Brochures are now available for Vacation.com members

Go to www.ordervacation.com now to see what's available.

New Preferred Supplier SOUTHERN AFRICA VACATIONS

Commission Details:
12% on USD $1999 packages – both on the land and the air.
14% commission on all other packages – also on the full package – both land and air
Air only will be sold at a net price (excludes all taxes and fuel surcharges)

Product Description:
Southern African all inclusive packages ranging from USD $1999 to USD $20,000.
Affordable 5 star packages starting at USD $1999 – see South Africa in Style.

Destinations:
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and Victoria Falls
Supplier Market: U.S. and CANADA

Contact Information:
Phone: 1-888-722 -4872 OR 1-888 –SAA 4 VSA
Address: 33 KERN ROAD, TORONTO, ONTARIO, M3B 1S9, CANADA
email: info@visitsaonsaa.com or moira@lionworldtravel.com (Director of Operations)
Website: www.VisitSAonSAA.com
Booking Proceedure:
Please call 1-888-722 -4872 and tell the consultant that you are a Vacation.com agent

Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Starting June 10, 2007 the agencies submitting the first 20 new Vacation.com network bookings for an individual 2007 cruise vacation on Crystal Cruises or Regent Seven Seas Cruises receive a Bonus Commission of $300 per stateroom from Vacation.com!

You can’t lose when you sell extraordinary luxury cruise vacations featuring the ships of Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Magnificent ships, impeccable hospitality and memorable itineraries will provide a dream vacation for your clients and real revenues for your agency.

The first 20 eligible bookings for each Cruise Line will earn the bonus. The bookings must be made between June 10 and July 10, 2007.

To redeem: Once you’ve made your new cruise vacation reservation, redeem your sale at the Vacation.com electronic redemption site. If you are new to the site, please read the welcome/registration information, register on the site, add your client’s information then enter the sale under Jackpot Crystal Regent Bonus. For more hints about using the site please review the FAQ linked to each page.
https://vacation.altourawards.com

Get To Know Your Client or Prospect

By Phil and Doris Davidoff, CTC, MCC

The more you know about your clients or prospects, the better you can advise them of the best travel program to meet their needs or evaluate what they are asking you to book. The more time you invest up front (within reason of, course) to learn about their likes, dislikes and desires, the easier it will be to recommend a cruise, resort or tour and close the sale.

Unfortunately, most travel agents view their clients' requests as orders and fill them like a waiter in a restaurant, without any analysis of what they are asking for. They do not take the time - or show the personal interest - in what their clients really want.

We can remember prospective clients asking us to book a trip to a large resort hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. If we had taken their request at face value, we would have booked the hotel and the clients would have had a "so-so" trip at best or perhaps a miserable trip.

We took the time to ask a few questions:
Where had they traveled previously?
What did they want to do on this trip?
Do they like lavish shows?
Do they enjoy gaming?

Their answers showed that they like small hotels, long walks on the beach, just relaxing, entertainment from small combos and they did not gamble. We booked them into a small, oceanfront hotel on St. Croix. They loved it and traveled with us every year. When we asked why they requested the San Juan hotel, they said a relative suggested it. They also admitted that their tastes and lifestyles were very different from the relative's lifestyle.

VAX Offers New Customization Booking Options

Home Based Travel Agents can now book multiple rooms, enhance hotel searches by rating, add flight information to land-only reservations, and tap into tools that help them keep up with the latest travel trends.

With the new multiple rooms feature, home based travel agents can save time by booking up to four rooms at the same hotel on a single reservation. They can save time by narrowing their hotel search by rating, allowing them to quickly pinpoint their customer's preferred hotel.

Land-only reservations require additional coordination by travel agents to ensure timely transfers and the accurate implementation of special requests. By adding flight information directly to the reservations, agents are ensured that all vendors have the information they need without the added steps of calling suppliers. Additional enhancements include enhanced eConfirmations and itineraries, message alerts, and features that make navigating the site easier

Sceptre Tours Offers 14% Commission on Groups

Sceptre Tours, a specialist in vacation packages to Ireland, Scotland and London, is now offering a minimum 14 percent commission on group bookings. In addition prices on group bookings are quoted in gross fares so that agents can add their own mark-up to enhance profits.

Sceptre guarantees a "no nonsense" same-day price quote return policy. Depending on group size and inclusions, Sceptre Tours offers free spaces that can be used for a travel agent host, leader or escort, or can alternatively be factored into the cost of the trip to provide additional savings.

Sceptre Tours is currently offering a promotion in which awards home based travel agents with a free fam trip for every group reservation (20 or more people) booked under deposit by June 30 (travel must be completed by Dec. 31, 2008 to qualify).

Group vacations are completely customizable and can include magical experiences in Ireland, Scotland, London or any combination of the three. "By specializing only in Ireland, Scotland and London, we are able to sustain advantageous relationships with hotels and other partners, enabling us to negotiate special rates for group travel," said Chris Accomando, president of Sceptre Tours. "This gives us the ability to price group travel below our competitors, while offering 14 percent commission or more to the travel agent, and the fastest quote they've ever received, guaranteed within 24 hours.

As our way of thanking our home based travel agent partners, we will award a free FAM trip for group travel booked under deposit by June 30.

"Sceptre's groups department can customize itineraries to suit the needs of groups of varying interests, sizes and budgets. The company has experience designing itineraries for family reunions, church groups, groups with musical interests, alumni groups, school groups, special interest groups, corporate & incentive groups, and much more.

For agents who wish sell into a pre-designed series tour, Sceptre offers 14 escorted tours ranging from four to 14 nights in Ireland or Scotland, as well as multi-country tour options.

Following are some of Sceptre's most popular tours:

Treasures Tour is a nine-day/seven-night Ireland tour well suited to first-time travelers, including all the major sightseeing and a wide range of accommodations from warm local hotels to a five-star luxury castle. Most meals and all sightseeing are included.

The Sites & Cities Tour is a six-day/four-night tour of Ireland that has been one of the more popular itineraries offering two nights each in Dublin and Galway, two of Ireland's favorite cities. A professional driver/guide, most dinners and a full sightseeing itinerary are included.

Highlights of Scotland is a seven-day/five-night tour strategically-designed for a quick jaunt around Scotland's historic heartland, with visits to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Highlands. Most meals, a professional driver/guide and sightseeing are included.

To book, call 800-221-0924, group department extension 334, email groups@sceptretours.com, or visit http://www.sceptretours.com/

Collette Vacations adds India to it's list of Destinations

Collette Vacations added India to its list of destinations with a new "Mysteries of India" program, which includes a two-night stay in a palace, stays at five-star Taj Hotels, an elephant ride to Amber Fort, a horse and carriage or "Tonga" ride to the Taj Mahal, a visit to Mother Theresa's Charity Home and an opportunity to dine with a retired military serviceman and his family.

"India is a destination that touches all of your senses. There's this mystical aura that permeates its culture and land, which is such a part of its charm," said Nancy Davids, Collette's product manager for Asia and Hawaii.

Collette Vacations offers over 160 tours to all seven continents. For more information or reservations, call 800-541-3788 or visit www.collettevacations.com

How Home Based Travel Agents Can Win the Search Engine War.

Win the search engine war. Home based travel agents can compete and win the search engine war against the Big boys by using the "Local Search" feature of search engines. This is a method of marketing that is rarely used by big online companies, meaning almost all of your competitors are not doing this kind of marketing and it could be an amazing way to get even more qualified buyers!

What is Local Search? When you are looking locally for auto parts, scrap booking supplies, shoes, or even a real estate agent, you probably use the yellow pages. Search engines are now trying to take online users to offline businesses and have taken great steps to make "local search" effective, useful, and fun.

Through several "local search tools", consumers can find what they want in their local community. Search engines have also made it very easy for you, an online merchant, to target these "local" audiences without a costly or time-consuming investment.

Why will Local Search Marketing benefit home based travel agents?
Through various "local search" features, a customer within a 50-mile radius of your business could search for your product's keywords and your business listing could display as #1 in the search results. Because the customer found you through "local search", they could place an order over the Internet or phone.

In general, "local search" is a great way to get more qualified traffic. Sales, is a numbers game: the more people to your site the more sales will occur. Local buyers purchase from local companies and if you are not marketing locally, then you are missing out on this market.
In summary, "local search" is a great way to target local audiences. Even if you don't have a physical business for them to purchase your products, there are many other reasons why customers will still choose to work with you, a local company.

If you're looking to take the next step, this is a great place to start:

Just local search companies:
http://www.metrobot.com/
http://www.truelocal.com/
http://www.citysearch.com/

Search Engines:
http://local.yahoo.com/
http://local.ask.com/
http://local.aol.com/
http://www.newsday.com/community/directory/

Mobile phone local search engines:
http://www.google.com/mobile/loc_search.html

Paid local bid tools:
http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/local/ls.php
https://adwords.google.com/support/
(Search for "regional targeting" and read the instructions therein.)

Free Home Based Travel Agent Magazine

Recommend is a home based travel agent's trusted source for destination and travelproduct information. It provides a monthly publication that is at no charge to you and is filledwith worldwide coverage, education and information that helps you expertlysell travel.That's it - nothing else.

It's easy to subscribe, just click on the link below or paste it in yourbrowser and fill out the short subscription form to qualify and you'll start receiving the magazine that some agents call their travel selling "bible."http://www.recommend.com/ver3/html/main_add1aEmail.aspx

P.S. You can also subscribe to the no charge weekly e-bulletin, Recommend Weekly, on the online subscription form. If you're interested in getting a weekly email with current specials, fams and more product and destination information, please subscribe to that as well.

You're invited!

Exclusive insight and tips on selling Celebrity Cruises

Where:
Your own office, telephone, and computer

When:
Wednesday, June 209:00 - 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Why:
To build your skills as a travel professional

All attendees will have a chance to win a 7-night Alaska cruise on any Celebrity Cruises' ship leaving Seattle or Vancouver from July 2007 to July 2008!

Seats are going fast for this free webinar presented by America’s Vacation Center University™. Registration is limited to the first 1,000 travel professionals, so act now! Only a few seats are left!

REGISTER HERE

Want to heat up your bookings and commissions? Think Alaska

We're barely into spring, but as you can tell, your clients — everyone from couples to families to groups — are already thinking ahead to summer. And in case you don't know it, you're in a great position to help them — and yourself. Partner with NCL to offer a destination with great travel appeal, great itineraries, great ships, great pricing and — best of all — great commissions. It's the Great North — Alaska.

I'm a former travel agent — but did you know that I worked for several years in Anchorage, Alaska? From first-hand experience, I know that our 49th state is a one-of-a kind destination for your clients — and for you.

Many clients save for years to cruise Alaska, dreaming of close-up encounters with whales, eagles, bears, puffins and calving glaciers — not to mention 23 hours of sunlight. Selling the Great North is a great proposition for you, too — it's a premium destination, which means higher commissions, plus higher client satisfaction rates, thanks to all the great cruise combinations we offer.

But if you've never visited this vast state, how do you sell it? To match the right client with the right product, simply sell the industry's number one Inside Passage cruise line — NCL!

Here are a few talking points:

Tell your clients they can cruise Alaska in the newest ship in the industry, Norwegian Pearl.
NCL's ships sail from both Seattle and Vancouver to meet your client's needs.

Money talks, so tell them our round trip experience adds up to better value on round-trip air pricing.

They're virtually guaranteed to see all the Alaska wildlife they've dreamed about (tell them the Inside Passage is famous for it).

There's no better way to take advantage of every minute of 23 hours of sunlight than by going Freestyle — after all, who wants to rush back from a shore excursion for dinner?

Great Freestyle Cruising Ships & Intineraries This summer, NCL has three Freestyle Cruising ships in Alaska — Norwegian Star, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Pearl — all loaded with choices in accommodations and amenities to please everyone from privacy seeking couples to families and large groups.

Star PowerNorwegian Star offers Freestyle Cruising choices galore, with 14 dining options (including 24-hour room service) and a selection of suites, including two Garden Villas — at 5,750 square feet. Can you imagine a better way for your clients to view the icescapes and wildlife than from the comforts of these luxurious quarters?

Let the Sun ShineNorwegian Sun, one of NCL's first ships specially designed and built for Freestyle Cruising, is a favorite among cruisers. Her choices in dining, entertainment and family friendly accommodations, like connecting staterooms, make her ideal for a comfortable and flexible Yukon adventure.

Lustrous PearlNorwegian Pearl, our newest Freestyle Cruising ship, is the youngest ship in Alaska. With the most innovative suite complexes at sea, Courtyard Villas, a bowling alley and a rock climbing wall, she's a great choice for anyone.

For complete details on cruise dates and itineraries, go to ncl.com. or click here. Great Family VacationsEven though school's not out yet, summer vacations are in. Parents and kids alike are already in planning mode for a vacation — and Alaska is it!

Our family friendly Freestyle Cruising ships offer tons of on-board activities, exciting shore excursions like whale watching glacier tours, panning for gold and lots more. And don't forget our Kid's Crew™ and Teen's Crew™ programs, tons of Freestyle dining choices and flexible accommodations for groups of any size (everything from inside staterooms to our luxurious Garden Villas).

Plus, there are no schedules or demands to worry about — except the ones from mom and dad. Alaska adds up to a great destinationSo when you combine this popular market with our sensational Freestyle Cruising ships and itineraries, great prices and big commissions, with your determination and talent, Alaska comes up a winner — and so will you!

Start generating interest in Alaska cruising among your client base using NCL's Xpress Marketing tool, or call your Business Development Manager for more ideas about developing an Alaska sales plan. And don't forget to check the Travel Partners section of ncl.com for reference tools and updated information about our Alaska itineraries.

Here's to great northern exposure!
Sincerely,Terri BurkeVice President, Business Development

Get Pictures of Your Clients

by Ken Hall of OSSN

Sometimes, very low-tech ideas will trump the large companies and all their buying power and massive advertising budgets. Just last month, one of my subscribers sent me a sales tip that is so simple yet so effective it is stunning in its brilliance. And, best of all, the biggies can’t duplicate it!

Several years ago, Mary learned to harness the power of digital cameras to expand her travel business. Now, when clients are leaving for their vacations, she calls them, wishes them well, and asks them to send her a couple of pictures of them on their trip. She tells them she wants to see them having a good time and enjoying their vacation.

Mary said she almost always gets four or five photos, sometimes emailed to her from their destination, sometimes sent to her when they get home. Naturally, she calls them and thanks them for their business and their photos.
Then, she works her magic . . .

Mary calls her clients and confirms they had a great time. Then she says, “I enjoy these photos and I post them by my desk so I can see pictures of you and get to know you better. When I talk with you on the phone, I look at your pictures and I feel I am closer connected to you. We can’t always meet face-to-face, but this keeps me thinking of you as a real person and not just a voice or an email address. Nothing is as good as personal contact, and this is my way of doing it in this high-tech world.”

Do you think she is separating herself from the Expedias, Orbitzs, and the mega-agencies of the world?

Then, to help cement the relationship, she sends her clients a couple of photos of herself – one at her desk and one on a trip. These are candid photos, not professionally shot or poised, just regular prints or emailed copies. She calls to make sure they have been received and asks her clients to post the prints someplace convenient so they can “see” her when they talk on the phone.

By putting faces with names and voices, talking on the phone (or even sending and receiving emails) becomes more of a dialogue and less of a sales transaction. Think of that for a minute. Don’t most people prefer communicating with a real person, someone who knows them, someone who cares about them as individuals? Of course they do.

Second, trust builds when clients can see the person with whom they are dealing. And, if you remember the four key questions that have to be answered on every sales call, “Why should I trust you” is one. (The others are “What are you selling?”, “How much does it cost?”, and “What’s in it for me?”). By having her clients looking at her picture while they are talking on the phone, Mary builds trust, big time!

And, third, during conversations Mary can refer to the clients’ vacation photos she received, which will evoke pleasant memories of those past trips. She knows that when people are in good frames of mind, when they are remembering the fun they had on a past trip she had planned, they are more inclined to buy from her.

It isn’t rocket science and it isn’t manipulative, but it is good salesmanship. It’s low tech and it is inexpensive. Getting pictures of your clients will help you build stronger relationships, enjoy talking with the clients more, and close more sales. Try it – you’ll be surprised how easy it is.

Travel Impressions, Sandals Offer Agent Promotion

Travel Impressions partnered with Sandals Resorts to offer agents the opportunity to earn designer handbags and cash rewards through the "It's in the Bag" promotion. To earn rewards through this promotion, agents must book at least six vacations (minimum of three-night stay each) at any resort in the Sandals collection, including all Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts and Royal Plantation in Jamaica.

Top designer handbags, including products from Coach, Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton will be given away. Cash rewards of up to $300 are also being awarded. Six bookings earns a Coach Carly Large Signature Bag (plus a $50 bonus), eight bookings gets a Prada Nylon Pocket Tote (plus a $100 bonus), 10 bookings wins a Gucci Abbey Large Hobo Bag (plus a $150 bonus) and 12 bookings secures a Louis Vuitton Monogram Alma Bag (plus a $300 bonus).

Agents also will earn an extra $25 for each booking at the following properties: Sandals Royal Bahamian, Spa Resort & Offshore Island, Sandals Regency St. Lucia Golf Resort & Spa, Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort, Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia, and Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa.

To qualify for a handbag reward, bookings must be made by June 30 for a minimum three-night stay in the second category or higher and travel must be completed by Dec. 21. As an added incentive, every Butler category and Royal Plantation reservation will count as two bookings, offering agents the opportunity to earn rewards quicker. In addition, the booking window for cash rewards has been extended through July 31. Agents will earn an additional 1 percent commission bonus when booking online.

For more information, call 800-284-0044 or 631-845-8000 or visit www.travelimpressions.com.

Fast US Passport Service

Home Based Travel Agents get fast passporst for your clients. ZVS specializes in fast, dependable, overnight and same day passport and visa services. After 50 years of being in business, and the experience gained by processing millions of travel documents, you are guaranteed to have your visas and passports handled quickly, accurately and professionally.
This is the company that is used by US govt and many cruise/tour operators.
http://www.zvs.com

U.S. Government Temporarily Relaxes Passport Rules

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced on June 8, 2007, that effective today, U.S. citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air as long as they present both a government-issued photo identification and Department of State official "proof of application." This concession is valid through Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens traveling by land or sea are not yet required by the U.S. government to present a passport and remain unaffected. Please note: individual Caribbean country entry requirements, as well as some vendor policies, may still require travelers to obtain a passport. Agents and travelers are advised to check individual country and vendor policies.

However, the U.S. Department of State warns applicants that they may need to wait up to one week for expedited applications and up to four weeks for routine applications before a proof of application can be obtained and printed. In other words, passport seekers who filed a non-expedited application very recently and are traveling in less than 4four weeks may not benefit from this accommodation. Similarly, expedited applications where travel is expected in less than a week from the application may not be aided.

Travelers in need of a passport for travel to other parts of the world within the next two weeks should call or e-mail the National Passport Information Center. Because the Passport Service unit uses a centralized system, travelers cannot get their documents faster by submitting applications directly to a regional processing facility. If your travelers need to apply or renew a passport in the very near future, you should urge them to submit their applications as soon as possible!

Additional information can be found here or by calling 1-877-4USAPPT.

Sceptre Boosts Ireland Commissions to 15 Percent

Sceptre Tours, a specialist in vacation packages to Ireland, Scotland and London, is paying home based travel agents 15 percent commission on all land/air-inclusive packages to Ireland's Dublin and Shannon airports on Aer Lingus from New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. (Dulles) and Chicago.

The 15 percent commission is valid on all air/land reservations made by June 22 for travel July 1-Sept. 30. Agents who book 15 passengers by June 22, for travel July 1 through Sept. 30 will receive one roundtrip air ticket to Ireland for travel Nov. 1 though March 10, 2008. The 15 percent commission is valid on all Sceptre Tours products including FIT options, escorted tours and golf packages.

Sample packages featuring air-land pricing include: Ireland Southern Tour -- a drive along the popular southern route of Ireland with visits to County Clare, County Kerry, County Cork, County Waterford and the final night at Adare Manor in County Limerick. Along the way travelers can visit all the famous attractions of Ireland and celebrate the culture in these lively cities. Rates start at $1,729 per person, based on double occupancy. See the itinerary at www.sceptretours.com/vacations/ireland-independent-ireland-southern.

The Treasures Tour is a seven-night Ireland tour designed for first-time travelers to include all the major sightseeing and a range of accommodations from warm local hotels to a five-star luxury castle. Most meals and all sightseeing are included. Rates start at $1,989 per person double occupancy for travel July 11, July 25 and Sept. 20. See visit www.sceptretours.com/vacations/ireland-escorted-treasures-ireland.

Legends Southwest is a six-night package that includes four rounds of golf at legendary courses including Lahinch Old Course, Ballybunion Old Course (or Waterville Golf Club), Killarney Golf – Killeen Course and Dooks Golf Club. Accommodations are in bed and breakfasts. Rates start at $1,889 per person double occupancy. For the full itinerary, visit www.sceptretours.com/vacations/ireland-golf-legends-golf-southwest.

Home Based Travel Agents interested in becoming an Emerald Partner should visit http://www.sceptreagent.com/ and click the Become An Ireland & Scotland Specialist icon.

For additional information, call 800-221-0924 or visit http://www.sceptretours.com/.

American Airlines Introduces New Web Pricing Tool

American Airlines has launched a new price and schedule travel booking tool on its website, www.aa.com. With the tool, customers can now search not just by price or by schedule but by both price and schedule combined.

They can see flight choices in a convenient display of all pertinent information -- schedule, price and level of service -- and can check prices based on departure and return portions of a roundtrip independently. Customers can now better customize travel plans according to their individual priorities since the new display also allows travelers to sort results by expanded criteria such as price, number of stops, and departure and arrival times. Additionally, the new display provides easy access to detailed flight information. A simple click will enlarge a selection and provide additional flight details including travel time, seat maps, AAdvantage miles, aircraft type, and meal availability. For more information, visit www.aa.com/book.

People Like People Who Like Them

by Mike Marchev

One of my favorite "bits" during my live seminars and corporate presentations involves a skit I like to do with an unsuspecting male member of the audience.
I approach a man and ask him if he remembers his first girl friend. I then role play exactly how that important "first love" actually unfolded.

I can't do the skit justice in print so I will cut to the chase and deliver one of the most important lessons you will ever learn - remember - or think about.

Back in the fifth grade, a boy friend approached the victim to tell him that the gossip on the street is that Suzy Smith likes him. This is all it takes to get the romance in motion. The immediate response, and you can take this to the bank in each and every instance is that the "victim" begins to smile and responds with, "Well, if Suzy likes me, then I like Suzy." (This doesn't happen in the fourth grade. The guy has to be ten.)

That's how it happens folks. And it only goes to prove the point that men were easy at ten years old and they are just as easy today. If you like me ... I like you.

This, is what we call in the trade, a million dollar lesson. People like people who like them. It is true today and it is true with you.

All you have to do to become more successful today is to show more clear signs that you like (respect and appreciate) people. And there are literally hundreds of ways to pull this off without appearing self-serving.

The way you greet people; the way you end a meeting; how you answer the phone; the time it takes to return my phone call; the way you listen to me and ask meaningful questions; the way you shake my hand and look me in the eye; the way you remember important dates in my life; the list goes on and is only limited by your sincerity and thoughtful imagination.

There is an old song which I am about to misquote that suggests, "If you want more ... give more." This is not news and it is not new. The only thing I can say ... it is true and it works.

Globus Offers Travel Agent Booking Incentives

Globus kicked off the beginning of the summer travel season by rolling out travel agent booking incentives. The company extended its Monograms Agent Incentive, through which agents who book a 2007 Monograms package to Europe, North America or Exotics between April 1 and June 30 can earn a $25 Target GiftCard. Agents who book a 2007 or 2008 group of 16 or more on a Globus, Brennan, Cosmos, Monograms or Avalon vacation will receive a $500 bonus.

Those who book a group of 8-15 receive a $250 bonus. To qualify, a group must be booked and under deposit between April 4 and Oct. 10, 2007, for 2008 travel beginning by Dec. 31. The offer applies to full-paying passengers, not to comps and reduced rate travelers. Globus also has cut 70 percent off the cruise/land only price of select departures of "Waltzing the Danube" when booked between May 8 and July 31. For more information, call 800-221-0090 or visit www.globusfamily.com/agents

Celebrity Launches New "Special Agent" Program

Celebrity Cruises has launched the second phase of its Celebrity Special Agent program, an educational incentive program geared toward helping home based travel agents learn more about Celebrity's offerings while improving their bottom line.

The program features Special Agent training, which consists of travel agents entering and completing online training on two key topics: Celebrity's South America and Panama Canal cruises and Celebrity's "Groups 101," a course that teaches ways to earn more money by booking groups.

Participants who complete and pass both training courses will earn a Celebrity Special Agent t-shirt and receive seven entries into a sweepstakes for a cruise for two to South America, Panama Canal or the Caribbean, including airfare and ground transfers.

Travel agents also can earn entries by booking individual or group cruises on South America, Panama Canal or Caribbean itineraries with Celebrity through Aug. 31 (except for cruises on Celebrity Constellation). Each booking added to a group ID will count as an additional entry into the sweepstakes. Groups must be blocked by Aug. 31, but any booking added to an existing group before Nov. 1 will qualify for the additional sweepstakes entry.

Travel agencies also can earn Group Amenities Program (GAP) points during Special Agent Mission Two. All new Caribbean group bookings earn seven GAP points. Travel agencies that already have booked group for Caribbean sailings that haven't yet taken place should contact their Celebrity group advocates to retroactively receive the points. Any travel agent registered with the line's free travel agent web portal, www.cruisingpower.com, can participate, whether or not he or she participated in the first mission.

The link for the promotion is www.cruisingpower.com/booktowin. The Celebrity Special Agent Academy is a series of half-day seminars aimed at engaging participants through interactive, high-impact learning; the opportunity to win prizes; the chance to network with other travel agents; and a surprise indulgence in the Celebrity Treatment brand experience.

Participants can earn 10 CLIA credits by attending the seminar. Ten seminars are still available throughout North America from June through August: Newark, N.J., June 4; Bethesda, Md., June 6; Toronto, Ont., July 11; Cleveland, Ohio, July 13; Denver, July 24; St. Louis, July 26; Phoenix, Aug. 7; King of Prussia, Pa., Aug. 9; Tampa, Fla., Aug. 21; and Fort Lauderdale, Aug. 23.

Travel agents interested in participating should visit www.cruisingpower.com for more information, or contact their Celebrity sales manager. For more information, call 800-437-3111 or visit www.celebritycruises.com.

Disney...Last Chance to Bring the Kids for Free.

Are your Clients looking for the adventure of a lifetime with a happily-ever-after price? Then don't forget to share this incredible offer from Adventures by Disney. But hurry! It's only available for a few more weeks.
Through June 30, when your Clients purchase a select adult package at the regular rate, they'll receive a kid's package for free! More info >>

Travel Insured International Announces Partnership with What A Trip Vacations

Hi Agents,
We at What A Trip Vacations and A1Travel-Vacations are switching over to Travel Insured International. I personally think it is a better value for your clients dollar and it also pays a better commissions to you.
Paul Davis CEO

I would Like Introduce Myself…
My name is Christine Kilburn, Regional Sales Manager. I am passionate about working with my agent partners and helping them reach their insurance goals. My passion and dedication is to deliver the best education and service in the industry. I am committed to working one-on-one with each agent to give you the knowledge and comfort level with my product to provide the best service to your clients and maximize your revenue stream.

I would love to help you earn more commission by selling or product. I will provide you with FREE training on how to book on our web site. Please fell free to call me or email me with any questions.

Please contact me as soon as possible!
All the best,
Christine Kilburn
Regional Sales Manager
Travel Insured International
800-243-3174 Ext. 143
ckilburn@travelinsured.com
http://www.travelinsured.com/