Be It Resolved: Agents (Re)Set Their Sails for 2013

Just one week into the New Year and already many personal resolutions have fallen by the wayside – especially those good intentions about exercise and diet. But in business, the year is young.

So what intentions are travel agents setting for 2013? Everything from a more positive outlook to more effective use of their databases for marketing, Travel Market Report learned.

We asked five travel sellers to describe their top resolution, priority, wish and worry for 2013. Here’s what they said.

Roxanne Boryczki, MCC, AZ Trails Travel, Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Resolution: To be more organized and set some boundaries between office and home life.

Priority: To make better use of our database for marketing and to continue to expand our market share through grassroots marketing programs

Worry: The impact of government meddling in small business, especially in the travel industry, and the effect that will have on us directly and on our clients who own their own businesses.

Wish: For a prosperous 2013, and a return to peace and stability across continents, so people will once again feel confident to travel and expand their horizons by experiencing new cultures.

Stephanie Turner, CTC, Brentwood Travel Services, St. Louis
Resolution: To do an even better job of reaching out personally to both my clients and employees. Sometimes we are so busy just doing things that we forget to reach out and touch both our loyal customers and staff.

Priority: Continue with events and marketing that gets us a response from our existing clients, as well as bringing us new customers.

Worry: Our government is shortsighted when it comes to small businesses, and new programs may be implemented that are detrimental in the health care arena; also, additional tax costs.

Wish: To have an even better year than 2012 – which was the best year in the 55-year history of our company. More and more people are reaching out to travel agents if they believe you can give them a better trip with more value than they can book on their own.

Nancy Yoffe, ECCS, Cruise Planners, Spartanburg, S.C.
Resolution: To remain positive and focus on the good that life has to bring, whether it’s in my business or in my personal life.

Priority: To focus on business that makes me money and to focus on suppliers who are supportive of my business and the travel industry as a whole. I will steer as much business as I can to more profitable and supportive suppliers.

Worry: I do not have any worries for 2013. My business is bright at this point, and I’m confident this is going to be a great year.

Wish: My wish for the industry is that suppliers see the value of travel agents and work together with us to build a better brand, both for them and for us. I also wish for more stability in pricing and for suppliers to stop competing with us and just let us do what we do best – sell their products!

Ralph Santisteban, owner, Ralph Santisteban and Associates, Miami
Resolution: To give greater individual attention to the needs of each of my associate travel agents.

Priority: Customer service, to show our clients quality of service after the sale has been completed.

Worry: Unforeseen economic issues may impact the travel industry.

Wish: Travel restrictions will be lifted to the island of Cuba. The positive economic impact that open travel to Cuba would have on the cruise and travel industry has been discussed for years. Maybe 2013 is finally the year – but it’s just a wish.

Lisa Silvestri, CTC, ECC, Silvestri Travel, Sarasota, Fla.
Resolution: Dare I say it? World peace. Truly, I feel travel is the road to achieve this purpose!

Priority: To continue serving my clients and sharing with them in order to create trips that match their dream experiences.

Worry: I don’t worry about anything. Worry dilutes and obstructs whatever visions, goals and aspirations a person might have, not only for their individual lives but also in terms of business.

Wish: Everyone in the travel industry should continue to send people out to places in their own countries and throughout the world. This is the way for regular people to meet and connect with others to share our common love and lives. Travel is the shared denominator that will bring the world together.