Breaking into Faith-Based Travel
by Stacey Zable /This is the second of two stories on the faith-based travel market
There are a variety of strategies for tapping into the growing faith-based travel market, according to tour operators, specialist travel agents and the Faith Travel Association (FTA).
An obvious first start is by joining the FTA under its new Travel Advisor category, said Julie Hoover-Ernst, FTA’s director of marketing and communications.
“Travel agents are in a highly competitive field,” Hoover-Ernst said. “FTA can help agents to understand the unique needs and interests of faith-based groups, as well as facilitate connections with our member tour operators, travel suppliers and destinations.
“Armed with this knowledge and connections, agents can offer more personalized service to faith-based groups and capture more of this fast-growing market.”
Your own backyard
In addition to becoming an FTA member, Hoover-Ernst advises agents to look for faith travelers in their own backyard.
“With more than 50,000 U.S. congregations reporting that they have formal travel programs, and many more which have groups who go on faith-based trips or retreats, it is likely agents will find numerous clients in their own communities,” she said.
The most important marketing is establishing personal relationships, especially with pastors, said Paul Larsen, president and sales manager of Ed-Ventures, a tour operator that specializes in faith travel.
Larsen suggested that agents sponsor an event for pastors.
“The Internet, social media, and other typical forms of marketing will attract individual travelers but the key with these group leaders, especially spiritual leaders, is to build a relationship with them,” he said.
“It is important to listen to a group leader and understand his or her language,” he added. “If you have a heart to genuinely serve them, you will likely be successful.”
Identify the decision makers
Beyond being pied pipers, priests often travel with groups developed by Bob Shaffer of Cruise Holidays—Experts at Land and Sea in Charlotte, N.C.
“The priest is seeking to build a greater sense of community within his parish and enjoys a vacation himself,” said Shaffer, who is an agent member of FTA. “The key to selling group travel is identifying a group leader/decision maker who has a following.”
Patricia Ryall, an agent with Lake Oswego, Ore.-based And Away We Go! Travel suggested agents start with their own churches to break into the market.
“If you have a relationship [with your pastor], you can meet him/her for coffee and listen,” she said. “Another tactic I used early on was to visit a monthly meeting of pastors in my area. My own pastor was able to let me have a few moments to speak to the group about travel.
“I provided a Middle Eastern lunch for them and focused on [the fact that] if they worked with me, their responsibility would be minimal,” she added. “I would do the work. That brought me some referrals as well.”
Check the existing client base
Agents might also start with their existing client base along with referrals from those clients, said Joanna Dyer, religious travel manager for the Globus family of brands.
Dyer said it’s important that agents work with reputable tour operators that can provide key sales and marketing tools to reach faith-based clients.
They should also “develop an in-house expert dedicated to religious travel; make them the point of contact and a specialist in the market,” she said.
Hoover-Ernst agreed that working with tour operators plays a big role in being successful in the market.
“With their knowledgeable guides’ insight, access and first-hand experience, professional tour operators are often an integral part of faith-based trips,” she said.
“Therefore, it is important for travel agents to develop good working relationships with tour operators who specialize in faith-based travel.”
Support materials
Larsen’s company works with agents by providing materials such as PowerPoint presentations as well as informational meetings.
“After the itinerary is finalized, we provide brochures with the agent’s logo,” he added. “Our goal is to do what we can to help the agent succeed and ensure their clients return to them.”
Beyond it all, the key to finding business is devoting yourself to developing the market and really listening to the needs of your groups, said Shaffer.
“Success selling faith travel requires knowledge and a commitment; you can’t be a casual seller of faith travel waiting for opportunities to pop up,” he said.
“You need to know about the destinations that specific groups would likely be interested in exploring and then have the ability to connect those destinations to their specific faith and wishes.”
It helps for agents to themselves, have “faith,” added Ryall.
“Do not enter the faith-based travel market if you are not a faith-based person, and focus on what is most familiar to start with,” she said.
Related story:
Faith Travel Association Welcomes Agents