Valentine Message to Clients: Travel Is Good for Relationships

Vacations Have Positive Effect on Love – and Health
With Valentine’s Day coming up, travel sellers might want to let clients know that a vacation probably will help their love life. In a recent Hotwire.com poll, 70% of travelers said that their personal romantic relationships would be better if they took more vacations together.

At least one medical expert agrees. Commenting on the survey results, Dr. Mathew Edlund, director of the Center for Circadian Medicine and author of The Power of Rest, noted, “In the past, romance was about tales of love and adventure – the kinds of experiences that help regenerate mind and body. Modern ideas of romance focus more on sharing, like sharing deep experiences with someone you love.

“Why not combine the old and new and take a travel adventure together? Think of what it can do for your health – and your relationship.”

Get Marketing Tips from Super Bowl Commercials
While few travel agencies have the resources of the big corporations behind those famous Super Bowl commercials, small business consultant Barry Moltz, writing for American Express’ Open Forum, suggested ways that small business owners can use some of the themes from last weekend’s Super Bowl commercials in their own marketing and advertising strategies.

As an example, he cited a commercial jointly presented by GE and Budweiser, which showed the effectiveness of unusual business partnerships. A Hyundai commercial, which used the theme from Rocky, illustrated the effectiveness of a nostalgia theme. “When all else fails, use vampires in advertising like Audi,” he advised. “This is a safe bet, since every hit movie or television show last year seemed to include them.”

Travel Industry Job Growth Outpaces Other Sectors
A recent U.S. Labor Dept. report on employment figures shows that the travel industry is doing relatively well in terms of job growth, according to the U.S. Travel Association. The travel industry added 7,000 jobs in January. “Since the employment recovery began in March of 2010, travel industry employment has expanded by 223,000 jobs, making a 3.1% increase – faster than the 2.4% rise in other sectors of the economy,” said David Huether, vice president of economics and research for the U.S. Travel Association. The industry has already made up for 45% of the job losses that took place during the recession. By comparison, job gains in the rest of the economy to date have offset just 35% of the job losses during the recession.

Advice to Agents: Be a Risk Taker
“When the market is overcrowded, innovating is the only way to break free from the pack. If you aren’t living on the edge, you are taking up too much space. You must take major risks.” – Scott Koepf, CTC, MCC, vice president of sales, Avoya Travel / American Express

Optimism Grows Among Small Business Owners
Small business owners are feeling better than they have in the past three years about revenue, cash flow, credit access and hiring, according to the new Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. The survey of 600 small business owners in 50 states found that 22% expect to hire new employees this year, while just 8% expect to let employees go. By contrast, last quarter’s numbers were 15% and 13%, respectively. According to Scott Anderson, a senior economist for Wells Fargo, the improving mood of business owners has to do with the fact that consumer spending, job growth and the construction industry all experienced upturns during the last quarter of 2011.