TORONTO — Got cabin fever? The Travel Agent Next Door has come up with a fun way to engage its over 800 agents stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its newly launched 12 Self Isolation video challenge includes weekly games that agents can take part in at home. So far, challenges have included everything from recreating a vacation photo to colour-coding outfits.

“We know everyone in the industry is stressed right now so we wanted to come up with some fun ways to engage our agents and ask them to get creative and have fun with us once a week,” said Flemming Friisdahl, founder of The Travel Agent Next Door. “These are meant to distract you for a few minutes and take your mind off everything.”

Results of the first two challenges have been shared to inspire everyone in the travel industry to have a bit of fun during lockdown.

In the first challenge called ‘Done that, Been there,’ agents were asked to recreate a vacation photo in just 60 minutes, using as many elements as possible. Once the photo has been successfully recreated, they were asked to take a photo and post it with the original to ‘The Self Isolation Game’ Facebook Group page.

In the second challenge called ‘Orange you glad you bought it,’ agents had to put on every item of orange clothing, or clothes that have orange in it, that they own in 60 minutes. They were also encouraged to do their hair, touch up their makeup and add accessories to complete their runway look. When completed, agents had to take a 15-second video of themselves strutting on a runway, or three photos of their orange look in three different poses. Videos and photos were then posted on the Facebook Group page.

“We though the industry might like to see the results of the first two challenges and what we’ve been doing. If anyone wants help in arranging something similar, just get in touch,” adds Friisdahl.