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 »

One of the sad travel news stories to emerge in 2009 was the report in May that a New England-based educational tour operator for student groups had suddenly filed for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The fallout affected student groups from about 40 high schools across the country with trips planned and booked to visit Europe during the summer.

Kids, and their parents, who had conducted fundraisers for months to pay for their trip were suddenly faced with a loss of $4,000 or more per student. Although other student group tour operators admirably stepped in to offer land discounts for alternative trips, the damage Read the rest of this entry »

As an industry, we are continually looking for ways to increase the visibility of our our agencies and our position against competition, especially on-line travel companies. The tool that  gives us the most visibility and competitive edge is specialization. The definition of a specialist is “one who concentrates on a particular activity or product”.  When you specialize in a particular area of the travel industry, over time you to develop a reputation as the expert in your area of specialization. As an example, our own travel agency specializes in up-scale all inclusive resorts. After specializing in this area for over 7 years, we now receive 5 – 10 calls a week from people who state 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 »