ALG Vacations’ Jacki Marks on Europe Expansion and Investing in Advisors

ALG Vacations is one of the key players in the travel industry, with leading hotels and resorts, tour operators, and DMCs around the world in its portfolio. We sat down with Jacki Marks, global head of trade brands, at ALG Vacations, to hear how this powerhouse company is facilitating travel to top destinations and helping travel advisors build their heartfelt businesses.

Travel Market Report: What is the focus at ALG Vacations for this year?
Jacki Marks: We have three key focuses this year: 1) expanding our Europe product, 2) launching our Luxury program, and 3) continuing to invest in our Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flights (ENVF).

TMR: Where are your guests traveling in 2024/2025? What trends are you seeing?
Marks: We continue to see a lot of bookings in Mexico and the Caribbean, but we’ve also seen a lot of demand for the Europe region. 

With so many new hotel openings in our Inclusive Collection by Hyatt portfolio, that brings increased interest, as well. Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres, Secrets Tulum, and Secrets Tides in Punta Cana have all been selling at record levels. 

TMR: Any updates on and plans for the Cities & Seas program?
Marks: Our Europe product is evolving with exciting updates and plans. Cities & Seas will be a biannual sale in the Fall and Spring to promote and highlight Europe’s often overlooked best feature – the ability to have a beach vacation and be in close proximity to vibrant European cities. 

Additionally, Hyatt is opening its second luxury Zoetry property in Europe, Zoetry Halikadiki in Greece. We’re expanding our portfolio into emerging destinations like Bulgaria, Croatia, and Iceland, while also offering advisors pre/post-cruise stays in VAX, as well. Our partnership with Viator spans over 50 European destinations, and we’ve established relationships with more than 35 air carriers. Notably, in 2023, we’ve added over 150 direct hotels, further enhancing the program’s offering. These initiatives reflect our commitment to providing unparalleled travel experiences in the European market. 
 
TMR: What’s the overall feeling and response from travel advisors since the big merger? And what message do you want to give advisors about it at this time?
Marks: We’ve seen a lot of positive response since joining with Hyatt three years ago. It’s given us an incredible opportunity for growth and expanding our product, and we know our advisors have appreciated that. Hyatt has been incredibly supportive of the travel advisor industry and has really helped us continue our investment in education and championing advisors.

TMR: How is the Kindness program going? Any updates?
Marks: Kindness continues to be at the heart of everything we do. It’s not just a program, but a movement we have invested heavily in to support and unite the travel industry.

With the success of last’s year inaugural Kindness Conference, we’re back again in 2024, this time with the addition of Kindness Connection for seasoned industry pros with 20+ years of experience. We received over 400 nominations from advisors wanting to attend or nominating someone to attend! Advisors can get more information here: https://alg.www.vaxvacationaccess.com/pages/kindness-events/

TMR: What are some of the top tools or programs that ALG Vacations provides to advisors to help them build and maximize their businesses?
Marks: Our ALGVPro certification course is the absolute best way for advisors to build and maximize their business. ALGVPro is our one-of-a-kind, on-demand online education course for travel advisors to learn and engage in ALGV’s destinations and products. 

In fact, following course completion, ALGVPro certified advisors statistically perform better year-over-year compared to non-certified advisors. They sell higher-value product, more preferred hotel supplies, more Travel Protection Plus, more ENVF, and more. 

We highly recommend all our advisors become ALGVPro certified because not only will they perform better, but they automatically have access to ALGV benefits, including prize eligibility, event attendance, WAVEMAKER® benefits, and much more.

TMR: What’s the most important message you have for travel advisors now?
Marks: ALGV invests more in the advisor than anyone else. In all aspects of our business, we keep our focus on furthering our advisors and the industry. We continue to provide the most industry-leading education initiatives, technology investments, events, and FAM trips for the purpose of equipping our advisors, and giving them not only the knowledge, but the confidence to offer the best product to their clients. 

And we value their feedback! When it comes to tech enhancements, we create our technology roadmap based off feedback from our advisors. With our advisory board and regular town halls, we hear from our partners on what advisors need from us to support their business. We use this feedback to consider what new programs or initiatives we need to prioritize next. 

As you know, our FAM structure recently changed to a Mega FAM, and we’ve already been hearing excellent response from the attendees, as well as some great insights to make it even better for next time – and we take that well into consideration. Everything we do is with our advisors in mind, so we are always working to bring them the best experience.

TMR: Is there anything else you want to tell us about the ALG Vacations brand?
Marks: When it comes to the ALG Vacations brand, there’s certainly a lot to talk about. One standout aspect is that ALG Vacations boasts the largest sales force in the industry, supported by extensive training through ALGVPro and educational events like Ascend. Our “Travel Advisors Get You There” campaign, host affiliations, and consortia connections empower advisors. Our rewards and recognition programs, including Elite accounts and WAVEMAKER rewards, are among the industry’s largest. 

We provide robust content and marketing support via ALGV360, our podcast “The Travel Beat,” and Travelogue and Travelblogue publications. Innovative sales tools like GroupEase and VAX streamline bookings. With initiatives such as “Get Paid to Upgrade” and Travel Protection Plus, we prioritize advisor success and client satisfaction. 

ALG Vacations is dedicated to equipping advisors with the resources they need to excel in the ever-evolving travel industry.