The travel industry has quite possibly taken the biggest hit over the past six months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Travel was just about at a standstill, as borders closed, people canceled vacations out of uncertainty and flight schedules diminished with lack of demand.
The way people travel in the current era has changed drastically; however, the appetite for travel hasn't gone anywhere. Travelers continue to be overcome with wanderlust, and surveys and data continue to show a slight increase in travel each month.
As a travel advisor, are you positioned to capitalize on the continued demand and sustain your business as new travel trends evolve?
Cruise Planners encourages travel advisors to stay relevant during this time, and the host agency offers four strategies for success.
Establish Credibility
Trust will be a key factor for travelers moving forward. They need to be assured destinations, in addition to their travel investments, are safe. People booking vacations will be looking to work with reputable brands, especially those who had bad experiences with canceling and rebooking during the pandemic.
Cruise Planners' affiliation with American Express Travel allows advisors to have a high level of trust and credibility from their clients, providing them with an instant leg up.
Stay in Touch
Many of your clients are not currently traveling, but this doesn't mean they aren't researching or even purchasing future trips. Staying in touch with clients now so you stay at the front of their minds to assist when they are ready to pull the trigger on their next vacation.
One way Cruise Planners is helping its agents stay relevant is by launching the Where2Next Travel Series, which showcases a new destination each month for future travelers to learn about.
Provide Options
Whether you're working with a client for the first time in awhile or you have an avid traveler looking to go anywhere, everyone's level of comfort is going to be different at this time. In this case, it's important to have a variety of options to offer different clients.
Cruise Planners is a full-service agency offering more than just cruises. In fact, the company recently introduced the new All-Inclusive Resort System, expanding its land-based offerings. This tool allows agents to search and compare hundreds of resorts, saving them time when working on a client's vacation.
Capitalize on Low-Hanging Fruit
In early spring, at the start of the pandemic, travel advisors went to work canceling and rebooking thousands of vacations for their clients. Now, as things begin to open back up, the first thing you can do is focus on your clients who have future travel credits (FTCs) to use instead of worrying about generating new business.
Cruise Planners created a custom tool in order to assist agents with keeping track of their clients' FTCs. The tool allows advisors to target people with a high intent to purchase, market to them with relevant offers and generate a sale when the time is right.
Experienced advisors continue to join the Cruise Planners family, as the host agency is always integrating new tools to help its advisors.
To learn more about this travel agency franchise network, click here.
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