With the COVID-19 pandemic derailing everybody’s travel plans, businesses in the travel industry have taken a big hit to their finances, and face an uncertain, if not seemingly hopeless future.
Travelpreneur Isabella Garofanelli, however, remains optimistic about the fate of the travel industry. As a seasoned traveler and one of the few solo female content creator in the luxury travel space, she found lessons from her own experiences roaming the world that help her pull through the current crisis.
“What I’ve learned in my years as a solo female luxury traveler is this: When things don’t go as planned, it only means that the adventure has just begun,” Isabella shared.
Isabella herself is among hundreds of millions of people who have suffered significant losses after worldwide lockdowns caused tourism and other declared nonessential businesses to screech to a halt.
The pandemic’s impact on travel doesn’t affect the tourism industry alone, she adds. “Count in the millions more in peripheral industries such as dining, arts, wellness, and outdoor activities, and you can see a clear picture of the devastation caused by the pandemic on the global luxury travel ecosystem and the lives of people in it.”
Travel is in Isabella’s DNA. The daughter of a hotelier and a restaurateur, she grew up in The Bahamas and was exposed to the workings of the industry at a young age. She’s also worked as a travel agent before doing all the traveling herself. So as a traveler, she has had the chance to see it from different perspectives.
Now that countries are slowly taking steps to revive their travel and tourism industry, Isabella believes there is an even bigger call for responsible travel. “While the industry is practically on pause, I believe this is a great opportunity for everyone to rethink our approach, and consider how we can all travel responsibly,” she said.
As her contribution to rebuild and revitalize the travel community which she loves, Isabella aims to share her expertise with both travelers and content creators like herself on how to responsibly navigate the current as well as the post-pandemic luxury travel space.
Setting aside her passport for the time being, Isabella has chosen to go on a journey at home as a creative director, brand strategist, and digital marketing coach.
“I want to help other travel content creators and travelpreneurs thrive even while the industry is on pause, by sharing my tried-and-tested business methods and processes,” she shared.
Isabella is launching her entrepretour program, a five-day fun-filled and educational session that aims to prepare businesses for career challenges as a professional in the travel and social media industry, and how to overcome them post-pandemic.
“My experiences as a solo female luxury traveler taught me how to adapt and continue with my adventure, and sometimes that means taking a detour,” she said. “While the conditions around traveling may change, we can always count on the fact that there will always be travel.”