January 16, 2021
Bob Older, president of Creative Travel Inc., has announced the formation of First State Travel Professionals Alliance, a nonprofit membership organization of local agencies, agents and vendors that support them.
In 2020, travel has been one of the industries most affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic. While many business sectors have endured massive losses, travel agencies across the country and in Delaware are expected to lose 18-24 months’ worth of income.
The State of Delaware did not recognize the travel industry as disproportionately affected and thereby eligible for state-based relief. Many travel agency owners disagree with the decision that a loss of over 100 employees statewide was not enough to qualify for relief funds, since it was largely based on misinformation that travel agents operated on a 25 percent profit margin instead of an actual 8-15 percent. Those owners also contend that travel industry losses in Delaware were not an insignificant