With great travel planning power comes great responsibility, but not always a vote of thanks…
Despite taking on the arduous role of mapping out spreadsheets, pinpointing a date that suits everyone’s calendar and creating a detailed itinerary, travel planners rarely get any credit for their efforts.
Now, new research from booking platform Klook, which surveyed 2,725 travellers across 10 countries, has found that travel planning ranks among the least thanked tasks people do for others.
The survey also found that for eight in 10 respondents, travel planning can take upwards of over 10 hours to organise a single trip.
And even handing over the reins doesn’t necessarily mean switching off, with 42% saying that even when someone else takes over planning, they continue quietly and anxiously monitoring the planning from the sidelines – ready to step in again at a moment’s notice.
That’s why Klook is looking to reward those long-suffering planners with the launch of its global search for five traveller planners at their wit’s end from being unappreciated.
For those looking to be promoted to “pampered passengers,” Klook is offering a treat of a seven-day hosted trip to Switzerland.
“We built Klook to make travel planning simpler, so travellers can spend less time on admin and more time on experiences,” said Marcus Yong, VP of Global Marketing at Klook. “Now we’re taking that promise one step further with a fully-planned getaway for five travel planners who always get travel right for their friends and families.
“It’s their turn to take a vacation from planning vacations,” he added.
Do you know someone, or are you someone, who deserves to be relieved from their travel planning duties?
‘Thank You Travel Planners’ contest
This August, the search is on for travel planners that have tracked everything from bookings, backup plans and that one friend who hasn’t paid up yet, and are ready to travel planning-free so they can truly relax.
Five spaces are up for grabs on the seven-day VIP treatment to Switzerland this December, with round trip flights, premium accommodation and curated activities included – all preplanned and covered by Klook. Winners get to have a plus one accompany them, too.
Planners can nominate themselves or a fellow travel planner by submitting a summary of no more than 300 words detailing a trip they organised and the challenges they overcame while doing it.
Entrants must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid passport, be legally permitted to enter Switzerland and meet all necessary immigration or visa requirements, as well as be happy to share their journey on camera as part of Klook’s campaign.
The deadline to submit is 31 August, 2026.