A Holiday Wish List for Travel
by Andrew Sheivachman /After a tumultuous year in the travel industry, agents are thankful this holiday season for their families – and for an improved economy.
Travel Market Report asked travel agents what gifts they were hoping to receive for their businesses, the industry – and themselves – during this holiday season.
A Little Adventure
“I’m heading very quickly towards my mid-50s, so I’m doing more light adventure travel for myself. For me it’s doing some of those things that if I don’t do them in the next five to eight years, they won’t happen at all – destinations where you need to have some life left in your body. Two years ago I did Machu Picchu. I did Mont Blanc last year. Probably Patagonia will be next on my list.” – David Jacob, owner, Markham Cruise and Travel Centre, Markham, Ontario (TRAVELSAVERS)
Stability Around the Globe
“For the holidays, I really want to see stability in the cruise deployments and to see some pricing go up. I’d love to see continued growth in consumer confidence, which will lift the economy and the Caribbean market which is challenging right now. All the drama in the news with the cruise industry this year didn’t help the consumer.” – Matthew Eichhorst, president, Expedia CruiseShipCenters International, Vancouver, B.C.
Smooth Sailing
“I want a Wave Season free of any incident that reflects badly on the cruise industry throughout the media and late night talk shows!” – Chuck Flagg, The Flagg Agency, (Cruise Holidays), Canton, Ga.
Good Press
“I'd like a year that is free from any unforeseen circumstances that would bring a negative light to the travel industry. Oh yeah – and a Louis Vuitton handbag.” – Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder, Cruise Planners-American Express Travel
Harmony—Plus Reduced NCFs
“I want continued value-added items offered by the cruise lines for my consumers cruise vacations, in lieu of reducing cruise prices and devaluing the cruise value. I want a concerted effort made by the major cruise lines to stop increasing the non-commissionable portion of their products while the commissionable portion of the products have remained practically unchanged for years. And a 2014 that includes fewer than usual weather related vacation interruptions and delays!” – Ralph Santisteban, owner, Santisteban & Associates (CruiseOne), Miami, Fla.
A Revitalized ASTA
“Personally, I would love to see my entire family together for the holidays. It is so rare when we are all together and I really love being with them. Professionally, I would love to see every agent find value in belonging to ASTA. What a force we would be if people would forget the past and work today to make ASTA—and in turn the entire travel agent community—a real force to be reckoned with. Maybe our politicians wouldn’t be saying we don’t exist anymore!” – Kate Murphy, president, Wings Travel, Blue Bell, Penn. (Vacation.com)