Beyond the Basics: Specialized Training That Sets Top Advisors Apart 

Staying informed in today’s ever-changing travel landscape is essential. As destinations, supplier offerings, and traveler expectations continue to shift, continuous training has become one of the most powerful tools in a travel advisor’s toolkit.

From mastering the latest booking technology to staying on top of the hottest destinations to uncovering niche market trends, ongoing education helps advisors sharpen their skills, build confidence, and provide next-level service to their clients. For those looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace, training isn’t just a box to check, it’s a competitive edge that keeps their businesses growing and their clients coming back.

The Most Impactful Trainings

With so many trainings being offered by suppliers, hosts, agencies, consortia, DMCs, and tourism boards, how can an advisor begin to rout out those that would be most impactful for them? We asked a few successful travel advisors for their advice, and here is what they told us.

“Supplier-led trainings, especially familiarization events and trips, have proven to be the most effective method for deeply understanding a brand and its products, enabling me to sell with genuine enthusiasm and firsthand insight,” says Kyle Nichols, MCC, master cruise counselor – CLIA, a Cruise Planners Independent Franchise. “While online courses are valuable, they often lack the memorable impact of experiencing a swim-up bar by the pool, savoring mouthwatering cuisine at a local restaurant, or enjoying a corner suite with a private jacuzzi.

“In terms of personal growth, CLIA’s in-person and virtual training programs have been instrumental. They’ve not only enhanced my industry knowledge but also bolstered my confidence as a Millennial navigating an industry traditionally dominated by advisors significantly older than myself.”

Char Daley, ECC, franchise owner, Cruise Planners, and Elite Cruise Counselor, CLIA, follows a similar overall philosophy regarding trainings. She says: “Supplier-led FAMs, Immersed Sailings/Seminars At Sea with the cruise lines and Cruise Planners Home Office trainings (Tech Days, Sales Seminars, Convention, and Boot Camp, just to name a few) have proven to be the BEST training. 

“To experience the product/line/country/itineraries/technology/software up close and personal gives you, the travel advisor, firsthand, up-to-the-minute knowledge to share with your clients. Being onsite, posting LIVE, seeing, and sharing is the GREATEST incentive I can offer my clients. The old adage ‘I go so you know’ rings true and sparks a buzz to make clients want to do what I’m doing and travel wherever I am.”

Meeting with suppliers at various events is also a key training strategy, and Debra Thune, franchise owner, Cruise Planners, notes that it is one that significantly influences her business.

“Anytime I get a chance to meet one-on-one with a vendor, I take it,” Thune explains. “Whether it’s at our annual Cruise Planners convention or on a seminar at sea or at a FAM trip, I always try to set up a meeting with the vendor so that I can develop that relationship. Having strong relationships with vendors has proven very helpful with serving our clients and growing our business. Our vendors are our partners. We are a team, and we need each other.”

Furthermore, she says, “Some vendors even reward us for taking their training. Travel agent rates/discounts are available if you do some of the vendors’ training. For example, Marriott gives great discounts to TAs if you complete their training course. Universal also offers discounted rates. And you can get a free cruise on Princess after you complete their training. ASTA and CLIA also provide outstanding training opportunities and bonus offers.

“I’ve found that it’s a good idea to book some personal trips using these vendors so that you can further develop your knowledge, experience, and training with their products.”

Thune also takes advantage of site inspections whenever she can. “I have gained a significant amount of knowledge from doing site inspections during FAM trips and ship inspections, but also from doing my own training. Wherever we are in the world, we go to look at hotels, we eat at different restaurants, and we do city tours and shore excursions so that we can provide our clients with firsthand information. This kind of training has proved to be invaluable in helping us serve our clients and grow our business.”

Knowledge Gained, Advantage Applied

Any experienced travel advisor can give inspiring examples of times when they gained knowledge from specific trainings that allowed them to close a sale or impress a client with insider expertise.

“Just a few days ago, I was discussing a few cabin options with a client. I sent her a video of the two-story suites showcasing all the amenities I had recorded during a ship inspection I did months prior. To my surprise, it was enough to generate excitement and ultimately seal the deal for one of the most expensive suites on that ship. Surprisingly, I had no prior knowledge about that suite. However, I had vaguely read off a few bullet points in the video that resulted in a $15,000 sale,” describes Nichols.

And Daley offers this example: “Attending the ASTA River Cruise Expo this year in Vienna has really triggered A LOT of interest in river cruising. Seeing ALL the river cruise ships and sharing content with clients gives them the firsthand knowledge that they need to inquire, and I can now provide them with an informed answer to help them make their decisions.

“Attending TAUCK’s Surprise & Delight Private Dinner at the Palais Pallavicini in Vienna, Austria was over-the-top AMAZING! As a travel advisor attending it made for such a ‘Wow!’ moment. My clients were there with me (traveling vicariously, of course), but nonetheless, in attendance watching the ballet dancers, seeing the food being served, listening to the orchestra, and hearing the opera singer right along with me. The experience was absolutely divine. This is a good example of specific knowledge.”

Making Training a Priority

With all of the demands on travel advisors, it begs the question of how to prioritize continuing education in the daily workflow? And how often should time be set aside for training or professional development?

Daley explains her approach: “On average, I try to be somewhere doing something new somewhere on this planet at least once a month. It’s my job. I am the self-proclaimed ‘quality controller’ for my agency. Annually, I try to attend three or four major events: ASTA (winter/spring), CLIA Cruise360 (spring), Cruise Planners Annual Convention (fall), and supplier-led FAMs (held throughout the year). 

“I also schedule two or three family trips using agent reward points and/or agent rates to enjoy the fruits of my labors and share these rewards with my hubby and grown children. This way, we get to experience what I send my clients to see and do, to be sure it fits my standards (and will fit theirs, too). I usually try to schedule these prior to clients’ travel dates as a precaution/safety measure to be aware of the location, the airport, the resort/hotel/ship, the beach situation, the transfer company, the entertainment, the food, to see if there are any things to look out for, etc. Gotta be up on my A-game!”

She attends in-person inaugural sailings, newly opened resorts, brand new theme parks, supplier-hosted local events; and participates in online trainings about once or twice a day ─ in between sending quotes, preparing travel documents, having client consultations (live and via CP Planner), hosting group trips, finalizing reservations, completing special requests, adding tours and shore excursions, and supporting her travel team of three associates.

It all sounds like a lot to manage, but it is doable. Thune shares: “In any business, finding time for training is difficult. You have to set aside blocks of time, and then you have to honor those blocks of time, because training is an important component of closing the sale.”

And, she says, “In my personal opinion, the most valuable thing that we can do as travel advisors is to travel. Experiencing travel firsthand has definitely been a significant contributing factor to our success. My husband Tony and I are 50-50 business partners, and we have been traveling full time for the last three and a half years, mostly living on cruise ships. We have cruised with 29 different cruise lines for the specific purpose of learning the differences between the various vendors. We take detailed notes and pictures, and we create files to maintain the information so that we can share our firsthand, personal experiences with our clients. We advise our clients as to which hotels we recommend for their pre-cruise and post-cruise stays, as well as restaurant suggestions for various towns around the world. We have also done tons of shore excursions worldwide so that we can also provide that information to our clients. 

How do the Thunes keep up with work while traveling so much? “With the outstanding technology that the Cruise Planners IT team has developed, we can literally work this business from wherever we are in the entire world,” explains Thune. “We have been able to handle business everywhere from Israel to Iceland; from a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef to the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Right now, we are flying home from Curaçao and heading to Alaska.” 

Cruise Planners Trainings Top the Charts

With 30 years of travel franchise experience and the nation’s largest home-based travel agency franchise network, Cruise Planners has demonstrated that they know what it takes for new and seasoned advisors to be successful in their home-based travel agency businesses.

With some hosts or agencies, once an advisor signs on, they are mainly left to fend for themselves. But at Cruise Planners, training is a foundational pillar. The network places tremendous value in giving travel advisors access to frequent, specialized, and professional training from start to finish ─ helping advisors break into travel, stay current, enhance their knowledge and skills, and operate their businesses efficiently and profitably in the dynamic field of travel. 

Throughout 2025, Cruise Planners is offering its franchisees more than 25 training opportunities, both in person and online. Among them are: Bootcamps, STAR University courses, Tech Days, Elite Summits, a Luxury Forum, Sales Academies, a River Cruise Academy (new this year), Refresh and Reboot Seminars, Signature Travel Network Events, an Annual Convention, CP Genie Learning, Disney Enhanced Partnership Program (new this year), and a SOAR Dashboard for Premium Associates. See the links at the bottom of this article for more information about each training.

Nichols sums up how he feels about the impact of the Cruise Planners trainings on his business:
“Cruise Planners’ technology, training, and coaching have been the key to my success, hands down. I have an amazing team of business development coaches who have been with me since the beginning. They provide one-on-one training and support for everything from Cruise Planners tools and technology to best practices, professional development, and even personal struggles.

“The Cruise Planners team also keeps us updated on industry changes, news, supplier offers, and industry trends through various channels, including email, video, podcasts, live streams, blog posts, and in-person events. This constant communication is invaluable when life gets hectic and you can’t be everywhere at once or need to take some time for self-care. Additionally, our tech team is exceptional, and we are constantly adding new features to our proprietary CRM, which helps us serve our clients faster and better while also making our lives easier.” 

In addition, with more than 2,500 travel advisors across the U.S. in their network, there is always a fellow advisor to turn to as an excellent source of information and support. “We have a fantastic Cruise Planners Facebook page where we can all share info, tips, and ideas,” points out Thune. “So, if one of our clients asks us about a destination and it happens to be a place that we have not personally experienced, then we can reach out to our thousands of other franchise owners and associates. Without fail, someone has been there, and can provide us with firsthand information and recommendations. That is a phenomenal source of information, and it’s an incredibly powerful network to have.”

FROM THE SPONSOR:
Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nationwide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as “Best-In-Category” for two years.