TravelResearchOnline.com Blog

The relationship between you and your clients reflects the temperament of your travel practice.  The more open you are, the more easily you encounter your clients and the more gracefully you carry your industry knowledge, the better your relationships. The travel professionals with the happiest clients did not win their approval with pricing or vague notions of customer service, but with the power of a relationship.

Every now and then I run into a travel professional whose attitude with their clients is best described as defensive.  It is almost as though the agent is afraid of the client.  Here’s an example. Last week an agent working on a social media project  indicated she did not want to share a Facebook article about a rash of pickpocketing in Paris for fear of saying something “negative” about travel to her clients. Another agent disliked an article I recommended she share with a client because an advertisement for Travelocity was on the same page.   Read the rest of this entry »

Back in February, I wrote a column addressing some ways to recover from a screw up. No one is perfect and we all have made mistakes from time to time. And since we are human, we will continue to make them.  A world full of bots would be no fun—besides, they make horrible travel partners!

But, this week, I am following my own advice and owning a recent mistake and doing what I can to correct the situation.
Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t consider myself an impulse buyer but, I once purchased a vacuum cleaner from a TV infomercial at 3:30 am.

I am usually sleeping at this time of night ,but on this particular Saturday, I was watching the tube when something caught my attention and before I knew it, I was the proud owner of The Stick Shark. This thing sucks up screws and bolts like nothing you have ever seen. How did this happen?

Later that week… Read the rest of this entry »

This came up recently on Facebook, posted by a networking & marketing guru that I’m
connected with. When she posted this, it reminded me of so many colleagues that complain
about clients (or other travel agents even) that repeatedly “pick their brains,” take up a
considerable amount of time & expertise, all without any compensation. And then naturally,
I thought of brain-sucking-zombies. Read the rest of this entry »

Arthur Salus is founder and CEO of Costa Rica Dream Adventures. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia with another office in San Jose, Costa Rica.

After visiting Costa Rica many years ago, Mr. Salus remembered the wonderful experience he had there and decided to open a Tour Operator providing travel exclusively to Costa Rica.

For over 15 years, Costa Rica Dream Adventures has expanded and now promotes individual travel, group travel, weddings & honeymoons, incentive travel and corporate meetings. The company prides itself on providing hands-on support for the client from the moment the reservation is made until the guest returns, including in-country support provided by partner Costa Rica Dream Travel, located in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Travel Research Online: What has been your most memorable travel experience?

Arthur Salus: Since I’m in the travel business, I get the opportunity to travel all around the world. However, Central and South America are my favorite destinations. The reason I’ve had the best experiences down in Central and South America is mainly because the people are so friendly. I think it is a much more laid-back culture and the people welcome you because tourism is promoted heavily in those countries. The people look forward to seeing Americans. Americans and their dollars are most welcome in these countries. Read the rest of this entry »

Lately I’ve been thinking about the circus.  More specifically, I think I am channeling the tight rope walker who carries an impossibly large pole, yet walks gingerly across the high wire.  He takes one step forward, stops and then takes another.  Sometimes he takes a step back and then remains in place while the wire wobbles, maneuvering the pole to make it stop.  If he falls into the net, he’s embarrassed himself and those watching are disappointed and unimpressed.  Maybe they will never go to watch him again and he will be replaced with a better act.  Do you ever feel like a tight rope walker? Read the rest of this entry »

In Kudos and Karma, we want to recognize suppliers that support their travel agent partners, not only when an issue arises but also when they take proactive measures to be supportive. Today we are recognizing two suppliers for their proactive support. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are anything like me, you’ve got a lot of electronic equipment in the office.  The desktop computer, printer, keyboards, digital camera, laptop, tablet computer, ticket printers – the list goes on!   It can be aggravating to keep things neat and tidy, especially when you have a lot of cords to contend with.  I did some research to find the best ways to organize your electronic zoo.  This can come in handy for your home stuff, too! Read the rest of this entry »