Staying Strong

Leah Holt is wearing a new hat these days — or at least an apron. As a means of engagement during COVID-19, the travel advisor with Go Travel Edson is pairing her passion for travel with her love for cooking through a new social media video series called Cooking Around the World, in which she shares how to make dishes like French onion soup or Russian Blini — a crepe like delicacy.

“I know human beings will never lose their inner curiosity of seeing and experiencing other cultures and places of the world,” she says. “We will travel again, but until then I want to keep showing my clients what they can look forward to when COVID-19 leaves us.”

For Holt, the most stressful week of her five years on the job came mid-March, when the initial wave of travel bans and restrictions were announced due to coronavirus.

“After four long days of answering emails, filling out forms, keeping up with ever-changing cancellation policies and holding on the phone for hours, I had to make myself step away from my computer and take a break. It was wreaking havoc on my shoulders and neck. In the past, many of my friends have told me ‘You have the best job!’, and I would agree with them, but this whole outbreak brought out the worst aspects of my career.”

Since becoming an agent, Holt says her success had continued to grow as well as her income, until last month.

“The next few months will be very difficult,” she says. “My earnings have come to a grinding halt.”

For the full story check out the latest issue of CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS .