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How Are Professional Travellers Different from an Ordinary Travellers?

Ever wondered what the difference between ordinary and professional travellers is?

In this article I will highlight a few roles where the job involves travelling – it’s the focus of the job, as opposed to someone who has to travel as part of their work.

Read on to find out more.

Links You Might Find Helpful:
Find Out About My Professional Travel Experience
What It’s Like to Be a Tour Manager
Overseas Jobs with Jobs Abroad

Definition Of Professional Travellers, Business Travellers and Ordinary Travellers

How Are Professional Travellers Different from Ordinary Travellers?

Professional travellers travel because that’s the purpose of their job. For example tour managers, flight crew, and cruise ship crew. Ordinary travellers my undertake business related travel and also travel for holidays and leisure purposes.

Professional Travellers

A professional traveller is someone whose purpose for travelling is to work. Their job is to travel.

They may be accompanying groups on tours as tour managers. They may be keeping passengers safe and happy on planes as flight crew.

They may be a travel blogger that is paid to review and report on a destination or experience.

Professional Travellers

Business Travellers

A business traveller is someone who travels to carry out their job in other places. This could be because they have particular skills and experience for example. They might be involved in construction projects overseas for example. They could be consultants, public speakers, trainers etc.

They may do a great deal of travelling but the reason they travel is to carry out their job somewhere else. Travelling is not the purpose of their job.

Professional Travellers

Ordinary Travellers

An ordinary traveller is someone who travels for leisure purposes. They may plan their own trips according to their interests and preferences. Their travel plans are usually more flexible and based on personal choices rather than work obligations.

They could also be people who travel for work purposes. They are travelling somewhere to do their job – travelling is not their job.

Here are 6 differences between professional travellers and ordinary travellers.

professional travellers post
View from a hotel in Riga when travelling with a group there

1. Professional Travellers Usually Have a Planned Itinerary

Flight crew, cruise ship personnel and tour managers all have set itineraries. These are set by the companies they are working for or with. Whilst they may get some choice, generally either to say yes or no, to the itinerary they don’t make the plans themselves.

Ordinary travellers, travelling for leisure purposes, will choose what itinerary or package suits them or they will put together an itinerary themselves. They decide what they want to do, where they want to go and how long they want to spend in each place.

2. Professional Travellers are Travelling for Work Purposes

Professional travellers are not travelling for a holiday. They are different to business travellers who may be travelling for meetings or to attend events. These business travellers, who might do a great deal of travelling, are travelling as part of their job. It’s not the purpose of their job.

Ordinary travellers are generally travelling for leisure, to meet friends or family or to go on holiday. Whilst some may do some work whilst they are away, the purpose of their travel is work.

I was once asked by a guest why I never wore shorts on holiday. I explained to them that I wasn’t on holiday, I was working. This simply hadn’t occurred to them.

3. Professional Travellers Don’t Pay for Their Travel

Professional travellers don’t have to pay for hotels, transport, meals and other work related travel expenses. These are all booked and paid for by the travel company. This is the same for flight crew and cruise ship personnel who are provided with accommodation on board, transport home at the end of their contract etc.

Business travellers may have their accommodation booked and paid for of course but again they are travelling in connection with their work, it’s not the purpose of their travel.

Ordinary travellers pay for their hotels, transport, meals and all other travel expenses themselves. They are responsible for booking this themselves. They choose what type of accommodation and travel they want to experience based on their budget.

4. Professional Travellers Have Learned How To Travel With Just What They Need

It never ceases to amaze me just how large some of the suitcases are that turn up on coach holidays. They are massive and difficult to move around. Guests spend lots of time sorting their belongings out and often buy extra luggage to accommodate their on trip purchases.

Generally, professional travellers have learned that you do not need as much stuff as you think you do when you travel. They have got their packing down to a fine art and travel with much less stuff. They know what is a travel essential and what isn’t.

(You might like my 9 Tried and Tested Packing Hacks based on my years of travel experience)

5. Professional Travellers Experience Travel Differently

Travelling is something I have to do in order to do my job. I am always seeing things that could be improved to make travelling easier, simpler or just less stressful. That could be the way the plane is boarded, how tours are dispatched, and how hotels handle group check ins. No matter what it is I am always reviewing the experience to try to improve things for my guests or for future guests.

Even when I travel on my own for a holiday I still do the same thing. As a Professional Traveller, I want to keep learning and keep improving because travelling is what I do.

6. Professional Travellers Are Generally Better Able to Deal with Disruptions

Generally speaking, professional travellers know that travel is going to involve some change and disruption at some point. That could be due to weather, industrial action, or mechanical issues – the list of potential things that could happen is long.

As a Professional Traveller I have a good understanding of my rights when a flight is cancelled for example. Recently a flight was cancelled and whilst a member of the airline staff was explaining to the passengers about finding them hotels, I jumped in a taxi, booked myself in a hotel and claimed it all back from the airline. I knew I could do this having had it happen several times before.

This may also apply to frequent travellers. Generally, a professional traveller is going to have a good knowledge of how to deal with most situations because they will have experienced it before.

Ordinary travellers can sometimes be appalled by delays or disruptions, or even bad weather. They can feel cheated, angry and short-changed especially if the disruptions affect what they are able to do while they are away. It can be incredibly stressful for ordinary travellers to experience disruption to their travel.

Professional Travellers – Conclusion

  • The difference between a professional traveller and an ordinary traveller lies in the mindset, experience, approach to travelling and purpose for travelling.
  • Professional travellers experience travel differently because it’s what they do.

Links You Might Find Helpful:
Find Out About My Professional Travel Experience
What It’s Like to Be a Tour Manager
Overseas Jobs with Jobs Abroad

You Might Also Like;

12 Happy Travel Hacks to Leave a Trail of Smiles

An Airplane Seating Hack to Travel like a Professional

Find more articles on my Professional Traveller and my Travel More and Spend Less Page

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