Expedia Partner Solutions is now offering travel agencies enhanced rates, availability, and promotions for B2B hotel bookings. Expedia TAAP partners now automatically get access to higher margin B2B rates from Marriott, as Expedia Group is the preferred global distributor of Marriott’s B2B rates. Expedia TAAP partners have full access to Marriott’s global portfolio of more than 7,400 hotels  across 30 brands. Read the rest of this entry »

This particular topic popped into my head early this morning, for no apparent reason. I awoke to find myself thinking about words, phrases, and sentences that were directed my way over the years. (Over many years.)

You never know how your words may be taken by the recipient. For example, I don’t think I will ever forget a particular sentence tossed my way by my college football coach. I will spare you the specifics, but let it suffice to say, I have laid awake many nights reliving that particular sequence of events.

Bringing the subject to the present, I will try to shed some light on the power of word choice by sharing a few more examples: Read the rest of this entry »

A few months ago the virus had the world hogtied, with people justly frightened of a deadly invisible enemy we knew almost nothing about. But as more is being learned about the disease, people in all walks of life are learning about ways to navigate safely through a world menaced by COVID, to begin to resume some semblance of what was previously called normal life, and to get back to business.

Profound change, such as that forced on the world by COVID-19, provides opportunities for innovators who use their ingenuity to introduce new ways for people to resume some of their previous activities without increasing their risk of catching the Coronavirus. Read the rest of this entry »

Eager to get out of town? There are now more opportunities to travel internationally than you may realize. The following is a list of international destinations important to the tourism industry now open to US travelers. Canada, being deemed a medium to low risk country, is allowed visitation to more countries than appear in this article. The list is current as of the date of publication, but many nations are updating their requirements on a continual and very fluid basis and travelers and their travel advisors will do well to monitor for any changes up to the point of departure and during the entirety of the trip.
Read the rest of this entry »

The assistance the cruise industry hoped to receive from the federal government has been put on hold. The White House announced last week that a relief package was no longer on the table, and the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) said it was “deeply disappointed that the White House is dodging its responsibility to support small business owners and travel advisors.” Even if some bargain is struck at the last hour, it’s likely that the bill will focus on unemployment benefits paid directly to American workers; and payments to states and municipal governments who are bearing the burden of financing the COVID-19 crisis. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are a Jeopardy fan or not, the following statement is as true as rain. The definition of an “easy” question is one that you know the answer to. Then it should come as no surprise to hear the definition of a hard question. You got it. It is a question you do not know the answer to.

With this as the basis for today’s message, I would like to share what I consider to be both “easy” and logical. It may be my 71 years talking, coupled to my many years of accumulating more miscues than hits, but I believe growing a profitable business is easy. I also believe that you are making it a lot harder than it has to be – at the very least.

I do not see what all the fuss is all about. Read the rest of this entry »

“Stop talking at us. Give us two-way workshops and interactive general session conversations.”

These are some of the things travel advisors are asking from conference organizers as we move through this Coronavirus. They want suppliers and destinations to talk less about their features and benefits, and teach more about finding new sales leads.

Advisors want more time for learning from each other, outside of panel discussions, and better trained sales people attending conferences, enabled and empowered to help advisors close more sales by sharing more information about what works.

And when they start traveling distances to attend live events again, travel advisors want organizers and sponsors to make it worth their while – teach them something new. Read the rest of this entry »

I am often asked where I get my ideas for my daily marketing column. My answer: EVERYWHERE.

Today, I find myself cooling my heels in a Honda Dealership in Yorkville, NY. There are some things that just don’t have to happen with a little planning… and discipline. (1) You do not have to get a speeding ticket. (2) You do not have to run out of gas. (3) You do not have to own a car that does not operate as designed.

As a result, I service my car as the book suggests, knowing I may be spending a tad more annually than I have to. I just don’t want to be bitten by the big three listed above. Read the rest of this entry »

After speaking at this year’s Travel Market Place in YVR, and recently a webinar for 1300 agents, I realized how many agents needed assistance in the social media department.

My inbox soon became full with questions on:

• How to post
• Where to post
• How to engage audiences
• And so much more

Read the rest of this entry »

This year, time may not have flown as it has in the past, but we are looking down the barrel of the last quarter – complete with beautiful foliage. Yesterday, I heard from a local country “hay seed” that this year’s colorful scenery was due to a lack of water. Sounded plausible to me.

We have most of October, November, and December to continue to look for ways to build our businesses and to continue to move forward with some semblance of positivity. And we can use every minute we have.

Nearly 120 days are left this year to find and help other people begin planning their dreams. Three months to shed a few pounds while introducing ourselves to more upbeat, fun, proactive people out there in marketing land. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, I had an “aha” moment.  We are all struggling to make sure we remain relevant to our clients and prospects; and it is getting more and more difficult the longer this COVID-19 pandemic continues. We have talked about making sure our blogs are up to date, we are active on social media and that newsletters are going out just to say hello.  We even mentioned going old school and picking up a phone and giving then a personal telephone call.

While we all may be a bit tired of Zoom calls, here’s an idea. Read the rest of this entry »

The editing part of having a media company is not near, not even close, to being the fun part. Seldom is there a reason to get excited about looking for typos, correcting grammar or determining if the article’s author can back up their remarks with solid evidence. Then, we have an episode like we had last week and things get a bit more interesting.

TRO has in the past few weeks brought on several new writers: Steven Frankel, Cheryl Rosen, David Cogswell and Richard D’Ambrosio. Within a day of each other, Richard and David turned in articles that kept our article editor, Joey DeLoach, both amused and perhaps a bit confounded. Read the rest of this entry »

One of my favorite all-time ads was a cover for Business Week Magazine. The year was 1996. Proctor & Gamble suggested that we make marketing simple.

“Marketers sell too much stuff in too many different ways. Now the smart ones are cutting the complexity.”

Whoever reminded us that ‘what was old is new again,’ had their hand on the pulse. With more and more people becoming more and more familiar with the workings of the Internet, we are all being inundated with marketing come-ons from every corner of the globe. (I bet you didn’t know the globe has corners. Neither did I.) Read the rest of this entry »

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In April, we surveyed readers across River Cruise Advisor and Avid Cruiser to ask when they would be comfortable cruising again. A few weeks ago a reader wrote us to suggest that we run a similar survey to see how things have changed, and if travelers are ready to start sailing again.

At the beginning of the pandemic it seemed that there was both a lack of hope and understanding that things would return to normal; or, conversely, that the pandemic would end quickly and that things would carry on as they were. Both of these things were untrue. Read the rest of this entry »

The phrase “pent-up demand” used to be a metaphorical expression, now it’s a literal truth.

As ASTA moves forward with plans to sue the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) if it extends its no sail restriction past Oct. 31, pent-up demand for travel continues to build toward the point of eruption.

Citing the 2020 Back to Normal Barometer survey, a twice-monthly tracking study of consumer preferences that has been conducted since the start of the pandemic lockdowns last March, ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby said, “Travelers are thinking and dreaming of travel like never before. The data speaks for itself. Travel remains the top priority for discretionary spending.” Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently reviewing a few archived sales meetings of mine and, by accident, I came across the following sound-bite: It was Thomas Edison who once said, “ It is a shame to see many (if not most) people quit just one experiment short of finding the solution.”

This single sentence had my mind spinning with past phrases, suggestions, recommendations, and reminders of mine with regard to the concept of quitting too soon.

One particular reminder that came to mind was the phrase, “The next one could be the big one.” Read the rest of this entry »

What type of coverage is needed? How to choose the right travel insurer?

Costa Rica announced on October 2nd, 2020 that all residents from all the states of the United States will be authorized to visit Costa Rica starting on November 1st.

In an effort to reactivate the country’s economy and maintain a controlled risk of infections due to COVID-19, Costa Rica has established new entry requirements to ensure that visitors are and feel safe.

One of these requirements is that travelers must have travel insurance to enter Costa Rica. The coverage must include medical and extended stay related to COVID-19. Read the rest of this entry »

Before COVID-19, many travelers felt that purchasing travel insurance was an added fee that was not needed. They were not worried about their non-refundable deposits for airfare, tours, or accommodations being affected by something out of their control. With the ongoing pandemic, travelers now seek protection more than ever for the non-refundable portions of their trip. What caused this behavior change?

In a word, uncertainty. The world we live in today is filled with questions that didn’t exist a few months ago. Will my travel provider be in business? What happens if an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs at my destination? What if I get COVID-19 on my trip? Read the rest of this entry »

You’re in the midst of a fabulous conversation when, all of a sudden, it comes to a screeching stop. The prospect goes dark on you.

A combination of emails, texts, and voicemail messages fail to return a reply. You are flummoxed and flabbergasted.

You analyze the sequence of events leading up to their disappearing act. By all indications, your follow-up was phenomenal. You stepped up, and yet the prospect stepped out. Your head shakes in disbelieve and disappointment, as you wonder what could have possibly gone wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Let me rephrase today’s title: All good ideas are worth repeating.

On September 24^th, I shared my views on how a daily crossword puzzle can effectively remind us of the concept of leveraging clues appropriately. While I fumbled through the USA Crossword Puzzle earlier this week, the lesson re-surfaced and I found myself smiling.

I don’t say this very often but, this particular lesson is a “gem” and it is worth repeating. I will use slightly different words this time, so as not to appear like a lazy slug by simply regurgitating my words from September 24^th. Found here.

Same message. Different words. Read the rest of this entry »