ActiveTravels

I just read an article in the New York Times called Technology In a Self-​Serve World, Start-​Ups Find Value in Human Helpers. Afterwards, I felt called to update my review write about a local business whose services I use, enjoy, and feel are valuable. I think in our world of high tech, we all need services that have a personal touch. Look at the trends – companies like Stitchfix are thriving because people want to feel someone cares about them, knows them, and takes their interests, concerns, and personalities into account. (Stitchfix has stylists that learn about you and send you clothes, going after a niche market of busy women that don’t want to spend time in stores. I haven’t used Stitchfix so I can’t recommend them personally, though I know people who have. What this points to is the trending of #Convenience. I ordered cardigans for my mom and I and it came with a beautiful handwritten note, heck even my new mattress from Casper came with a handwritten note «sleep deep.» It is very nice but easy to do, but that is not building a relationship, it is a one time gesture from a cutesy marketing team. The difference behind Active Travels is the genuine caring and service tailored to you. They don’t eschew technology, they blend it with their own knowledge and scores of travel writers and agents. When I went to Asheville last year, I got 10 pages from Steve about things to do and where to eat, and even to definitely order the squid ink pasta at Curate, and brunch at Biscuit Head and Sunny Point Café in West Asheville. This is part of why I use and recommend Active Travels, run by travel writer Steve Jermanok and his wife Lisa Leavitt who is an agent. Both are well traveled and have friends and contacts all over the globe, and better yet, they are locally based in Newton, but can be contacted from anywhere. Beyond convenience, I really feel people need more handholding than ever in these troubled times. We need to be cared for. A search engine may be efficient, but it doesn’t care about you. Lisa & Steve will. Steve once joked to me that someone said to him «Why open a travel agency? You might as well become a cobbler.» Well, I actually use my cobbler a lot – another local place to recommend – The Soleman in Waban, Ma. Read about them all on Unilocal