CLEVELAND — Laura Holcomb’s lifelong passion for travel inspired her to start her travel agency, Memories and Moments, 15 years ago.
“More of the internet was being used and more people were struggling with that,” she said. “They were having issues when they had problems. They didn’t know who to call or they couldn’t find the right resource for their family.”
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the agency as people traveled less and stayed closer to home.
“When everything started closing, our agency lost almost $3 million worth of travel in 70 minutes, and through that, our team stayed focused,” she said.
She said more people are ready to travel again.
“Some people just don’t care what the cost is,” she said. “They’re going. They’re ready to go, so they’re going. The other thing is that some people have just saved up because they haven’t traveled for a few years.”
She said once the pandemic eased up, more people took to driving because they felt it would be easier to change their plans and because many weren’t comfortable yet taking a plane.
“Now, with the inflation, honestly, people are now really switching over from driving, going to flights, even though the flights are more expensive,” she said. “I think they kind of figure if we have to pay that amount, we will get there faster and a little bit more convenient.”
The Consumer Price Index reports the price of gasoline increased 6.6% in February after falling 0.8% in January.
“They’re not sure what the rates are going to be for gas as they travel along,” she said. “So many people are just deciding we understand that the cost of travel is on the rise right now. So, if we’re going to pay more, I’m going to turn over the driving and the transportation to somebody else.”
She said it’s important to know your vacation interests, find a travel professional and be open to protocols changing, she said.
“This world will always change,” she said. “Life will always change, and sometimes we just have to roll with that and we shouldn’t be giving up. It’s my opinion. We shouldn’t be giving up everything that we love to do.”
To learn more about Memories and Moments, visit their website.
