The Scoop on Group Travel

Agents value group travel as lucrative business that also offers the potential to turn group members into future clients.

Creating and servicing groups, though, isn’t a simple proposition. The challenges are many.

Host agency executives and agents weighed in on the issues and how agents can address them:

VIOLA DEVELASCO, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF GROUP TRAVEL, AVOYA TRAVEL

Managing information flow: “The more travelers are involved, the more decisions and expectations a travel agent has to evaluate when managing affinity groups,” said DeVelasco.

Agents must be detail-oriented and adept at communicating information, including pricing, payments and penalties, offers and exclusive deals; communicating with the group leader; and tracking correspondence and deadlines, she added

Group leaders: Designating one person as the group leader is a time-saver during the sales process, she said. And defining each person’s role and expectations at the start is key.

Technology: According to DeVelasco, there’s a disconnect with third-party technology. The technology between vendors, travel agencies, host agencies and consortia is fragmented and varied, which can make booking groups very time-consuming, she said, adding that Avoya Travel has addressed this issue with integrated technology that makes the sales process more seamless.

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KAREN QUINN-PANZER, DREAM VACATIONS, MILFORD, CONN.

Customer satisfaction: “Many customer satisfaction issues can be resolved by staying close to your group leaders and making sure they have all the tools they need to share with group members,” said Quinn-Panzer. “Just make sure they know what to cover with their group so that there are no surprises when they get on board.”

Making groups unique: Quinn-Panzer recommended customizing part of a group trip around a theme and using personal experience to create a trip the group can’t buy “off the shelf.”

JACKIE FRIEDMAN, PRESIDENT, NEXION

Finding group clients: Prospecting for groups is the first challenge travel advisors face, Friedman noted.

“Agents need to consider what their niche is, what kind of profit they want to make and how they can market themselves to groups,” she said, adding that travel advisors must then evaluate options for venues, which is where “due diligence” is critical.

“I know travel consultants who booked their first group trip for a scrapbooking group,” she said. "Unfortunately, the hotel they booked for the group didn’t have enough tables, making it pretty hard to scrapbook.”

Research: Friedman divides research into two categories: reading contracts “very, very carefully” to know what the agent and the group is responsible for; and defining responsibilities between the agent and the group leader, if there is one.

Effective marketing: “If you are arranging a group trip for a church, for example, use its newsletters, email newsletters, social media, Sunday bulletins, etc.,” she said. “This can go a long way in making sure you can get the numbers you need for the trip.”

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AGGIE BATISTA, DREAM VACATIONS, ROCKAWAY PARK, N.Y.

Pricing: Batista recommended that, after booking a trip, agents be prepared for calls from group members saying they saw better pricing elsewhere.

“I’ve learned to anticipate these calls to ensure that [group members] see the value of having me as their travel professional,” she said.

Time challenges: Handling the many aspects of managing large groups can be overwhelming, said Batista, adding that she capitalizes on such resources as Dream Vacations’ Group Concierge, which she called a highly effective new support resource for dealing with groups.

TROY MCCOY, GROUP RECONCILIATION MANAGER, CRUISEONE/ DREAM VACATIONS/ CRUISES INC.

Soliciting groups: Agents should tap into local organizations and business chapters, and leverage social media, said McCoy.

Maximizing profitability: Agents should familiarize themselves with the group booking process to increase day-to-day operational efficiencies, maximize marketing efforts and identify supplier resources to help make the sale.

Know what you sell: Developing an understanding of group business is essential before agents approach and work with a group leader. That includes developing a timeline from both an internal and supplier standpoint.

LAINEY MELNICK, DREAM VACATIONS, AUSTIN, TEXAS

Choosing the right supplier: “When dealing with cruise groups, I’ve found the most important thing is how a line handles the group for dining and gathering,” Melnick said.

The best options for cruise groups include cruise lines that offer free meeting facilities and a planner to help manage the schedule and locations of gatherings, she added.

“For example, I have a group that does an annual cruise for a card tournament,” Melnick said. “They meet nightly for the games and must have early dining to accommodate their schedule. That’s not always easy with some cruise lines that don’t assign the dining times or have the available facilities they need to set up the games.”