Home-Based Travel Agent

Follow me on Twitter and get a free guidebook

2009-09-17T18:35:00.001-04:00

From now until October 31st, I am offering a free, downloadable copy of my guidebook, “Universal Orlando: The Ultimate Guide To The Ultimate Theme Park Adventure,” to everyone who follows me on Twitter. This is the complete text of the 264-page book, sold in bookstores for $15.95.

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The "Ethnic" Market

2009-05-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

Here's an excerpt from a recent email: "Here is my problem. Let's say, all the members of the community I live in and my target customers are international air travelers. These people travel from USA to Asian countries each year to visit their relatives and loved ones. For the last 13-14 years I didn't hear anyone show a desire to travel on a cruise."

The writer is referring to something known in the travel trade as "the ethnic market." The good news is that it is a large market. The bad news is that the competition is fierce. Aaso, as the writer says, most of the business is in international airline tickets and people are looking for the absoute lowest price. Travel agencies that serve this market operate on wafer thin margins, often just a few dollars per ticket.

There are a number of strategies I can suggest, none of which is guaranteed to produce tremendous results or bring you a substantial income.

First, find out where these "target customers" are buying now. If they are buying from a local source, perhaps you can enter into a business arrangement with that source, as outlined in Chapter 4 of Home-Based Travel Agent.

While you're at it, do a little "market research." Ask people if they would be willing to do business with you. If they already have a favorite source for tickets, ask, "What would I have to do to win your business?" It could be as simple as hand delivering tickets (in the ethnic market, paper tickets are still prevalent).

If they are buying directly from an airline, then make contact with that airline's sales department and see if you can enter into some sort of arrangement. If it's a foreign airline, you will have a better chance than if it's one of the major domestic carriers. But in any case, it will be a "hard sell," especially if you don't have any experience.

Network within your community and try to get introductions to consular officials or prominent businesspeople from your home country. It's a long shot, but they may be able to introduce you to someone who can open doors at the national airline.

Investigate consolidators who serve the market you're interested in. You'll find leads in Chapter 12 and the Desk Reference. You may have to do some negotiating to be able to compete on price, but if you can work something out you may find that your per ticket income will be decent.

Like I say, I can't offer you a great deal of hope that any of these will provide you with a terrific income, although I'd be happy to have you prove me wrong!

But I would like to encourage you to think outside the ethnic box.

As ethnic enclaves mature and prosper, people begin to have different priorities. The ties to the "home country" inevitably weaken and as immigrants prosper they have more and more disposable income. Sure they might want to go back to the home country once a year, but there's nothing to prevent them from taking a second vacation somewhere else. You have an opportunity to be something of a "success ambassador" to the community, offering people a chance to reward themselves and their families.

Why not promote the idea of having family in India or Vietnam or Taiwan, meet their American relatives in Australia, or New Zealand, or Hawaii for a cruise or a resort vacation? What a great way to show off how well you're doing in your adopted home.

Remember, too, that the "home country" has a lot more to offer visiting immigrants than grandparents and cousins. On a trip to Greece some years back, I was struck by how many Greek-Americans I met who were touring their homeland, a luxury they couldn't enjoy when they lived there. These people are excellent candidates for escorted tours or a fly-drive vacation.

Another possibility is to suggest that folks extend their trip "back home" to take in nearby sights. Family in India? Why not visit the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, or even Nepal? Family in Vietnam? Why not visit Angkor Wat in neighboring Cambodia? Family in the Philippines? Why not visit Taiwan or Hong Kong or Hawaii? You can sell a lot more than an airline ticket.

Target members of the second-generation and their families. Their memories of "home" may not be as powerful as those of their parents; and they may have kids who are completely "Americanized." For what it would cost that second-generation family to visit grandmom, they could take the kids to Disney World.

And who says you can only sell to your own ethnic group? If you know your home country well, you should be able to establish yourself as the "go-to guy" for anyone, regardless of their ethnic or cultural heritage, who wants first-rate guidance on tours to your homeland.

So I would encourage anyone who finds themselves in my correspondent's situation to spread their wings. Remember that one of the secrets to success as a home-based travel agent is not to do exactly what the storefront agencies are doing. Maybe the reason my correspondent never heard anyone express an interest in a cruise is that no one is offering it to them. You might be surprised at how much "pent up demand" there is in your community for travel opportunities above and beyond a cheap ticket to the "Old Country."

Travel Industry Twitterers

2009-04-15T11:32:00.003-04:00

Tweeted anything lately? If you haven't yet, you probably will soon.

Matt Parsons has posted an extremely useful list of travel industry members who are on Twitter. The list isn't exhaustive, but it will probably become more so as word gets out.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to add your name and use the list to locate people you want to follow.

While you're at it, follow me!

Make Your Travel Dreams Come True - TODAY!

2009-04-14T14:47:00.002-04:00

Don't ever say you can't become a successful home-based travel agent.

Susan Boyle on Britain Got Talent
by dwarthy

Now it's your turn. Start building your travel business now.

(Bath)rooms With A View

2009-04-04T18:35:00.002-04:00

Just when you thought you had a firm handle on all the things to
check on before booking a client into a hotel comes this news:
"From the chic boutiques of London and Los Angeles to hot new
hotels in more exotic locales like India and China, exposed bathrooms
are a growing trend," reports the New York Times, "whether in the
form of transparent glass walls and shower stalls or bathtubs set in
the middle of the bedroom like free-standing sculptures."

That last reference is to London's Sanctum Hotel, where bathtubs
sit in the middle of the room on a bed of "backlit black pebbles."
The experience is supposed to be "glamorous and otherworldly."
Hmmm. Then why does the dictionary define "sanctum" as "a
private room where one is not to be disturbed" (or, presumably,
spied upon)? Maybe they should call it the Flasher Hotel.

Exposed bathrooms, also called "open bathrooms," have a number of
rationales, according to their defenders. Some say they are "sexy."
Designers say they save space and create a "sense of added luxury."
One says that they allow visitors to "multitask" by watching TV in
the other room.

The best justification cited by the Times comes from designer Alicia
Loo (I'm not making that name up) who says her exposed bathrooms
serve as a "design ambassador" for Renaissance Capitol Hotel Beijing.
"Exposed toilets may strike some as a rather literal interpretation of
China's open door policy," she explains.

Michael Attenborough, who heads up interior design at Radisson
Edwardian Hotels, is equally enthusiastic. "All our friends who've
seen it say, 'Oh, my god, that's so fantastic," he gushes. "Some
people are very prudey," he sniffs at those who disagree. Prudey
may be current Brit-speak for normal.

Now I'm a big believer in travel as an opportunity to (ahem) expose
yourself to new ideas, but I tend to agree with seasoned traveler
Lisa Feder-Feitel, who is given the last word in the Times piece:
"This is the design equivalent of 'too much information.'"

Travel agents may also be interested to know that Ms. Feder-Feitel,
having surveyed her exposed bathroom with its equally exposed toilet,
immediately decamped for another hotel.

Promoting Your Travel Agency Blog

2009-03-29T14:13:00.006-04:00

If you have a blog (and if you don't maybe you should be asking yourself, "Why not?"), you should make at least some effort to promote it.

There are many ways to do that, but in this post I want to concentrate on a number of specialty sites that exist to point people to blogs of interest, and there's no reason yours can't be one of them. Not incidentally, these sites are also a good way to locate blogs that you might want to read yourself for ideas, inspiration, and contacts!

Alltop.com describes itself as an "online magazine rack" that allows people to find interesting blogs and web sites on various topics.

There are afew ways to use Alltop. You can click through to the Travel category and browse the blogs and web sites listed there. If you sign up with the site, you can select the blogs you want to read regularly and browse them on your own "home page." But you can also submit your blog for Alltop's consideration.

Travel Blog Exchange is a "community of those who share the journey." Thus, it is something of a specialized social network. Travel professional who are also bloggers (that'd be you!) are welcome but required to identify themselves as industry insiders. Still, this can be a good way to do some low key networking and perhaps identify yourself as a specialist to other bloggers and members of the press.

Blogtopsites tracks the "best" blogs on a variety of topics. I put "best" in quotation marks because the blogs that listed are self-selected -- that is, a blog has to register and add special tracking code to its site to be tracked and ranked by Blogtopsites.

The good news is that, in the travel category at least, the competition doesn't seem to be too stiff. Your blog can get ranked with as little as one visitor a month! The counter resets each month.

A similar site, with a similar name, is Blogtoplist. It operates in much the same way as Blogtopsites, except that a blog can gain stature if its readers "vote" for it. Also, the counter here resets weekly.

Yet another blog visitor tracking service that resets weekly is Blogflux, which seems to be especially strong on non-U.S. blogs. It also seems to use the same underlying software as Blogtopsites.

There are some others, which you can find by clicking through to some of the blogs you find on the sites above and looking for the tracking site buttons they are required to display, but this list will certainly get you started and may prove to be more than you need.

Space Tourism Still Has Takers

2009-03-23T09:36:00.001-04:00

Oh, for clients like this!

Recession or no, billionaire Charles Simonyi couldn't pass up another shot at space, even if it meant shelling out $35 million more.

Besides, it may one of the last times the Russian government allows tourists to hitch a ride to the international space station.

"It's now or never," said Simonyi, who has now spent $60 million for a couple of space vacations. The first was $25 million.

A computer genius who helped build Microsoft, Simonyi (sih-MOHN'-ee) will become the world's first two-time space tourist when he leaves Earth behind Thursday. He'll be accompanied by two professional astronauts -- a Russian and American -- who will be going up for a six-month stint at the space station.

If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words . . .

2009-03-22T11:19:00.001-04:00

How much is a video worth?

Why aren't more travel agents doing this sort of thing?

Actually, this was done by a mere tourist!

No Recession in the Cruise Industry (cont'd)

2009-03-05T12:41:00.004-05:00

I said it before, I'll say it again: "There's no recession in the cruise industry."

Here's more proof:

Booking volume during the current wave season has surpassed the same period last year by nearly six percent, according Princess Cruises, who credits both lower prices and travel agents who have utilized the line’s sales support tools to generate business in the current economic climate.

...

“Travel agents gave us a record-breaking reservations day in January, and this further result shows that they continued to sell Princess cruises at an extraordinary rate throughout the first two months of the year,” said Jan Swartz, Princess’ executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service. “Agents understand that the best strategy at this time is to promote what’s selling -- and Princess is selling. We want to thank, and congratulate, our travel partners for their exceptional efforts.

“Despite the headlines we see every day, now is a great time for agents to build their cruise business,” she said.

Amen!

Yes, lower prices means smaller commissions, but lower prices mean more (and easier) bookings. Personal experience and feedback from others tells me that there are plenty of people out there with the money to cruise and the desire to get away from it all.

If you haven't made the jump to your own home travel business, do it today.

Cash in on Your Clients' Divorce

2009-03-05T12:19:00.002-05:00

New York really is a helluva town! Seems the posh Marmara Manhattan is offering a "Suddenly Splitsville" package for Gothamites (or others) whose spouse has sent them packing.

Transitioning into one of the hotel's "discounted," fully-furnished one- two- or three-bedroom flats must take some of the sting out of rejection. But just in case, the hotel offers those taking the package a pint of Haagan-Daz (sic) to "drown those sorrows in" and a bottle of champagne "to toast new found freedom." Presumably, throwing up is optional.

And the perks don't stop there. Here's the full list:

- Accommodations in a fully-furnished luxury apartment with sizes ranging from one to three bedrooms

- Weekly housekeeping services

- A one-year subscription to Divorce Magazine, the only magazine of its kind, read by those who need advice from attorneys and other divorce professionals

- A pint of Haagen Daz ice cream to drown those sorrows in

- A bottle of Champagne to toast new found freedom

- A complimentary pass to the 92nd Street Y to work on that new physique

- A complimentary 45-minute in-room spa session (either a massage, facial, or manicure and pedicure) once a month

- Complimentary wireless Internet to start surfing the dating sites.

- A complimentary copy of "Confessions Of An Online Dating Addict" -- a book about the trials and tribulations of a woman who dated online in New York City to learn all about dating on the Web.

- A one-hour consultation with a real estate agent to start searching for a new place to live.

Even better (or creepier, depending on how you want to look at it) is that the Suddenly Splitsville package is commissionable to travel agents. Monthly rates range from $7,250 to $14,500.

But hurry. If your marriage is on shaky ground you only have until December 31, 2009 to take advantage of this deal.

I wonder how many travel agents are going to be having conversations like this: "Hi, Mary! It's Susan, your travel agent. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You? Terrific. Listen, remember how you were telling me what a creep Joe's been recently . . .?"

Your Clients Face Tougher Reentry Requirements

2009-02-27T12:48:00.002-05:00

The US announced yesterday that they’re ready to enforce new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) rules for citizenship and identity documents at America’s land and sea borders starting June 1.

On that date, travelers must begin showing WHTI-compliant documents such as passports, passport cards (above), trusted traveler cards, and enhanced driver’s licenses (British Columbia, New York, Vermont, and Washington state, at this time) to enter the United States.

More info from your friends at the Department of Homeland Security.

(h/t to OSSN)

Home-Based Travel Agents Mature

2009-02-19T12:21:00.002-05:00

No , I don't mean that we're getting older (although that's unavoidable). But what was once a segment of the travel distribution system largely populated by newcomers just starting out is showing signs of becoming "established."

Over 73 percent of home-basers who replied to a TravelAgent Magazine survey have been in the business over two years, nearly 42% over five years. That's no doubt why their earnings figures are looking so robust. A majority reported increased sales in 2008 and 60% are bringing in more that $100,000 a year in sales; many are million dollar sellers.

I was also intrigued to note that nearly 39% are not working through a host agency, another sign of the maturing of this sector. In my home study course, I show you how you can become completely independent and keep all commissions to yourself, without having to share them with a host agency. (However, I do not recommend this approach for beginners except in rare circumstances.)

Finally, I am pleased to see that over 71% of them are optimistic about the business outlook for 2009. Me too!

Another Reason Not To Sell Air

2009-02-17T12:21:00.002-05:00

Just when you thought air travel couldn't get any worse . . .

Sell Luxury Travel? Could You Use This Ploy?

2009-02-15T11:52:00.003-05:00

Joe Sharkey, who runs the New York Times' Itineraries feature, ran a piece about a salesman with an interesting networking strategy for developing new business.

David Topus got my attention when he told me recently that he regularly gets on an airplane for the sole purpose of meeting potential clients there. It doesn’t really much matter where it’s going, he says, as long as the fare is right.

By flying here and there all the time, he piles up a lot of frequent-flier miles, which usually helps him get free upgrades because he has top-elite status on his regular airline, Delta. And first class, he says, is the ideal place to meet potential clients — people capable of making business decisions or providing direct contact with those who can.

His business plan, assuming a highly honed skill at instant social networking, is ingenious, it seems to me. [emphasis added]

Seems that way to me, too, and it struck me that first-class is an excellent place for travel agents selling luxury travel to prospect for new clients. And with computer technology making it possible to run your "home-based" travel agency from wherever you happen to be, why not spend a lot of time on the road?

I wonder if the idea will catch on?

Another tip from Topus:

He travels domestically and internationally, choosing his routes for the best combination of low fares and high business travel.

Incidentally, after many lean years, chances of getting upgrades from coach to first class have suddenly improved for elite frequent fliers.

IRS Raises Mileage Allowance

2008-06-27T08:47:00.003-04:00

The IRS has raised its standard mileage rate to 58.5 cents per mile, an 8 cent boost.

This means that you can now deduct 58.5 cents on your income tax return for every mile you drive when conducting business for your travel agency. Remember that every time you drive to see a client, go to an OSSN meeting, travel to another city to attend a supplier seminar, drive to the port to take a fam cruise, go to the post office to mail business-related documents, or run any of dozens of other business-related errands, you have the right to write it off against the income generated by your business.

In an article about the change, USA Today noted that, "The vast majority of taxpayers use the standard [mileage] allowance; it's easier to calculate and doesn't require as much record keeping." I'm not sure I buy that. Seems to me you're already doing the recordkeeping.

As I recommend in my course, you will do much better if you track all your automobile-related expenses and then deduct the percentage of your total annual mileage that represents your business travel. For one thing, gas prices will just keep going up and it will take the IRS a good long while to catch up to new economic realities.

So does keeping track of all your auto expenditures require more recordkeeping? I don't see how. You have to track your mileage to take the 58.5 cent deduction anyway. So it's a simple matter of noting your odometer reading on January 1 and then again on December 31; next, add up your total business mileage and figure the percentage of total miles driven. Voila! You know how much of your total auto expenses (gas, maintenance, insurance, repairs, etc.) that you can deduct. Either way, you need one of those inexpensive mileage logsfor your car.

Since most of us now use a program like Quickenor QuickBooksto track our expenditures, finding out how much you actually spent on all deductible expenses becomes a simple tax-time exercise.

Remember, when you're a home-based travel agent, you're in business and you should run your business in a business-like manner. And as anyone who's been in business anytime will tell you, it's not how mnuch money you make that's important, it's how much money you keep! Being smart about your income tax strategies will make sure you maximize your "take-home pay."

2008 -- an Airborne Annus Horribilus

2008-01-30T09:02:00.000-05:00

Joe Sharkey is one of my favorite travel journalists. His weekly "Itineraries" section in the New York Times is on my must-read list.

So I was excited when, belatedly, I discovered he has a blog, in which the following appeared recently:

Because if you hated 2007 in air travel, you are really going to hate 2008.

I’ve been at the news game since Christ was a corporal, and I have never heard so much dark muttering about air travel.

First and foremost, there are these imminent airline mergers. Last week, the Wall Street Journal (Incidentally, I worked there when their slogan was “The Daily Diary of the American Dream,” and you weren’t supposed to giggle at it) stuck this front-page blurb headline on a story about imminent mergers of airlines: “Friendlier Skies.”

Friendlier? For who? Not for you and me, they won’t be. Mergers will mean: Fewer available seats. Lousier service. A collapse of frequent-flier programs, which already have one foot in the grave. Less service to and from mid-size and smaller cities.

Oh, and more money for airline executives and those who might happen to own airline stocks.

Meanwhile, they’re still stranding passengers on tarmacs. I’ve had e-mails from people stuck on planes in Atlanta that day and night for over 10 hours.

This situation just gets worse in 2008, and airlines have done virtually nothing to remedy it.

And you wonder why home-based travel agents don't book air!

No Butts About It!

2008-01-07T09:38:00.000-05:00

Stephen Barth, a.k.a. HospitalityLawyer is calling for an industry-wide no-smoking policy in the first post on his new blog.

Local and state politics as well as special interests prohibit a total no-smoking ban, particularly in the hospitality arena. Many local ordinances contain a number of exemptions. For example, bars may be exempt or restaurants and bars will have exemptions for outdoor seating areas. Hotels will have exemptions for lobbies, banquet rooms, and a percentage of guest rooms. The main justification for the exemptions is that the local industry will suffer due to the migration of business from smokers to businesses outside the jurisdiction of the ordinance. . .

The only solution is a comprehensive ban that equals the playing field and makes the argument moot. I think there is a great deal of support for a comprehensive smoke free initiative from the hospitality industry.

Now I'm a non-smoker myself and I enjoy the smoke-free environment of restaurants these days. On the other hand, I'm wondering how I'll feel next time I visit France with its newly promulgated no-smoking rules. Will it somehow seem "less French"? And what about the shrinking, but still significant, percentage of smokers? Do we make them non-people until they become non-smokers?

I'm no sociologist, but I have a feeling that attitudes towards smokers may be changing. Now that smokers are in a distinct minority and "addiction" is increasingly seen as a medical problem, smokers start looking more and more like people suffering from a physical disability. And we don't exclude them from the hospitality and tourism industry. Quite the contrary, the industry does everything possible to encourage their patronage.

Barth points to the success of non-smoking policies, especially in hotels. But hotels have a compelling economic incentive (sharply lower cleaning costs) and smokers in hotels have alternatives. On the other hand, Carnival tried an all-non-smoking ship and found that the differentiation was not sufficient to yield economic benefits. If you can't smoke anywhere on a ship, you have no alternative, except to book elsewhere.

Barth uses a colorful analogy to make his point:

Let’s go smoke-free, inside and out because it is the right thing to do for all of our employees, all of our guests, and all of our businesses. Having a smoking section, inside or outside, is like having a

peeing section in a swimming pool.

Well, not exactly. In fact, every swimming pool already has a peeing section outside the pool and that seems to work pretty well.

My guess (and, indeed, my hope) is that smoking will become less and less common and the problem, such as it is, will take care of itself. Still, Barth has an interesting point to make, one worth reading and thinking about.

Carnival On Babes and Babes To Be

2007-12-18T11:42:00.000-05:00

Carnival has changed its policies regarding very young babies and pregnant women. The letter from Vicki Freed, SVP of Sales, says:

Minimum Age

Infants must be at least six (6) months of age at the beginning of the cruise to be eligible to travel. For Transatlantic, Hawaii and South America cruises only, infants must be at least twelve (12) months of age at the beginning of the cruise to travel.

Pregnancy

Guests that will be 25 weeks or more into their pregnancy by the end of the cruise will not be permitted to sail. Guests that will be 24 weeks or less into their pregnancy by the end of the cruise are required to provide Carnival with a physician's letter stating that mother and baby are in good health, fit to travel and the pregnancy is not high-risk.

So note that all pregnant women who are allowed to travel will need a physician's letter. (Unless Carnival administers pregnancy tests to all boarding female passengers -- which I sincerely doubt -- a woman who wasn't "showing" could presumably sail under the radar so to speak.) Carnival doesn't say so, but it also seems logical that physician's letter should state how far along the woman is.

Home-based travel agents who have passengers who fall into either category need to be aware of this change. If you have pax in these categories sailing on other lines, it might also be a smart idea to double check their policies. My guess is that Carnival made this move for legal liability reasons and other lines may well take note and follow suit.

By the way, shouldn't it be "Guests who will be . . ."? I was taught that "who" refers to people and "that" refers to animals and inanimate objects. Is Carnival trying to tell us something about how it views its guests? Come to think of it, I've seen some guests on cruise ships who were inanimate objects. /snark

The Mac and Travel Pros, Together at Last!

2007-12-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name's Kelly and I'm a Mac person.

Sounds a bit like an AA meeting doesn't it? And yet that's the way Mac people must feel at times, as if they have some sort of socially unacceptable "condition" that must be dealt with. They're the object of scorn and discrimination, too. Heck, for the sin of liking Macintosh, I was called a "bigot" by a speaker at the recent travel agent confab in Las Vegas. (I hope he's enjoying his honorarium, paid for in part by my hard-earned Travel Institute dues!)

That's why I was so excited to discover Nolan Burris' blog, Mac in Travel. Not only is it about using the Mac for a variety of business related tasks, but it's addressed primarily to those of us in the travel industry. Not that others aren't welcome, as the site points out.

The site even has a post about the Las Vegas Luxury Travel Expo.

The Mac-curious (to use the site's own term) are invited to drop by for a look-see.

Is Your Marketing Too Hokey?

2007-12-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

A better question to ask is: "Does it work?"

I got to thinking about this in the wake of an email I sent to my opt-in list to clear out some slightly dinged copies of my home study course that have been lying around. It prompted a snide comment from one recipient who apparently thought my approach was "corny."

It bothered me for awhile until I realized that the email was working just fine, thank you very much. My backlog of merchandise is shrinking even as I type this. Should I throw out a highly effective appeal because one person didn't like it?

I wonder if home-based travel agents sometimes shy away from doing things that could get them more clients or build value in the clientele they already have because they think it's too "obvious" or "hokey" or even "embarrassing."

For instance, if you were promoting a Hawaiian cruise, would you dress up in a loud Hawaiian shirt with a lei and a broad-brimmed straw hat (or a hula skirt if you're a gal) and pipe Don Ho onto your backyard patio for a cruise night at your house? Or would you be afraid your friends and neighbors would think you'd taken leave of your senses?

My guess is that an approach like that would work pretty well. Travel is about fun so what's wrong with having a little fun while you're selling it?

Let's all make a New Year's resolution. Let's promise to do one thing that "pushes the envelope" of our comfort zone when it comes to marketing.

I'm not sure what that might be. Maybe it's just sending out a "mass" email using mail merge, that is one that you haven't personally written to each separate recipient but that looks personalized. Or maybe, if you specialize in dive travel, it might mean showing up at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in wet suit. The trade press is full of stories about travel agents who have done something unusual or even downright kooky to publicize their business. Look there for inspiration. The point is to test yourself. To try something that might be "uncomfortable."

The important thing is to notice what works and what doesn't. If it doesn't work, fine. You've learned something. But if it works like gangbusters, you may have found a marketing strategy or tactic that will keep paying dividends for years to come.

Vegas Wrap-Up

2007-12-10T10:24:00.001-05:00

A slow Internet connection stymied my plans to blog from the home-based travel agent conferences and expos in Las Vegas last week. Now, back in the office, I only have time for a quick wrap-up of impressions from a busy week.

First, it was gratifying to have an opportunity to meet people who have taken my course. Several came up to me to say thanks for getting them started on their way in this exciting and rewarding career. It meant a lot.

It was difficult to see everything I wanted to see because the schedule was so maddeningly packed with attractive alternatives. I tried to concentrate on the tech side of things, as that seemed to be the hot topic this year. I was particularly impressed by the value provided by Nolan Burris of Future Proof Travel Solutions, who's background in the industry showed in his bang-on-target suggestions for how travel agents can harness the latest in digital technology to leverage their business. Other speakers on the topic were less successful, seemingly more intent on showing off the depth and breadth of their technical knowledge and ignorance of the travel business than in providing true value.

By the way, some of Nolan Burris' DVDs are offered by the Travel Institute.

I also enjoyed a ~~rant~~ speech by Horst Schultze about understanding today's luxury customer. Schultze has the street cred for the assignment having been instrumental in building the Ritz Carlton brand. He's not shy and he's definitely not modest -- he predicts his new Capella hotel brand will be tops in a few short years. You can get a sample of his style here. Actually, he's a lot more subdued in that clip than he was in Vegas.

There was also a very entertaining "debate" between Gary Fee of OSSN and Andi Mysza of Montrose Travel on the subject "Solo vs. Host." I put "debate" in quotes because the two are colleagues, not competitors, but the debate format added a little zest to what could have been a dry discussion. And the two speakers rose to the occasion, setting just the right tone of mock confrontation.

There are good points to be made on both side of the question and most of them were made. In the end, as I have said so many times, it's not a one size fits all proposition and every individual has to weigh the pros and cons and make the decision that is right for them.

Off the trade show floor, I got to indulge my passion for Cirque du Soleil. New to me this year was Mystere at Treasure Island. It is a more "ordinary" Cirque show (if, indeed, such a term can be applied to Cirque!). By that I mean to say that it is in the mold of Orlando's La Nouba, a series of spectacular circus acts stitched together with post-modernist whimsy. Like all Cirque shows, it is terrific.

Oh yes, and I got to meet The King.

Viva Las Vegas!

2007-12-04T14:46:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Vegas a little early as part of my own personal "stop to smell the flowers" program.

My wife and I checked in to a gorgeous suite at the Mandalay Bay with a 120-degree view over the Beach Pool and the entire southern end of the valley. Truly breathtaking. If you have clients who want to live large while in Vegas, Vegas is ready to accommodate them.

We visited with an old friend who's doing some very interesting things with streaming video. It's one of those Web 2.0 technologies that has some real potential for home-based travel agents and I hope to investigate further and report here on what I find.

Then we took off north of "The Strip" to the Valley of Fire, where there are no flowers this time of year but still plenty of color. The amazing multi-hued sandstone formations here were sacred to the Native Americans who hunted and lived there. They are gone now, but their haunting pictographs remain to puzzle archaeologists. More recently, the area was used as a hideout for bad guys of various descriptions, just like in the movies. In fact, you can see the remains of a movie set that used this other wordly setting as a back drop.

Valley of Fire makes a great one-day excursion from the flesh pots of Vegas and, with an admission charge of just $6 per vehicle, the price is right for gamblers down on their luck.

Back on the Strip, we caught up on our Cirque du Soleil viewing. "O" is an old friend for me, new for my wife, and it's just as wondrous as it was last year. "Mystere" was new for both of us and I think it is perhaps the most sensuous of the Cirque shows I've seen (the tawdry "Zoomanity" included). The acts in "Mystere" are absolutely awesome and together constitute something of a hymn to the human body.

It occured to me that there must be thousands of people who would love the magic of Cirque du Soileil, have enough money that they wouldn't blink at the premium price, and yet would never, ever think of coming to Vegas. Maybe there's a market for Circque tours to Vegas that have everything to do with high-end entertainment and nothing to do with the other attractions for which Vegas is justly noted.

But now it's back to business. The three-ring circus that is the Home-Based-Luxury-Travel-Institute-Expo-Conference is about to begin. I hope to blog it regularly during the week.

Off To Vegas

2007-11-29T17:35:00.000-05:00

I spent a good part of today trying to sort through the schedules of the Home-Based Travel Agent Expo, the Luxury Travel Expo, and the Travel Institute Conference, happening simultaneously in Las Vegas from December 4th through the 6th next week.

I finally created a table and listed everything side by side for "easy" comparison. So much to see, so little time. Fortunately, it's looking like there won't be too many instances where two must-see events are going on at the same time.

I'm looking forward to it. Hope to see you there.

Web-Based CRM

2007-11-28T20:54:00.001-05:00

I've been remiss in recapping my teleseminar interview with Joe Mazzarella of Travel Sciences, Inc., about opentravelCRM.

It was a fascinating hour-long chat that I think opened a lot of eyes. Those of you who have my course know that I am a big believer in not spending a penny unless it's necessary.

Well Joe has an offer that's kind hard to refuse: Why buy a customer relations management (CRM) program, when you get one free on the 'Net?

This is not a free download of a bares bones system. Rather, opentravelCRM is a "feature-rich" application that "lives" on the Internet.

How come it's free? Travel Sciences makes its money from suppliers who want to reach travel agents like you by advertising on the site.

But what about the security of your information? Will you be overwhelmed with marketing messages? What about sending emails? Will suppliers know what you're up to? Will suppliers be able to market to your customers?

Those were all questions we dealt with in the teleseminar. You can listen to it -- free! -- by clicking here.

And if you'd like to learn how you can conduct teleseminars of your own, click here.

Computers? Eeek!

2007-11-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting email:

I have been a group travel consultant, tour guide and independent travel agent in the past (25+ years ago) Having travelled rather extensively and being an avid Italiophile, I have enough knowledge and guidance to be relatively helpful in planning trips for folks, but I am not savvy on the "computer" end although I do know quite a bit about computers. Is this going to be a drawback (it has already in my checking around)?

I am approaching retirement and am looking for supplemental income and LOVE THE TRAVEL industry. I can't think of anything I'd like to work with better. I've read your website and it has answered lots of questions, but I am looking for an honest answer about my chances of getting past this barrier. Maybe I missed this on your site....thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Joan C.

Hmm. Not savvy on the computer end, but you know a lot about computers? Sounds like a bit of a contradiction.

I don't think you'd have much of a problem, but if you have some sort of block when it comes to computers, that's something else again. But it sounds like what's happening here is that you have a misunderstanding about what "computers" mean in the home-based travel agent environment.

First, there is no "programming" involved, unless you want to get really involved in having your own web site. But even if you want to go that route (doesn't sound as if you do), there are "point-and-click" solutions that don't require any great computer knowledge, as pointed out here.

The computer side of things largely involves the sort of things that used to be done on a typewriter -- email, for example. There are some programs that will prove helpful: something to keep track of your finances, something to keep track of your clients. But these are pretty easy to master, at least at the basic level, which is probably all that most of us will ever need. And I just did a teleseminar about a free web-based customer relations management system. You could check that out and play around with it to see if presents any great challenge.

And then there's the time-honored advice for people who are having computer problems: Find a kid to show you how. Seriously, it works. I know because I've done it myself.

But what's really interesting in your email is the background you bring to the table as a prospective home-based travel agent. You are extremely well-equipped to succeed as a home-based travel agent. And since it seems like you will be specializing in Italy, it's worth pointing out that the more you specialize, the more business you can handle over the phone. Why? Because you are dealing with a smaller number of suppliers, most of whom you will get to know very well because you are sending them so much business. My course for home-based travel agents covers this area in some detail. I hope you will invest in it.

You will probably encounter supplier web sites that let you make commissionable bookings online. For obvious reasons, the suppliers have gone to great lengths to make these as "user friendly" as possible, so I don't think you'll encounter any great problems there either.

If you come into the industry with your obvious enthusiasm, you will approach any little hiccups you might encounter on the computer simply as "necessary evils" in the pursuit of your goals. Keep your eyes on the prize, and you will have the will to overcome any little digital obstacles you may encounter.

Hope this helps. Good luck and godspeed.