Zoom Travel Party

 

    Have you attended a Zoom Travel Party yet? Did you know that travel is a 10 million dollar industry in the U.S.? Hmmm...well, I guess it used to be before the pandemic. My sister and I were recently invited to attend a Zoom Party for our cousin’s new Travel Agency. I was looking forward to seeing my sister, aunt, and two cousins at the big event. The Facebook invitation promised games and prizes. I even washed my hair for the party. 

After figuring out how to get on Zoom, I was ready! There were a few other new Travel Agents there too with their friends and family too. We started with a game to guess the names of songs followed by a Travel Trivia Quiz. Guess who won the quiz? Me! My sister said I have visited more countries than anyone else at the party. That is probably true. My mystery travel prize is in the mail.

The party quickly turned into a sales meeting with a company video featuring big trophies. Then we learned about travel school online courses you take to become certified. My favorite course is titled the “College of Disney Knowledge.” Upon completion, you earn one free ticket to Disneyland yearly if you are an active travel agent. My cousin was introduced as the newest travel student after attending a Zoom Party only a week ago. She proudly showed us her new business cards. Then we watched the demo of the commissions that agents can make on travel reservations. The most lucrative trips are all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Cancun. Also, cruise ships are popular and their top destination is Alaska. The second U.S. top hot spot is the state of Florida. One of the most visited international destinations is Cancun, Mexico. I’ve never even been to Mexico. Everyone I know who goes there gets food poisoning. I also learned that 40% of millennials will travel next year. I wonder if these percentages were projected before the pandemic. Most millennials can’t even afford a down payment on a home. How do they have time or money to travel?

A few more fun facts from the party: new students pay $200 first to join the travel company. They receive a $50 paycheck weekly in addition to their commissions. However, agents aren’t paid until the trip is over and some commissions can take up to a year to receive. Did you know that Baby Boomers take 4-5 trips yearly and spend over $7000 on travel? This fact may be outdated because there aren’t too many safe places for travel now and most people are saving money. Who knows if travel will ever be the same again?

Two hours later, the Travel Party ended. I learned some travel info, won a prize, and saw my long lost relatives that I wish I could have talked to more. Anyway, I guess we’ll have to have our own family Zoom Party so we can catch up with each other.  BTW, I got a text message after the party from the host wanting to discuss the training program further by phone. I texted back a polite no, thank you. I wonder how many of the partiers will sign up for this new job opportunity. I think I will pass...bah humbug. I’ll just become a recluse until I get my COVID19 vaccine and things return to the new normal.