cheryl
Administrator
Staff member
Want to improve your ‘travel literacy’? Here’s how - Twin Cities Pioneer Press
How do I know our collective travel literacy is lacking? I run a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that helps travelers every day. This summer, our caseload spiked to levels I’ve never seen. I’m talking hundreds of complaints a week and, often, more.
Most were the result of simple travel misunderstandings — people who wanted refunds on nonrefundable airline tickets or to be let off the hook for damage to their rental cars. No, Americans aren’t the world’s savviest travelers. Less than half of us even have passports.
Travel literacy falls into two broad categories: understanding how the travel industry works, with its often arcane rules and restrictions; and being aware of other cultures and customs. One is easy to overcome; the other isn’t.
How do I know our collective travel literacy is lacking? I run a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that helps travelers every day. This summer, our caseload spiked to levels I’ve never seen. I’m talking hundreds of complaints a week and, often, more.
Most were the result of simple travel misunderstandings — people who wanted refunds on nonrefundable airline tickets or to be let off the hook for damage to their rental cars. No, Americans aren’t the world’s savviest travelers. Less than half of us even have passports.
Travel literacy falls into two broad categories: understanding how the travel industry works, with its often arcane rules and restrictions; and being aware of other cultures and customs. One is easy to overcome; the other isn’t.