Contributed by: 
Kimberly Stirdivant Wason, Director of Travel Agency Partnerships, kimkim and member of The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program (PEP)
Holiday travel has a way of sneaking up on even the most seasoned travelers. It’s October, a great client calls wanting an unforgettable December getaway, and suddenly every hotel, experience, and destination you normally recommend appears to be sold out.
Before telling your client it’s too late, change the question. Instead of asking, “Is this trip still available?” ask, “What does my client really want from this trip?”
Here are five ways travel advisors can turn a seemingly impossible holiday request into a great itinerary.
1. Flex the destination—not the experience.
If the famous resort town or marquee destination is full, look nearby. A client seeking volcanoes, hot springs, and adventure in Costa Rica may be just as happy outside the best-known destinations. The goal is to preserve what they want to feel and do, even if the pin on the map changes.
2. Look beyond the obvious dates.
Sometimes moving a trip by even a week or two can open availability and improve pricing. If clients have flexibility, show them what they gain by traveling just outside the most compressed holiday window.
3. Replace the “must-see” with the “never-thought-of.”
Sold-out trips create an opportunity to introduce places clients might never have considered. Instead of Norway’s busiest winter hub, for example, a quieter base can still deliver snowy landscapes and northern lights—with a different experience altogether.
4. Build around the experience, not the destination name.
Ask whether your client wants to escape the holidays or embrace them. Do they picture sunshine and nature? Snow and winter magic? Food, markets, and tradition? Starting with the emotional goal dramatically expands your options.
5. Lean on people who know what you can’t see online.
Public inventory only tells part of the story. Local experts may know independent hotels, alternate regions, seasonal opportunities, or creative routing that isn’t obvious from a standard search. They can also help adjust plans when weather or availability changes.
The most important lesson? “Sold out” doesn’t always mean “no.” It may simply mean the original version of the trip isn’t available. A great advisor’s value is knowing how to uncover a different—and sometimes even better—version of “yes.”
