Boost Sales to Europe: It’s Hotter than Ever
by Monique Burns /This is the second of two parts.
With Europe hotter than ever this year, travel agents may want to capitalize on that popularity with refresher tips on selling the destination.
Travel Market Report asked Europe specialists for their ideas on how to increase sales and boost commissions.
Visit the destination
There’s no substitute for visiting Europe, particularly the regions you’re selling.
“In October, I’m headed to Barcelona and Paris,” said Charynn Marshall of Partners in Travel of Bel Air, Md., a member of the Affluent Travelers Collection.
“I was in Europe this winter, and I’m going with my husband on a Windstar cruise this summer,” said Jennifer Leventhal of Sentinel Travel, an Ensemble agency in Northbrook, Ill. “It helps to visit the destination.”
Find out what clients want
“Find out what kind of trip the client wants, including their budget,” advised Leventhal.
“Also advise clients when they want to do too much,” she added. “With families, tell everyone to pick one thing. That way everyone gets to do what they want. When kids have a say, they’re invested in the trip.”
Don’t overload clients’ schedules, cautioned Leventhal. “[In Europe], it’s important to just sit in a café, have a pastry and people-watch.”
Provide clients with information packages
“People think everybody wants online information, but it’s nice to put together an information package,” said Leventhal.
She said her agency subscribes to services that deliver 24/7 travel alerts, updates on cruise lines and hotels, and information on cities and ports of call.
“We can customize a report with information on cities, shopping or dining, then send it online to clients or print it out for them,” said Leventhal. “We also include tourist boards’ maps and guides in clients’ packages.”
Sell rail, transfers and excursions to boost commissions
Rail Europe offers commissions to agents and “you can add a fee to rail tickets,” said Leventhal.
She also recommended pre-selling attractions and excursions.
“We try to pre-sell transfers, including limo tours for special events like honeymoons or anniversaries,” she said. “We’ve got contacts all over Europe, so we also can sell clients half-day personal tours.
“Not only are they commissionable, but taking the time to book extras makes you look good to clients.”
Combine land tours with river cruises
Land tours and river cruises are both hot commodities, so consider combining them in a single trip.
“Travel agents should cross-sell tours with river cruises,” advised Jennifer Halboth of director of channel marketing for Globus. “Travelers to Europe are ripe for river cruises. They have a very different mindset from Caribbean cruisers who say, ‘I like the ship’ and ‘I love the beach.’ Travelers to Europe want to get into towns and step off into city centers.
“We’re seeing multigenerational back-to-back trips,” she said. “Grandparents take a seven-night river cruise, then meet up with the kids and grandkids in Amsterdam.
“Combining trips offers amazing potential for higher commissions.”
Keep ‘em coming back for more
European travel possibilities are almost endless. More than 30 countries can be explored on land tours, river cruises and ocean cruises.
As travelers become more experienced, they often venture beyond cities to explore the countryside or visit outlying regions like Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.
“There’s no reason you can’t sell Europe to a client for 20 years and offer a completely different experience every time,” said Halboth.
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