MANY fledgling businesses suffered in 2020 under the brutal impact of COVID-19. One that stayed the course was Travelwithkimmie, a travel planning company based in Kingston.

After being sidelined due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, it resumed services this month with trips to Dubai, Mexico and Panama. Kimona Myrie, who owns the company, says the comeback expeditions “went well”, but added that getting the packages together was challenging.

“The new group trips for 2021 required much more preparation than the previous due to the global pandemic. Higher up on the scale was adherence to established health and safety requirements by government and international bodies,” she said. “Generally, value for money, health standards, security and location, along with other special planning considerations would have been considered. But with the onset of the pandemic, health and safety became foremost.”

New considerations included what safety measures hotels had for guests and staff; what was required of guests for entrance/acceptance into properties, and what were a country’s policies for entering and leaving.

Myrie led a 16-member party to Dubai from June 2-9. The second trip to Cancun, Mexico comprised 14 members and lasted from June 9-14; and 12 persons made the June 14-18 Panama jaunt.

She says Travelwithkimmie is already booked for Colombia in August and Greece in October.

From Hanover, 28 year-old Myrie went into travel planning in 2018 after seven years working as a guest services representative at the Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt hotels in Montego Bay. She made a career change after making multiple visits to Europe, and discovering that airfare to that continent was affordable.

TravelwithKimmie’s debut voyage was in November 2018 to Germany, France and Italy. Since then, Myrie and her three-member staff have booked vacations “every other month” to the Caribbean, South Florida, Canada, Dubai and Thailand.

Her largest group to date has been 30, to Bangok and Phuket, Thailand in 2019. Myrie describes her clientele as “80 per cent working-class Jamaicans between ages 21-35” who want to experience different destinations.

With COVID-19 putting a damper on global commerce, it was back to the drawing board early this year, re-engaging clients and travel industry partners through social media.

“The past year was one of learning and preparation, inclusive of an understanding of all airlines and destination requirements related to travel, mask-wearing, testing or quarantine, which differ for countries,” Myrie disclosed. “Also, when the opportunity presented itself, I opted for international travel to understand the process so proper guidance could be offered to my clients.”