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Travel Seller Profile: Putting a Price on Value

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Travel sellers stuck in the past are less adaptable to the neck-whipping changes the travel industry is faced with on an almost daily basis. For longtime sellers of travel, the need to let go of the “good old days” may be paramount to long term survival.

Success Strategies: Why You Need To Be An Expert Innovator

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Change or die. That’s not the title of any of Robert Tucker’s seven books on innovation, but it is the key message they contain.

How To Create a Successful Mentoring Relationship

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although mentoring in general is typically comprised of similar elements, the most successful mentoring relationships are based on the unique needs of the individuals involved.

Sabre Sells Host Agency Nexion to Tzell Travel

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Sabre Holdings ended its seven-year experiment with a travel agency consortium, selling Nexion, its host agency for independent agents, to Tzell Travel. Terms were not disclosed.

Be the Buyer's Agent to Beat Competition

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Travel agents face competition from many sources, from online search and booking engines to suppliers who market directly to their clients even while claiming they don’t, said travel industry consultant Bob Joselyn, who is also president and CEO of TAMS, a travel agency financial benchmarking and networking company.

Agents Say Business Plans Key to Success

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Without some type of plan to steer by, travel sellers are flying blind. And the plans should be quite specific in terms of goals and timeliness, while allowing for flexibility as opportunities present themselves. This is the general consensus of agents that Travel Market Report recently spoke with about the importance of having a business and/or marketing plan.

Report: Agency Employees Generate Average $150K in Revenue

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In one of the few analyses of the retail travel industry in the U.S., a new report from First Research states that the average annual revenue generated by each employee at a traditional agency amounts to more than $150,000. The report also states that travel agencies are part of a $40 billion travel services industry in the U.S.

Travel Sellers Say Mentoring Encourages New Entrants

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Most long-term, successful travel sellers, both on the retail agency and supplier sides, will say they had someone they viewed as a mentor when they started out in the industry, and most agree that those who are mentored are more likely to stay in the industry than those who are left to figure it out on their own.

Mexicana Is Purchased by Investment Group and Pilots

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A group of Mexican investors called Tenedora K purchased a 95% stake in Nuevo Grupo Aeronautico SA, the holding company for the airline Compania Mexicana de Aviacion, according to reports by Reuters and Bloomberg. The pilots union now holds the remaining 5%.

Affluent Expect More Value for Money, Service From Agents

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Thursday, TMR's article on Selling to the Recession-Shocked Affluent discussed the need to help their clients focus on why it is permissible and even important to travel. Here we look at the changes in customer expectations, booking windows, the use of social media and the value of agency/supplier partnerships, subjects discussed by a panel of luxury suppliers and a travel agent, at the recent Virtuoso Travel Mart.

Cruise Industry Grew in 2009, Despite Economy

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

North American cruise lines, their employees and passengers generated $35.1 billion in gross output in the United States last year bolstering the U.S. economy, according to a new report released by CLIA.

Selling to the Recession-Shocked Affluent

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The recession has irrecoverably changed the affluent client, and agents need to help their clients focus on why it is permissible and even important to travel. This was the message delivered to several hundred attendees at Virtuoso's recent Travel Mart in Las Vegas.

ASTA Looks to Strengthen NACTA Programs for Home Based

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With Scott Koepf resigning his post as president of the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA), ASTA has the opportunity to look at the strengths and resources of both organizations and at ways to maximize them.

American Now Selling Preferred Seating at Self-Serve Kiosks

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

American Airlines is the latest airline to roll out a program that enables passengers to book preferred seating.

Mexicana Resumes Ticketing, Some Service

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Last week, Grupo Mexicana reported that talks with its pilots’ and flight attendants’ unions had progressed, and that flight schedules, while reduced, would be reinstated and posted on Mexicana’s Web site.

Virgin's Branson Offers Travel Sellers Insight to Success

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In difficult times, it is especially important to invest and “create companies that people want to deal with,” Sir Richard Branson told nearly 6,000 delegates at the National Business Travel Association Conference in Houston. Answering questions from award-winning journalist Alexis Glick and in his blog at the Virgin Atlantic Web site, Branson shared insights that can be applied by travel sellers large and small.

Using Customized Newsletters to Reinforce Credibility & Expertise

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Customized marketing pieces are a form of one-to-one marketing that engenders credibility and trust, Becky Geyer, vice president of marketing for Travel Leaders told Travel Market Report recently.

Canadian Agents Working to Improve Revenue, Cut Workload

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

ACTA President and COO David McCaig told Travel Market Report it will be using research to build a case for the considerable value that travel agents bring to the the travel industry and enhancing communication with members, suppliers and consumers.