One of the most interesting experiences in life is traveling with others. Traveling alone is wonderful and traveling with a special companion can be romantic. But traveling with another couple or several others can on the right occasion be a terrific experience as well.
Clients will often not think of the possibility of group travel on their own. You can introduce the idea simply by saying:
"This sounds like a wonderful trip...have you considered asking some other couples to go with you? I just learned that with this particular tour company only five couples would constitute a group!"
The idea of reducing everyone's cost while enjoying the company of a small group of friends might just encourage your clients to recruit others to go with them. They get the advantage of having an entourage, and you have the advantage of gaining some new clients.
Don't hesitate to make the suggestion pro-actively in appropriate circumstances. Certainly clients will not always want to travel with others, but when they do make sure that you are there to assist!
Learn How to Become A Travel Agent... Open your own Home Based Travel Agency
Monday
Friday
Celeberty 7 nt Alaska Cruise Fam $343.
Members of Home Based Travel Agents are invited to a Celeberty seminar at sea on the MERCURY to Alaska June 8, 2008 - Roundtrip - from Vancouver
If you would like to attend... Please e-mail me your name and e-mail address... once I have that correct information I will then send you a link (an electronic invitation) and you must respond to that electronic invite.
There are 2 criteria's... It will be based on a first come first serve basis. If there are too many responses... agents that have sold Celebrity or Azamara cruises will take precedence.
Alaska travel agent FAM Seminar at sea:
7 Night Alaska Mercury 6/08/08 - RT Vancouver 21 Cabins.
Pricing:
T/A Rate: $342.97 Guest Rate: $447.97 Single Occup. Rate (for Travel Agents Only): $404.22
Price includes:
Accommodations (double occupancy) meals, onboard entertainment, all taxes/service charges, gratuities, cocktail reception, and seminars. You must get your own air.
If you would like to attend... Please e-mail me your name and e-mail address... once I have that correct information I will then send you a link (an electronic invitation) and you must respond to that electronic invite.
There are 2 criteria's... It will be based on a first come first serve basis. If there are too many responses... agents that have sold Celebrity or Azamara cruises will take precedence.
Alaska travel agent FAM Seminar at sea:
7 Night Alaska Mercury 6/08/08 - RT Vancouver 21 Cabins.
Pricing:
T/A Rate: $342.97 Guest Rate: $447.97 Single Occup. Rate (for Travel Agents Only): $404.22
Price includes:
Accommodations (double occupancy) meals, onboard entertainment, all taxes/service charges, gratuities, cocktail reception, and seminars. You must get your own air.
The golden rule for travelers: Pack light
Great artical from the Tribune Media Services By Rick Steves
You'll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags, "Every year I pack heavier." The measure of a good traveler is how light he or she travels.
Too much luggage and camera gear marks you as a typical tourist. It throws up a wall between you and the grizzled Spanish fisherman mending his net. Serendipity suffers. Changing locations becomes a major operation. Con artists figure you're helpless and move in. With one bag hanging on your back, you're mobile and in control — and less likely to have your luggage get lost, broken, or stolen.
Limit yourself to 20 pounds in a carry-on-size bag — a 9-by-22-by-14-inch bag. For many, this is a radical concept. "Just 9-by-22-by-14-inches? That's my cosmetics kit!" But I've bullied many people into packing lighter than they thought reasonable. Checking in with them halfway through their trip I find they're converts — evangelical like me about the beauties of packing light.
Whether you take a backpack or small soft-sided suitcase (with a shoulder strap or zip-away backpack straps) is up to you. I use a carry-on convertible suitcase/backpack. Some day I'll join the many travelers who prefer the soft-sided suitcases with wheels ("roll aboard"). But as long as I'm strong enough to carry my bag on my back, I will.
How do you fit a whole trip's worth of luggage into a small suitcase or backpack? The answer is simple: Bring very little. Spread out everything you think you might need on the living room floor and scrutinize each item. (This is fun to do with your travel partner.) Ask yourself, "Will I really use this snorkel and these fins enough to justify carrying them around all summer?" Not "Will I use them?" but "Will I use them enough to feel good about carrying them over the Swiss Alps?" Frugal as I may be, I would buy them in Greece and give them away before I'd carry that extra weight over the Alps. Think in terms of what you can do without — not what will be handy on the trip.
Whether you're traveling for three weeks or three months, you pack exactly the same. I've seen people pack a whole summer's supply of deodorant, tampons, or razors, thinking they can't get them in Europe. The world's getting awfully small; you can buy Dial soap, Tampax, and Bic razors in Sicily. Look forward to running out of toothpaste in Bulgaria. Then you have the perfect excuse to go into a Bulgarian department store, shop around, and pick up something you think might be toothpaste. . . .
Entire books have been written on how to pack. Here are a few simple tricks. Pack for the best scenario — not the worst. You can buy yourself out of any little jams as you go. Use stuff bags (one each for toiletries, underwear and socks, bigger clothing items and towel, camera gear and film, and miscellaneous stuff such as a first-aid kit and stationery). Roll and rubber band clothes, or zip-lock them in airless Baggies to minimize wrinkles. Pack your backpack only two-thirds full to leave room for picnic food and souvenirs.
The bulk of your luggage is clothing. Minimize by bringing less and washing more often. Every few nights you'll spend 10 minutes doing a little wash. Be careful to choose dark, lightweight clothes that dry quickly and either don't wrinkle or look good wrinkled. To see how wrinkled shirts will get, give everything a wet rehearsal by hand-washing and drying once at home.
Many travelers are concerned about appropriate dress. During the tourist season (April through September), the concert halls go casual. I have never felt out of place at symphonies, operas, or plays wearing a decent pair of slacks and a good-looking sweater.
European women wear dresses or skirts more often than pants. American women generally feel fine in slacks, but in certain rural and traditional areas, they may feel more comfortable in a skirt or dress.
Once you've decided what to pack, remember you'll walk with your luggage more than you think. Before leaving home, give yourself a test. Pack up completely, go into your hometown, and be a tourist for an hour. Fully loaded, you should enjoy window-shopping. If you can't, stagger home and thin things out.
Go casual, simple, and very light. In your travels you'll meet two kinds of tourists — those who pack light and those who wish they had.
Edmonds-based Rick Steves (http://www.ricksteves.com/) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
You'll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags, "Every year I pack heavier." The measure of a good traveler is how light he or she travels.
Too much luggage and camera gear marks you as a typical tourist. It throws up a wall between you and the grizzled Spanish fisherman mending his net. Serendipity suffers. Changing locations becomes a major operation. Con artists figure you're helpless and move in. With one bag hanging on your back, you're mobile and in control — and less likely to have your luggage get lost, broken, or stolen.
Limit yourself to 20 pounds in a carry-on-size bag — a 9-by-22-by-14-inch bag. For many, this is a radical concept. "Just 9-by-22-by-14-inches? That's my cosmetics kit!" But I've bullied many people into packing lighter than they thought reasonable. Checking in with them halfway through their trip I find they're converts — evangelical like me about the beauties of packing light.
Whether you take a backpack or small soft-sided suitcase (with a shoulder strap or zip-away backpack straps) is up to you. I use a carry-on convertible suitcase/backpack. Some day I'll join the many travelers who prefer the soft-sided suitcases with wheels ("roll aboard"). But as long as I'm strong enough to carry my bag on my back, I will.
How do you fit a whole trip's worth of luggage into a small suitcase or backpack? The answer is simple: Bring very little. Spread out everything you think you might need on the living room floor and scrutinize each item. (This is fun to do with your travel partner.) Ask yourself, "Will I really use this snorkel and these fins enough to justify carrying them around all summer?" Not "Will I use them?" but "Will I use them enough to feel good about carrying them over the Swiss Alps?" Frugal as I may be, I would buy them in Greece and give them away before I'd carry that extra weight over the Alps. Think in terms of what you can do without — not what will be handy on the trip.
Whether you're traveling for three weeks or three months, you pack exactly the same. I've seen people pack a whole summer's supply of deodorant, tampons, or razors, thinking they can't get them in Europe. The world's getting awfully small; you can buy Dial soap, Tampax, and Bic razors in Sicily. Look forward to running out of toothpaste in Bulgaria. Then you have the perfect excuse to go into a Bulgarian department store, shop around, and pick up something you think might be toothpaste. . . .
Entire books have been written on how to pack. Here are a few simple tricks. Pack for the best scenario — not the worst. You can buy yourself out of any little jams as you go. Use stuff bags (one each for toiletries, underwear and socks, bigger clothing items and towel, camera gear and film, and miscellaneous stuff such as a first-aid kit and stationery). Roll and rubber band clothes, or zip-lock them in airless Baggies to minimize wrinkles. Pack your backpack only two-thirds full to leave room for picnic food and souvenirs.
The bulk of your luggage is clothing. Minimize by bringing less and washing more often. Every few nights you'll spend 10 minutes doing a little wash. Be careful to choose dark, lightweight clothes that dry quickly and either don't wrinkle or look good wrinkled. To see how wrinkled shirts will get, give everything a wet rehearsal by hand-washing and drying once at home.
Many travelers are concerned about appropriate dress. During the tourist season (April through September), the concert halls go casual. I have never felt out of place at symphonies, operas, or plays wearing a decent pair of slacks and a good-looking sweater.
European women wear dresses or skirts more often than pants. American women generally feel fine in slacks, but in certain rural and traditional areas, they may feel more comfortable in a skirt or dress.
Once you've decided what to pack, remember you'll walk with your luggage more than you think. Before leaving home, give yourself a test. Pack up completely, go into your hometown, and be a tourist for an hour. Fully loaded, you should enjoy window-shopping. If you can't, stagger home and thin things out.
Go casual, simple, and very light. In your travels you'll meet two kinds of tourists — those who pack light and those who wish they had.
Edmonds-based Rick Steves (http://www.ricksteves.com/) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
Save money buy Europe City Passes
Many tourism bureaus--including ones in Lisbon, Zürich, Budapest, and Stockholm--sell city cards that cover the costs of mass transit and admission to museums and also provide discounts to other attractions. To determine if they're worth it, however, you have to do the math: Sometimes you'll have to go to four or five museums just to break even. For a full list of cities with the cards, go to europeancitycards.com.
No passport required, Mexico and Canada
U.S. citizens won’t need a passport to cross over land into Canada or Mexico until the middle of next year, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.
According to MSNBC News services, new identification document requirements will take effect June 1, 2009. By then, U.S. travelers will need to prove both identification and citizenship when crossing the border. “We are on course to implement and enforce the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is an important step forward in securing the homeland,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. “Limiting and standardizing the types of documents presented will result in a more secure and efficient border. We will continue to encourage cross-border travel and trade while at the same time decreasing identity theft and fraud.”
According to MSNBC News services, new identification document requirements will take effect June 1, 2009. By then, U.S. travelers will need to prove both identification and citizenship when crossing the border. “We are on course to implement and enforce the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is an important step forward in securing the homeland,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. “Limiting and standardizing the types of documents presented will result in a more secure and efficient border. We will continue to encourage cross-border travel and trade while at the same time decreasing identity theft and fraud.”
Thursday
Joint Marketing Opportunities
By: Phil and Doris Davidoff
There are many opportunities in every community for travel agents to join with other local businesses to market products and services together. Look for unusual alliances to bring in new business.
Work with the local ice cream or cookie shop. Give a certificate for a free cookie or cone to clients and prospects asking about cruises and tours. Have the cookie or ice cream shop give gift certificates from your agency good toward cruises and tours.
Develop a multiple-coupon book for engaged couples with bridal shops, jewelers, bake shops and caterers, or set up a bridal registry for honeymooners.
Exchange discount certificates with luggage stores or camera stores. Have them give their customers your certificates while you give theirs to your travelers. Exchange mailing lists for email or direct mail promotions, or do joint mailings or emailings.
Offer physically active vacation programs to health clubs. Again, exchange discount certificates.
Offer spa packages to the clients of beauty salons and diet centers.
Work with schools - not just colleges and universities, but also high schools, elementary schools and even day care and nursery schools. Promote family vacations at schools with younger children and target special interests at high schools and colleges. Provide free trips to group leaders.
Offer to provide travel talks at local bookstores. This is yet another source of targeted exchange of coupons and mailing lists.
There are many opportunities in every community for travel agents to join with other local businesses to market products and services together. Look for unusual alliances to bring in new business.
Work with the local ice cream or cookie shop. Give a certificate for a free cookie or cone to clients and prospects asking about cruises and tours. Have the cookie or ice cream shop give gift certificates from your agency good toward cruises and tours.
Develop a multiple-coupon book for engaged couples with bridal shops, jewelers, bake shops and caterers, or set up a bridal registry for honeymooners.
Exchange discount certificates with luggage stores or camera stores. Have them give their customers your certificates while you give theirs to your travelers. Exchange mailing lists for email or direct mail promotions, or do joint mailings or emailings.
Offer physically active vacation programs to health clubs. Again, exchange discount certificates.
Offer spa packages to the clients of beauty salons and diet centers.
Work with schools - not just colleges and universities, but also high schools, elementary schools and even day care and nursery schools. Promote family vacations at schools with younger children and target special interests at high schools and colleges. Provide free trips to group leaders.
Offer to provide travel talks at local bookstores. This is yet another source of targeted exchange of coupons and mailing lists.
Wednesday
Log On and Learn More!
David Meihoefer, your Collette Vacations' District Sales Manager, invites you to join an online presentation highlighting the following: Collette Vacations and the services and benefits provided to you; and Collette's new small tours division, "Explorations by Collette." It's easy to join! Simply sign up for a session below and enjoy from your home or office.
Log On and Learn More!These 30 minute presentations will provide information about Collette Vacations and our commitment to travel partners. David will give you an in-depth look at the advantages to selling Collette and will provide you with insider information to help you close the sale.
http://www.collettevacations.com/wb/dsm/davem/agents.cfm
Log On and Learn More!These 30 minute presentations will provide information about Collette Vacations and our commitment to travel partners. David will give you an in-depth look at the advantages to selling Collette and will provide you with insider information to help you close the sale.
http://www.collettevacations.com/wb/dsm/davem/agents.cfm
Funjet Home Based Travel Agent Advantage
Funjet Vacations will launch its Funjet Travel Agent Advantage online experience on April 8 and 9, a learning opportunity that introduces home based travel agents to a product showcase website that enables access to Funjet Vacations and suppliers' product information and selling tools.
With a national scope of products that encompasses charters, value flights, scheduled air and land vacations, the new website provides home based travel agents more tools and information for booking.
During the two live events in April, home based travel agents can chat live with Funjet and supplier experts to learn about new and more robust selling tools; learn about the Fun for Life agent incentive promotion; explore properties such as Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Excellence Group Luxury Resorts, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Palace Resorts, MGM Mirage, Sandals Resorts, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
They also can discover Funjet Vacations' newest tools to help home based travel agents sell online, and view a VAX VacationAccess session to learn what's new with the industry's award-winning booking tool. Times for the April 8 and 9 live events will be announced on March 31. Following the two online events, the website will stay active as an on-demand 24/7 resource for agents. For more information and to register, visit http://www.funjetagentadvantage.com/.
With a national scope of products that encompasses charters, value flights, scheduled air and land vacations, the new website provides home based travel agents more tools and information for booking.
During the two live events in April, home based travel agents can chat live with Funjet and supplier experts to learn about new and more robust selling tools; learn about the Fun for Life agent incentive promotion; explore properties such as Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Excellence Group Luxury Resorts, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Palace Resorts, MGM Mirage, Sandals Resorts, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
They also can discover Funjet Vacations' newest tools to help home based travel agents sell online, and view a VAX VacationAccess session to learn what's new with the industry's award-winning booking tool. Times for the April 8 and 9 live events will be announced on March 31. Following the two online events, the website will stay active as an on-demand 24/7 resource for agents. For more information and to register, visit http://www.funjetagentadvantage.com/.
Tuesday
Do you know your Clients Hobbies?
One important piece of information you will want to gather about all of your clients is the nature of their hobbies. Make the question of hobbies and interests a part of every client record. Why? You can find a way to tie travel in with nearly any activity. Does your client bird watch? There are some great bird watching tours in the United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Brazil and South Africa. Is your client a budding archeologist? Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Ethiopia are all very accessible venues for the study of ancient civilizations. Is your client into antiques? What about fashion? Architecture? Bicycling? You get the idea.
Knowing what hobbies your clients pursue also allows you the opportunity to arrange group travel. Almost all enthusiasts of any activity know other like-minded people with whom they share their passion. Often, clubs form around activities and your client can be an entree into a group of people traveling to a far-flung destination in pursuit of their hobby.
Incorporate the question of hobbies into all of your client interviews. For existing clients, go to your records and note your current observations and knowledge of their hobbies. Learn a small bit of information about the activity with some quick internet research and then determine which tour operators provide compatible trips. Call the tour operator and ask about the nature of the trips and the best way to approach people who might be interested in their tour
Knowing what hobbies your clients pursue also allows you the opportunity to arrange group travel. Almost all enthusiasts of any activity know other like-minded people with whom they share their passion. Often, clubs form around activities and your client can be an entree into a group of people traveling to a far-flung destination in pursuit of their hobby.
Incorporate the question of hobbies into all of your client interviews. For existing clients, go to your records and note your current observations and knowledge of their hobbies. Learn a small bit of information about the activity with some quick internet research and then determine which tour operators provide compatible trips. Call the tour operator and ask about the nature of the trips and the best way to approach people who might be interested in their tour
Monday
NCL Virtual Cruise Night
Second Training Added Tomorrow Afternoon! You're Invited to the NCL Virtual Cruise Night Training. Join us for a Webinar on March 25.
Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/606887795
Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/606887795
Air Consolidators
By Kate Rice
Airline consolidators let you offer your clients international fares that can be as much as 45 percent lower than published fares, while giving you an opportunity to add in a hefty service fee. These are net fares; there is no commission. Instead of letting airlines set your commissions, you add in your own mark-up, as most retailers outside the travel industry routinely do.
Consolidators allow you to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. It demonstrates to your clients that you’re a professional who knows where to find these fares, and allows you to charge your clients for the benefits they get from your expertise.
For the most part, consolidators sell negotiated fares, or discounted bulk fares that they have negotiated with airlines. The reason they swing such low fares is that they have demonstrated over the years their ability to fill these seats. Usually these are international fares, but some are for domestic flights.
Consolidators can make air a profit center for home based travel agents, says Eren Aksoy, vice president of automation, finance and tour operations for Picasso Travel (www.picassotravel.com) and past president of the U.S. Air Consolidators Association (http://www.usaca.com/). You determine your markup, and customers don’t see that add on. All they see is a fare that’s still lower than published fares. Usually, clients earn frequent-flier miles on these flights as well.
Fares can vary depending on the season. Aksoy has seen discounts as high as 60 percent off published fares. Availability depends on demand, which in turn depends on what the season is like for that particular carrier and flight.
“As always, you do better with more lead time,” he says. If you buy them far enough in advance, you will have more of a selection. Airlines allow a certain number of fares per each class of booking; once the cheapest fares have been sold, they go up to the next fare level.
Air consolidators work with airlines on a long-term basis, generally negotiating contracts annually. They have ongoing relationships with airlines and have proven their ability to deliver business.
Picasso, for example, has been in business since 1979 and has contracts with about 70 carriers. Most of its inventory is international coach. You can book on Picasso’s website, over Picasso’s toll-free number or in your GDS, and use them for individual as well as group bookings. Agents can pay by check or credit card.
Some consolidators set up a link to your consumer site, meaning your clients can shop and book these fares — with your markup included -- on your site.
To choose a consolidator, Aksoy recommends that agents first go to the USACA website to select from among its listed members. That’s because the USACA requires that each member does at least $20 million annually in air consolidation in conjunction with scheduled airlines; is incorporated in the U.S. for at least two years and has never filed for bankruptcy or ceased operation. Their contracts allow your clients to accrue mileage. Most have, or are about to have, systems that allow you to get fare quotes via the GDS or the web, to make booking consolidator tickets as efficient, and therefore profitable, as possible.
When shopping for consolidator fares, Aksoy recommends browsing consolidator websites to look at fares, see what prices and booking classes are available, and to compare prices and routes. For example, you can compare the price of a Los Angeles-London nonstop with a one-stop Los Angeles flight and decide which is better for the customer. If you’re new to figuring what your markup should be, most have a chart on their websites with suggested markups; you can also calculate it according to the amount of work that went into the booking.
Farebuzz (888-808-4123, http://www.farebuzz.com/), which has been in business since 1994, sells first-, business- and coach-class tickets. It offers last minute deals for domestic travel as well as round-the-world fares, hotel and car rental, net rates for travel originating overseas, Eurorail passes and tickets, limo transfers and trip insurance. Josanne Swain, vice president of sales and marketing for Farebuzz, encourages agents to call when they have questions, particularly on first- and business-class fares. Agents can book by phone, online or via email.
Skybird Travel & Tours (888-759-2473, http://www.skybirdfares.com/) is more than 30 years old and has contracts with about 70 airlines. Skybird sometimes purchases blocks of seats to sell to travel agents, assuming the risk for those seats. Skybird is happy to talk to you, particularly if you’re new to the business. Representatives can make sure you understand net fares and how to add in your own mark-up to make selling air profitable, says Sal Prezioso, president of sales and special projects for Skybird.
Airline consolidators let you offer your clients international fares that can be as much as 45 percent lower than published fares, while giving you an opportunity to add in a hefty service fee. These are net fares; there is no commission. Instead of letting airlines set your commissions, you add in your own mark-up, as most retailers outside the travel industry routinely do.
Consolidators allow you to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. It demonstrates to your clients that you’re a professional who knows where to find these fares, and allows you to charge your clients for the benefits they get from your expertise.
For the most part, consolidators sell negotiated fares, or discounted bulk fares that they have negotiated with airlines. The reason they swing such low fares is that they have demonstrated over the years their ability to fill these seats. Usually these are international fares, but some are for domestic flights.
Consolidators can make air a profit center for home based travel agents, says Eren Aksoy, vice president of automation, finance and tour operations for Picasso Travel (www.picassotravel.com) and past president of the U.S. Air Consolidators Association (http://www.usaca.com/). You determine your markup, and customers don’t see that add on. All they see is a fare that’s still lower than published fares. Usually, clients earn frequent-flier miles on these flights as well.
Fares can vary depending on the season. Aksoy has seen discounts as high as 60 percent off published fares. Availability depends on demand, which in turn depends on what the season is like for that particular carrier and flight.
“As always, you do better with more lead time,” he says. If you buy them far enough in advance, you will have more of a selection. Airlines allow a certain number of fares per each class of booking; once the cheapest fares have been sold, they go up to the next fare level.
Air consolidators work with airlines on a long-term basis, generally negotiating contracts annually. They have ongoing relationships with airlines and have proven their ability to deliver business.
Picasso, for example, has been in business since 1979 and has contracts with about 70 carriers. Most of its inventory is international coach. You can book on Picasso’s website, over Picasso’s toll-free number or in your GDS, and use them for individual as well as group bookings. Agents can pay by check or credit card.
Some consolidators set up a link to your consumer site, meaning your clients can shop and book these fares — with your markup included -- on your site.
To choose a consolidator, Aksoy recommends that agents first go to the USACA website to select from among its listed members. That’s because the USACA requires that each member does at least $20 million annually in air consolidation in conjunction with scheduled airlines; is incorporated in the U.S. for at least two years and has never filed for bankruptcy or ceased operation. Their contracts allow your clients to accrue mileage. Most have, or are about to have, systems that allow you to get fare quotes via the GDS or the web, to make booking consolidator tickets as efficient, and therefore profitable, as possible.
When shopping for consolidator fares, Aksoy recommends browsing consolidator websites to look at fares, see what prices and booking classes are available, and to compare prices and routes. For example, you can compare the price of a Los Angeles-London nonstop with a one-stop Los Angeles flight and decide which is better for the customer. If you’re new to figuring what your markup should be, most have a chart on their websites with suggested markups; you can also calculate it according to the amount of work that went into the booking.
Farebuzz (888-808-4123, http://www.farebuzz.com/), which has been in business since 1994, sells first-, business- and coach-class tickets. It offers last minute deals for domestic travel as well as round-the-world fares, hotel and car rental, net rates for travel originating overseas, Eurorail passes and tickets, limo transfers and trip insurance. Josanne Swain, vice president of sales and marketing for Farebuzz, encourages agents to call when they have questions, particularly on first- and business-class fares. Agents can book by phone, online or via email.
Skybird Travel & Tours (888-759-2473, http://www.skybirdfares.com/) is more than 30 years old and has contracts with about 70 airlines. Skybird sometimes purchases blocks of seats to sell to travel agents, assuming the risk for those seats. Skybird is happy to talk to you, particularly if you’re new to the business. Representatives can make sure you understand net fares and how to add in your own mark-up to make selling air profitable, says Sal Prezioso, president of sales and special projects for Skybird.
Friday
Tax Rebate will Increase Travel Sales
Access America survey reveals 10 percent of Americans plan to use their federal rebate for vacations and cruises. Over $10 billion could be directed into travel sales this summer.
The survey respondents said they plan to use their federal rebate (a maximum of $600 for individuals, $1200 for couples filing together) on a vacation, cruise or other types of travel.
The survey respondents said they plan to use their federal rebate (a maximum of $600 for individuals, $1200 for couples filing together) on a vacation, cruise or other types of travel.
Thursday
Webinars with Top Travel Industry Execs
Vacation.com, is introducing a webinar series, "A View From The Top," featuring high-ranking executives from preferred suppliers of Vacation.com.
A component of the Vacation.com Agent Advancement Center, "A View From The Top" will stimulate, educate and provide industry insight to those members who strive to remain on the cusp of the industry.
The first session, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, March 28, will feature Vicki Freed, senior vice president, sales and trade support and services for Royal Caribbean International.
Other executives scheduled include: Bill Smith, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Crystal Cruises; Scott Nisbit, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Globus Family of Brands; Dan Hanrahan, president, and Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president, Sales, Celebrity Cruises; Terri Burke, vice president, Industry Relations, Norwegian Cruise Line; Steve Gorga, president and CEO, Travel Impressions and Paul Allen, vice president, Sales, Holland America.
Home-Bsaed Travel Agents will have the chance to submit questions to the participants in advance. For more information and to register, visit Vacation.com's Agent Advancement Center at www.agentnet.com/aac.
A component of the Vacation.com Agent Advancement Center, "A View From The Top" will stimulate, educate and provide industry insight to those members who strive to remain on the cusp of the industry.
The first session, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, March 28, will feature Vicki Freed, senior vice president, sales and trade support and services for Royal Caribbean International.
Other executives scheduled include: Bill Smith, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Crystal Cruises; Scott Nisbit, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Globus Family of Brands; Dan Hanrahan, president, and Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president, Sales, Celebrity Cruises; Terri Burke, vice president, Industry Relations, Norwegian Cruise Line; Steve Gorga, president and CEO, Travel Impressions and Paul Allen, vice president, Sales, Holland America.
Home-Bsaed Travel Agents will have the chance to submit questions to the participants in advance. For more information and to register, visit Vacation.com's Agent Advancement Center at www.agentnet.com/aac.
Make Your Clients Feel Important
Clients want to feel important. By being prompt in all of your dealings with clients you make them feel special and you stake your claim to their attention.
Here are a few tips that will let your clients know that they are important to you and that you are giving them their full share of your time:
1. Return calls promptly - make this a habit. Even if you call to just say "I'm on the case and will be back to you on Tuesday."
2. Follow Up - Call back on Tuesday with results or to say "I'm almost finished but I need one more day."
3. Welcome them warmly each time you meet. Make them feel appreciated by being sincerely grateful to have an opportunity with this client, this day.
4. Give them your full attention - in meetings, do not be disturbed. Turn off your cell phone, take no other calls.
5. Know your clients and demonstrate that knowledge. Brief yourself before meetings using your client notes. Speak to them about their world.
6. Demonstrate an interest in a long-term relationship. Always set the next opportunity to speak with them.
7. The giving of your time wholeheartedly to your clients ensures that they will gladly give you their own.
Here are a few tips that will let your clients know that they are important to you and that you are giving them their full share of your time:
1. Return calls promptly - make this a habit. Even if you call to just say "I'm on the case and will be back to you on Tuesday."
2. Follow Up - Call back on Tuesday with results or to say "I'm almost finished but I need one more day."
3. Welcome them warmly each time you meet. Make them feel appreciated by being sincerely grateful to have an opportunity with this client, this day.
4. Give them your full attention - in meetings, do not be disturbed. Turn off your cell phone, take no other calls.
5. Know your clients and demonstrate that knowledge. Brief yourself before meetings using your client notes. Speak to them about their world.
6. Demonstrate an interest in a long-term relationship. Always set the next opportunity to speak with them.
7. The giving of your time wholeheartedly to your clients ensures that they will gladly give you their own.
Wednesday
FREE Travel Italy DVD from Central Holidays
Central Holidays is introducing an educational DVD featuring exclusive new footage throughout Italy that details the benefits of traveling with Central Holidays as told by travelers, tour directors and company executives.
The DVD, now available to home-based travel agents, is designed to serve as an effective sales and marketing tool. It can be viewed on a TV or on a computer, making the information easily accessible to agents and their clients.
A preview version of the DVD can also be accessed via the company's website, www.centralholidays.com. The company's new Italy DVD opens with a brief introduction followed by educational topics ranging from sample itineraries and guest testimonials, to information on the tour directors, Central Holidays' signature dining program and Italy accommodations options, plus much more.
The tool is made available to home-based travel agents to increase their knowledge about the array of travel experiences offered by Central Holidays and visually help them present the many opportunities available in Italy to their clients.
Entitled "Central Holidays Italy and Beyond," the DVD explores in-depth Central Holidays' Grand Tour of Italy, which is designed to bring travelers to the most popular locations of Italy and Sicily, as well as an array of other escorted programs.
Central Holidays offers dozens of outstanding Motorcoach Escorted Tours and Cruise Packages throughout Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and the Mediterranean, and this educational DVD details the virtually limitless opportunities Home-Based Travel Agents can offer their clients in discovering the world's most exquisite treasures. For more information, call 800-935-5000 or visit www.centralholidays.com.
The DVD, now available to home-based travel agents, is designed to serve as an effective sales and marketing tool. It can be viewed on a TV or on a computer, making the information easily accessible to agents and their clients.
A preview version of the DVD can also be accessed via the company's website, www.centralholidays.com. The company's new Italy DVD opens with a brief introduction followed by educational topics ranging from sample itineraries and guest testimonials, to information on the tour directors, Central Holidays' signature dining program and Italy accommodations options, plus much more.
The tool is made available to home-based travel agents to increase their knowledge about the array of travel experiences offered by Central Holidays and visually help them present the many opportunities available in Italy to their clients.
Entitled "Central Holidays Italy and Beyond," the DVD explores in-depth Central Holidays' Grand Tour of Italy, which is designed to bring travelers to the most popular locations of Italy and Sicily, as well as an array of other escorted programs.
Central Holidays offers dozens of outstanding Motorcoach Escorted Tours and Cruise Packages throughout Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and the Mediterranean, and this educational DVD details the virtually limitless opportunities Home-Based Travel Agents can offer their clients in discovering the world's most exquisite treasures. For more information, call 800-935-5000 or visit www.centralholidays.com.
Outrigger Hawaii Specialist Training Program
Outrigger Hotels is launching a home based travel agent training program to help agents become experts on the company's wide range of growing inventory in Hawaii and across the Pacific and Asia regions.
The company includes a wide range of brands and independent properties including: Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Ohana Hotels & Resorts, Outrigger Condominium Collection, Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk, Keauhou Beach Resort, The Wyland Waikiki and the Ala Moana Hotel -- many of Outrigger's long established properties have been rebuilt, remodeled or refurbished.
According to Lois Shore, vice president of distribution for Outrigger Enterprises, "With the growing inventory we are enjoying in Hawaii, and as our family of properties expands across the Pacific to wonderful destinations like Australia, Bali, Palau and Thailand in the next few years, now is the right time to give travel agents a fresh look at our family of properties with a newly redesigned and expanded program."
The new educational program begins with, "Exploring the World of Outrigger Hospitality and "Recommending the Right Property for the Right Client".
According to Shore, this course will help introduce the Outrigger family of properties to home based travel agents and provide them with insights on which properties are best for each of their clients.
"The course focuses on top client segments for travel agents: families, romance, active vacationers, culture-seekers, and business travelers," she said. "The information agents will learn should help them become more knowledgeable and confident in matching their clients with the right Outrigger Hospitality property."
The full curriculum is being developed and written by Marc Mancini, one of the travel industry's best-known speakers, educators and consultants. Dr. Mancini and his firm's associates are the creative force behind some of the largest and most highly praised certification programs in travel, including CLIA.
The new Outrigger Hospitality Specialist training courses will be delivered online via Webinars and later in 2008 through http://www.outrigger.com/.
"Home Based Travel Agents are an important and valued sales channel for Outrigger Hospitality's family of properties in Hawaii and across the Pacific-Asia region," said Shore. "We realize that every sale counts and happy guests are happy clients, so we are investing in new educational programs, online tools and improved incentives over the next several months for our Outrigger Hospitality Specialists.
Outrigger Hospitality Specialists also can look forward to further program enhancements to continue into 2009."Travel agents who would like to become an Outrigger Hospitality Specialist can visit: http://outrigger.com/travel_professionals_learning_course.aspx and complete the form.
Upon receipt, Outrigger will contact the travel agent with information on how to register for upcoming Webinars, which are currently scheduled for April 17, May 7 and June 4, or for assistance in scheduling a live training in the agent's area by an Outrigger field sales member.
The company includes a wide range of brands and independent properties including: Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Ohana Hotels & Resorts, Outrigger Condominium Collection, Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk, Keauhou Beach Resort, The Wyland Waikiki and the Ala Moana Hotel -- many of Outrigger's long established properties have been rebuilt, remodeled or refurbished.
According to Lois Shore, vice president of distribution for Outrigger Enterprises, "With the growing inventory we are enjoying in Hawaii, and as our family of properties expands across the Pacific to wonderful destinations like Australia, Bali, Palau and Thailand in the next few years, now is the right time to give travel agents a fresh look at our family of properties with a newly redesigned and expanded program."
The new educational program begins with, "Exploring the World of Outrigger Hospitality and "Recommending the Right Property for the Right Client".
According to Shore, this course will help introduce the Outrigger family of properties to home based travel agents and provide them with insights on which properties are best for each of their clients.
"The course focuses on top client segments for travel agents: families, romance, active vacationers, culture-seekers, and business travelers," she said. "The information agents will learn should help them become more knowledgeable and confident in matching their clients with the right Outrigger Hospitality property."
The full curriculum is being developed and written by Marc Mancini, one of the travel industry's best-known speakers, educators and consultants. Dr. Mancini and his firm's associates are the creative force behind some of the largest and most highly praised certification programs in travel, including CLIA.
The new Outrigger Hospitality Specialist training courses will be delivered online via Webinars and later in 2008 through http://www.outrigger.com/.
"Home Based Travel Agents are an important and valued sales channel for Outrigger Hospitality's family of properties in Hawaii and across the Pacific-Asia region," said Shore. "We realize that every sale counts and happy guests are happy clients, so we are investing in new educational programs, online tools and improved incentives over the next several months for our Outrigger Hospitality Specialists.
Outrigger Hospitality Specialists also can look forward to further program enhancements to continue into 2009."Travel agents who would like to become an Outrigger Hospitality Specialist can visit: http://outrigger.com/travel_professionals_learning_course.aspx and complete the form.
Upon receipt, Outrigger will contact the travel agent with information on how to register for upcoming Webinars, which are currently scheduled for April 17, May 7 and June 4, or for assistance in scheduling a live training in the agent's area by an Outrigger field sales member.
Monday
Happy St. Patrick's Day
On March 17, according to tradition, St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died. Some sources record the year as 493, others say 461. Patrick was born in Roman Britain.
Irish raiders captured him when he was sixteen and he was taken as a slave to Ireland. He lived there for six years before he escaped and returned by ship to his family. Like his father and grandfather, Patrick entered the church, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He had a vision which prompted his return to Ireland as a missionary.
Legend tells of him driving the snakes from Ireland, which may be a reference to his missionary work replacing earlier pagan cult called the snakes. He preached using a shamrock to illustrate the Christian theology of the trinity. Today, the Irish and not-so-Irish celebrate his life worldwide on St. Patrick's day.
Irish raiders captured him when he was sixteen and he was taken as a slave to Ireland. He lived there for six years before he escaped and returned by ship to his family. Like his father and grandfather, Patrick entered the church, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He had a vision which prompted his return to Ireland as a missionary.
Legend tells of him driving the snakes from Ireland, which may be a reference to his missionary work replacing earlier pagan cult called the snakes. He preached using a shamrock to illustrate the Christian theology of the trinity. Today, the Irish and not-so-Irish celebrate his life worldwide on St. Patrick's day.
Sunday
Telephone Sales Tips
By Phil and Doris Davidoff
With more and more business conducted over the telephone, use these tips and share them with any co-workers or associates to help them increase their effectiveness on the phone:
I) Your voice has to substitute for your normal body language movements. Speak softly if a matter is confidential; speak more loudly to show enthusiasm. Smile - it will show through.
2) Repeat things, particularly detailed facts, more frequently. You don't have the benefit of seeing their body language to show if they understand. It is also a good idea to follow up with fax, email or other written documentation of what was said. There is a much greater chance of misunderstanding over the telephone than with in-person communications.
3) Speak more slowly than in person to make sure people hear everything, but keep the length of time you speak shorter. Without visual cues, the listener will get bored more easily than in person. This places a premium on your ability to ask open-ended questions. The less you talk and the more you listen, the better.
Also, you might consider using a headset. While the sets are not inexpensive, research has proven that you will sound more natural and be more effective if your hands are free and your neck is in a normal position. Your hands will also be free to work with your computer or take notes.
With more and more business conducted over the telephone, use these tips and share them with any co-workers or associates to help them increase their effectiveness on the phone:
I) Your voice has to substitute for your normal body language movements. Speak softly if a matter is confidential; speak more loudly to show enthusiasm. Smile - it will show through.
2) Repeat things, particularly detailed facts, more frequently. You don't have the benefit of seeing their body language to show if they understand. It is also a good idea to follow up with fax, email or other written documentation of what was said. There is a much greater chance of misunderstanding over the telephone than with in-person communications.
3) Speak more slowly than in person to make sure people hear everything, but keep the length of time you speak shorter. Without visual cues, the listener will get bored more easily than in person. This places a premium on your ability to ask open-ended questions. The less you talk and the more you listen, the better.
Also, you might consider using a headset. While the sets are not inexpensive, research has proven that you will sound more natural and be more effective if your hands are free and your neck is in a normal position. Your hands will also be free to work with your computer or take notes.
Wednesday
FREE Educational Program on Baltic Sea Cruises
Cruise Baltic has launched a home-based travel agent education program designed to provide an in-depth knowledge on the Baltic Sea region.
Performance Media Group (PMG) has developed an online educational tool for home-based travel agents, which consists of the Cruise Baltic Travel Agent Academy and the Cruise Baltic Virtual Travel Seminar. The programs are highly interactive and incorporate high-impact slideshows, interactive maps and panoramic video.
Cruise Baltic Travel Agent Academy consists of three chapters and an exam following each section, thereby focusing on active participation. The three chapters focus on:
1. Why sell Cruise Baltic.
2. Selling the Destination.
3. Getting There.
Each of the 10 countries is explored with a port-by-port snapshot. "Cruise Baltic has embraced the importance of education and has developed training programs and Virtual Travel Seminars that are invaluable to the home-based travel agent," said Brad Anderson, co-president of America's Vacation Center. "
We recommend the Cruise Baltic training to our elite network of independent affiliates because it provides in-depth knowledge on the Baltic Sea region and makes selling the destination easier than ever before. I personally have taken Cruise Baltic's training course and would suggest it to anyone interested in learning more about this rapidly growing cruise market."
Bo Larsen, director of Cruise Baltic, hosts Cruise Baltic Virtual Travel Seminar. The 15-minute video presentation highlights the sights and attractions in the Cruise Baltic Region. "We are very excited to introduce this state-of-the-art training program for agents, Larsen said. "Last year at CLIA's cruise3sixty, many agents showed interest in a toolbox to assist them in getting to know more about the region and the opportunities for cruising in The Baltic Sea.
Now, one year later, we have an excellent training program to offer agents." Formed in 2004, Cruise Baltic today has 44 partners and a total of 26 destinations. For more information, visit www.travelagentacademy.com/cruisebaltic, www.virtualtravelseminars.com/cruisebaltic/seminar or www.cruisebaltic.com.
Performance Media Group (PMG) has developed an online educational tool for home-based travel agents, which consists of the Cruise Baltic Travel Agent Academy and the Cruise Baltic Virtual Travel Seminar. The programs are highly interactive and incorporate high-impact slideshows, interactive maps and panoramic video.
Cruise Baltic Travel Agent Academy consists of three chapters and an exam following each section, thereby focusing on active participation. The three chapters focus on:
1. Why sell Cruise Baltic.
2. Selling the Destination.
3. Getting There.
Each of the 10 countries is explored with a port-by-port snapshot. "Cruise Baltic has embraced the importance of education and has developed training programs and Virtual Travel Seminars that are invaluable to the home-based travel agent," said Brad Anderson, co-president of America's Vacation Center. "
We recommend the Cruise Baltic training to our elite network of independent affiliates because it provides in-depth knowledge on the Baltic Sea region and makes selling the destination easier than ever before. I personally have taken Cruise Baltic's training course and would suggest it to anyone interested in learning more about this rapidly growing cruise market."
Bo Larsen, director of Cruise Baltic, hosts Cruise Baltic Virtual Travel Seminar. The 15-minute video presentation highlights the sights and attractions in the Cruise Baltic Region. "We are very excited to introduce this state-of-the-art training program for agents, Larsen said. "Last year at CLIA's cruise3sixty, many agents showed interest in a toolbox to assist them in getting to know more about the region and the opportunities for cruising in The Baltic Sea.
Now, one year later, we have an excellent training program to offer agents." Formed in 2004, Cruise Baltic today has 44 partners and a total of 26 destinations. For more information, visit www.travelagentacademy.com/cruisebaltic, www.virtualtravelseminars.com/cruisebaltic/seminar or www.cruisebaltic.com.
Tuesday
Free Travel Virtual Seminars By Funjet
Home Based travel Agents can visit suppliers and Funjet virtual booths, learn about new promotions, chat live with experts, explore the hottest properties from their computers, and discover how Funjet and its suppliers can help you make more money. This online live and interactive event will be held on Tuesday, April 8, and Wednesday, April 9. Times are to be announced. To register, visit www.FunjetAgentAdvantage.com
Friday
Grow Your Travel Business for FREE
Social websites including Myspace.com, Facebook.com, YouTube.com and Meetup.com have attracted hundreds of millions of passionate members to their communities.
Travelstar.com combines the most popular social networking features-enabling users to share vacation photos, read and write reviews, interact in traveler forums and blog about their travel adventures- with vacation planning services.
The site was designed to attract millions of leisure travelers. That is why we want YOU to be a part of the mission and success of Travelstar.com.
Many experts believe social networking and user-generated content will have a greater impact on the consumer behavior over the next few years than online travel agencies had over the past decade.
Sites like tripadvisor.com attract millions of people each week who go there to read reviews before they book travel. A recent Yahoo.com study revealed that reviews and photos now influence a consumer's choice more than price.
If you recognize this trend and the opportunity it presents, YOU have the potential to reap the rewards.
Travelstar.com is for all travel professionals from every agency affiliation. If you are an expert at what you do, you have keen knowledge and insight about particular suppliers, cities, resort destinations, cruise ships and hotels, You can build your business on Travelstar.com for FREE.
Travelers are searching for information and insight not available in a brochure or on a supplier website. We have created a platform for you to showcase your knowledge and expertise about a particular product or destination for the world to see.
The more you contribute, the greater your exposure will be to travelers worldwide. Your expert reviews for the world's vacation destinations, resorts and cruise ships will make Travelstar.com a top resource for travelers.
They will be able to read the reviews, interact with YOU in travel forums and have the ability to contact you directly to make travel bookings.
To find out more how to use your knowledge and expertise to build your business for free, please visit Travelstar.com and click on "Travel Professionals"
Travelstar.com combines the most popular social networking features-enabling users to share vacation photos, read and write reviews, interact in traveler forums and blog about their travel adventures- with vacation planning services.
The site was designed to attract millions of leisure travelers. That is why we want YOU to be a part of the mission and success of Travelstar.com.
Many experts believe social networking and user-generated content will have a greater impact on the consumer behavior over the next few years than online travel agencies had over the past decade.
Sites like tripadvisor.com attract millions of people each week who go there to read reviews before they book travel. A recent Yahoo.com study revealed that reviews and photos now influence a consumer's choice more than price.
If you recognize this trend and the opportunity it presents, YOU have the potential to reap the rewards.
Travelstar.com is for all travel professionals from every agency affiliation. If you are an expert at what you do, you have keen knowledge and insight about particular suppliers, cities, resort destinations, cruise ships and hotels, You can build your business on Travelstar.com for FREE.
Travelers are searching for information and insight not available in a brochure or on a supplier website. We have created a platform for you to showcase your knowledge and expertise about a particular product or destination for the world to see.
The more you contribute, the greater your exposure will be to travelers worldwide. Your expert reviews for the world's vacation destinations, resorts and cruise ships will make Travelstar.com a top resource for travelers.
They will be able to read the reviews, interact with YOU in travel forums and have the ability to contact you directly to make travel bookings.
To find out more how to use your knowledge and expertise to build your business for free, please visit Travelstar.com and click on "Travel Professionals"
Trends in Adventure Travel
BY MEGAN K. SCOTT
Associated Press.
Forget the tan, the Mickey Mouse photos and the cliche souvenirs.
These days, travelers want to experience something more than the gated resort and the cruise ship buffet. They want to go on a walking tour, climb a mountain and kayak down a river -- adventures that can make a vacation more meaningful.
''In travel, people are increasingly seeking the authentic unique experiences that stretch the imagination and create potent memories that last a lifetime,'' says Chris Doyle, vice president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). According to the organization, adventure travel is the fastest growing segment of the leisure travel industry.
Of course, adventure is in the eye of the traveler, and ranges from a walking tour to whitewater rafting. But because of that, it remains relatively unaffected by the weak dollar and economic downturn, says David Larkin, managing director of AdventureUs.com, a social networking and directory for adventure travelers.
According to the experts, the latest trends in adventure travel are:
• Girlfriend getaways
More women are leaving the men at home. More than 50 percent of adventure travelers are women and most fall between ages 41 and 60, according to a 2006 survey by the ATTA. ''We used to think of active holidays for 20-somethings,'' says Evelyn Hannon, creator of journeywoman.com, an online travel resource for women. "Now it's not unheard of for 50- and 60-year-olds to be going kayaking, mountain climbing, surfing.''
• Volunteer vacations
Combining volunteerism with vacation continues to be a growing trend; Global Volunteers saw a 30 percent increase in participation last year, according to co-founder Michele Gran. Baby boomers still rule, she says, but the fastest growing demographic in the last 18 months has been people under age 20, more than likely baby boomers who bring their children with them.
• Expeditionary travel
More people are helping researchers through the Earthwatch Institute, an international volunteer organization supporting science. Expeditions include surveying coral reefs on a remote Bahamian island or feeding and caring for cheetahs in Namibia. Most of the trips are two weeks, and no special training is required. (Exceptions may be trips that require scuba-diving certification or a high fitness level). Other examples include conservation-minded tours to watch giant sea turtles lay their eggs in coastal areas of the southeastern U.S., Mexico and Costa Rica.
• Charity travel
Think of an extreme version of a walkathon. Venture Expeditions, a Christian-based organization, sponsors trips to raise awareness and funds for various organizations, such as biking through Thailand to raise money for an orphanage. Travelers pay for the trip and then make a minimum donation to the charity.
• Action-packed vacations
Some people call action-packed vacations The Bucket List for the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, two terminally ill patients who want to complete a list of things to do before they kick the bucket. Ultimate 5 Lifetime Adventures packs five of what it calls the world's greatest adventures into one week: a military-developed Ropes Challenge Course, skydiving, Indy car racing, rappelling and piloting a primary combat trainer aircraft.
• Family adventure vacations
Some families (including multigenerational) are forgoing theme parks and all-inclusive resorts for ''more genuine nature-based, cultural, and education and learning excursions,'' says Doyle. He attributes this in part to baby boomers who have the means to travel ''coupled with a strong interest in bonding more deeply with families.'' GordonsGuide.com, a Web site on adventure and active travel, says the top vacation requests are all family friendly -- dude and guest ranches, houseboat rentals, whitewater rafting and horse pack trips and trail rides.
• Soft adventure vacations
An increasing number of people are choosing a vacation that centers around a theme, such as a culinary tour in Asia or wine vacation in Israel. Yoga has also seeped into the mix. Best of Both Women's Adventures has yoga on all of its trips and a specific yoga and surf vacation in Puerto Rico. (Surfing is one of the top activities that women want to do, says Dez Bartelt, co-founder of Best of Both Women's Adventures.) Other combinations include yoga and snowboarding or yoga and wine tasting.
• Expedition Cruising
Look for more people to take expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Galapagos and Alaska, says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.com, three places that are hard to see without sailing there. The cruises, while less glitzy than big ship cruise lines, include lectures and presentations about the place. ''On an expedition cruise, everything revolves really around what you see off the ship,'' says Brown. "On the big ship cruises, everything revolves around what happens on board and the ports are sort of an addendum.''
• Roots Vacations
With an increasing number of people swabbing their cheek to find their roots, some are taking it a step further and traveling to the places where their ancestors lived. Discover Natural Ancestry (amazingdna.com) not only provides DNA analysis and genealogy services, it puts people in touch with tour operators who plan the trip for them. ''If they are breathing, then they have a genetic story hidden within them and we help them to discover and explore the unknown secrets about their heritage,'' says Yvonne Walker, marketing director for Discover Natural Ancestry.
• African travel
While the Kenya Tourist Board says the sporadic and isolated violence has calmed and tourists were never in danger (the situation was internal and occurred in places where tourists generally don't go), there has been a downturn in tourism in Kenya and some spillover to other countries in East Africa, says Wil Smith, director of Deeper Africa, a tour operator with trips to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
''I believe the bounce back in the neighboring countries is going to be swift,'' he says. "I think it's probably going to take best scenario, six months for Kenya to recover.''
When the region recovers, look for more people to go gorilla tracking in Uganda and Rwanda; visit Ethiopia, an emerging destination, and climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, before the snow on its peak, which has been gradually receding, disappears.
Associated Press.
Forget the tan, the Mickey Mouse photos and the cliche souvenirs.
These days, travelers want to experience something more than the gated resort and the cruise ship buffet. They want to go on a walking tour, climb a mountain and kayak down a river -- adventures that can make a vacation more meaningful.
''In travel, people are increasingly seeking the authentic unique experiences that stretch the imagination and create potent memories that last a lifetime,'' says Chris Doyle, vice president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). According to the organization, adventure travel is the fastest growing segment of the leisure travel industry.
Of course, adventure is in the eye of the traveler, and ranges from a walking tour to whitewater rafting. But because of that, it remains relatively unaffected by the weak dollar and economic downturn, says David Larkin, managing director of AdventureUs.com, a social networking and directory for adventure travelers.
According to the experts, the latest trends in adventure travel are:
• Girlfriend getaways
More women are leaving the men at home. More than 50 percent of adventure travelers are women and most fall between ages 41 and 60, according to a 2006 survey by the ATTA. ''We used to think of active holidays for 20-somethings,'' says Evelyn Hannon, creator of journeywoman.com, an online travel resource for women. "Now it's not unheard of for 50- and 60-year-olds to be going kayaking, mountain climbing, surfing.''
• Volunteer vacations
Combining volunteerism with vacation continues to be a growing trend; Global Volunteers saw a 30 percent increase in participation last year, according to co-founder Michele Gran. Baby boomers still rule, she says, but the fastest growing demographic in the last 18 months has been people under age 20, more than likely baby boomers who bring their children with them.
• Expeditionary travel
More people are helping researchers through the Earthwatch Institute, an international volunteer organization supporting science. Expeditions include surveying coral reefs on a remote Bahamian island or feeding and caring for cheetahs in Namibia. Most of the trips are two weeks, and no special training is required. (Exceptions may be trips that require scuba-diving certification or a high fitness level). Other examples include conservation-minded tours to watch giant sea turtles lay their eggs in coastal areas of the southeastern U.S., Mexico and Costa Rica.
• Charity travel
Think of an extreme version of a walkathon. Venture Expeditions, a Christian-based organization, sponsors trips to raise awareness and funds for various organizations, such as biking through Thailand to raise money for an orphanage. Travelers pay for the trip and then make a minimum donation to the charity.
• Action-packed vacations
Some people call action-packed vacations The Bucket List for the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, two terminally ill patients who want to complete a list of things to do before they kick the bucket. Ultimate 5 Lifetime Adventures packs five of what it calls the world's greatest adventures into one week: a military-developed Ropes Challenge Course, skydiving, Indy car racing, rappelling and piloting a primary combat trainer aircraft.
• Family adventure vacations
Some families (including multigenerational) are forgoing theme parks and all-inclusive resorts for ''more genuine nature-based, cultural, and education and learning excursions,'' says Doyle. He attributes this in part to baby boomers who have the means to travel ''coupled with a strong interest in bonding more deeply with families.'' GordonsGuide.com, a Web site on adventure and active travel, says the top vacation requests are all family friendly -- dude and guest ranches, houseboat rentals, whitewater rafting and horse pack trips and trail rides.
• Soft adventure vacations
An increasing number of people are choosing a vacation that centers around a theme, such as a culinary tour in Asia or wine vacation in Israel. Yoga has also seeped into the mix. Best of Both Women's Adventures has yoga on all of its trips and a specific yoga and surf vacation in Puerto Rico. (Surfing is one of the top activities that women want to do, says Dez Bartelt, co-founder of Best of Both Women's Adventures.) Other combinations include yoga and snowboarding or yoga and wine tasting.
• Expedition Cruising
Look for more people to take expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Galapagos and Alaska, says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.com, three places that are hard to see without sailing there. The cruises, while less glitzy than big ship cruise lines, include lectures and presentations about the place. ''On an expedition cruise, everything revolves really around what you see off the ship,'' says Brown. "On the big ship cruises, everything revolves around what happens on board and the ports are sort of an addendum.''
• Roots Vacations
With an increasing number of people swabbing their cheek to find their roots, some are taking it a step further and traveling to the places where their ancestors lived. Discover Natural Ancestry (amazingdna.com) not only provides DNA analysis and genealogy services, it puts people in touch with tour operators who plan the trip for them. ''If they are breathing, then they have a genetic story hidden within them and we help them to discover and explore the unknown secrets about their heritage,'' says Yvonne Walker, marketing director for Discover Natural Ancestry.
• African travel
While the Kenya Tourist Board says the sporadic and isolated violence has calmed and tourists were never in danger (the situation was internal and occurred in places where tourists generally don't go), there has been a downturn in tourism in Kenya and some spillover to other countries in East Africa, says Wil Smith, director of Deeper Africa, a tour operator with trips to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
''I believe the bounce back in the neighboring countries is going to be swift,'' he says. "I think it's probably going to take best scenario, six months for Kenya to recover.''
When the region recovers, look for more people to go gorilla tracking in Uganda and Rwanda; visit Ethiopia, an emerging destination, and climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, before the snow on its peak, which has been gradually receding, disappears.
Thursday
Niche Marketing
Niche marketing is often misunderstood. Niche marketing is a way of helping you focus on locating new clients, not a set of restrictions on your business offerings. Niche Marketing is not necessarily about gearing your entire business to a particular type of travel. It is about segmenting your marketing efforts to focus on particular groups of people.
Niche Marketing refers to the process of focusing a marketing effort on a particular theme or destination. Properly executed, niche marketing is a terrific way of locating and marketing to a group of potential clients in a highly effective and cost efficient manner.
It is important to be clear about the market you are addressing and to address that market clearly. This might require you to have one marketing brochure or presentation for adventure travel and another for senior escorted tours and yet another for golf travel. You do not have to devote your practice exclusively to any of these niches, but you can devote some of your marketing tactics to the niche. Then, choose the appropriate marketing tools and pitch for the market you are addressing.
One great advantage of a niche market is the way in which it helps you locate potential clients. When you are marketing general travel, everyone is your potential market and you lack focus. When your market is "adventure travelers", however, you know where to find them. When your market is "golfers", you know where to find them. Once you have located your market, it is much less costly to reach out to them as opposed to using much less efficient "shotgun" approaches.
Try this exercise: Choose a niche market for which you have some affinity. Spend an hour or so figuring out where the people who are in that niche market congregate. Then, decide how you might best approach them. Chances are, you will quickly realize that not far out of your reach is a group of potential clients just waiting for you to grace them with your presence.
Niche Marketing refers to the process of focusing a marketing effort on a particular theme or destination. Properly executed, niche marketing is a terrific way of locating and marketing to a group of potential clients in a highly effective and cost efficient manner.
It is important to be clear about the market you are addressing and to address that market clearly. This might require you to have one marketing brochure or presentation for adventure travel and another for senior escorted tours and yet another for golf travel. You do not have to devote your practice exclusively to any of these niches, but you can devote some of your marketing tactics to the niche. Then, choose the appropriate marketing tools and pitch for the market you are addressing.
One great advantage of a niche market is the way in which it helps you locate potential clients. When you are marketing general travel, everyone is your potential market and you lack focus. When your market is "adventure travelers", however, you know where to find them. When your market is "golfers", you know where to find them. Once you have located your market, it is much less costly to reach out to them as opposed to using much less efficient "shotgun" approaches.
Try this exercise: Choose a niche market for which you have some affinity. Spend an hour or so figuring out where the people who are in that niche market congregate. Then, decide how you might best approach them. Chances are, you will quickly realize that not far out of your reach is a group of potential clients just waiting for you to grace them with your presence.
Wednesday
"Travel Tips Quarterly" Newsletter
Agentnet is publishing Travel Tips Quarterly, which members can distribute to their clients providing travel advice and relevant information to enhance the clients' travel experiences.
Each issue will be customized with your agency's name and a brief letter to add a personal touch. The premiere issue, which debuted this month, features information about airline passenger rights; safe-travel tips; travel insurance information; up-to-date passport requirements; weather information; airport status and delays; and airport security checkpoint wait time. Topics will vary each issue.
Travel Tips Quarterly is available free-of-charge to all members, however, agencies must choose to opt-in each quarter to obtain the latest issue. The next issue will be available for member agents to order on April 22, 2008. For more information, visit www.agentnet.com or call member services at
Each issue will be customized with your agency's name and a brief letter to add a personal touch. The premiere issue, which debuted this month, features information about airline passenger rights; safe-travel tips; travel insurance information; up-to-date passport requirements; weather information; airport status and delays; and airport security checkpoint wait time. Topics will vary each issue.
Travel Tips Quarterly is available free-of-charge to all members, however, agencies must choose to opt-in each quarter to obtain the latest issue. The next issue will be available for member agents to order on April 22, 2008. For more information, visit www.agentnet.com or call member services at
Time to Change Your Sales Process.
1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer. Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a sales pitch.
For example, you might say, "I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas from the ordinary vacation?" Notice that you are not pitching your company or anything you have to sell with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing an alternative, based on your experience in your field.
2. Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.If you let go of trying to close the sale or get the appointment, you'll discover that you don't have to take responsibility for moving the sales process forward.
By simply focusing your conversation on building rapport and by not jumping the gun by trying to move the sales process forward, you'll discover that prospects will give you the direction you need.
3. When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.If you think you're losing sales due to mistakes you make at the end of the process, review how you began the relationship. Did you start with a pitch?
Did you use traditional sales language ("We have the best service and best this or that." remember "Others in your industry have said the same things before.")?
Traditional sales language leads prospects to label you with the negative stereotype of "salesperson." This makes it almost impossible for them to relate to you with trust or to have an honest, open conversation about their needs and how you might be able to help them.
4. Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you'll never experience rejection.Prospects don't trigger rejection. You do when something you say, and it could be very subtle, triggers a defensive reaction from your prospect.
You can eliminate rejection forever simply by giving up the hidden agenda of hoping to make a sale. Instead, be sure that everything you say and do stems from the basic mindset that you're there to help them.
For example, you might say, "I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas from the ordinary vacation?" Notice that you are not pitching your company or anything you have to sell with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing an alternative, based on your experience in your field.
2. Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.If you let go of trying to close the sale or get the appointment, you'll discover that you don't have to take responsibility for moving the sales process forward.
By simply focusing your conversation on building rapport and by not jumping the gun by trying to move the sales process forward, you'll discover that prospects will give you the direction you need.
3. When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.If you think you're losing sales due to mistakes you make at the end of the process, review how you began the relationship. Did you start with a pitch?
Did you use traditional sales language ("We have the best service and best this or that." remember "Others in your industry have said the same things before.")?
Traditional sales language leads prospects to label you with the negative stereotype of "salesperson." This makes it almost impossible for them to relate to you with trust or to have an honest, open conversation about their needs and how you might be able to help them.
4. Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you'll never experience rejection.Prospects don't trigger rejection. You do when something you say, and it could be very subtle, triggers a defensive reaction from your prospect.
You can eliminate rejection forever simply by giving up the hidden agenda of hoping to make a sale. Instead, be sure that everything you say and do stems from the basic mindset that you're there to help them.
Tuesday
Virtually Explore the Hottest Properties
Experience the 2008 Funjet Agent Advantage. A one-of-a-kind online resource. Virtually explore the hottest properties. Chat live with experts. Learn about new promotions. Discover how Funjet and its valuable suppliers can help you MAKE MORE MONEY! Get the benefits of a trade show any day of the year.
April 8 & 9 - Online, Live & Interactive
Chat with Funjet and supplier experts.
April 10 & beyond - Online & On-Demand
www.FunjetAgentAdvantage.com
April 8 & 9 - Online, Live & Interactive
Chat with Funjet and supplier experts.
April 10 & beyond - Online & On-Demand
www.FunjetAgentAdvantage.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)