Dear Tammy: I read a lot about trends in travel, and I always feel like I'm missing them. How, as an agent, do I keep up with what the trends are so I can benefit?
Tammy: This is a good question. While jumping on a travel trend train can benefit your business, they are just that: trends.
Some last longer than others while some are gone in the blink of an eye.
But first, how do you keep up with them? There are several ways you can do this:
Read. You wrote to me here at TravelPulse, so make sure that you read what they are posting. Their writers discuss vacation, honeymoon and other trends. They are interviewing other agents and experts in the industry so you can get a feel for what everyone else is experiencing. In addition, business and world publications-such as Forbes and U.S. News & World Report-also write about travel trends.
Belong to a travel agency organization, such as the American Society of Travel Agents; They also release press statements and consumer travel information that include trends. So keep up to date on industry news, too.
When you have an opportunity, talk to other travel agents. Whether you email a colleague or talk at a local business networking event, tap into their experiences. Ask them what they think the trends are. Maybe a local agency is seeing an increase in requests to visit China, or they notice that many more travelers want a train experience across the United States.
Once you gather some trend information, it doesn't mean you should jump on the train, however.
If a trend is African safaris and you have experience in them, then, of course, it's okay to add an African safari adventure to your trips. But don't just sell trips to sell them. You are the travel expert. Your customers depend on your knowledge and expertise about the area they are visiting and will not trust you if you're just doing this to make a fast buck off a trend.
Ask yourself how this trend can benefit you as a business? Will it last a long time? Is it a good idea for you to get involved or focus on other areas of your business?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you'll know if you should worry about the current trend.
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