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an independent travel agent with Escapes.ca
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS
I'd like to meet - where is your store?
I am a home based business as an independent contractors with Escapes.ca, meaning I don't have a brick and mortar type of store.
Do we have to meet in person to book my vacation?
No! In fact I do most of my work via email and phone calls.
I am able to meet in person if you live in the Edmonton area (Alberta, Canada) if that's what you'd really like.
What are your hours?
My schedule is flexible and ever changing. If you're looking to book a phone call my link in the footer of the website below shows my availability for the next two weeks.
I typically monitor my inbox from 10am to 5pm MST daily, even if I'm out of the office.
I am able to do evening and weekend phone call appointments by request. Email me to discuss.
What is your preferred method of contact?
Whatever works best for you.
Typically, emails get the fastest responses, so if you are contacting me initially, an email over a phone call might work better in your favour.
If you are in destination, Whatsapp is best.
How long does it take to hear back from you if I send a message?
My standard is to reply within 24 hours, though I sure do make every effort possible to reply sooner.
If you've messaged me at any point and feel you should have heard back, be sure to check your junk/spam folders and if a Gmail user, your promotions or social tabs. Clients have informed me that sometimes my emails, even if we've already been emailing on an ongoing basis, have wound up in their non-inbox folders.
If you call me and do not leave me a voice mail or follow up with an email I will not call you back. PLEASE leave a voice mail or follow up email. Because my numbers are out there and public I get a lot of spam calls, so usually won't pick up if I don't recognize the number.
Where did you do your training?
Being a Travel Professional means I am constantly learning. I've done training through my host agencies over the years, but I also seek out and complete the trainings provided by suppliers - many of them offer training courses. I also attend in person training and events when I'm able.
Examples (but not an exhaustive list) of supplier training I've done includes Disney College of Knowledge, AIC's wedding specialist and Southeast Asian wedding specialist programs, Hyatt Inclusive, Uniworld, G Adventures, Princess Cruises, Marriott Hotels, AmaWaterways, Visit Orlando and Xcaret.
I am also TICO certified for my Ontario clients.
I have also done EXTENSIVE on site learning in Mexico and the Dominican at all inclusive resorts through brand training and through agency or personal trips with lots of site inspections.
Why is there a Pride Flag with pronouns listed?
It's to symbolize that what I offer is inclusive and accessible.
I have been involved in Sexual Diversity trainings as well as heavily involved in a report on LGBTQ2S+ topics through my previous full time job. People who identify as trans, or who are non-binary in their gender identity or expression, often have to fight for people to accept their identity, including people refusing to call them by their preferred name or outright refusing to use their chosen pronouns.
By providing my own pronouns, in addition to my Expression of Inclusion, I feel I'm able to ensure that people who identify as LGBTQ2S+, no matter how they identify, know that I will be respectful of their identity.
That said, I am an ally and don't identify as LGBT+ myself - so if you find wording on my website or materials that you feel could be better, please let me know!
Dorina Brown Travel's Expression of Inclusion is all about being a business that is safe for all people.
I have an idea that's a bit more custom. Are you able to arrange that for us?
Yes! If you're looking for a little more customization and a little less pre-packaged, we should definitely chat.
I'm looking for help with a group booking. Do you do that?
For sure! No matter your group size, We'll work together to plan and arrange all of your trip needs.
I have extensive experience with Destination Weddings with a specialization in Destination Weddings at all inclusive resorts.
I do both "bonded" and "fused" groups.
Bonded groups are pre-existing groups that wish to travel together for a purpose - schools, sports clubs, music groups, knitting circles, family reunions, destination weddings, etc.
Fused groups are hosted by a leader and they promote and work to fuse a group together to unite under a common purpose. Fused groups are great for fundraising and business expansion. If you have a trip idea and are interested in finding out more about hosting a fused group, I'd love to hear from you.
See the "Groups" tab for more information or the Group FAQ's below.
Do you only help groups?
No - I am not exclusively group focused. I am open to helping guests doing individual or custom trips as well, though my ability to take on those trips depends on my group workload. If you want to work with me reach out and we can discuss what you're looking to do and I'll be able to tell you if it's something I'm able to take on. If not, I can recommend another agent with Escapes who might have the capacity.
Is there anything you won't help me book.
Basically, anything with a travel advisory by the Government of Canada that is listed as "Avoid non-essential travel" is likely not something I will be willing to book for you due to the high degree of risk for you involved.
If the advisory says "Avoid non-essential travel (with regional advisories)" I will not assist you with travel into the regions with a heightened travel advisory in place.
To quote the Government of Canada, the decision to travel is your choice. However, if I feel you are choosing a location that will put you at great risk, I will respectfully decline to assist you.
I also won't book excursions or tours that I think might hurt or harm the location you're traveling to. Whether it leaves a large negative footprint on the environment or economy or perhaps supports the abuse of animals (such as swimming with dolphins or riding Thai elephants) - I want to ensure that your travel is authentic and sustainable.
Will you help me plan a vacation around a central theme?
I for sure will! Are you Lutheran and want to do a Luther Country visit? Perhaps you're looking to visit the highlights of the Ottoman Empire? Maybe you want to visit a number of filming locations for your favourite show or movie? Sounds quirky and creative and that's right up my alley!
Group Specific questions
How many people make up a group?
Group rates often start at 10 people, though it does vary from supplier to supplier.
I saw I can travel for free? Is that for real?
Absolutely!!!
There are a variety of ways you can travel for free and we'd be happy to chat about those options with you when we meet.
Do you accompany trips?
If you'd like me to escort your trip and serve as the on site liaison with suppliers, we can definitely talk about that. However if you don't want me there, it's not required.
Do you charge a fee?
Sometimes. After our initial conversation where we talk about your wants and needs and together we build an idea of the type of trip you're looking for, I'll be able to better assess if there's a fee involved. If so, we then build the fee into the per person trip cost so that you'll be reimbursed. We typically waive fees for hosts and when minors are involved we typically offer reduced fees. Fused groups that are done in a more collaborative arrangement or is a venture that I've pitched to you - there is no service fee.
The purpose of the fee is largely to protect my time. I love discussing ideas with you or answering your questions about how groups work and what processes might look like, but when it comes to digging in to start doing the real work of researching, contacting suppliers, getting quotes - I want to ensure that I still get paid for the work that I do.
Will we sign a contract?
Absolutely, because it helps protect everyone involved. However, we'll discuss the key policies and then if you have any questions or requests, we can discuss modifications before signing.
I'm thinking of a trip, how far in advance should I contact you?"
Bonded Groups can often get away with shorter timelines than Fused Groups, because you already know who your travelers are going to be and often, have an idea of why you are traveling or where you are traveling to.
For Bonded Groups, we recommend at least 4-6 months in advance for trips out of province. If you wait any longer, you run the risk of finding yourself facing higher flight prices and reduced hotel availability.
For Fused Groups, we recommend approximately 6-18 months in advance. Fused Groups tend to be much more of a "build from scratch" scenario where we explore different trip types, destinations, and figure out who your ideal traveler is going to be. That can take a while to sort through.
You of course are welcome to call us any time, but the less buffer time between your call and the departure date, the higher service fees run and you may risk finding a lack of availability for your dates.
I'd love to host a Fused Group. Are there things I should consider?
Anyone can host, which is an awesome thing about groups. However, just because anyone can that does not mean everyone should.
Some really important things to consider:
Do I have a brand/identity?
Aligning your trip to your brand often helps provide focus to your trip. And if you already have a brand that people identify, it helps your marketing.
Do I have a strong network?
Whether that means clients, Patreon or Social Media Subscribers, or even a strong personal network with work or friends, you need people to market your trip to. And if you can sell to folks who are in your network, know you, your brand and are invested in you as a business or personality, your trip will sell easier.
Am I prepared to be in charge of a marketing campaign?
Fused Groups require marketing. So consider if you're willing to take that on and consider the cost associated with such an endeavour. We can build a budget into the per person trip cost to help fund marketing, but it still requires time and energy.
Under the groups tab you'll see a link to download our groups brochure - it provides a little more information to help you learn more.
I'd love to host a Fused Group, but not sure I can do it on my own. Can I partner with someone?"
Definitely!
For example, you have a book club that would like to go on a trip, but there's only 7 of you and you're not sure you could handle the requirements of hosting solo. So why not reach out to your favourite local bookstore and build a partnership with them to help bring in some more travelers and assist with spreading the word.
Or maybe you're a bakery that would like to take folks to France to learn some baking skills, so you could partner with another local bakery and host together.
We can talk about how that could look when you call for your specific ideas.
Can I make money on a Group Trip?
Depends.
Bonded Groups tend not to make Hosts money. Consider this - you're a soccer coach taking your team to watch Manchester United in London. Are you going to mark up your trip so your players pay more so you can make money beyond covering your travel expenses? Ethically, ill advised.
Fused Groups however can be a great business investment or even fundraiser though as you are providing an experience to your clients or subscribers. We can talk more about how making money on a Fused Group could look when we meet.
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