Travel + Leisure GO for Professionals Launches Designations Program for Advisors, Agencies

Travel + Leisure GO for Professionals has launched a designation program for top-performing travel advisors and agencies who book its supply on VAX VacationAccess. 

Launched one year ago, T+L GO for Professionals is a booking resource hosted on the VAX online platform, powered by Trisept/Solutions, that gives advisors access to T+L’s curated itineraries and a robust list of suppliers to book for custom itineraries. The new program now allows top sellers to earn Ambassador or Ambassador Elite designations, which comes with special perks, as well as the ability to use the T+L GO logo on their marketing materials. 

“We bring all those 50 years of beautiful content and articles about travel around the globe and make it bookable for you,” said Amy Reed, T+L GO’s director of travel services and solutions. “You also can do complete custom itineraries. We have truly all the available supply you could need. If you want a Windham, a Marriott, an IHG, whatever it is, we have that globally for you and are going to produce for you the best rates out there.” 

The Ambassador designation (aimed at travel agencies) and the Ambassador Elite designation (aimed at individual advisors) both grant access to exclusive discounts on bookings and a special membership, which includes a print subscription to Travel + Leisure; more exclusive deals on luxe accommodations, dining, and amenities; and top travel content, such as a dynamic list of the current top three destinations, as one example. 

T+L GO was first launched a few years ago as a direct-to-consumer booking site. The brand introduced T+L GO for Professionals in October 2022 as a platform that only advisors have access to through VAX. T+L GO for Professionals is listed as a supplier on the VAX site, and advisors and agencies can access it by registering with their credentials.  

Once logged into VAX and registered with T+L GO, advisors can book T+L itineraries, curated from 50 years of the magazine editors’ expertise, and receive discounted prices not available outside of the platform. As they book more and more, they can earn a designation. 

There are about 100 Elite Ambassadors so far, as the program only launched in June and was formally announced in October. Reed, along with Michelle Payatte from VAX, attended the New York International Travel Show on Oct. 27 to introduce advisors to the new program and explain the T+L GO supply feature. 

“Some agents book air and hotel separately – you don’t want to do that; you want to go to VAX and use T+L GO to bundle them as a package,” Payatte said. “The more you bundle, the more discounted price you can get.” 

T+L GO for Professionals offers 10% commission for standard advisors and even higher for those who become Ambassadors or Elite Ambassadors. The T+L GO for Professionals platform also offers trainings and webinars for advisors to take advantage of. 

In 2024, T+L GO plans to add travel insurance suppliers to its docket as well as new educational tools and other payment solution features.