Tour Training: Sell Vacations Even Better

Agents continue to be a prime distribution channel for tour operator sales. As a result, operators offer them extensive programs to help boost their business. Here’s a rundown on what’s available.

Abercrombie & Kent: Webinars on new products and how to sell them are available in the Agent Services section of A&K’s website. Instant Expert destination guides are available in printed and PDF forms. Other materials include Travel Professional Guide, which explains how to sell A&K; customizable marketing materials; newsletter announcing special offers, new destinations and travel opportunities—all designed so agents can forward them to their clients. The company provides agent incentives and co-op marketing funds. Sales directors are available to meet with agents and clients, and to participate in three-way calls. The 100 Club biannual event recognizes top-producing agents.

Adventures by Disney: Disneytravelagents.com is a one-stop shop for nearly everything a travel agent needs to market and sell Disney travel packages. Agents will find itinerary highlights, marketing assets, sales training, the latest news and offers, bi-weekly webinars and more. Under the My Disney Tools tab, agents can create mini-sites, customize e-brochures and embed content within their own websites.

African Travel, Inc.: The African Travel Safari Academy offers regular webinars. Agents can also download a variety of PDF postcards, flyers and value offers from their dedicated portal. And the marketing department will create any banners, flyers, etc. on request. The portal enables agents to browse and book trips for clients, and to link to South Africa and Kenya Specialist Programs. The operator offers Safari Night, where agents’ clients can learn about safaris; a support system enables agents to follow up with clients and close sales.

Alexander + Roberts: A Travel Agent Rewards program provides agent-only webinars; special offers; and regular e-updates on new and top-selling tours as well as any product enhancements like the No Single Supplement offer on some packages. Enrolled agents also receive a $50 per passenger booking bonus every time clients take advantage of a pay-in-full offer. Other sales tools include customized PDFs for agents to promote tours or their own group departures and hosted in-office events.

American Airlines Vacations: AAV offers an educational course through the Travel Agent Academy. An agency loyalty program is available through Travel Agent Mileage Rewards. Agents can sign up for one of two programs: 25,000-mile capped annual benefits and no IRS forms filed on behalf of the agent, or an unlimited miles program where earnings are reported. An annual “Race for Miles” VIP trip is held for top-selling AMResorts agencies. The top 25 agencies that sell AMResorts from January through August can send a representative on an all-expense paid trip to an AMResorts property, where there is a potential prize of 1 million AAdvantage miles. AAV names a hotel or destination partner monthly with 5 percent additional commissions for those bookings.

Amtrak Vacations: Travel Agent Training Webinars and Virtual Travel Nights are scheduled regularly. The operator’s website allows agents to take a 360-degree tour of a train, view sleeping accommodations or find the closest Amtrak station for a client.

Apple Vacations: The operator provides training on Apple Online 4, its booking engine. A weekly e-newsletter features promotions and news about incentives. A Royalties Rewards program provides automatic credits to an agent’s portfolio. Points are redeemable for merchandise, travel and special perks for clients. Agencies can qualify as preferred partners based on productivity, and are rewarded with preferred-customer service, co-op advertising, free air, fam trips and giveaways, exclusive use of discount coupons and promotions. Awesome Agent Week in May provides agents with the chance to win free stays, cash, prizes and Royalties Points. The newly revamped Travel Agent Café portal offers information on promotions and incentives.

CIE Tours: Monthly webinars offer news about promotions, destinations, and products. There are marketing campaigns at least once a month with editable flyers that can be found in the Travel Agent Education Center. That center also enables agents to become Ireland and Britain experts with immersive courses and to earn certification. Graduates can win trips. The company offers 30 percent off coach tours and 20 percent off self-drive itineraries to accredited agents.

Collette: Collette resources can be found through its agent resource and worldwide travel guide, which features information on monthly webinars, digital resources, tips for finding itinerary highlights and ways to earn more money. Collette University, an e-learning program, offers travel credits and discounts on personal travel when agents become Collette specialists. Agents participating in Collette University can qualify for free fams.

Delta Vacations: Weekly live webinars with hotel partners and CVBs are available and recorded for later access at the Delta Vacations Marketing Hub, a source for downloadable materials and other resources.Worldagentdirect.comis an agent-only portal for agents to book packages for clients, find materials and resources, and get updates. Delta Vacations University, an annual agent event and tradeshow, offers classes and networking opportunities. A Rewards To Go loyalty program enables agents to book trips and earn points redeemable for personal travel.

G Adventures: The operator hosts two to three webinars monthly, which include introduction sessions hosted by a regional Global Purpose Specialist or regional sales manager. Agents are also invited to register with G Adventures online through the Sherpa booking engine, where educational and promotional materials are available. Home-based agents can schedule an in-person meeting. From January to April agents can participate in “G-Normous,” where every tour they sell puts them in the running for up to $100,000 in prizes.

Globus: The Globus family of brands, which includes Cosmos and Monograms and Avalon, offer agents webinars on new products, selling tips, marketing, and groups. An on-demand marketing system is available via a travel agent portal. Globus University provides an e-learning platform via desktop or mobile app to learn about the brands and how to sell, profile clients and grow business. Agents can become Globus Tour Experts to receive perks like discounted travel and preferential listings online.

Goway: The operator offers hosted webinars Thursdays at 2 p.m., Eastern Time, and recorded webinars on its agent website. Certification is given upon completion of online training. There are two loyalty programs: Goway Visa Rewards Card and Passport to a Free Fam.

Group IST: A customized educational program for groups of agents provides destination intelligence, as well as product knowledge. An online system allows both agents and customers to download travel documents.

Insight Vacations: An agent portal allows travel advisors to browse and book trips for clients, participate in e-learning activities and find agent- and consortia-specific information. Insight also offers the Insight Trip Specialist e-learning program, an interactive suite of courses that offer accreditation. Agents accumulate points equaling 2 percent of a trip for each passenger they book, which can be applied to discounts on select trips; after booking 50 trips they will have accumulated enough points to earn a free trip. A loyalty program provides agents with one Insight Bonus Point per guest booked. Every point is worth an additional 2 percent reduction over and above the discount.

The Mark Travel Corporation: The company has several webinar channels, including live and on-demand options for Blue Sky Tours, Funjet, Southwest Vacations and United Vacations. The Creative Connection online tool enables agents to customize and personalize professional-looking vacation engagement assets. Each brand has its own library of imagery and customizable templates, allowing agents to add their own call-to-action and branding. Funjet and United Vacations offer Groups Your Way Custom Event Pages, which are customized, bookable pages for groups where clients can book anytime, anywhere. The Go Funjet, Go United Vacations and Go Blue Sky Tours affiliate marketing programs provide custom websites and allow agents to receive full credit and commission for bookings made on their sites.

Training is provided through VAX by each of the brands. A Mark Travel annual summit features educational and motivational seminars. Agents who meet revenue goals receive benefits as part of the 500 Club Recognition and Rewards program. The company offers an Agent Bonus Cash Program on all eligible bookings. They earn 2 percent bonuses for upgraded room categories on select hotels and resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Mayflower Cruises and Tours: The operator offers bonus commissions, promotional offers, webinar training, marketing assistance, presentations for group travelers and in-office training sessions. Company representatives will also attend and participate in consortium tradeshows.

Pacific Delight: The operator collaborates with agencies on marketing initiatives and group travel experiences.

Pleasant Holidays: Training Resources to Achieve Continuing Knowledge (TRACK) features live and pre-recorded webinar training sessions. Travel Reward Incentive Program (TRIP) awards agents with points for personal travel with every booking. TRIP Premier provides perks and flexibility for agents who earn 25,000 or more points in a single year. An agent website has a booking feature, chat capabilities, deals and an Agent Resource Center designed to address the specific needs of home-based agents. Other brands with agent-only sites are Journese, Pleasant Activities, and Air by Pleasant.

Rocky Mountaineer: A Learning Journeys Program is an annual initiative to place 400-500 agents on board a Rocky Mountaineer adventure, typically for a week. A new TRACKS online training program, coming in June 2018, will serve as a learning platform.

Tauck: Tauck Academy includes three-day regional events, and “Tauck-certified” designations for agents successfully completing the program. A Tauck Specialist Program features online training and provides a certificate of graduation, three CEU credits from The Travel Institute and access to exclusive promotions. The company offers virtual 30-minute webinars monthly, available immediately following live sessions and hosted on the Agent Connect portal within two weeks. The Agent Rewards program offers cash toward agents’ own travel on a Tauck journey to a destination of their choice. Agents can earn up to $12,000 in points annually.

Travel Impressions: Rate programs such as Steal of a Deal and Weekly Steals provide agents with an edge over the competition, while shareable content enables them to enhance their social media followings. Other content, including Monthly Makeovers, showcases renovations at partner properties. The LoyalTI First program rewards agents for every booking and provides chances to earn bonus points via exclusive promotions with popular brands. Points are redeemable through Travel Impressions’ electronic Folio Reward Catalog.

Interactive social media initiatives include #OnLocaTIon, an immersive takeover of one of TI’s partner properties where agents can “virtually tag along” from their desktop or mobile device; and the #WeekendLearning series, which delivers insights, tips, and insider selling points to agents’ news feeds. The EducaTIon First program features Travel Impressions University, where graduates earn certification and CEU credits.