A Personal Message from Todd Smith of AdventureSmith Explorations

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Released on Tuesday, 24 March 2020 12:13

Dear Friends and Travelers,
 
Poet Walt Whitman penned great advice for uncertain times such as these. He wrote: “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
 
My team and I at AdventureSmith Explorations are putting this sage advice into practice. While our whole-hearted support goes out to those most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, we gain strength by focusing on the splendors of our Earth and how nature continues to inspire, soothe and heal us. Knowing that, when this is over, we will need nature more than ever.
 
During times like these, we are proud to be your trusted travel advisor. Albeit needing to adjust some of our office operations for remote work, AdventureSmith Explorations remains fully operational and here for our travelers. My staff and I continue to work closely with each of our current and prospective travelers to craft the best journey and be your most up-to-date connection and resource when events out of our control arise.
 
Writing to you like this is bittersweet as this month I was once again named a Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist for expedition ship cruising and had originally hoped this news would headline this letter. Instead, we are faced with added logistics and communications as travel shifts around the globe. But working with clients to solve complex travel challenges has always been at the core of our business, and why I’ve received this Condé Nast designation now seven times. Our team and our curated expedition cruises and wilderness adventures stand the many tests of time.
 
Rest assured the AdventureSmith Explorations staff has been in daily contact with our ground operators, small ships, wilderness lodges and industry organizations worldwide to ensure we can provide the most up-to-date travel reports and options, a glimpse of which can be found on our Coronavirus Information for AdventureSmith Travelers page. With the international situation changing daily, here’s what we are currently advising our clients to consider: 

• Use us as your greatest ally.  AdventureSmith has strong, longtime relationships with our partners and thus more sway to be an advocate for your situation. We are better able to help you navigate through the options for changing your trip plans and can offer our advice from dealing with past trip alterations and crises. We also have in-depth insight from our close contacts in each destination. All of this combined can assist you in making a final decision about your present and future travel plans. 
• Wait (if possible) to best “time” your travel decision.  Airlines, operators and even entire countries are updating their policies by the day. If your travel timeline has flexibility and you can wait to adjust your itinerary, we advise deferring your decision to ensure you have the most up-to-date information and rebooking terms if needed. 
• The benefits of a small, sustainable ship are multiple.  We represent a select portfolio of small ships that, depending on the destination, range from an average of 20 to 100 guests and have flexible itineraries. The size of these expedition ships means that crews and passengers will benefit from the reality that they are not surrounded by hundreds and thousands of other travelers in port or on-board, and many of our ships are available to charter with your own small group. Our wilderness lodges are also rooted in their environment, often run in partnership with the local community. 
• We can help with your peace of mind.  As trusted advisors, our team can discuss the wide variety of booking options and trip terms & conditions. Booking a trip, deciding on travel insurance and adjusting any current travel plans are all made easier and with peace of mind through our personalized customer service. We know that the excitement and anticipation of travel can be as rewarding as the journey, so we are encouraging travelers to draw upon the strength of that feeling now. 
• Curate that bucket list & when you're ready, we'll be here.  While much travel over the next month is clearly disrupted, know that travel operators worldwide are working to flatten the curve now to avoid any prolonged period of turmoil. And rest assured that our operations team is forging ahead to ensure we have the best travel options for 2020 and 2021 available for you on our website. We are continuing our passion for world travel in these uncertain months by researching our destinations, beefing up our resources for our travelers, supporting our partners and remaining the company that you can trust. 

Together, our world will get through this. I remain optimistic that we are all on the right track to minimize the disruption and impact of COVID-19 if we all continue to take our responsibility seriously. Join me in continuing to look for the sunshine and toward that time in the not-so-distant future when we can resume our normal lives and fulfill our travel dreams.
 
Respectfully yours,
 


 

Todd Smith
Founder and President
AdventureSmith Explorations
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
866-575-2875
 
P.S.  I am available via my contact information above. Love to hear from you! Thanks.