Austin Adventures Names February Travel Agent Appreciation Month

WHY IT RATES: Austin Adventures has scheduled a variety of programs throughout the month of February specifically for the travel trade.—Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer.

For the second consecutive year, Austin Adventures is dedicating the entire month of February to acknowledging and rewarding the professional travel community for their role in promoting and selling adventure travel.

Rewards during the month include raising the standard agent commission to 15 percent for all reservations.

Throughout the month, Austin Adventures has scheduled a variety of programs specifically for the travel trade. Events and recognitions include an informative webinar along with month-long and weekly booking rewards and incentives.

“One of the reasons that we can enjoy and maintain our position as a leader in the world of active multisport and family adventure travel is the relationship we have with our travel agent partners. Today’s counselor is hip and knowledgeable about the marketplace and in tune with their clients’ most passionate travel desires,” said Dan Austin, founder, and president.

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“We’ve learned over the years that a good travel agent is worth their weight in gold. Our goal is to make each agent we work with, a hero to their customers—and our lifelong partner.”

Austin speaks from a long history of his company’s success working with travel agents. In 2014, the company was invited to join the Virtuoso Network as a Preferred Tour Operator and Partner.

In 2018 Austin Adventures saw their travel agent-sourced bookings double over the previous year. They are already on pace in 2019 to exceed last year’s travel agent-sourced business. More and more agents have found Austin Adventures to be a trusted resource for top quality and high value scheduled, custom and bespoke adventures.

When asked why travel agents have embraced Austin Adventures as a top source for active custom and small group travel, Austin points to these factors:

—His company is expert at obtaining hard-to-get national park lodging at peak times with prime accommodations built into their tour itineraries

—They are a recognized leader in offering creative custom and private itineraries for clients; “If you can dream it, Austin Adventures can build it”

—Behind-the-scenes VIP access they enjoy thanks to the deep relationships the company has established with suppliers and partners

—Regularly acknowledged by the media, Austin Adventures sets the highest standards when it comes to top quality family itineraries and national park vacations

—Austin Adventures offers its unique brand of travel on all seven continents

—They have been engaging satisfied guests for 40 years and are a two-time winner of Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Award for Adventure Tour Operators in 2009 and again in 2012.

Month-long Rewards

Throughout February, Austin Adventures will increase agent commissions to an industry-high 15 percent. Additional travel agent rewards, bonuses, and incentives include:

—A bonus $50 Amazon gift card to agents per person booked

—A $1,000 Amazon gift card awarded to the top selling agent in February

—A $50 Amazon gift card “gifted” directly to each adult guest booked in the month of February

—A $100 Amazon gift card to the agent who most successfully promotes Austin Adventures on their personal or agency Facebook page—the posting with the most interactions (likes, comments, etc.) “wins”

—A $500 Amazon gift card for most unusual and inspiring custom trip request that results in a successful booking (this bonus reward is on top of all the other incentives and commissions already being earned).

Revolving Weekly Booking Incentives

Every Tuesday morning in February, Austin Adventures will email and post online one or more of these incentives for agency clients to help close a travel agent’s sale:

—One complimentary pre-trip accommodation night

—A $250 flight voucher for each individual traveler (based on specific itineraries)

—Booking incentives (coffee table book, other kinds of gifts and swag) for specific itineraries

—Book a group of 10 and two additional guests will go for free (to be passed on to the client)

—Plus, other incentives as suggested by agents and staff throughout the month.

For complete details and changing offers and incentives throughout February, please visit: austinadventures.com/travel-resources/travel-professionals-appreciation-month/

Special Travel Agent Webinar

Agents are invited to register for and participate in a webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. For more information and to register, see: bit.ly/travel-agent-month.

This webinar will provide:

—An overview of Austin Adventures, past, present and future

—The company’s style and approach to active, adventure travel

—Company tools and resources to help agents attract clients and close a sale

—A review of February Travel Agent Appreciation Month Rewards and Incentives

—An opportunity for Q&A.

“Today’s marketplace dominated by the Internet has increased access to travel information but in turn has made the personal, living and breathing expert more important than ever,” points out Austin. “Agents have access, resources, connections and knowledge that would take the average traveler a lifetime to build. We love the role the travel agent fills for countless reasons.”

Austin points to their top reasons:

—Travel agents help tell Austin Adventures’ unique story to passionate travelers

—The opportunity for creative, synergistic initiatives like co-marketing and preferred supplier partnerships that will extend both of our brands and reach

—Agents, like Austin Adventures, are entrepreneurial, small business owners who can act fast and think out of the box

—Agents display a true passion for quality travel that rivals that of Austin Adventures

—The best agents are travel ambassadors who inspire more people to travel more often and to seek out new and captivating destinations, cultures and natural worlds.

For more information on how Austin Adventures works with agents please see: austinadventures.com/travel-professionals/.

SOURCE: Austin Adventures press release