Travel Agent Professional October 2016

Travel Agent Professional October 2016 Issue 46

Alex Pinelo VP, Norwegian Cruise Line

Everything Old is New Again

By Les-Lee Roland

1

O

ctober

64

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=3

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=9

14

Everything Old is New Again

By Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=13

Cruise Month The Perfect Time to Develop Plans

By Mitchell J. Schlesinger

16

MJS Consultants

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=15

Four Inspired Reasons for UK Travel

By Paull Tickner

Showcase Affluent Traveler Collection ..................18-19 American Marketing Group ..........................13

Ad Index

Cover Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line

Auto Europe .................................IFC

HostTravelAgency.com ...................9

Britain Greatdays.............................3

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

Travel Agent Professional

2016

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

TAP

10

Building Stellar Client Relationships – Keeping Ourselves in The Picture

Travel Agent Professional October 2016 Issue 46

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.

October 2016

Travel Agent Professional

4

Building Stellar Client

C i n d y

Keeping in the Picture – Our Clients’ Picture

B e r t r a m

Today people vary on how they liked to be touched and reached — the growth of mobile devises is part of the reason.

A great scenario? How many people actually go to movie theaters today to watch a movie? Or do they wait til it comes out on a DVD and then rent it?

Even if people wait to watch a movie at home rather than see it in the theater, they still know about that film, look at reviews, and have probably followed the trailers.

We need to do the same with our clients. Keeping in touch with them with using that personal touch is also where that booking can actually occur. Just last week I got a call from a

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

couple that I’ve known for a while — I’ve kept in touch with them. They reached out to me because now they’re in the process of lining up vacation time in 2017 and have a trip in mind. In our phone calls, this couple told me, “Well you’re the travel expert, Cindy, and why we want your help with this trip.”

Today it’s not just about finding

Working with Partnerships When it comes to partnerships, we do need to build strong

clients, but keeping them. Having done

relationships with preferred suppliers who fit our clientele and

sales over the years myself, I know it can

their travel needs. But we also want to make sure that when

be challenging. It really gets back to

dealing with these suppliers, they are treating us like partners,

what’s at the core of any successful busi-

not competitors. More travel suppliers, including cruise lines are

ness, especially travel. We need to build

now refocusing on that — building positive partnerships.

a relationship with our potential clients, focusing on them and their needs. After

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Focus

that first sale comes in, the ongoing rela-

Always an innovator, Norwegian Cruise Line is well known

tionship building has to continue. It

when it comes to creating new experiences for cruise

doesn’t end after that first sale. Getting

guests. "Freestyle cruising," which really revolutionized the

these clients to rely on us, view us as the

cruising experience for guests is just one. Besides changing

travel experts and use our expertise is

the cruising experience for guests, Norwegian Cruise Line

really at the core of building that stellar

also launched their innovative "Partners First" program

relationship. We need to keep ourselves

about 5 years ago as a way to build a strong ongoing part-

in the picture.

nership with travel agent professionals.

October 2016

5 Relationships – Keeping Ourselves in The Picture

More on “Partners First” from Alex Pinelo, Vice President, Norwegian Cruise Line While talking recently with Alex Pinelo, Vice President, Key Accounts, Norwegian Cruise Line, he provided more on how their “Partners First” came about.

Alex explained, “Norwegian Cruise Line has embraced travel partners for the entirety of the 50 years we have been in business. The Partners First initiative is simply a reminder to the trade of how much we value their business and how every decision at every level of our organization is made through the filter of, ‘How will this affect travel partners?’ Most recently we launched the best affinity group program in the industry, giving travel partners the most lucrative tour conductor options in the business – 2 for 14 or 1 for 14. If they choose the 1 for 14 option, travel partners may also select 2 options from a menu of value-add items, including prepaid service charges, dining package, beverage package, etc. And… the choices can be made on a per cabin basis, giving group members ultimate flexibility in choosing their onboard amenities. This program is the latest, and I would add, a very valuable, Partners First initiative, which gives agents a very significant tool to use in developing group business.”

Travel Agent Professional

6 More on Norwegian’s New Independent Travel Professional Channel Norwegian Cruise Line also recently launched their new program, the Independent Travel Professional Channel (ITP) led by Clark Reber, who's Director. I asked Alex to explain a bit more about this new program, along with the reasons behind their launching it.

Alex said, “Because of the explosive growth of the home-based travel partner community, we made the decision earlier this year to devote resources to further develop the channel. In talking with industry veterans prior to launching the program, what we learned, was that when agents join a host agency they seemingly become invisible to suppliers. Our goal is to eliminate that invisibility and to reach out to home-based professionals in a way that meaningful and inclusive for them.”

Alex then mentioned, “We will continue to work closely with each host to determine which approach is best for their business model. Clark Reber is leading the way with the initiative and we’ve already launched our first-ever Home-Based Symposium at Sea aboard Norwegian Escape, a monthly newsletter and putting together an Independent Travel Professional Advisory Board. This is another initiative that supports ‘Partners First’ There’s much more to come, so stay tuned!”

Emphasizing Value not the Price – A Successful Strategy When it comes to the sales aspect, Alex explains, “In every sales presentation we emphasize value over price. That’s the conversation every agent should be having with their clients, because there is simply no better value for your vacation dollar than cruising.

Later this year, we will be celebrating our 50thanniversary, which is an exciting moment, for us to reflect and commemorate our first fifty years. But, unfortunately, for many of those years, we, and the rest of the cruise industry, have been training consumers and agents alike to wait until the last minute to wait for the best price, which created problems for everyone.”

Alex further notes, “In 2015, we made a strategic decision (which turned out to be incredibly successful) to add value to the clients cruise purchase by including value-add options such as prepaid service charges, dining packages, drink packages, Wi-Fi and even ‘friends

October 2016

7

and family sail free’ on select sailings. The promotion, called ‘Free at Sea’, gives travel partners the tool that they need to shift the conversation away from price to value. And we are paying travel agents more commissions than ever in the history of our company! The ‘Free at Sea’ promotion is truly a win/win proposition for Norwegian and for our travel partners – we are sailing with full ships at a higher price and travel partners are making more money than ever when they sell Norwegian.”

Alex also brought up another terrific point. He said, “Travel partners are as much teachers as they are travel counselors. When travel partners show clients how to maximize their vacation investment versus simply selling on price, they become teachers and it’s in this realm that they gain clients’ respect, create repeat and more referral business and, quite literally, create clients for life.”

Tips on Building Great Relationships with Clients Alex and I then talked a bit more about success tips he’s seen successful travel agent professionals use to create a stellar customer relationship with their clients. He explained, “This is hard, but it works —travel partners need to contact their clients while they are enjoying their vacation. A quick text message to a client, inquiring as to how the vacation is going, shows interest and, if things are not going well, gives the agent a chance to recover any issues before the client returns. This is a terrific way to add value and I guarantee no OTA will be contacting its customers while they are experiencing their vacation! Agents need to step beyond simple follow up and engage their clients while they are experiencing the vacation they sold them. Again, another contributor to creating clients for life.”

Travel Agent Professional

8 He went on to provide more about the “Cruise Next” program. Alex notes, “At Norwegian we have a program called ‘Cruise Next’ which allows clients to pay a reduced deposit while on their cruise and earn $100 shipboard credit, while also providing credit for the booking to the client’s travel partner. The deposit can be used on any future sailing for up to 4 years. Savvy agents encourage clients to purchase Cruise Next before they even leave home.”

More about Norwegian’s “Triangle of Happiness” philosophy Norwegian Cruise Line is well known for their "Triangle of Happiness,” and it comes up during webinars as well as seminars. When I asked Alex to explain a bit more about this, he mentioned, “The philosophy really came about as we launched our Free at Sea program, meaning that customers were pleased with the value of their vacation, the cruise line was pleased with higher pricing and less last-minute discounting and travel partners were pleased with the higher commissions that resulted.”

Alex went on to explain, “This also extends to Norwegian Edge, our $400 million investment in our ships, our destinations and our culinary experience. We are investing to ultimately bring the entire fleet to the standard of a new ship, meaning that when a client steps aboard a Norwegian ship, no matter when it entered service, it will look and feel like new - as if it just came out of the shipyard. We are elevating our product delivery across the entire fleet to give clients the best possible experience they can have on a contemporary cruise product. This means more repeat business and referrals for travel agents and, ultimately, higher commissions.”

Adding Value, Keeping Connected and In the Picture Continuing to add value to our clients is critical, but also keeping connected with them is a tremendous way to let our clients know we are there for them. We need to make sure that we’re in their picture when they are ready to travel again, don’t we?

October 2016

10 Everything Old is L e s - L e e R o l a n d

Card mills — an expression that I haven’t heard recently. Until a gal who says she is a travel agent showed me an invitation to a seminar. She is an outside agent for a company. One who charged her a fee to join and provided her with a credential to use and a website. But no training.

The invite was for a presentation for Regent Seven Seas. Dinner too!

Everything you want to learn about this fine company. So what’s so bad?. At the bottom of the invite was — available for travel agents, their guests, and anyone who wants to be a travel agent.

By Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal

I contacted Regent and asked if they knew exactly what they were sponsoring. Played phone tag and the BDM for the area responded that as far as she knew, it was a training session for the travel agency. When I mentioned the sentences on the invitation, she said she knew nothing about soliciting for non-agents. She didn’t even realize the public was invited. Wonder how much she’s paying for this session.

So I guess that if I was looking for newbies who want to travel for agent rates, I should just call a major supplier and ask him to sponsor a lunch or dinner and sent out invitations. Cheap for me!

I RSVPed to another supplier who sells only Alaska cruises and land and on select ships. Their commissions are a little lower than if I worked directly with...Holland America, (the #1 choice of that company). But everything was included — shore excursions — land, etc. In some cases the pricing was inviting for the passengers.

I was upfront when I RSVPed and said I was an agent, and had already booked passengers with them,. Could I bring one of them with me to see the presentation? Yes, I was told, but absolutely no soliciting to anyone else attending. They were even upset when during the Q & A, I asked questions. The same questions that clients would ask me, but this company didn’t want to hear those questions.

My client was appreciative to see the video and hear — secondhand —

October 2016

New Again

11

about the cruise and land portion. But she was upset

Bottom line, the clients did not make the decision within

when she heard the perks offered to people at the semi-

three days — it was a big expense. Sure enough the

nar, and knew I had not offered them to her. She even

cruise line people did call them, and again, and again, and

made it known after the seminar to the guy in charge that

again. Finally, the clients asked me to get them off their

it wasn’t fair. She was told that she have booked directly

back. Another company I do not promote unless it’s the

with the company instead of using a travel agent…and I

only choice.

was the agent standing next to her!!!!

Everything Old is New Again. Clients call to tell me that a I never dealt with them again. And, if people asked about

cruise line sent them a Casino offer that is so good, and

using the company, since they advertised in our local

want me to book it. I called the number on their postcard,

papers, I told them I would put together a better package

and was told only the clients could book — it was non-

without them.

commissionable for agents to book. Then the killer- “After all, they’re OUR passengers.” Hey, wait a minute. I intro-

Hard to beat all their rates, but I did my best.

duced them to your cruise line. I booked all their cruises and helped them build up points for loyalty. Never did

Everything Old is New Again. I was invited to a dinner

they call your company. I was told I wasn’t responsible for

seminar from a major South Pacific Cruise Line. I was told

their visits to the casino that qualified them for promotions.

that it would also be open for the public, and I could reserve table space just for my clients who I chose to

Now this is just one cruise line. The same week, I got

invite. Which I did.

Casino credits for other clients on two different cruise lines based on their past sailings. In these cases, the cruise

Everyone had to fill out a form when they entered, other-

was at a lower rate, just for them. So even though I get a

wise no form, no seat. It included all their contact info. The

lower commission, I look like a heroine to my clients.

presentation was quite good. Enticing. Firsthand knowledge of the islands, and the wonderful ship. And the pricing —

Will I not deal with the first cruise line because of their

with an incentive if they booked right then and there — on

attitude. No, it is a major one. But I did leave a message

their full stomach after eating a chicken dinner.

for someone to get back to me, and now, weeks later, still no call. Guess I have to write a letter.

My clients asked if they would get the sale price if they booked with me, and maybe they wanted to think about

Everything Old is New Again — when I went to a bridge

it a couple of days. They might ask other couples to go

tournament, socially, and one of my good friends, asked

with them. The rep said he would give me 3 days to

me about the FREE Norwegian Cruise with airfare that

close the sale, and after that, THEY would contact my

was offered to them by a telephone solicitor. I hadn’t run

clients directly and if they made the sale, no commission

into this situation recently, I thought these companies had

for me. Not even a partial commission.

left my Sarasota area. But sure enough, within a couple of

Travel Agent Professional

12 days, I got a postcard saying I had won one. All I had to

Everything Old is New Again, and in this case “Newer”. I

do was attend a meeting about travel at a lower rate,

am still getting e-mails with at least 4 webinars a week. I

bring a spouse or significant other, and a valid credit card

am getting offers to become a Specialist with tour opera-

— not a debit card. Now wouldn’t you think that the last

tors, countries, boards of tourism, hotels, cruise lines, just

requirement would raise a red flag to the person getting

about any sector of what we sell. I stopped buying frames

this offer? Not to my friend, who, besides being a good

for all of the certificates I accumulated, and just put them

bridge player, is a member of MENSA. A brainy person.

into a scrapbook. But now, I am retaking some of these courses. Just to learn something new. Just to refresh. And

I told him how it works, he will hear a presentation at a loca-

maybe to just get a perk if I complete newer version.

tion that most likely is just temporary office space and not a travel agency. He will be offered membership into a travel

And the surprise is, that I enjoy it. Some of the webinars

club starting at, maybe $12,000, but was negotiable. I know

are informative. One particular company in Australia is

people who got it for $6,000 or even $4,000. If he did buy a

always a bad connection and I wish they had subtitles,

membership, he would get access to a website to book his

since the very guy speaks too fast for me to grasp the info.

travel. Not an agent in an office — just a phone number.

And finally, Everything Old is New Again. I got a referral call I assured him that it would mainly be timeshares or cer-

from someone who wants to go to South America, land tour,

tain hotel blocked space, and the rates on the cruises or

2 countries. She has a budget that won’t budge, so my choices

tours were no savings. Then I got the usual response.

of suppliers were more limited.. She even told me what she

“Are you sure?” Yes, I am. Haven’t you ever heard — “if

had found online. Two sources I had never heard about.

it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t!”

After contacting 4 suppliers I know about, getting quotes But, the one thing I said made the most sense to him. I told

that were too high. Even their online pricing was outdat-

him to call the State of Florida Consumer Affairs

ed and higher than expected. I tried doing it totally as an

Department in Tallahassee. And, I keep their toll-free num-

FIT, still too high.

ber on my cell phone — precisely for such an occasion.

Finally, I called one of the online advertisers that my client Sure enough, he did check it out — while so few people

had seen. And found they do pay commissions to agents.

rarely do. He was like a little kid the following week when

And their rate is lower. And they got back to me faster

we got together. “Guess what” was his greeting to me.

than a couple of the larger suppliers. Even while

“There are so many complaints about this company. They

Hurricane Matthew was almost at their door. Their office

keep moving around, don’t have a local address, and...”

had shut down, but they called me and E-mailed me from

Then he thanked me for the warning.

safer ground. Looks like they will get my order. Their credentials are in order as well. If you thought I would deal

I know this is not just a Florida thing. I have met people

with a company that I never heard about, without check-

who took the dangling carrot in other cities. Only one

ing up on them, well, I didn’t fall off the turnip truck.

person still thinks she came out okay for what she paid. I guess she doesn’t mind staying at Hampton Inns wherev-

So my philosophy is to try to learn something new at

er she goes. Or maybe she never wants to admit she

least every week. And if it’s old and I have to learn from it

made a bad investment.

again, it qualifies to be something new.

October 2016

Showcase

American Marketing Group Surpasses Fund Raising Goals for Autism Every October employees, travel professionals and suppliers turn out to support American Marketing Group’s (AMG), charity of choice, Autism Speaks. AMG is a global travel marketing organization.

On Sunday, October 2nd, AMG had dozens of participants support the annual Long Island chapter walk.

Including the walk and other fundraisers that took place earlier this year the organization raised over, $80,000.

Jim Mazza, Chief Operating Officer presented the check at the event. Attached is a photo of the AMG walk for Autism team.

“AMG, our partners and our travel professionals are incredible supporters of Autism Speaks. Since our partnership began we have raised over $200K for Autism Speaks. Funds raised are used to provide programs and resources for children and adults on the autism spectrum, at every stage of life,” said Jim Mazza, Chief Operating Officer, TRAVELSAVERS. “Autism is near and dear to our hearts. Autism Speaks does incredible work to raise awareness for autism spectrum disorders and advocating for the needs of people with autism and their families. Each one of us can make a difference. Together we can make change,” says Nicole Mazza, Chief Marketing Officer, TRAVELSAVERS, NEST and The Affluent Traveler Collection.

In addition, AMG is honored to announce that Jim Mazza was elected to the position of Chairman of the Long Island Chapter of Autism Speaks. “It is with great honor that I accept this new role and can only hope to further the awareness for Autism on Long Island,” says Jim Mazza, Chief Operating Officer, TRAVELSAVERS. About American Marketing Group: American Marketing Group, Inc. is the parent company of 18 leading travel brands around the globe, including TRAVELSAVERS, NEST (The Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel), The Affluent Traveler Collection, WellBeing Travel, Acclaim Meetings, TRAVELSAVERS Partner Services, TWIN (TRAVELSAVERS Worldwide Independent Network), Forte Business Travel Solutions, travel tix, Travstar Technologies, cruiseexpress, TRAVEL HELPLINE and agent24. Independent travel agencies in 35 countries are part of the organization and generate more than $22 billion in annual travel industry sales.

Travel Agent Professional

14 Cruise Month The Perfect Time M i t c h e l l

to Develop Plans

NEAR TERM

J .

Obviously the most prolific part of the cruise year is the

S c h l e s i n g e r

Caribbean in the winter and it is the destination with one of the shorter advance booking windows. Therefore, October is the perfect time to promote cruises 4/4/5 days to upwards of 11-12 days anywhere from November/December all the way through March/April from a myriad of departure points before these ships leave the Caribbean for spring/summer deployments. And do not forget to offer clients and prospects a pre-night cruise stay in New Orleans, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, etc.

The same applies to winter sailings to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles and San Diego for cruisers living in the mid-

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

dle and western regions.

It is also an opportunity to promote exotic itineraries in South America, S.E. Asia, Australia & New Zealand for the JanuaryMarch period and perhaps even some late bookings for voyages to Antarctica in December and January.

It is that time again. For those of you

MEDIUM TERM

who do not remember, National Cruise

It is actually critical to create a mindset in clients and prospects

was originally held in February. It was

that booking earlier is a smart practice. It provides the oppor-

eventually moved to October to encour-

tunity to be more selective in terms of preferred sailing dates,

age the promotion of cruises throughout

stateroom availability, shore experiences and onboard services

the following year and to entice cruisers

and activities. AND, with more lines NOT discounting close to

to book early rather than close to sailing.

sailing, there is less of a reason to wait.

And now the value of having cruise month in October has never been more

The 2 most impactful destinations in the May-September time-

impactful.

frame are Alaska and Europe/Mediterranean. And both offer a variety of itinerary lengths, ports of embarkation and itinerary

The cruise industry has become so

varieties. Promote early booking discounts for Alaska departures

diverse in terms of different product seg-

from the primary departure ports of Seattle and Vancouver for

ments and destinations that it requires

7+ days plus 10+ day cruise-tours.

multiple levels of planning. Here are some examples:

Cruises in Europe and the Mediterranean are even more

October 2016

For Cruise Sales for 2017-18

15

abundant, some with distinct seasonality. Cruising

make FAR in advance of departure. And again, you

around Great Britain/Scotland/Ireland is a very short

want them to be able to take advantage of substantial

season based on weather and seas, and the popular

early booking discounts.

Baltic, primarily late May — mid August.

Itineraries to exotic destinations also attract a similar The more voluminous Mediterranean offers departures

audience for the fall of 2017 and even into the begin-

from key departure points including Barcelona, Rome,

ning of 2018. Having marketed and sold itineraries to

Venice, Athens, Istanbul, and others at destinations ranging

Antarctica for 10+ years, I know that enthusiasts will

from 7-14 days. For these itineraries it important to entice

book these cruises 12-15 months in advance.

clients with 1-3 night pre-cruise stays so that they are able to immerse themselves in some of the greatest cities in

The same applies to in depth itineraries to China, Japan,

the world and not just see them from a bus window on

Thailand, Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand and the

the way from the airport to the ship. And with a more

south Pacific. And to paraphrase a famous line, if you

robust opportunity to book shore experiences in advance,

promote them, they will book far in advance.

it provides the availability to insure inclusion of experiences to the wonderful sights these ports have to offer.

The notion of planning and promoting cruise promotions across multiple timeframes is critical from 2 impor-

Albeit in small number, there is growing interest in adven-

tant standpoints:

ture/expedition cruising in the Arctic region, with sailings in the March-July timeframe. The ships are much smaller here

1. For your clients, they should be taking advantage of

ranging from 30-300, so it is important to promote these

early booking savings, sailing dates that fit their sched-

opportunities early and there is a premium to have adven-

ules, itineraries and stateroom locations they prefer and

turous clients book in advance to get the itinerary they

the opportunities to pre-reserve that shore experiences

want on the ship with the cruise experience they seek.

and onboard activities that will make the trip exceed

LONG TERM

their expectation.

So here you are in October 2016 planning for the

2. For YOU, the notion of planning promotions and sales

NEAR and MEDIUM term cruise opportunities suggest-

for the near, medium and long term, insures a flow of

ed above covering destinations and departures from the

consistent sales and the associated commission revenue.

winter all the way through the early fall. What else is

It also enables communicating and promoting cruise

there to consider?

opportunities to a cross section of demographic and psychographic clients and prospects in order to sell a greater

Let’s start with WORLD CRUISES. These are very pop-

variety of cruise destinations, lengths and price points.

ular with 60+ aged senior cruisers with more time to travel and discretionary dollars to spend. And since

The truest clichĂŠ in business is: FAILING TO PLAN IS

most cruise lines offer both full world cruises and seg-

PLANNING TO FAIL! Best of luck with cruise sales for

ments, these are decisions this cruise audience will

2017 and beyond.

Travel Agent Professional

16 Four Inspired Reasons P a u l l T i c k n e r

With the post Brexit exchange rate holding at its lowest level since the mid ‘80s, fans of English costume dramas will be thrilled by Masterpiece Theatre’s mid-January screening of ITV’s ‘Victoria’ while Jane Austen’s 200th anniversary will encourage more ‘On Location’ interest in some of their earlier productions.

Staying with the literary theme but blending together David Hockney, Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth, James Herriot and JMW Turner with the ongoing Bronte 200 celebrations programmes opens up new opportunities for more creative tours in England’s North Country

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

October 2016

for UK Travel

17

Thanks to the Royal Horticultural Society, garden lovers

Brontë 200

will be really pleased by the many award-winning gar-

Meanwhile a five-year programme continues to cele-

dens in the north of England that can be built around

brate the bicentenaries of the births of four of the

the new RHS Chatsworth Flower Show next June.

Brontës: Charlotte in 2016, Branwell in 2017, Emily in 2018 and Anne in 2020. In 2019, the Brontë Society

‘Victoria’

will celebrate Rev Patrick Brontë, 200 years after he

Costume drama lovers will be thrilled to learn about

was invited to take up the role of parson in Haworth.

an 8-part series that will fill the Masterpiece theatre

Add to this Beatrix Potter in the Lake District, James

Sunday evening slot previously occupied by

Herriot in the Yorkshire Dales and ‘Victoria’ in various

Downton Abbey.

Appearing on your screens on

Yorkshire locations and you’ve just found the ingredi-

15th January will be an ambitious 8-part ITV drama

ents for another inspired look at your old friend Britain.

that follows the early life of Queen Victoria from her through to her courtship and marriage to Prince

The RHS Chatsworth Flower Show

Albert. Watch this space for details of an On

In addition to the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower

Location tour set in the county of Yorkshire that

Shows, the Royal Horticultural Society is staging a brand

includes the great treasure-filled stately homes of

new event in the dramatic Derbyshire Peak District set-

Harewood House and Castle Howard. The hot news

ting of Chatsworth. Running between 7th-11th June

is that ITV has just confirmed that Victoria is to

2017 it will follow in the footsteps of Chatsworth’s revo-

return for a second series in the UK.

lutionary designers Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton

accession to the throne at the tender age of 18

Jane Austen

with show gardens, specialist nurseries, outdoor lifestyle shopping and displays from hotly tipped garden designers.

2017 marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death. She was born, lived and died in and around the

As gardeners are often seriously busy in May, the timing

cathedral city of Winchester and it’s not difficult to put

of this sumptuous horticultural showcase couldn’t really

together a programme that will appeal to fans as a pre

be better especially as it enables garden tour planners to

or post cruise extension — London-Bath-Winchester-

offer something completely new. With Chelsea and

Southampton or Southampton-Winchester via

Hampton Court being London-centric, Chatsworth

Salisbury to Bath-London. Both make perfect sense.

enables you to introduce clients to no fewer than 9 northern-based former winners of the coveted Historic

The Jane Austen Festival takes place in Bath

Houses Association/Christies Garden of the Year award.

between Friday 8th September to Saturday17th September 2017. If you have clients who’d like to

With a bit of careful planning you can also put together

join the Grand Regency Costumed Parade I know

a tour that starts with ‘Bloom’ in Dublin, continues with

where you can hire costumes so that you can take

the castles and gardens in North Wales and spends a

part in the procession.

day at the Chatsworth Flower Show.

Travel Agent Professional

Affluent Traveler Collection Executive Retreat Sails the Mekong on AmaWaterways The Affluent Traveler Collection (ATC) cruised the Mekong for its Executive Retreat. AmaWaterways hosted thirty agents on the AmaDara. The Executive Retreat allowed the agents to experience first-hand how selling this extraordinary product can translate into increased earning potential in the luxury river cruise market. The cruise left Prek Kdam, Cambodia, on September 12th and the guests disembarked in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on September 19th.

The Mekong River, one of the longest rivers in Southeast Asia makes its way through the rainforests, plains and rice fields. The scenery on the shore has made it a destination for millions of people for centuries. The cruise traveled to rural villages, a monastery to receive a Buddhist blessing, historic pagodas, floating markets, a silk and rattan factory, the Killing Fields and the Taol Sleng S21 detention center to name a few, allowing agents to immerse themselves in the unique character and cultural heritage of each city.

“These days travellers are interested in discovering something new & the world has become available for

David & Valerie Jacobs of Markham Cruise & Travel Centre, receiving a special blessing from Buddhist monks.

more people to discover. AMAWaterways opens the door

on Haloing Bay, the Sunrise visit at Angkor Wat, the school

with a quality holiday, including great accommodations,

visits to meet the children, visiting the Buddhist monastery

superior dining and touring options that allow you to see

with a special blessing from the Monks….and so much

the best of each destination they offer. Their quality local

more,” says David Jacob, CTC, (Certified Travel

tour managers take care of all the details and openly share

Counsellor), President, Markham Cruise & Travel Centre.

the highlights of their country. Our highlights of this trip were the French architecture of Hanoi, the overnight cruise

“Without a premier partner like AmaWaterways to create

October 2016

Showcase

The Affluent Traveler Collection

such a unique experience for our ATC agencies, we

About The Affluent Traveler Collection:

would not have been able to make this event happen.

The Affluent Traveler Collection, one of 18 brands owned

Every day they were committed to delivering an

by American Marketing Group, Inc., is an elite marketing

exceptional experience from start to finish,” says Kathryn

organization that provides its licensed travel advisors with

Mazza-Burney, Executive Vice President Sales, The

a range of products, tools and services including

Affluent Traveler Collection.

marketing expertise, cutting-edge technology and training opportunities. Through its relationships with the world’s

She added, “it truly was a breathtaking trip that included

best travel suppliers, The Affluent Traveler Collection’s

the spectacular architecture of the Silver Pagoda in

licensed travel specialists have access to an enriched

Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Tan Cha a Vietnamese

amenities program and a variety of exclusive offers. Its

Mekong River silk producing town unspoiled by modern

semi-annual magazine, The Affluent Traveler, is

technology.”

distributed in more than 15 countries and is available by subscription, through licensed travel specialists of The

On board the AmaDara the staterooms all have private

Affluent Traveler Collection, at major bookstores, on

balconies and the restaurants boost local chefs that

newsstands, in select airport lounges and in the

prepare Western cuisine as well as Vietnamese and

guestrooms of all Affluent Traveler Collection preferred

Cambodian fare. Known for their superior service and

hotels.

attention to detail guests received personalized service

For more information, visit www.theaffluenttraveler.com.

and went home with memories to last a lifetime.

Travel Agent Professional

THIS IS A DOUBLE DARING THRILL A MINUTE F A M I L Y A D V E N T U R E.

This is not a cruise. This is an all new way for your clients to adventure with the best and biggest ships in the world.

Discover Allure of the Seas ® and Oasis of the Seas ® in the Caribbean, delivering a double dose of family thrills at an unbeatable value. Or experience Europe on a massive scale onboard the new Harmony of the Seas SM, debuting this May with all new activities, restaurants and gravity-defying slides like nothing ever seen at sea. Plus spacious accommodations ideal for big family adventures. No matter where your clients choose to go, there’s no better way to jumpstart a summer vacation than with our Oasis Class ships.

OASIS OF THE SEAS ®

ALLURE OF THE SEAS ®

HARMONY OF THE SEAS SM

Fort Lauderdale | Through Fall 2016

Fort Lauderdale | Year Round

Barcelona | Spring & Summer 2016 Fort Lauderdale | Fall 2016

Port Canaveral | Winter 2016

For more information visit www.LoyalToYouAlways.com/Oasis

Features vary by ship. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas. 16050747 • 5/4/16

October 2016