TravelResearchOnline.com Blog

A travel  agent I respect once told me: “We are all owners of our ambition, we are all employees of our dreams.” OK, maybe I dressed it up a bit, but that is what she meant. Too often, I am sure, the marketing advice TRO writes for agents each day seems all too much addressed only to the owners of agencies. But let’s state definitively for the record that we are all the owners of our own brand, our own “company” called “me, myself and I”. This was the insight of Tom Peter’s famous 1997 article “The Brand Called You”

I would even go so far as to say that every travel consultant, employee or owner, should have their own logo and mission statement separate and apart Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of agents from a small, yet powerful consortium called the IT Group on board Carnival’s Elation. This meeting was not nearly as large as the Baltimore Home Based Travel Agent Show, but in a more intimate setting you really get a chance to see the seriousness of some of the agents and owners of today’s agencies.

I was invited to speak about niche marketing due to my success with Single Parent Travel.  While everyone seemed to understand the reasons behind creating a niche to supplement (or even replace) their current business, few had any actionable methods to get there. We discussed specific ways to discover, develop and promote to any niche market. It was well received and I was flooded with questions for the duration of the cruise. Read the rest of this entry »

Though no one can predict the impact our current topsy-turvy economy will have on the travel industry, I have faith that the all-inclusive vacation – as a value through boom and bust – will endure. The birth of the all-inclusive during the oil crisis in the 1970s supports my optimism. Tourism in Jamaica was sluggish and Prime Minister P. J. Patterson asked me to create something capable of jumpstarting the stalled industry. Fast-forward 35 years and we seem to have come full circle: oil dependency, financial upheaval and political change. Yet whatever the condition of the economy, the appeal of the all-inclusive vacation remains the same. The one-price-buys-all model is a smart, value-driven choice that offers a distinct advantage: it eliminates most if not all of the financial risk and surprise from a vacation. Read the rest of this entry »

I entered the travel industry in 2006 with the intention of specializing in luxury travel. Having been an American Express Platinum card member for many years, I was very familiar with their Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program which offered negotiated rates and complimentary amenities (such as free breakfasts and room upgrades) to their clients. I wanted to compete with the excellent product that American Express was already offering.

My first affiliation was a brief one. I joined a large hosting agency that belonged to a consortium that promotes exclusive amenities and competitive rates at four- and five-star properties. I had asked the manager of that agency whether their consortium would be able to match the values available through American Express. While he told me this was the case, I quickly learned that they could not compete. Read the rest of this entry »