Travel Agent Professional December 2016 by Travel Agent Professional

Travel Agent Professional December 2016 Issue 48

Ellen Bettridge Uniworld Boutique River

Personalization is The Key By Cindy Bertram

ecember

64 66

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Bloomin’ Wonderful

Building the Road to Successful Relationships – Personalization is The Key By Cindy Bertram Cindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

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2017 Year of The Piggy Back??? By Les-Lee Roland

Owner of The Package Deal

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Success Through NICHE Marketing By Mitchell J. Schlesinger MJS Consultants

Showcase Dream Vacations, CruiseOne, & Cruises Inc.18-19 American Marketing Group ..........................15

Ad Index

Cover Photo: Uniworld Boutique River

Auto Europe .................................IFC Britain Greatdays.............................3

Travel Agent Professional

RCI ...............................................BC

2016

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TAP

By Paull Tickner

Travel Agent Professional December 2016 Issue 48

Travel Agent Professional Staten Island, NY 10312 E-mail: Ann@travelagentprofessional.com Phone: 718.360.3153

Joel M. Abels

Legend In the Travel Industry April 1927 to January 2007

Ann M. Hoek Publisher/Creative Design ann@travelagentprofessional.com Bonnie Walling Editor Bonnie@travelagentprofessional.com Alan Cohen Vice President Marketing Alan@travelagentprofessional.com

Meet Our Editorial Board Paull Tickner, Creator of Special Interest Britain ptickner@customgb.co.uk www.customgb.co.uk Cindy Bertram, Cindy’s Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC cindybert@att.net Mitchell J. Schlesinger President, MJS Consultants mjschlesinger@bellsouth.net Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal Sue Shapiro, President Shapiro Travel Resources sue.shapiro@gmail.com www.shapirotravelresources.com Rusty Pickett, ECC Shellback Cruises www.shellbackcruises.com Sherry Laskin, ACC Travel Writer/NACTA Webinar Moderator www.cruisemaven.com This online magazine is dedicated to the memory of Joel Abels, Travel Trade's editor and publisher. Joel and his life's work may be gone, but with your help it can live on.

Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the first magazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abels ran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfather, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they took the publication over after her grandfather’s passing. Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agent industry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agents throughout North America. It spawned a famous series of trade shows and three monthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and Home Based Trade. The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the Neal Award, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hitting editorials. On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and staying with him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man. He was like a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by his word and believed in his work. There will never be another. While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping that this new publication, which reunites the original Home Based Trade editorial board, will be able to carry on his passion for travel and those who sell it.

Ann M. Hoek The opinions expressed in these columns are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Travel Agent Professional.

December 2016

Travel Agent Professional

Bloomin’ Wonderful

P a u l l T i c k n e r

For many, the Chelsea Flower Show is THE garden show to include in any springtime UK garden tour and I’m not going to disagree. However, there are some independent clients who just can’t get away in May because of commitments to their own garden club and I’ve picked out several earlier events that may well catch their eye. For those who can travel in May, look also at the garden festivals in France, Ireland and Scotland and see how they can be combined to create something completely new.

By Paull Tickner I’ve been customising UK tours for over 35 years and if you need help in putting these showcase items into a wellconstructed and sensibly priced itinerary, email me at ptickner@customgb.co.uk For more bright ideas, check out my website at www.customgb.co.uk

December 2016

Kathy Brown’s Rose Petal Cake

It’s all about Orchids If this is a niche you’d like to develop, look at this list of North American Orchid Societies and then talk to one of them about a UK tour to the hugely popular Kew Gardens Orchid Festival which takes place from 4 February to 5 March 2017. This year’s focus is on the vibrant colours, culture and magnificent plant life 30th March with the RHS London Orchid Show as part

Two Flower Shows and an Edible Garden

of the huge RHS London Spring Plant Extravaganza.

Further into June, a couple of garden festivals at two of

of India. Another opportunity comes up between 29th-

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

our most spectacular stately homes have caught my eye. They both take place over the long weekend of

With many of your clients busy with their own gar-

23rd – 25th June and from a base in the Oxfordshire

dening events in May, suggest a tailor- made tour

Cotswolds, your clients will be able to rub shoulders

which blends together privately owned castle and

with hundreds of British garden lovers at the Blenheim

gardens with the April tulip festivals at Pashley

Palace Flower Show and the Woburn Abbey Garden

Manor, Arundel Castle and Forde Abbey.

Show This itinerary should also include a visit to the

Chelsea Plus… Garden loving customers will be fully aware of the annual Chelsea Flower Show but if you look at the

National Herb Society’s growing beds at Sulgrave Manor, George Washington’s ancestral home and Kathy Brown’s Edible Garden at Stevington near Bedford.

France/England, England/Ireland and England/Scotland

Major New Garden Show for 2017

itineraries which include:

Fire the imaginations of your garden contacts by inviting

19th – 21st May

them to be among the first visitors to the inaugural

Les Journées des Plantes at the Domaine de

Royal Horticultural Society Chatsworth Flower Show. It

Chantilly near Paris

runs between 7th – 11th June and as many of them will

23rd – 27th May

have seen details in their gardening magazines be the

The Chelsea Flower Show in London

first to offer them a customised tour to this big new

1st – 4th June

horticultural event.

following list, you can very easily create

Bloom in Dublin, Ireland’s premier gardening festival 2nd – 4th June

Chatsworth, home of the Duke and Duchess of

Gardening Scotland, their national gardening and

Devonshire is located towards the north of England

outdoor living show

making Manchester the natural gateway. It’s easily

2nd – 4th June

accessible thanks to non-stop flights from Atlanta,

The Hatfield House Flower & Food Show

Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Orlando,

If you want some suggestions on how some of these

Philadelphia and Washington DC. By June 2017,

combinations might work for a couple of clients or a

Virgin will have direct flights from San Francisco and

small group of 6-8 or more, email me at

Boston and you should check Icelandair’s schedules

ptickner@customgb.co.uk

via Reykjavik and the Aer Lingus routes via Dublin.

Travel Agent Professional

6 Building the Road to Successful C i n d y B e r t r a m

By Cindy Bertram Cindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

Today businesses focus not on just being found, but also making sure their products and services are purchased and used. And not just once, but again and again. In the travel industry, we are more than just a service because we help our clients create memories of a lifetime. As a result of social media, there are numerous, diverse channels that can be used to market what we do. Getting clients to continue booking with us again and again really gets down to building that successful client relationship, and where personalization is the key. Regardless of our respective titles? We are all in sales. Jason, a dear savvy, successful sales professional colleague has brought that up to me a few times. In the travel industry, we have to market, also continually keep on top of technology, along with the travel products and experiences we sell. Most importantly? We also put our time and effort into making sure the clients we deal with know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not treating them like a â&#x20AC;&#x153;number.â&#x20AC;? This is where creating that ongoing relationship, with personalized touches is so critical.

December 2016

Relationships –

Think of it Like a Journey Building that successful client relationship is actually a journey and where true personalization is part of that ongoing successful road. Yes, there can be twists in the road, and that’s normal. Getting to really know our clients, understanding their needs, what’s important to them, their passions, and then providing the best solutions for their travel desires is where we can continue to build that ongoing relationship for life.

Insights from Ellen Bettridge, President & CEO, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Ellen Bettridge, who recently became President & CEO of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection in August, is well known for her relationship building style. She’s also mentioned relationships are critical, and really what Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is about as well as their parent company, The Travel Corporation (TTC).

Travel Agent Professional

8 I asked Ellen if she could share more about this, along with what she feels is at the core of building successful relationships.

Ellen explained, “Trust is the building block of any successful relationship. I consistently hear

from travel agents that they love our product and are happy with our call center and sales team. Agents trust our team, and that we will deliver an exceptional experience every time, thus protecting the trust that they have built with their clients. We work very hard to maintain the highest levels of service so that we can keep this trust among agents.” As far as travel agents who are building their businesses, they have to build successful relationships with their clients as well as suppliers. And Ellen provided a few key takeaways. She said, “I go back to trust, as well as treating everyone as an individual and having genuine passion for what you do as the key tenants of building successful relationships.”

Separating Yourself from the Competition Ellen has mentioned that Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is the ultimate river cruise luxury product. When I asked her what Uniworld does to separate itself from its competitors, Ellen provided some wonderful insights. She explained, “Uniworld provides a surpassed level of personalization in both its décor and in its service. The immaculate décor onboard all Uniworld ships tell a story. No two Uniworld ships look alike, which is something that separates us from our competition. The décor on each ship mirrors the history and ambiance of the destination it sails to, which in turn gives passengers a more culturally immersive experience and a chance to learn more about the cities and villages they visit.”

December 2016

Ellen then went provided another wonderful point, when she said, “Additionally, the service Uniworld provides reaches far beyond its competition, with one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios in the river cruise industry. The staff onboard and on land can accommodate any request a guest may have to make their experience the best it can be.” While talking a bit more, I mentioned this mindset is one that applies to travel agent professionals as well. I her asked what suggestions she had for travel agents to separate themselves from their own competitors - what “road” they should take to elevate themselves and build those long lasting relationships. Ellen first mentioned, “Agents can separate themselves from their competitors and build great relationships by defining how they are invested in getting to know their client’s personal passions and finding experiences that are tailored to what they wish to discover.”

Travel Agent Professional

10 She went on, explaining, “Education is also a critical

to creating memorable experiences for customers on

component, as it’s important to understand what is

an individual basis. I would advise travel agents to get

out there and how each offering is different. For

to know not just the travel preferences of their clients,

example, I talk to a lot of travel agents who say

but also their personal passions. If an agent knows that

they’ve been on a Viking river cruise, but I tell them

a client is oenophile or history buff, for example, they

that they haven’t been on a luxury river cruise. There

will be able to suggest the right itinerary that connects

is a real difference with Uniworld, and it’s important

to an emotional response, which is critical to creating a

for us to educate agents on what that difference is

defining experience and lasting memory.”

for clients who want a true luxury experience.”

Personalization – Knowing your Customers

Tell your Story In her role as President & CEO at Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Ellen mentioned that one of her

We also discussed a bit more about how personaliza-

first tasks was to find a new ad agency to help “tell their

tion is key trait of successful businesses, and this seems

story.” I asked if she had any suggestions on how travel

to be at the core of what has made Uniworld such a

agents could also successfully “tell their stories” so

successful river cruise line. And this is something that

future clients, as well as existing ones, could understand

travel agent professionals can also use successfully.

how they are different and provide more. Ellen explained, “We live in a world of information overload,

Ellen mentioned, “Personalization is knowing your cus-

so simplicity is key. With our new ad agency, I’m looking

tomer. By developing knowledge of passenger’s inter-

to bring all of the unique elements of Uniworld together

ests, preferences and style, Uniworld is better able to

into one concise and cohesive message. My advice for

anticipate guests’ desires and needs. Personalization is

agents is to do the same; develop an elevator speech

that extra step that shows commitment and dedication

for yourself that is distinctive and memorable.”

December 2016

11 The Importance and value of Travel Agents Ellen has also mentioned that in her role her job is to educate as well as continuing to support travel agents. When I asked her more on how they would be doing this, and she mentioned, “Travel agents are a huge asset to Uniworld, which is why we see value in educating them about the Uniworld product. We are extraordinarily focused on maintaining and also growing our work with travel agents. “ She then went on, and explained, “For example, in early 2017, Uniworld will launch a private trade portal available directly via Travel Agent University’s (TAU) active member community of over 50,000 certified members. This portal will enable agents to participate in robust education, earn rewards, be privy to exclusive deals, as well as have access to valuable sales tools, webinars, videos, itineraries and other company assets to help increase their sales.”

A Few more Takeaways Yes, building those successful, genuine long term relationships with our clients as well as the suppliers we work with is something that occurs over time. My professional colleague, Jason, shares one thought he lives by – “Be the person who makes everyone feel like someone.” Yes, we need to make people feel like they are someone, don’t we?

Travel Agent Professional

12 L e s - L e e

2017

R o l a n d

If 2016 was the Chinese Year of the Monkey Dog. Let’s make 2017 the Travel Agent’s Year off the Piggy as in Piggy-Back. When I first entered this industry over 25 years ago, the most popular niche promoted was Honeymoon Destinations. Agents were told to align these, or piggyback with wedding dress salons and wedding planners. Provide your flyers in these establishments. Sign on for the Wedding Conventions. Get your name out there.

By Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal

If weddings are not the most popular item on your list or in your neighborhood, where else can you piggyback? Let’s star easy — Golf Clubs. Put together some sample pricings for dedicated golfers. Ireland, Scotland, or resorts within the US. Opportunities in so many areas. Tennis clubs — put together packages for Wimbledon or the US Open. Football cruises. Yes, pick out a cruise departing from Florida and combine it with an end date of a major game to be played in Florida. Sort of a twofer. A reason to travel to Florida and not just for a one day game. This is great for a college alumni group. Wine Vacations. Yes, we all know about the wine cruises. Align yourself with a local restaurant that specializes with wine. Or even patrons of a wine store like Total Wine. In our area, they welcome agents setting up seminars about destinations and they supply samplings of the vintage from that area. Celebrities. Get involved with fans of a celebrity who does concerts, Broadway, Meets and Greets. Example, one I have used successfully. A now famous singer , when he was first climbing that ladder of success, was going to be doing his first PBS show to be aired throughout the US. Tickets were, and this was the luck of it all, FREE. All I had to do was get people to the Pasadena California location. Yes, it was a lot of flights from all over the US and even from foreign countries. Blocked space at the hotel. Reservations

December 2016

Year of The Piggy Back??? and meeting rooms for dinners. Private guided bus tours of Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, and other events. Literally, hundreds of fans participated. Word spread by posting on the celeb’s website. Free posting And it continued for awhile, when he went to New York for a Radio City Music concert and now is on Broadway. The key to piggyback selling is to just put your thinking cap on and go through your database and check for similar interests, or common destinations mentioned on bucket lists. What? You don’t ask your clients for destinations on their bucket lists? Why not? If I have a couple who would love to go to Tahiti, and see a couple of others who have it on their list, I take out group space to promote. Go to a knitting store and ask if you can promote a knitting cruise or needlecraft getaway. Of course you offer your TC to the person in charge from the store to accompany their clients on this adventure. You can take this further to a manufacturer of knitting machines to be provided or supplier for the materials. Health and Fitness. Yoga trips, anywhere! I know an agent who specializes on Yoga in Africa. See, it doesn’t have to be India only. I have done Marathon runners who travel throughout the US. Immediately after the race is over, the sightseeing begins. All through a local health club.

Travel Agent Professional

14 Religious tours. Yes, it’s everywhere. Churches and

sitting in the bus where Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up

Synagogues. Just drive throughout your city and

her seat. The actual chair, and it was a rocking chair,

track how many places you can contact. Call and set

that Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot by

up an appointment and offer to promote your com-

Booth. Also included in the admission, is a tour of a

bined ideas in their newsletter.

truck assembly line, and you see a vehicle actually it being built. That’s a sight for people of all ages.

Another supplier, FATHOM can produce wonderful humanitarian groups for the Dominican Republic.

What I liked the most. It is not anything like so many

Check them out. The rates are easily promoted, and

famous resorts. Not overly commercial. No one

their offerings of helping people in this Caribbean

hawking souvenirs and fast food every 20 feet. My

island with language, music, volunteer projects, is a

grandchildren went back to their school, which is not

perfect group opportunity. I am doing it a few weeks.

in Michigan, and have told their friends. Now I’ve gotten calls from parents in their city asking me to

Visit your local bookstores. Put together a group

put together a weekend adventure. Who knew I can

pricing for a destination that has a supply of books

piggyback with my grandchildren as the pied pipers?

about that area and schedule a seminar. Or use a library. They have meeting rooms. Invite a rep to

The only concern when speaking to certain stores or

co-op with you.

restaurants is the manager might complain you are taking their patrons away from spending money there

Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Bronte Sisters,

and instead spend it on their trip. Turn that negative

DaVinci Codes- they all offer day tours in their loca-

into a positive. The people will tell their friends and

tions. Why not start them from the US or Canada

create more interest in the golf course, restaurant,

and offer the tours as part of the package.

store, or wherever just so they can be included on this adventure you’re creating.

Detroit. Yes Detroit! A great school project and multi generational tour. Hotels are plentiful, and trips

Yes, there is work involved. But isn’t that part of our

to visit the classic HITSVILLE museum, the actual

job? If you just think about places you frequent in

building where all the classic Motown hits were

your own neighborhood, I defy you to not come up

recorded. In just a small house, before the age of

with ten places you can target. Not everyone will be

big recovering studios.

a winner. But you will find people with common goals and common interests. And you may find that

And one of the finest museums and tour areas is in

the local stores are looking for something they can do

Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Greenfield

to be part of the promotion.

Village, and the Henry Ford Museum. I am so gung ho on this visit. I had last been there when I was just

When you work out something, you provide free public

eight years old, and it was a school trip. A few weeks

releases to the local newspapers to create an extra

ago I took my two grandchildren, 11 and 8 years old

Buzz. And, of course, use the database of their patrons.

for a visit. It was so incredible. Filled with history, famous cars, education, rides in a Model T,

I want to hear your successes?

December 2016

Showcase

American Marketing Group Unveils Next Generation Itinerary Builder and Booking Tool American Marketing Group (AMG) has added

She added, “this is a game changer that will

new technological advancements to its successful

create efﬁciencies and growth opportunities for

tripXpress platform. The enhanced tripXpress is

agents and suppliers.”

AMG’s revolutionary content search and booking

Afﬁliates using the platform are raving about the

platform. The program features robust content from

technology, noting that the ﬂexibility of building a

preferred suppliers that enables travel professionals

customized itinerary is not only saving time but

to build a complex itinerary, compare choices and

increasing the value of the booking.

provide pricing and exclusive offers - all on one platform.

“I have been using the beta tripXpress program for a few months. It is very user friendly and it has

The tripXpress platform aggregates content

greatly improved how I balance my time and

from AMG’s proprietary cruise booking platform,

resources, allowing me to focus on creating dream

cruiseexpress, along with content from over

vacations, building relationships and meeting my

120,000 hotels that are available in tripXpress

client’s expectations. I can’t believe how much

and over 40,000 hotels in AMG’s global hotel

product is available in the system and how easy it

program for agents to search and book all in one

is to add additional segments to a trip and share

place. The platform enables agents to customize

them with the client,” says Ken Keefer, Owner, CK

each itinerary, add ﬂight and transportation and

Tours & Cruises.

select additional segments such as guided tours, activities, transfers and more. The easy-to-use

About American Marketing Group:

interface includes automated and customizable

American Marketing Group, Inc. is the parent

communications about destinations to keep

company of 18 leading travel brands around the

clients engaged.

globe, including TRAVELSAVERS, NEST (The

“We are especially excited about what this

Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel), The

means for our travel professionals, the enhanced

Afﬂuent Traveler Collection, Well-Being Travel,

format and features will change the way they cre-

Acclaim Meetings, TRAVELSAVERS Partner

ate an itinerary for their clients. Agents have com-

Services, TWIN (TRAVELSAVERS Worldwide

plete access to the information they need to com-

Independent Network), Forte Business Travel

pare options and create a personalized experi-

Solutions, travel tix, Travstar Technologies, cruise-

ence and they can do it all-in-one data ware-

express, TRAVEL HELPLINE and agent24.

house, saving them valuable time,” says Nicole

Independent travel agencies in 35 countries are

Mazza, Chief Marketing Ofﬁcer, TRAVELSAVERS,

part of the organization and generate more than

NEST and The Afﬂuent Traveler Collection.

$22 billion in annual travel industry sales.

Travel Agent Professional

Success Through

M i t c h e l l J . S c h l e s i n g e r

So as we approach the upcoming holidays it is a good time to perform a “Wellness Check-Up” on your approaches to the key niche target markets and products that you are counting on for your sales success in 2017 and beyond. And similar to a check-up from your doctor, it is critical that your branding approaches to your niche market audiences are met with positive “vital signs” First, important notes regarding niche markets: You can promote that you are an expert at more than

By Mitchell J. Schlesinger Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, MJS Consultants, mjschlesinger@bellsouth.net

one niche.

But remember, each niche at which claim to

be an expert must be met with the delivery of all the product knowledge, sales and service elements that reflects that expertise.

I caution keeping the “niche

expert” list to a small number to project believability, and the reality that you cannot fulfill this claim for 10 niches.

The past several ar ticles in Travel Agent Professional have followed a theme consisting of noticing new and expanding travel trends, using the internet as a tool to reach different demographic and psychographic audiences, and taking advantage of Cruise Month to star t you’re planning for the next 6-18 months of cruise sales.

There are 2 basic kinds of niches; demographic and psychographic.

Demographic is easier, based on age, sex,

income, marital status and household content. Psychographic deals with specific experiences clients and prospects are looking for in their vacations.

Whether the

interest is golf, culinary arts, gambling, history, skiing, etc., your challenge is to be the expert at fulfilling the experience. AND, these niches do intersect.

A wealthy demographic

golf-centric audience will have very specific expectations (10 days playing British Open courses in Scotland, Ireland and Great Britain) and will be willing to pay for that experience.

Others may look for ways to include golf as part

of resort based vacation.

Culinary enthusiasts may want

an all in experience at a European cooking school, while

December 2016

NICHE Marketing

others can choose a cruise that includes culinary

and to whatever audience, you are communicating

experiences while sailing to multiple ports.

your expertise effectively:

At the same time, successful niche marketing can be

Website, email and potentially direct mail marketing

both daunting and extremely profitable.

BUT, this

must all reflect, both visually and by content of your

is dependent on your ability to promote and deliver

expertise with a quality and feel that the audience

real expertise and be able to suggest and fulfill

will respond to accordingly.

whatever level of experience the clients are looking for, irrespective of their demographic status. And

Remember, with the world at their fingertips, customers

choosing the niches to promote your expertise can

have become more educated about destinations around

be sourced by:

the world, and various travel options to fulfill their desired niche.

You must be able to meet and exceed

Your own interest and personal expertise in a par-

their level of knowledge, which is why your “niche

ticular activity.

expertise” list must be small and enable you to reflect that are THE source for the particular type of travel.

Awareness of a particular interest that is shared in the community you serve and by audiences you are confi-

Communication in all forms must stimulate a recog-

dent you can reach both locally and on the internet.

nition and response from the target audiences that

For instance, most would not guess this however,

you can in fact provide the specific experience they

there is a very active ski club in Miami, FL.

are seeking.

Ski trips

can be pricey which yields higher commissions.

And this the most critical element, as

exceeding clients expectations is the engine that drives referrals.

And to the notion of the intersecting niches, you can tailor the way you implement your business

And speaking of referrals, definitely have an area on

plan by becoming an expert of a combined demo-

your website or Facebook page where clients can

graphic & psychographic niche.

An ultra-wealthy

post notes and photos about their experiences and

audience for a particular niche will generate a lower

extol the virtues of your sales and service. These

volume of sales, but at very high ticket prices and

testimonials are like an annuity that multiplies in

substantial commissions.

value with each fulfilled customer.

A more premium- level

audience which produces higher volumes of sales at lower prices.

Or obviously you can promote your

expertise to both audiences.

I would like to wish all of you very happy holiday seasons starting with Thanksgiving where I hope you will all give thanks that you took the time to plan

All of which leads to the “check-up” of vital signs to

for the future and organized your niche markets,

determine that whichever niche you are promoting

products and audiences to insure a successful 2017.

Travel Agent Professional

Five Military Veterans Win Travel Franchises from CruiseOne/ Dream Vacations

CruiseOne/Dream Vacations, the number one travel franchise for military veterans, celebrated Veterans Day early with a special ceremony recognizing military veterans and the 2016 winners of the fifth annual contest “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General.” Over the past five years, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations has awarded 25 free franchises valued at more than $317,000 to deserving military veterans through its annual contest. “There are so many parallels between the military and franchising that recruiting and supporting military veterans has become a cornerstone of who we are and what we do; it is shaping the future of our organization,” said Tim Courtney, CFE, vice president of franchise development and ambassador of veteran affairs for CruiseOne/Dream Vacations. “We recognize that military veterans are driven by the core values and disciplines they learned in the military and it these values and disciplines that drive them to succeed.” The annual “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” contest was open to former members of any of the five branches of the U.S. military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who are retired, off active duty and/or honorably discharged prior to the contest start date this past May. Candidates participated in a rigorous three-part application process which included creating a business plan, video essay and phone interviews. More than 1,300 people have applied for franchise ownership through Operation Vetrepreneur. This year’s winners are Air Force Veteran Jason Bloomquist of Maple Shade, N.J.; Navy Veteran Cory Jennings of Midland, Texas; Air Force Veteran James Selleh of Brentwood, Tenn.; Air Force Veteran Jay Starks of Sandy, Utah; and Air Force Veteran Chuck Wellman of Beaverton, Ore. The winners are attending a weeklong training at CruiseOne/Dream Vacations’ world headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and were honored with a special ceremony featuring city, state and county officials, as well as South Florida business leaders and travel industry representatives. A member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA)

Photo Cutline (Left to Right): Air Force Veteran Jason Bloomquist, Navy Veteran Cory Jennings, Air Force Veteran Chuck Wellman, Air Force Veteran James Selleh and Air Force Veteran Jay Starks.

VetFran initiative, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations is committed to giving back to the military community and offers many incentive programs to assist veterans in transitioning back to civilian life, including a 20 percent discount off the franchise fee and additional discounts for hiring former members of the U.S. military or active-duty military spouses as associates. In addition, more than 30 percent of the home-based travel franchise owners are military veterans or active-duty spouses. CruiseOne/Dream Vacations proudly supports military veterans and is consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a military-friendly franchise. Accolades include a number one ranking by Military Times in its “Best for Vets: Franchises” three years in a row, and by Forbes in its “Top 10 Military Friendly Franchise.” The company also has been included on USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans” and recognition as a “Top Veteran-Friendly Franchise” by Entrepreneur and U.S. Veterans magazines. For the past six years, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations was named to G.I. Jobs magazine’s Military Friendly Franchises® lists, which represents the top 10 percent of the nation’s franchises that are doing the most to support military veterans. CruiseOne/Dream Vacations is committed to being “Rich in Diversity” and empowers all owners, franchisees and employees to reach their highest potential by leveraging their broad range of talent, experiences, personalities, viewpoints and ideas to generate business growth.

December 2016

Photo Credit: www.TheLXA.com

Home-based travel franchise has given away 25 free franchises to U.S. veterans valued at more than $317,000

Showcase Cruise Fare Watch Technology Illuminates Sales for Dream Vacations, CruiseOne, and Cruises Inc. Travel Agents Home-based travel agents track cruise pricing within CRM tool Home-based travel agencies Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. recently launched Cruise Fare Watch, a new technology tool that has automated the process of tracking cruise fares. It provides daily knowledge of price changes and puts agents ahead of the competition. Since launching at the end of October, more than 7,700 watches have been created and more than 5,000 alerts have notified agents of price changes. “We are continuously evolving our technology, whether it is creating new tools or enhancing existing resources, that will make running a home-based business more efficient and profitable,” said Sandi Szalay, vice president of information technology at Dream Vacations , CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “Cruise Fare Watch is a game-changer for our network of travel agents because it enforces the value of a travel agent by giving them the ability to provide compelling and competitive price advantages to customers.” Housed in My Cruise Control, a proprietary Customer Relationship Management tool and live booking engine, Cruise Fare Watch enables agents to monitor cruise line price changes based on date and cabin category. Agents can set three different types of watches using the Cruise Fare Watch tool: • From a booking – This links to an existing booking and can assist agents in demonstrating the value of booking in advance, as well as create opportunity to upgrade for less money or upsell to a higher cabin category. • From a customer – If a prospective customer is interested in a specific sailing, but has not yet booked, this watch can be used by the agent to notify the customer when the cruise fare has reached a certain price point. • From a sailing – Not tied to any customer or booking, this watch can be used as a marketing tool if an agent sells a lot of a specific itinerary or cruise line. Agents can select if they want to be alerted when a price drops or increases by a specific dollar amount or percentage. In addition, the Cruise Fare Watch can be used as a future selling tool to track trends in cruise fare pricing. “The new Cruise Fare Watch is an amazing tool to have in our arsenal,” said Alicia Geiger, Dream Vacations franchise owner in Sinking Spring, Pa. “It allows us to watch the hun-

Travel Agent Professional

dreds of cruises we have booked to make sure we’re giving the best deal to our clients. If the Fare Watch Tool ﬁnds a cruise that dropped in price, we can check and possibly get the reduced price or get upgrades for the client. Conversely, if the fare goes up we can notify clients who are thinking of booking to let them know that now is the time before the rate goes any higher. It’s a win-win!” Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. has set the new standard in technology and support by extensively investing in resources to create innovative technology programs that beneﬁt its home-based agents based on their needs. In the past few years, Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. has nearly doubled the size of its IT department, and has developed additional cutting-edge web-based business tools such as an enhanced price quote program, group registration websites for franchisees, a modernized Business Center Intranet and more. People with a passion for travel who want to learn more information about franchising opportunities with CruiseOne/Dream Vacations and business opportunities with Cruises Inc. should visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com and www.SellCruises.com.

About Dream Vacations, CruiseOne® & Cruises Inc.® Dream Vacations, CruiseOne® and Cruises Inc.® are part of World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company. Dream Vacations and CruiseOne are franchise opportunities, and Cruises Inc. is an independent business opportunity; both business models provide a work from home opportunity to those interested in becoming a part of the exciting travel industry. With a mission of delivering a remarkable experience, both companies offer their customers the lowest possible pricing on vacations. For more information on CruiseOne/Dream Vacations, visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com, like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise and follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise. For more information on Cruises Inc., visit www.SellCruises.com and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SellCruises.

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December 2016