Billy Summers, owner of Trade Winds Travel, started the company in 2018 and has three travel agent, including him.
Trade Winds specializes in cruises, escorted tours, honeymoons and destination weddings and all-inclusive resorts. It’s also a Certified Disney Specialist.
The company is affiliated with Avoya Travel, a large nationwide travel company and part of the American Express Travel Network.
1. What’s the best thing about working in the travel industry?
I get to work with people that are planning something fun! I enjoy helping clients find the best trip at the best price.
The travel industry also provides great opportunities for my own travels. We get discounts and special trips so we can better service our clients.
2. Which COVID-19-related changes in travel do you think are here to stay?
Who knows what will happen in the long-term. But, for now, I think testing and vaccine requirements are here to stay, especially for cruising.
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Hopefully, things will improve enough to remove the mask mandate on public transportation. But everyone will be welcome to wear a mask if they wish.
The sanitization protocols are probably here to stay as well. This is good not just for COVID but for any other communicable diseases.
3. What tips do you have for someone who has stayed close to home during the pandemic but feels ready to venture out of the country?
Travel is relatively safe now, and countries are opening back up. ALWAYS check the official website for a country’s State Department (or equivalent) to see what travel requirements are – vaccination, testing, visas, etc. A good travel advisor can assist with that to make sure you have proper documentation.
The U.S. State Department also provides information on what countries are on their “do not go” list.
4. What documents and other items should I take with me when I travel?
You should have a passport anytime you travel out of the country. Sometimes, a birth certificate will suffice for a cruise, but if something should happen, and you need to fly home before the cruise is over, you must have a passport. Otherwise, you will have to remain on the ship until it gets back to the United States.
Make sure your passport is valid at least six months later than when you return to the US.
Make copies of your passport and keep it in your luggage and carry-on bags in case you lose yours. Also, have the phone numbers of your banks and credit-card companies in case you need to get in touch with them.
When traveling out of the U.S., take at least two different kinds of credit cards. Not all places accept all kinds of cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard).
Go to your bank and order foreign currency. Usually the exchange rate is better.
Most banks require $200 to re-exchange when you return, so I always get $200 more than I am taking and keep it at home. When I return, if I have 80 Euros, I can add it to the $200 I kept out and can exchange it. Otherwise, I would be stuck with 80 Euros.
Make sure you contact your banks and credit card companies to let them know of your travels. Sometimes they may put a hold on your accounts if they see activity in foreign countries unless you’ve notified them in advance.
5. What was your all-time favorite trip and why?
There have been so many! But it would probably be a 10-day trip to Kenya in December 2020. That was my first (and hopefully not last) trip to Africa.
Words and pictures cannot describe that trip. I’d seen all these animals before, but never in their natural habitat. We had lions walk less than three feet from our safari jeep. I went up in a hot air balloon over the Maasai Mara, straddled the equator and experienced so many more things.
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