TravelResearchOnline.com Blog

Your clients, and all of the potential clients “out there” have their own schedules. They travel when they are ready. Their travel plans have nothing to do with your preparations, business plans or agendas. But someday, Ms. Client will look at Mr. Client and say something like “Let’s go to Ireland this year.”  Before they next think of price or plans or preparations, will your clients’ thoughts turn to you?

Too often, we treat marketing like it’s a bag of “tricks” and techniques. Sales down? Better start marketing. What should we do? Email “blast”? Take out an ad? What works? Maybe a tweet or two?

But what if the timing of your email broadcast doesn’t coincide with your client’s own timing? What if it comes three days after Read the rest of this entry »

Over the years, I have written hundreds (maybe thousands) of articles both for consumers and the trade alike. Some of my most popular consumer articles were the down and dirty advice stories. You know, the ones that tell you what to do on the off chance (wink wink) that something might go wrong when you are traveling. I have even penned several columns for the trade with my suggestions and recommendations for handling issues that arise in the day to day existence of a travel professional.  But there was one that I missed. Read the rest of this entry »

We all know that the Internet has changed the way people gather travel information, as well as “shop” for their vacations. The Internet continues to grow in usage as the “one stop” source for travel information and travel specials being offered by mega travel sites and travel suppliers alike.  But recently, it has been documented that most travelers actually prefer to book their vacations with an actual travel professional, after gathering their information online.

The above facts confirm a major paradigm shift from the usage of the traditional “storefront” travel agent to  the true “travel professionals” including the home based professionals who specialize in specific travel segments. Over recent years, clients have continued to become more concerned with the knowledge and expertise of their travel professional and less and less concerned about where that professional works. Read the rest of this entry »

Spiritual travel is certainly a growing segment of the travel industry, mostly due to the generation of baby boomers having the time, inclination and desire to look deeply inside themselves. Perhaps the inspiration for this kind of travel started back in the “hippy days” when we were first investigating new and different approaches to spirituality – looking at Eastern philosophies, meditation techniques and esoteric spiritual traditions.

Of course, many years have passed since then, and many of us have experienced marriages or profound relationships that may or may not have been successful. We have questions about our lives and how we want to experience the next half of our existence. As rebellious as the baby boomers were as a group – for the most part we have bought into the traditional family model Read the rest of this entry »

For many years, GOGO has been a tour operator that was at the top of the list for travel agents. When, Australia based, Flight Centre, known for its retail division, took over GOGO not too long ago, the name was changed to GOGO Worldwide Vacations. Agents have expressed their concern about possible changes using GOGO, so we took those concerns to the President of GOGO, Michele Kish.

TRO: Michele, what is your background?

MK: I started as a travel agent. For 25 years, being on the retail side, moving up to sales manager and branch manager and now for the past 3 years, President of GOGO.

TRO: Agents have expressed their concerns about offices closing and the long hold times on the phone.

MK: Actually we have only closed one office, and consolidated some other offices. With some, sales teams of two offices are together in one. Yes, we’ve had some longer hold times, but that has been corrected. We just completed our new web site and computer platform. We listened to the concerns Read the rest of this entry »

Belize may be a small country, but there’s still plenty to see and do.. Though many visitors simply come for a single location to fish or scuba at an island resort, the entire country is an easily accessible natural playground. Do yourself and your clients a favor a take a few moments to explore Belize and the many itineraries offered by Solar Tours who sponsors this article and makes your use of it in your own newsletters and websites possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Groups are on my mind today. I’ve put together my fair share of wedding groups, from small (10 people) to large (100 people).  Last year, I decided to try my hand in incentive group travel and I’m still not exactly sure what I think of the process. I started working with one prospective group in May 2009 and after five months of negotiations, I finally had a signed contract in my hands. The group is headed to the Mayan Riviera in May 2010.  To say it hasn’t been a frustrating process would be a lie. Read the rest of this entry »

Excuse me, dahrlings, but…
This Is Our Best Campaign Yet…

How’s your moral turpitude, Pumpkins? Wait…don’t Google it, I already did.

The U.S. coined this gem of a legal term for “conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice.”  Oh my nerves! And, that’s just one of the questions on our dear southern neighbour’s fancy new Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form that lots of folks who want to visit the U.S. will have to answer.  Starting March 20th, a little trip to Disney World, Vegas or the BIG Apple from any of 35 ‘Visa-Waiver’ countries – including the U.K., Australia, France, Germany and Japan – will require completion of a wildly and weirdly worded online questionnaire prior to their trip. Read the rest of this entry »