fees? I am stuck in a place, where can I get an immediate personal or the travel loan? One can get the right answers and directions by relying on a virtual travel assistance. Most of the people are going through real financial problems. 

Over that, ATMs won’t be functioning; money exchange may not happen on time and one may not have a kith or a kin to help from an unexpected financial hiccup.

Travel management for an entire business is another virtual travel assistance  forte. Arranging travel requirements for a group of executives based on company policies, fixed budget and offering real time support can be expected from a professional VA.

Perhaps, when someone talks about a virtual travel assistance or a personal assistant, a cliché picture of a freelancer might come running to your mind. However, this is not the truth. If you hire a virtual travel assistance from a reliable agency like Ossisto , all of them are well qualified and  forms professionally successful teams dedicated to serve clients from various destinations.  They are self-directed, needs no supervision and they are always a call away.

Know more >>>

7 Benefits Of Travel Support On Your Business Trips

Functions of a Virtual Travel Assistant

A virtual assistant will help you arrange for your visa currency exchanges and transfers when you plan to visit abroad for professional or leisure trip. Arranging for visa, currency exchange and transfers can be a big hassle while going on an international location. A virtual travel assistant helps you in getting all this arranged with the help of his or her team or through his or her contacts making your trip comfortable and hassle free.

1. Help with web check-ins

A virtual assistant helps you in getting your web check in done. This will help you to go to the airport without any stress your hassle. So, if you take the help of virtual assistant in getting your web check in done a day before your departure towards your travel destination. This will help you remain stress free, and you can plan for other things as regards to your Virtual travel assistance plans or move around without any hassle at the airport before your departure towards your travel destination.

2. Reserve accommodations

A virtual assistant will help you reserve your accommodation to the best hotel which is possible for you as regards to the budget which you would have provided to him or her. You just need to reach your travel destination reach the hotel which has been booked for you and just check in into that hotel.

3. Find best deals on hotels and accommodation

A virtual assistant will help you find the best deals on hotels and accommodation in the area where you are planning to travel. You just need to provide them with the budget that you have as regards to hotel accommodation. It is their responsibility to find you the best hotel accordingly which suits your budget. They also look into the deals which the hotels are providing so that you remain in a good standard hotel without burning your pocket for it.

4. Ticket cancellations and alternate booking

A virtual assistant will help you find alternate bookings if you have to cancel your bookings in case of an emergency. They help you in regard to re booking of your trip as regards to your revised travel plan. They will help you get the best deals as regards to the revised travel plan which you have decided according to your present circumstances.

5. Find out travel insurance options

A team of virtual assistant, travel planning virtual assistant, virtual assistant for travel agent, virtual booking assistant, online booking assistant and virtual travel consultant will help you find the best travel insurance option which can be available for you while you are planning to travel. They look at the rates of various travel insurance options which can be available for you at the best rates according to your budget.

They also look at the type of insurances which could be required by you while you are Virtual travel assistance or at the destination where you are while on a holiday or on a business trip. This will help you to remain secure while you are on your business trip or enjoying your holiday in case of any emergency which comes up while you are at your trip.

6. Schedule business meetings

A team of virtual assistant, travel planning virtual assistant, virtual assistant for travel agent, virtual booking assistant, online booking assistant and virtual travel consultant will help you schedule your business meetings if you are planning to go on a business trip. They will help you schedule your business meetings as per your convenience and the convenience of the person who is planning to meet you on your business trip.

This is important as convenience of both the parties is needed as regards to having a successful business meeting which will help you have a fruitful and a successful business trip.

7. Answer calls while on travel

A virtual assistant can answer your calls while you are travelling as regards to something which comes up which is important as per your Virtual travel assistanceplans , business meetings or anything urgent which has come up while you are travelling and if they are certain changes which need to be done as regards to what all has come up after attending to the call then it is the job of the virtual travel assistant to make those changes and make sure that the travel plans go smoothly after making the required changes to the trip.

8. Send emails

A virtual assistant has to send emails to all the companies which they has contacted while making travel arrangements for your smooth travel experience. This is done so as to take confirmation of all the bookings which have been done for the required days when you are planning to travel. This is done to make sure that everything which was required to be done for the smooth travel experience has been done and the trip will go on smoothly.

9. Manage impromptu plans

A virtual assistant will help you manage your impromptu plans. These situations can come up when you have made a different plan as regards to your original travel plan due to an emergency or a change in mind of visiting a different place while you are on your trip. For example, you plan to visit a city nearby to the city you have gone for a holiday or a business trip as someone you have met while you are enjoying your trip suggested you go for it.

An example of this will be if you have planned a trip to Mumbai and while on that trip someone has suggested that you can also go to Pune for side seeing and you suddenly plan a trip to Pune. In that situation a travel virtual assistant will make impromptu bookings for you in a hotel which is in Pune. They will also make other arrangements which could be required by you while you are in Pune.

Virtual assistant will also make impromptu plans as regards to any emergency which can come up while you are on your trip. For example, your health deteriorates while on the trip or they are certain emergencies because of which you have to prepone or postpone your trip.

A virtual assistant will help you in such a situation they will help you in making your impromptu travel plans whenever it is required which will help you remain stress free during your trip.

10. Book personal care and services

A virtual assistant will help you book personal care and services which you will require while you are on your trip. The virtual travel assistant will check if the services which you need are at the hotel where you are planning to stay if that is available it is well and good but if they are not available then they will try and accommodate you in a hotel where all these facilities are available.

If these facilities are not available in any hotel, then they will look for places which are near your hotel where the facilities which you require are available. So that you enjoy your trip without any discomfort.

11. 24/7 information support and much more

A virtual assistant will help you give 24/7 information support and much more facilities some of which have been already mentioned in the article.

So basically A team of virtual travel assistant , travel planning virtual assistant , virtual assistant for travel agent , virtual booking assistant , online booking assistant and virtual travel consultant is always available for you whenever or wherever you require them to be at your service from the time you have planned your trip guiding you in your planning of the trip and also helping you perform all the other tasks mentioned in the blog above.

They are available for you even if you require them in any emergency or any change which has come up while you are at your trip. So, a team of virtual assistant, travel planning virtual assistant, virtual assistant for travel agent, virtual booking assistant, online booking assistant and virtual travel consultant are a source of constant support and guide for you from the starting to the ending of your trip.

Future of Virtual Assistance in Travel Planning

It is likely that people will use the services of a virtual assistant while planning their future holiday or business tours. This is because these virtual assistants make the life of their client really easy and stress free through the functions, they perform in planning their client’s tour. The support they provide in emergency situations while their client is on tour. So basically, they make the life of their client stress free while they are on tour.

They also take away a lot of stress out of the person before that person goes for his or her business tour. No matter how smart or a travelling enthusiast a person is. We cannot hide from the fact that tour planning involves a lot of hassle to the person   now let us see why it is a big hassle for a common person to plan a tour.

Why Tour Planning can be a Big Hassle for Common People

Tour planning can be a big hassle for common people as it involves a lot of activities like booking tickets of the mode of transport booking hotels, booking, cabs and also taking the tickets of the places you want to visit as a tourist. These things can take a lot of time and effort and you end up spending a lot more money than you had expected to spend on your tour. So, you end up spending a lot of time and money.

Even then you are not able to enjoy the trip as much as you had desired for. On the other hand, a virtual assistant can help you enjoy your trip as per your desires and in the budget, you had asked him or her to plan the trip. So, it is recommended that you leave the planning of your tour to the virtual assistant and look after the things which you can manage easily like the cloths you want to wear on the tour.

How to prepare for your business meeting or the activities which you plan to do on the tour. Be stress free and happy while you are on the tour. Let the stress be handled by your virtual assistant.

How to Choose the Right Virtual Travel Assistant

Once you have decided to hire a virtual assistant for your travel planning then you should also be knowing as to how to choose the right virtual assistant for your travel planning you need to keep the following things in mind before finalising your virtual assistant for your travel planning. The things which you need to keep in mind while you hire a virtual assistant for travel planning are the following. 

Experience You need to see how experienced your virtual assistant in tour is planning how many people has that person worked with and what are the reviews of the people they has served regarding the service provided by that person. 

Availability You need to know the availability of the virtual assistant whom you are planning to hire for your tour planning how much time can that person commit on your tour planning and how much support can that person provide while you are on your tour. Hire an assistant who has ample time for you while you are on tour as mentioned above you might require the assistance of your virtual assistant at any time while you are on tour.  

Budget Lastly you need to know your budget which you have kept for hiring the services of a virtual assistant for your tour management. Hire a person who is ready to help you by charging the amount which you had thought of paying while you had decided to hire a virtual assistant for your tour planning. 

Keeping the following things into account while deciding to hire a virtual assistant for your tour planning will greatly benefit you and they are high chances that you will be stress free during the tour and you will be able to enjoy to the fullest while you are on your tour.

Suggestions

Having a virtual assistant is a great way of planning your trip as that person has a lot of knowledge and experience of planning the trip of his or her clients as per their requirement. You still need to keep the followings things in mind while you are thinking of hiring a virtual travel assistant for helping you plan your trip which are. 

Your budget You also need to know your budget which you have allotted to pay a virtual travel assistant for his or her service if you do not have the budget to avail the services of a virtual travel assistant and you are in the habit of planning your travel plans on your own

 Then taking the services of a virtual travel assistant is of no use but yes if you just want to relax and leave the planning of your travel on to someone else and you afford to pay a virtual travel assistant Then you must avail their services as it has a lot of advantages as mentioned above.

Hiring a virtual assistant is a great idea if you want to have a great travelling experience without much of stress but you also need to keep a few things in mind while doing this. You need to share each and every detail of your travel plan to the travel virtual assistant or his or her team in order to get the best services which they can provide in order to make your trip memorable.

A  Personal Travel Assistant  is dedicated to managing all aspects of travel arrangements for individuals or organizations. They handle itinerary planning, flight and accommodation bookings, transportation arrangements, and travel documentation. Their expertise also extends to finding the best travel deals, providing destination advice, and ensuring a seamless travel experience. Additionally, they offer support with travel insurance, emergency assistance, and customer service, ensuring every trip is hassle-free and enjoyable.

You also need to have patience with the virtual assistant when you make impromptu travel plans as they may take time to get your impromptu booking done because of various other factors like non availability of tickets or they might be working on some other project. 

Gain additional knowledge about >>> Virtual Assistance Skills we use at Ossisto >>> Virtual Assistant Skills

1. Who is a virtual travel assistant

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, lu  A virtual travel assistant is a person who helps you plan your travel plans, executes the plans and is a person who is a constant guide to his or her client to when the client has planned the trip till the time the client has not returned home from his or her trip ctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

2. How do you become a virtual travel assistant

 Any graduate or a high school dropout can become a virtual travel assistant provided they has interest in the travel industry. You can look for jobs of a virtual assistant near the area you reside in. Take interest in the job try and take up as many projects as you can to gain experience. Post your achievements online to get noticed slowly and steadily you will be able to establish yourself as a virtual travel assistant

3. Who is eligible for virtual travel assistant

 Any graduate or high school dropout is eligible to become a virtual travel assistant. Provided that the person who wants to become a virtual travel, assistant is interested in that particular field. The person who wants to become a virtual travel assistant has to look for jobs in that field try and execute as many projects as possible while on the job post his or her achievements online to get noticed. Slowly and steadily the person will be able to establish himself or herself in that field

4. How can a virtual assistant help a travel agent

 A virtual assistant can help a travel agent by helping him or her know the best offers or deals on air tickets, or any transport from where the client wants to travel to his or her destination. They can also help him or her search for the best deals or offers on the hotels where the client is preferring to stay. A travel agent can hire a virtual travel assistant if They has too much work to do in the office and needs assistance in planning the trips of his or her clients

5. Benefits of hiring a virtual travel assistant

The benefits of hiring a virtual travel assistant are that you need not get into the hassle of planning your trip. You can get a planned trip and support throughout the duration of your trip. Its service will help you remain stress free during the duration of your trip.

6. Can virtual assistance help with travel

 Virtual assistance is very helpful while planning your travel. It helps you get the best deals for your travel within the budget you have allocated to spend on your travel. So, in simple words virtual assistance makes sure that your travel plans go on smoothly as possible

7. What are the key responsibilities of a virtual travel assistant in helping travellers plan their trips

 A virtual travel assistant has to make sure that his or her client has a hassle-free trip within the budget they have allocated to spend on their travel. They has to make sure that his or her client have a hassle experience while they are on tour and if the client any assistance from them during the planning of the tour and on tour, they should be ready to provide that to his or her client  

8. What software and tools are commonly used by virtual travel assistants to coordinate travel arrangements efficiently

Software’s and tools which are commonly used by virtual travel assistants to coordinate travel arrangements efficiently are the websites or apps which have the best deals to make sure that his or her client trip is arranged within the budget given to that person by the client and that trip is comfortable too. Some of the tools and software’s which can be used are google calendar, Signature, Ezus , Travel Perk and We travel 

9. What are the emerging trends in the virtual travel assistant industry and how do they impact the demand for these services in the travel sector

The emerging trend in the virtual travel assistant industry is that new apps are emerging every single day with really good offers for travellers to avail while travelling. A virtual travel assistant needs to be tech Savey to be successful in this field. They has to search on various websites or apps to get the best deals for his or her client.

Recent posts

Strategic Investment: Viewing web development Birmingham 

SEO Consultant in Newcastle – Maximize Your Presence

Top 10 Digital Marketing Companies in New Zealand

A Ultimate Guide to Accounting Business Services

2024 Guide to Top Advanced SEO Services & Techniques

Top 15 SEO Companies in Los Angeles 2024

Leading Website Development Companies in Manchester

Top benefits of Google Maps SEO services for Local Business

Discover the Top 15 Web Development Companies in Vancouver for 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Effective Custom Content Marketing

Start your free trial now, featured posts.

Future Trends in Legal Document Management for Businesses

Top 10 Toronto Web Development Companies You Must Check Out

Top 9 Content Marketing Companies in Portland

Top 10 Web Development Companies in California

Top 10 Providers for Search Engine Marketing in Denver

Mastering Small Business Marketing in Vancouver – Your Ultimate Guide

Essential Bookkeeping Services in Calgary for Small Business Success

Top 7 Search Engine Marketing Agencies in Vancouver

Brand Strategy Services To Drive Your Business Growth

15 Best Inventory Management Companies 

Sign up for two hours free trial.

Virtual Travel Assistant

• Save time and boost efficiency by 30%
• Cut costs and save up to 30%
• Increase productivity by 25%
• Enjoy personalized travel and real satisfaction

Hire a Virtual Travel Assistant for Stress-Free Travel Scheduling

A virtual assistant for travel planning , or virtual travel assistant, can take care of all travel management and planning for you and your team. This can include booking airline tickets, determining travel itineraries, making hotel-room reservations, and more.

What Is a Virtual Travel Assistant? 

A virtual or online travel assistant is a person who works remotely to help travelers with their travel activities and plans. These virtual assistants can assist with various tasks, such as booking flights, hotels, and rental cars, providing recommendations for destinations and activities, managing itineraries, and answering travel-related questions. 

The Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Travel Assistant 

Aristo Sourcing’s virtual travel assistant liberates entrepreneurs from travel hassles. Enjoy personalized itineraries for business or leisure while our dedicated assistants handle all arrangements. From finding optimal flights to suggesting hidden gems, we streamline your travel experience.

While you focus on conferences or well-deserved breaks, your Aristo Sourcing virtual assistant manages property, family arrangements, calls, and emails. Return to work with less on your plate and peace of mind. Plus, our transparent recruitment ensures your assistant works exclusively for you, and with our streamlined process, you get assistance promptly.

The Core Tasks of a Travel Assistant

The main tasks a virtual assistant can help you with are: 

• preparing a travel budget
• booking flights or train tickets
• organizing cab services at the destination
• rescheduling or even canceling flights
• reserving service apartments or Airbnb apartments
• making hotel reservations
• reserving cruise tickets
• sending out the travel plan reminders promptly
• making vacation planning
• managing the itinerary
• planning and scheduling meetings at the chosen destination.

How It Works

Step 1: Tell us your needs.

Step 2:  Receive an instant quote for your VA costs.

Step 3: Hire your VA 

We just saved you 3-6 weeks of your hiring process!

Hire Your Travel Assistant Today.

If you are a busy executive and want a hassle-free travel experience, you need a remote assistant to manage your travel planning. The help can range from researching destinations, planning your travel plan, booking your flights, booking accommodation and transport, to looking for the best deals based on your needs and specifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a remote travel assistant work.

A remote travel agent provides travel-related support and services to clients remotely, typically via phone, email, or online chat. They work as independent contractors or employees of a travel agency or a virtual assistant company. Usually, the personal travel planner and client communicate to discuss the client’s needs, preferences, and budget. The remote travel assistant then makes the necessary arrangements and provides the client with regular updates and confirmation of the bookings.

What does a travel assistant do?

A travel planning assistant is a professional who provides personalized assistance and support to individuals or groups during travel planning and booking. They help clients select travel destinations, find the best flight or accommodation deals, arrange transportation, create itineraries, and make reservations. They can also assist with visa applications and travel insurance and provide recommendations on activities and local attractions. A travel assistant makes the travel experience seamless, stress-free, and enjoyable for clients.

What is a travel desk?

A travel desk is a dedicated service desk or counter typically found in hotels, airports, and other travel-related establishments that assist travelers with various aspects of their trip. The travel desk staff can offer services such as booking flights, arranging transportation, providing maps and directions, making hotel reservations, suggesting local attractions and activities, and providing other information that could help the traveler plan and enjoy their trip. The travel desk can be an essential resource for travelers needing assistance or guidance, especially when visiting a new destination.

What does a virtual travel advisor do?

A virtual travel advisor, like a travel genie in your pocket, plans your dream vacation remotely. They consult with you via phone or online platforms to understand your travel desires, then craft itineraries with flights, accommodations, and activities that fit your budget and interests. They handle all the bookings and legwork, ensuring a smooth and unforgettable travel experience.

How can a virtual assistant help a travel agent?

A virtual assistant (VA) can be a travel agent’s super-powered sidekick, tackling administrative tasks and boosting client service. VAs can research destinations, compile itineraries, manage bookings and cancellations, and create marketing materials. This frees up the travel agent’s time to focus on consultations, building client relationships, and closing deals – all crucial for growing their business.

What does a virtual assistant usually do?

Virtual assistants are like remote personal assistants, handling various tasks to free up your schedule. This can include scheduling appointments, making calls, arranging travel, and managing your email. Some VAs offer specialized skills like graphic design, content creation, social media management, and bookkeeping.

Copyright © 2023 Aristo Sourcing

The Ultimate Outsourcing Guide:

Looking to Build a Remote Team?

Get FREE Consultation.

4 Ways AI Travel Assistants Can Save You Money on Your Next Vacation

W hether you’re planning a spring break trip or a summer vacation , travel season is upon us — but with inflation hitting Americans at every corner , budgeting for a vacation can be arduous.

Check Out: 8 Tips to Fly Business Class for the Price of Economy

Read Next: 5 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money

Indeed, 90% of Americans planning to travel for spring break said that price and affordability are top of mind, resulting in 77% of travelers saying they have not booked their trips yet, according to Hopper.

Enter artificial intelligence. AI, which makes — or aims to make — the way we live, shop and work easier, can now also help you save money on your next vacation.

Learn More: 9 American Travel Brands to Stay Away From

Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief.

Expedia and KAYAK Launch ChatGPT Plug-Ins

For instance, several travel sites, including Expedia and KAYAK, have launched ChatGPT plug-ins recently. Users can get recommendations on places to go, where to stay, how to get around, and what to see and do based on the chat.

“You’ll find AI embedded in most of the best-known travel booking engines today, so you might be using AI to help plan your trip without even realizing it,” said Brian Prince, founder and CEO of TopAITools.com .

For instance, Expedia uses a ChatGPT plug-in on the homepage of the app to provide travel recommendations. It will save hotels and attractions mentioned in the conversation to a trip, which you can then book in the app. Using one platform for research and booking helps streamline travel planning and save time.

And two-thirds — 64% of travelers — said they expect to use AI to research or plan travel in the future, or have already done so, according to a Matador Network survey. In addition, 16% said they had already used AI to help plan their travel — and a majority of those respondents said they used AI tools to save time planning (60%) and to find activities or attractions they wouldn’t have known about (70%).

“Budgeting is a huge part of travel. Very few people can move around the globe as if money was no object,” said Ross Borden, CEO of travel publisher Matador Network .

Matador Network also recently launched GuideGeek , a free OpenAI-powered travel assistant with budgeting in mind, said Borden.

Staying Within Your Travel Budget

According to Borden, GuideGeek can be completely customizable to the request of the user. For example, you can make an itinerary of any length and matching any budget for any location in the world.

“How often have you been looking at a hotel online that’s in your budget, but there’s an ad for another hotel that looks way better but costs twice as much?” asked Borden.

ChatGPT itself can offer basic money-saving tips for travel, even with a pretty simple prompt like, “What are some of the best tips to save money on travel?” said Prince.

Yet, Prince noted that when it comes to ChatGPT prompts, the more specific and detailed you can be, the better the output.

For instance, when Prince used the prompt, “I’m planning a trip to Paris in April. Can you tell me some tips to save money on food and tourist attractions?” ChatGPT offered specific and tangible advice, including a list of free attractions.

“I didn’t know you could get into the Louvre free after 6pm on the first Friday of every month (except in July and August)! Always make sure to fact-check the information from ChatGPT, as it may not be up-to-date or accurate,” he added.

Prince said he asked ChatGPT for ways to save money on checked baggage fees with Delta, “and it gave me some solid advice.”

Finding Flight Deals

AI travel tools can also help finding not only the cheapest flights, but flights with other options.

“We see a lot of users booking flights on GuideGeek because rather than a somewhat overwhelming array of flight options no sane person would take, if you put in your dates and destinations, GuideGeek immediately searches all available flights and provides three options: best, fastest and cheapest,” said Borden.

Prince added that Google Flights now uses AI to predict when you can get the best prices on tickets.

“Google Gemini integrates with Google Flights to access data, so you can plan your trip in Gemini and then book it easily, knowing you’re getting the best prices,” he said.

Brainstorming for Budget Travel

Using AI to get ideas and inspiration for your next trip is a great way to break out of your typical habits in booking destinations of which you’re already aware, said Borden.

“AI presents a more proactive option for travelers to find new destinations that fit within their budget, as opposed to scrolling on Instagram and hoping that the cool beach you just saw has somewhere affordable to stay nearby,” he said.

Asking for Cost-Saving Strategies

For instance, as you plan your trip, you can message back and forth with GuideGeek at no cost on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

“While lists of free activities exist online for a lot of destinations, using AI can help create a custom list generated around what you’re looking for. It would take quite a bit of time to research the same highly specific set of info on Google,” said Borden.

More From GOBankingRates

• The Single Best Thing To Buy at Aldi in March 2024
• 10 Cars That Outlast the Average Vehicle
• This is One of the Best Ways to Boost Your Retirement Savings in 2024
• 6 Things You Should Never Do With Your Tax Refund (Do This Instead)

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : 4 Ways AI Travel Assistants Can Save You Money on Your Next Vacation

• - Google Chrome

Intended for healthcare professionals

• Access provided by Google Indexer
• My email alerts
• BMA member login
• Username * Password * Forgot your log in details? Need to activate BMA Member Log In Log in via OpenAthens Log in via your institution

Search form

• Advanced search
• Search responses
• Search blogs
• News & Views
• Medical tourism...

Medical tourism facilitators walk a tightrope between ethics and business

• Related content
• Peer review
• Charu Bahri , freelance journalist
• Rajasthan, India
• charubahri{at}gmail.com

A new market of intermediary fixers for medical tourists say that they can lower the risks associated with seeking treatment overseas. Charu Bahri asks what these facilitators do—and who oversees them?

When Marie Gopaul,* a 71 year old Mauritian, needed a hip replacement she and her family had concerns about doing it locally. “Doctors told me that the outcomes of robotic hip replacement are the best,” says Marie’s son Louis.* “In Mauritius many hip replacement patients who are operated on conventionally struggle to walk postoperatively.”

Because robotic surgeries weren’t available in Mauritius the family decided to pay for Marie to have surgery abroad—becoming one of the hundreds of thousands of patients who choose to become medical tourists in a market projected to grow from US$24.14bn (£19bn; €22.24bn) in 2023 to $93.38bn by 2030. 1 They settled on India, and for assistance in choosing a doctor and a hospital Louis approached an online medical tourism facilitator recommended by his friends.

Medical tourism facilitators manage and coordinate all activities related to the care of patients and their treatments while travelling abroad, such as visa applications, hotel stays, and airport transfers, although patients normally pay separately for flights. 2 They function as intermediaries between medical tourists (some also work with domestic patients) and a wide network of hospitals.

Brokers or middlemen first emerged in the medical tourism market in India around 2010. They faced resistance from the leading Indian hospital chains, which tried to get them banned with assistance from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 3 But the intermediaries proved steadfast, and eventually India’s leading health standards body, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), officially recognised them under the title medical value travel facilitators.

The NABH introduced “empanelment,” 4 a form of accreditation where inspectors evaluate a facilitator’s services and grant empanelment status if they pass. But empanelment isn’t synonymous with regulation. There are still documented instances 5 6 of domestic patients filing a medical negligence complaint with the police or speaking out on social media against an empanelled facilitator. And, when treatments fail, the NABH has no role to play.

The absence of stricter regulation, as well as concerns over the veracity of information displayed on facilitators’ websites and whether they follow ethical guidelines, 7 has led some critics to warn that facilitators “highly emphasise benefits while downplaying the risks.” 8

Facilitators say that they help prospective patients understand their options. “It’s difficult to choose the right doctor when they all claim to be the best, especially when you don’t speak the local language,” says Louis, when asked why he didn’t approach a hospital directly. “What clinched it for me this time was the facilitator’s counsellor telling me that she would choose the same renowned orthopaedic doctor in Delhi for her own mother.”

Through facilitators patients can get access to treatment options at different price points, something a single hospital can’t deliver. Abhik Moitra, director at HBG Medical Assistance, a leading Indian facilitator, says, “We can offer a Whipple procedure [pancreaticoduodenectomy to remove cancerous tumours from the head of the pancreas] at $12 000 at a top hospital in a leading metro, or at $8000-$9000 in a smaller city.”

Facilitators in India have told The BMJ that they’re conscious of the hospitals they work with, preferring those accredited by the Joint Commission International and the NABH. They also look for hospitals that demonstrate a managerial commitment to international patients and those that have invested in cutting edge technology.

Beyond physical amenities, medical tourism facilitators can support patients’ more personal needs, such as language barriers and settling in. In emerging markets especially, they “ease exposure in unfamiliar settings by dealing with medical and tourism providers.” 9 Louis believes that medical tourists who don’t speak the local language “tend to get fleeced” without a service provider.

Benjamin Hunter, lecturer at the University of Glasgow and an expert on the global healthcare economy, says, “Desperate people, unfamiliar settings, and commercialised healthcare are a recipe for exploitation. Facilitators can ameliorate some of this—or exacerbate it.”

Critics argue that facilitatory service providers work within an absent or limited regulatory framework 10 that limits their responsibility if things go wrong. Treatment failures can burden the patient, as well as public health services in the patient’s home country. 11 For that reason the UK, among others, has drawn up guidelines for prospective medical tourists. 12

The UK’s NHS guidelines on going abroad for medical treatment 13 include a strong recommendation for patients to consider continuity of care and inquire about any compensation for negligence. This can vary by provider. Some Lithuanian hospitals, for instance, promise free further treatment if anything goes wrong, 14 whereas one Lithuanian private hospital, Nordorthopaedics, told The BMJ that only a part of the cost would be waived if the patient needed further intervention.

Likewise, using a facilitator in India doesn’t necessarily add any guarantees. Pankaj Chandna, cofounder of Vaidam.com, a leading facilitator in India, agrees that “a few patients need revision surgery” but says that his company “tries to support such patients as much as possible to alleviate their mental trauma and financial burden.”

Chandna’s company runs a programme called Vaidam Reconnect, “to stay in touch with patients and assign a case manager to those who need further assistance.” He says that recently a patient from Sierra Leone needed corrective surgery after an operation. “Our partner hospital waived the surgical fee and 70% of the medical charges,” says Chandna.

Heidi Kaspar of the Department of Health Professions at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland has introduced the notion of “therapeutic itineraries” in medical tourism because she sees medical journeys as “circular movements” rather than “singular and straightforward trips from A to B.”

“Numerous uncertainties [and] inadequate diagnostics at home complicate treatment abroad, prolong the stays of patients, and require family caregivers to return home in order to arrange funding or to organise absence at home,” she says. “On top of this, aftercare and unpredictable illness trajectories when back home lead to replicate journeys.”

Conflicts of interest

Perhaps the biggest concerns about facilitators are their fairness and competence 15 when choosing appropriate doctors and hospitals—and the possibility of pushing unnecessary treatment 16 that’s not in the best interest of patients, just to make a sale.

Facilitators The BMJ spoke to in India said that they don’t charge patients, but they do earn a facilitation fee or marketing fee from the hospitals that treat their referred patients. These payment arrangements differ by hospital. “Some agreements cover outpatient consultations, others only hospital admissions,” says Moitra. Some agreements extend to covering marketing expenses, including outreach programmes where medical value travel facilitators can help advertise hospitals open to private referrals by arranging consultation programmes in partner hospitals in target countries.

Such arrangements stem from the “cut system” in the Indian healthcare sector that the government has yet to legislate against. 17 18 Hunter says, “Opaque commissions breed mistrust, but ultimately facilitators are only one component in a bigger system, and exploitation is not unique to medical travel: the problem is profit driven healthcare.”

Other countries in the region have stricter rules to combat this. Asia’s leading medical tourism destination is Singapore, and its health ministry doesn’t allow doctors and hospitals to pay for referrals, says Nakul Singh, who represents Mount Elizabeth Hospital in India and manages India operations at IHH Healthcare’s Singapore division. Singaporean hospitals open representative offices in overseas target countries to counsel patients, he adds.

Last year around half a million medical tourists entered India, and the central government launched a campaign, Heal in India, to boost medical tourism. Prasanna Saligram, a public health researcher with the People’s Health Movement India, believes that the number isn’t yet high enough to push the government for further regulations, particularly as it “has so many larger issues to address.” He points to the disparity between the cost of healthcare in public and private hospitals.

“Our health sector regulatory framework is very weak,” he explains. “The Indian healthcare story is about ‘globalised’ and ‘marginalised’ patients. Private hospitals thrive on the globalised Indian, high net worth individuals, and medical tourists are just the cherry on top, while poorer people struggle to access healthcare.”

Facilitator driven outreach

Santosh Shetty is chief executive officer of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. His hospital is one that works with facilitators, whose services he appreciates when they work within an organised framework and in the patient’s best interests.

“Facilitators with a strong network and presence in the target geographies can help get the necessary licences and permissions for events and can guide local patients,” says Shetty. “Their offices can sometimes also serve as a local centre, which is very reassuring to patients and can overcome language barriers.”

He says that facilitators referred 20-25% of his hospital’s 2600 international patients in 2023. “While we have a dedicated international patient department, our global reach is amplified through credible facilitators,” says Shetty.

“Credible” is the key word. While Louis was appreciative of the facilitator’s team (one of 26 companies empanelled with the NABH 4 ) and the surgeon, he wasn’t blind to gaps in the service. “Our stay in a one star hotel left a lot to be desired,” he says. “I know you get what you pay for, but we could have been better guided on that front.”

In the hospital, says Louis, his mother had a long wait before the first consultation despite having an appointment, and he was charged 65 rupees (about 60p) for every cup of tea he ordered while his mother was in the intensive care unit. “When you’re paying more than double the cost of treatment in your home country you expect better service,” he says. (The hip replacement cost him $6500, which compares with $2500 at a private clinic in Mauritius.)

Nevertheless, the family got what they wanted: Marie had her surgery in January 2024. “The doctor delivered exactly as he had promised,” says Louis. “He had said that Mother would be walking independently a fortnight after being operated on, and she was.”

*Names of patients and their families have been changed.

Competing interests: I have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and have no relevant interests to declare.

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned; not externally peer reviewed.

• ↵ Fortune Business Insights. The global medical tourism market size is projected to grow from $24.14 billion in 2023 to $93.38 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 21.3% over the forecast period. Oct 2023. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/medical-tourism-market-100681
• ↵ National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. Medical value travel facilitator empanelment programme. https://nabh.co/medical-value-travel-facilitator-mvtf/
• ↵ National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. Certified MVTF. https://nabh.co/accreditedmvtf/
• ↵ Ahluwalia H. How Pristyn Care is misleading hospitals and patients. Morning Context 2024 Jan 17. https://themorningcontext.com/internet/how-pristyn-care-is-misleading-hospitals-and-patients
• ↵ Raghavan R. Inside the chaos at Pristyn Care. Mint 2023 Aug 31. https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/inside-the-chaos-at-pristyn-care-11693337299658.html
• Wright KB ,
• O’Connor M ,
• Wombacher K
• Hanefeld J ,
• Horsfall D ,
• ↵ NHS. Going abroad for medical treatment. Reviewed 13 Oct 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/going-abroad-for-treatment/going-abroad-for-medical-treatment/
• ↵ Das S, Ungoed-Thomas J. “It’s not medical tourism, it’s desperation”: rising number of Britons resort to treatment abroad. Guardian 2023 Jan 21. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/21/not-medical-tourism-desperation-britons-resort-treatment-abroad
• Crooks VA ,
• Kingsbury P ,
• ↵ Debroy S. 6 years on, bill against “cut practice” in medical sector back in spotlight. Times of India 2023 Apr 9. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/6-years-on-bill-against-cut-practice-in-medical-sector-back-in-spotlight/articleshow/99350484.cms
• ↵ Nagral S, Nundy S. We need to end “cut” practice in Indian healthcare. BMJ Opinion 2017 Jul 17. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2017/07/07/we-need-to-end-cut-practice-in-indian-healthcare/

Man behind Spain's 'Tourists Go Home' protests tracked down - and he promises summer of chaos

Javier, a 51-year-old carer, says he is amazed at the impact his video calling for action has had after it struck a nerve with locals fed-up of mass tourism and rampaging Brits in resorts like Magaluf

• 18:29, 7 Jun 2024

The leader of a protest group that rallied 25,000 islanders in Majorca to demonstrate against over-tourism has vowed the demos will go on throughout the summer.

Tourists were shocked by the march through the capital Palma last month. Angry protesters brandished banners demanding “Tourists Go Home”, after Javier Barbero had posted a “Not For Sale” video calling for action to stop the rising house prices caused by tourism.

The Mirror tracked Javier, a 51-year-old care worker, down to Sencelles, a town in the centre of Majorca. He said he had been stunned by the impact his video had, as it struck a nerve with locals fed-up of mass tourism and rampaging Brits in resorts like Magaluf.

Another demo is planned for June 16 in Palma, with plans being discussed for protests across the Balearic Islands – Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera – on July 21.

Javier warned the protests would not stop until action was taken to help local people. He told the Mirror: “We’re not going anywhere until we get what we want.

“If that means the economy will take a hit in the short term, I think it’s a price worth paying for the long-term future of the people who live here. Protests will continue until our demands are met.”

Protesters blame tourists for inflating property prices and driving up the cost of living. Another group, Mallorca Platja Tour, is calling on islanders to occupy beaches throughout the summer in protest at comments from a local politician who said Majorcans could not expect to go to beaches in July and August, as they did in the past, due to tourism.

Last week the group occupied a beach in Sa Rapita, and they plan to take over Caló des Moro on the same day as the next big protest in the capital. In the first protest in Palma, marchers chanted “Tourists go home” as they passed through the central square.

Banners used the colloquial Spanish word “guiri”, a mildly offensive term for northern European tourists, such as the British. One slogan translated as “Where you look they’re all guiris”. But Javier insisted the protests were not anti-tourist.

He said: “We are not anti-tourist, it would be a mistake to think so. But we do believe the mass tourism model is affecting us, both the lives of the people who live on the island and other areas. This model is not sustainable in any way.

“Environmentally, it is very damaging, it does not give us time to recover our landscapes, our sea, our geography because the tourist seasons increasingly cover more months of the year.”

The key issue for many was that most locals could not afford a house on the island, squeezed out by foreign rentals. He said: “I don’t plan to buy a house, simply because I can’t afford it. I am a worker earning an average salary.

“For example, the average rent for a property on this island is €1,700 a month (£1,433), the average salary of a worker in Spain is €1,550 (£1,316) a month. With these figures it is impossible to calculate the cost of buying a property in Majorca. Overcrowding is harmful both for the citizens and for the people who come to see us.

“What quality of tourism can we give to the people who come to see us if they find overcrowded beaches, roads collapsed, our Mediterranean waters invaded by boats, the presence of aeroplanes every two minutes, the arrival of uncontrolled cruise ships.

“No, this model of tourism is not what we want, neither for us nor for the people who come to visit us. We want them to continue coming to our island to see us and get to know us, based on sustainability, kindness and quality. We want there to be tourism of quality and not of quantity.”

Spanish government figures show tourist spending in the Balearics was €4.5billion (£3.82bn) over the first five months of 2023, with British tourists visiting Spain spending close to €17.2bn (£14.62bn) in total.

In Majorca, it has been estimated British holidaymakers spend €153 (£130) per day.

Britain is the second biggest market for tourism in Majorca, with more than 750,000 visiting each year, but there are worries the protests could put tourists off as we head into the school holidays. Some resorts have already reported being “unusually quiet” for this time of year.

And ABTA has warned the UK travel industry to take the protests against mass tourism in Majorca seriously. Spokesman Ben Lynam said: “Destinations have limits and tourism is only welcome when it respects these.”

British businessman Richie Prior, 57, boss of Pirates Adventure in Magaluf, has lived and worked in Majorca for 34 years. He said: “I see both sides of the story and feel for Majorcans. We just need to get everyone round the table and work on a solution because tourism is so important to us.”

Check out more of Daily Mirror's latest travel stories by signing up to our free weekly newsletter.

MORE ON Majorca Spain holidays

Can we send you the mirror travel newsletter with weekly travel news and inspiration.

Online Travel Companies See Surge in Sports Tourism in India – India Report

Bulbul Dhawan , Skift

June 3rd, 2024 at 11:00 PM EDT

Indian travelers are combining their love for sports with increased spending power to experience major sporting events live. To better understand the trend in sports tourism, Skift reached out to online travel companies - here's what they're seeing.

Bulbul Dhawan

The Skift India Newsletter is your go-to platform for all news related to travel, tourism, airlines, and hospitality in India.

Sports tourism is on a rise in India, with the country’s sports tourism market expected to be valued at nearly $53 billion in 2033, according to a report released by market research firm Future Market Insights last year. The firm expects the industry to grow at an annual rate of 17.1% from its valuation of $11 billion in 2023. 

Major sporting events, including the cricket T20 World Cup series, Wimbledon, and the 2024 Olympics are coming soon. These tournaments are popular among sport enthusiasts in India, and as the spending power of Indian travelers is increasing , there seems to be an increased interest in seeing them live.

Skift reached out to online travel companies to understand the trends that they are seeing:

Rajeev Kale – President and Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa at Thomas Cook (India) Limited: “Our consumer data trends for 2024 highlight a 40% surge in demand for big-ticket global sporting events. Topping the list is the cricket World Cup series, Wimbledon, the Olympics, and F1. We have received about 200 queries including confirmed group bookings for the anticipated India-Pakistan cricket match in New York.”

Kale said that these events play a key role in influencing travel decisions, with 23% of consumers taking them into account while choosing destinations. 

“What is truly encouraging is that Indians are clearly displaying a spend appetite for such sporting extravaganzas.”

Daniel D’Souza – President and Country Head at Holidays, SOTC Travel: Sports tourism is becoming a major driver for the Indian market, said D’Souza. “The demand is increasing by 20-35%. Live attendance is an exciting and desirable experience for Indian travelers, evident by their dominance in overseas ticket purchases for major sporting events such as cricket, Wimbledon and Australian Open in lawn tennis, and football.” 

D’Souza added that sports tourism used to be a niche market in India previously, but is now attracting a wider audience, including high net worth individuals and ultra high net worth individuals, families, and young Indians across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.

Santosh Kumar – Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com: “Indian sports fans are traveling the world to watch their favorite sporting events. According to our travel trends for 2024, 73% of Indian travelers are planning to travel internationally for sporting events this year. We are seeing this passion translating into real action with our accommodation search data revealing a rise in searches for host destinations.”

Kumar shared that London, Paris, and New York are among the top 10 most searched destinations by Indians – corresponding with events like Wimbledon Championships, Paris 2024 Olympics, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup respectively. 

TBO Tek Reports 35% Increase in Net Profit

Travel distribution platform TBO Tek has announced its financial results for the fiscal 2024. It reported a 35% increase in its net profit as well as a 31% growth in its revenue. 

TBO Tek co-founder Gaurav Bhatnagar said, “In the coming year, we will continue to invest in global market development, supply strengthening, and platform innovation. We will be looking for strategic inorganic opportunities as well.”

TBO Tek has recently launched its IPO following which it recorded a strong debut on the Indian stock exchanges . The company is planning to use its IPO funds for strategic acquisitions and investments, Bhatnagar told Skift in an interview .

Radisson Signs its First Hotel in Bihar 

Radisson Hotel Group has signed its first hotel in the Indian state of Bihar. The 120-key Radisson Hotel Patna is expected to open in 2026. 

“We are excited to achieve another milestone in our journey of expanding our presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions of the country,” said Radisson’s South Asia area senior vice president Nikhil Sharma. 

The company has been strategically focusing on Tier 1 as well as smaller markets in India for its growth across brands. It recently debuted its luxury lifestyle brand, Radisson Collection, in India . 

In an interview with Skift, Radisson executive vice president Elie Younes said, “India has seen significant economic growth over the past few decades, leading to an increase in disposable income and a growing appetite for luxury lifestyle experiences. We recognize the immense potential of this flourishing market.”

Royal Orchid Hotels’ Total Income Increases by 12%

Royal Orchid Hotels has announced that its total income in the fiscal 2024 increased by 12% as compared to fiscal 2023. Its profit after tax has seen a marginal increase of 3%. 

However, the company is gearing up for the next financial year, said chairman and managing director Chander K Baljee. “We are implementing key drivers for growth to demonstrate our vision for the future of Indian hospitality – by redefining brands, strengthening our management team, and bringing in new technologies and processes. Financial year 2025 is poised to be a  transformative year, setting the company up for the future,” he said. 

The company is planning to add 30-35 new properties with about 2,000 rooms in fiscal 2025 as part of its expansion plans across India.

Skift India Report

India is booming. Discover the subcontinent’s most important travel news here every Tuesday-Thursday.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: booking.com , domestic tourism , earnings , global tourism , hotel earnings , hotels , Paris 2024 Olympics , Paris Olympics , radisson , radisson hotel group , sports , sports tourism , thomas cook , tourism , Travel Trends , very online , world cup

Photo credit: Cricket World Cup series, Wimbledon, and the Olympics are around the corner. Juan Salamanca / Pexels