Happy National Plan for Vacation Day! Not ready to plan your trips for the year yet? We know a few people who are ready to help…
National Plan for Vacation Day is always on the final Tuesday of January and encourages Americans to plan their vacations at the beginning of the year instead of waiting until the last minute (or forgetting entirely). Over the last 40 years, Americans specifically have been taking less vacations, but taking time off to recharge is essential for being your best self and doing your best work all year round.
“But travel planning is time consuming on its own! And I don’t even know where I would start!”
That’s where we come in to save the day and your 2025 vacations! Today we’re sharing our secret weapon (and soon to be yours) for Travel Planning so that you can plan any time of year.
Pick Your Travel “Pain Points”
Similar to how we ask our clients to pick their pain points when getting set up with an assistant—pick your Travel Pain Points! These are the things that keep you from wanting to travel in the first place, the little headaches that turn a vacation into a stressor (which totally defeats the point!). Because effective travel planning includes research, price comparison, booking flights, hotels, car rentals, and more—its important to give your assistant specific guidelines so that they plan everything to your standards and ensure that you have headache-free travel days and your perfect vacation.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s how we suggest your Virtual Assistant can help:
1. Trip research
Not sure where you want to go or what you want to do when you get there? Give your VA a few options and have them research what each destination has to offer! They can even help you create an appropriate packing list based on the length of your trip, the activities you’re planning, and the expected weather.
2. Price comparison (and savings!!)
Have your assistant search across travel sites to ensure that you’re getting the best price. They can find the best time of year for you to travel based on your desired destination and the general cost of tickets, saving you money in the process!
3. Streamline all booking
Depending on the kind of trip you’re taking, you might need to book a whole list of things. From flights, lodging, transportation (whether that’s car rental, scheduling ride-share or buying public transportation passes), dinner reservations, and even tickets to shows or attractions. Let your VA know what needs to get booked and let they’ll handle it all!
4. Create your itinerary (and keep it updated)
Whether you prefer to go with nothing on a schedule or have a full day entirely written out. Your VA can prepare an itinerary or synch any plans you’ve made into your calendar.
5. Real-time problem solving from afar
Looking like you might have a flight cancelled or delayed due to weather concerns? Work with your VA to tackle any flight changes or delays from afar. They can also manage any issues you might run into with your hotel or lodging. What happens if you need to change course while you’re in the middle of a trip? Have your VA handle it!
6. Hand off your day-to-day business tasks
The best part of it all is once you’re offline, your Virtual Assistant can take over any business tasks while you’re away, giving you an entirely worry-free vacation. From general communication to social media management. But don’t take it from us:
“My MOD Assistant covered my business for two weeks while I went on vacation. I hadn’t been able to go on a vacation for 14 years. It was wonderful to be able to know everything was taken care of.”
So on this National Plan for Vacation Day we hope you take the time to plan your very deserved vacations in the year to come. And that you utilize the help of a virtual assistant in the process. Don’t have one, but want to know more? ⬇️
