‘Tis the season to give thanks for family, friends and clients—and to show our appreciation by sending them a gift. So we’ve put together some suggestions of some the favorite things of our own staff and our travel advisor readers.

Happy gifting, happy getting, and happy traveling to all.

I’ll start with my personal favorite this past month, as I flew three times from 90-degree weather in the Caribbean to the 50s in New York: a soft, storable and eco-friendly jacket. My Jack Wolfskin Pack and Go jacket, specifically designed for travelers, is made of waterproof, windproof and 100% recycled polyester Read the rest of this entry »

As water levels in a major Amazon tributary drop to the lowest levels in recorded history, Viking has rerouted its cruises on the river and switched passengers to a fully Caribbean itinerary.

After months without rain in the Brazilian rainforest, tributaries to the Amazon have been drying up, leaving boats stranded. The port of Manaus, at the point where the Rio Negro and the Amazon meet, recorded 13.59 meters (44.6 ft) of water on Monday, the lowest level since records began in 1902.

“As you may be aware, historically low water levels along the Amazon River have restricted river traffic. We have been closely monitoring the situation to determine the impact on your itinerary. At this time, we anticipate that water levels will remain too low for your ship to safely navigate the affected area. Unfortunately, the situation prevents us from operating your voyage as planned,” Viking said. “We recognize that you may have chosen this particular itinerary to explore the Amazon River, and we share in your disappointment.”

Viking Sea now will add San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Martin; and Saint George’s, Grenada to its Amazon & Caribbean Adventure itinerary to replace the scheduled days on the Amazon. In return, guests are being offered a $500 per person shipboard credit and a future cruise voucher for 30% of their paid cruise fare.

For Avalon Waterways, which also sails the Amazon, the water depth is not an issue, as its ships carry just 44 guests. “Our cruises are still being offered, providing Avalon guests a full—and fully immersive—Amazon vacation,” Avalon Waterways president Pam Hoffee told TRO.

Brad Tolkin is a guy who watches the cycles in the travel industry, always on the lookout for those seismic moments that may rock the boat of success for his company and the travel advisors affiliated with it. His take on 2024 for travel advisors? “Buckle up and go get ‘em,” he says. “It’s going to be a busy year.”

Indeed, Tolkin told the 1,000 attendees at the Dream Vacations/CruiseOne annual conference last week, “today we are witnessing another tremendous seismic moment,” the result of “the tailwind the pandemic has left us, plus the ability to work from anywhere, and the acceptance of this from employers. And this genie is never going back into the bottle.” Read the rest of this entry »

With more than 15 million people expected to descend on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games, tickets—and hotel rooms—will be tighter than ever. To help travel advisors put together amazing packages, luxury villa company Rental Escapes is offering up packages that include beautiful private accommodations and tickets to the games.

The Rental Escapes collection in France includes:

Pompidou, a 19th-century building built by Gustav Eiffel that has been transformed into a loft with two lounge areas, four bedrooms and a kitchen with a mobile island.

St Didier, a two-bedroom duplex apartment with views of the Eiffel Tower, a library and a luxurious living room with lots of natural light in the 16th district.

Villa BB, in an exclusive residential area of Saint Tropez, a new five-bedroom villa with a private terrace and balconies that accommodates up to 10.

Bastide Des Chenes in Provence, a 17-acre farm with a main house and an attached farmhouse.

Fleurs De Provence in Avignon, a private estate with fruit trees, fountains and streams that can accommodate up to 24 people, with a heated swimming pool, a well-equipped gym and fitness room, a tennis court and plenty of outdoor seating.

Rental Escapes’ concierge service can help arrange a private chef or massage, exclusive tours or special amenities. And for the Olympics, they can provide tickets and transportation, as well as unique experiences like sitting with an expert or an athlete.

As always, Rental Escapes will pay a 10% commission and one reward point for every $1 travel advisors book. And under a Thanksgiving promotion announced this week, advisors who book a client in November for travel before 12/31/2024 will earn a bonus commission via Amazon gift cards valued at up to $5,000.

“Attending the Olympics is a bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the dedicated support Rental Escapes provides will ensure a vacation surpassing those in dreams,” said CEO Brian Schwimmer, co-founder of the Montreal-based company. But, he cautioned, “we encourage travelers to plan well in advance and begin booking now.”

“In response to a significant increase in customer cancellations,” Celestyal Cruises today announced that it is canceling all of its December 2023 sailings.

Guests on these affected itineraries are being offered refundable future cruise credits of 100% of the total amount paid, plus an extra 25% for any future cruise they book that departs in 2024.

Celestyal Cruises operates two ships, Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Olympia, which sail 3- to 14-night itineraries in Greece and the Mediterranean. Reservations have been impacted by concerns over the Israel-Hamas War that broke out in October.

It’s good news for travel advisors, who have been concerned about their customers who want to cancel, when most travel insurance will not cover cancellations due to acts of war (for more on this, see Travel Advisors Caught in the Crosshairs as Cruise Lines Cancel Middle East without Refunds or FCCs | Travel Research Online).

Celestyal has promised to preserve all travel advisor commissions on future re-bookings. “We sincerely apologize for any disruption this may cause to your business and would like to express our gratitude for your understanding and ongoing support,” the company said. “Your partnership is highly valued, and we remain committed to providing exceptional service to you and your clients.”

Policies of other cruise lines

Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled all port calls in Israel through 2024. MSC has canceled visits to Israel in 2023 and early 2024 and moved two ships out of the Middle East.

Caribbean canceled its plan to have Rhapsody of the Seas sail out of Haifa, Israel, in October and November, and instead volunteered the ship to evacuate international travelers trying to get home when hostilities broke out. No ships will sail the Middle East until August 2024.

Windstar Cruises has canceled the inaugural season of Middle East cruises on the Star Legend through April 2024; the ship will sail the western Mediterranean instead. Windstar now plans to launch its Middle East season of sailings from Dubai and Muscat in November 2024.

Oceania Cruises has replaced calls in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan in its 2024 schedule with alternate ports in the Mediterranean.

Viking has canceled pre- and post-cruise Jerusalem extensions on its Nile River cruises, but all departures in Egypt are operating as scheduled on the Viking Ra, Viking Osiris and MS Antares.

It’s been a record-breaking year in the travel industry—but as 2023 nears an end, travel advisors who sell the Middle East are wondering about the possible fallout of the Israel/Hamas War. Some already are feeling the pinch as suppliers shift itineraries, customers try unsuccessfully to cancel—and travel advisors and their commissions are caught in the middle. Again.

“I have been fighting with Regent since they announced my clients would not be going to Israel and Egypt—which was the whole reason for their trip—and put Greece in its place,” says Samantha Hamilton at Ultimate Vacations. “My clients have already been to Greece and have no desire to go back Read the rest of this entry »

Just as it did when it created the Aulani resort in Hawaii, Disney has had its Imagineers collaborating with local artists to design an authentic experience for visitors to its newest private island. Last week it released pictures of what Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point will look like when it debuts in Eluethra in summer 2024.

Lookout Cay will join Castaway Cay as Mickey’s second private island in the Bahamas, with a design that incorporates curves meant to evoke seashells and a pavilion dedicated to local artists.

Guests entering the space first will be greeted by Mabrika Cove, named for the word for “welcome” in the indigenous Lucayan language of The Bahamas. The Goombay Cultural Center will host shows featuring traditional Bahamian music and dance. And the “Treasures of Eleuthera” retail shop will offer gifts and crafts showcasing Bahamian artists.

The adults-only Serenity Bay will offer an exclusive retreat for guests aged 18 and older, including a dining area and private cabanas.

Cruises to the island currently are being offered on Disney Magic beginning in June 2024.

While some might argue that private islands do not offer travelers a truly authentic experience, there’s no arguing with their popularity among cruisers—and the revenue they generate. Royal Caribbean has reported that its Perfect Day at CocoCay has become its top-selling destination, visited by 2.5 million guests; the most recent update there added the VIP Coco Beach Club over-water cabanas in a private area with its own freshwater infinity pool, bar and restaurant; and private bungalows, daybeds, and teepees (cone-shaped tents)—all available at an upcharge. There’s also the sports-themed South Beach, with volleyball, soccer, basketball, stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking, and zorbing in bumper bubbles.

Royal Caribbean is so pleased with the product it now is adding a new adults-only section, Hideaway Beach, as well as smaller locations in a new Royal Beach Club Collection. The first, on the western end of Paradise Island in Nassau, will feature 17 acres of pools, restaurants and manicured beaches. It will open in 2025.

Carnival also is building a private island, Celebration Key, on Grand Bahama; it too will open in 2025.

Norwegian Cruise Line this week opened the books on its first Prima Plus Class ship, Norwegian Aqua, which will sail the Caribbean in 2025. The first sailings will be seven-day itineraries out of Port Canaveral, including Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island. Norwegian Aqua then will head north, sailing five- and seven-day itineraries from New York to Bermuda from August through October 2025, followed by five- and seven-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries out of Miami from October 2025 through April 2026.

Ten percent bigger than its sisters Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, and holding 3,571 guests, Norwegian Aqua will add outdoor space and a number of unique experiences: the Aqua Slidecoaster, a two-person hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide will plummet three stories around the ship’s funnel; the Glow Court, a sports complex with a high-tech LED floor; a 10-story water slide over the ocean (Norwegian Aqua | Experiences | Norwegian Cruise Line – NCL); and the Stadium, an expanded game space offering complimentary activities.

Norwegian Aqua also will have an expanded Haven complex and a new room category, Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites, two stories high with separate living and dining areas, three bathrooms, a large balcony, two bedrooms with king-size beds, and a master bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Haven complex will be the largest in the Norwegian fleet, with 123 suites, a sundeck, an infinity pool, an outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna and cold room, two hot tubs, a private lounge, an exclusive bar with rare spirits and vintages, 24-hour butler service and a dedicated concierge team.

The ship also will debut NCL’s first day beds on the main pool deck, plus an expanded Ocean Boulevard and Vibe Beach Club.

“Norwegian Aqua is a true testament of fusing together what represents the future of our Brand as the first ship in the Prima Plus Class, and our commitment to pushing the boundaries in guest-first experiences that will make new waves at sea,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Artificial intelligence can play chess or pass the bar in every state, and do well on every medical credentials exam. It can fill in the next word in a sentence for you, which makes it seem capable of thinking. It can locate a missing child in the universe of refugee camps. But there is one question it cannot answer: “What would make my customer happy?”

The airport is open but only for outgoing traffic and the hotels are devastated in Acapulco, the latest destination to be decimated by a record-breaking hurricane.

Hurricane Otis unexpectedly roared into a Category 5 on Wednesday and slammed the city at 170 mph on Wednesday, knocking out power and cell phone service and leaving at least 40 dead. Mexican authorities said Otis was the most powerful storm ever to strike Mexico’s Pacific coast.

News is scarce as roads have just reopened. But the beachfront hotel district was hard hit, with 80% of the properties damaged. The Mexican government was bussing tourists to Mexico City, and the airport is open only for flights transporting tourists out.

The airport was severely damaged, reports say, with broken glass and debris littering the ground. The control tower and navigation systems were severely affected, so flights were being operated visually.

“The once-sleek beachfront hotels in Acapulco looked like toothless, shattered hulks after the Category 5 storm blew out hundreds — possibly thousands — of windows. The city’s Diamond Zone, an oceanfront area replete with hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions, looked to be mostly underwater in drone footage that Foro TV posted online Wednesday afternoon, with boulevards and bridges completely hidden by an enormous lake of brown water,” said one report.

It’s got mountains and oceans, coral reefs and rain forests, mud baths and sulphur springs, and a drive-in volcano. There are affordable hotels with amazing views and well-known hospitality names like Sandals and Zoetry that hug the mountains and rest in the rainforests. While the weather is hot and the towns a little crowded, visitors will find an awful lot to love here—including “the most beautiful hotel room” and “the most beautiful spa” in the world. It’s easy to see why the French and the British fought over this island 14 times. Whether you are looking for the ultimate in privacy and luxury or an affordable, beautiful, romantic and flower-filled Caribbean getaway, you likely can find it on St. Lucia.

A new private jet partnership will allow seamless connections with Delta itineraries; a new class of premium airport lounges is coming; NDCs are on the way, but not right now; and sustainability is a key long-term goal.

Those are the takeaways from Steve Sear, Delta Airlines EVP of global sales and distribution, at the opening session of the Global Travel Collection’s Elevate conference in New York today.

Chatting with Internova Travel Group’s EVP of partner relations Peter Vlitas, Sear promised that Delta’s investment in Wheels Up private jets will allow customers to get off a Delta flight and onto a jet in a partnership that delivers 100% on-time performance. “Operational excellence is going to be the foundation,” he promised. “It has to be 100%—they expect that jet to be there, to know the tail number. It has to work every time.”

Premium customers also soon will get a new kind of airport lounge, curated like the lounge in Charles de Gaulle in Paris, with a full dining experience. The first is scheduled to open in Los Angeles in Q3 2024, then in New York, Atlanta, Seattle and Detroit. “We learned from Virgin that sky clubs are important,” Sear said. “People see it as an experience.” Delta has opened nine new lounges in the past 15 months, adding 5,000 seats, and is enlarging others, including those in all eight of its hubs.

With the complexities of NDC plans, meanwhile, Delta’s first priority is to do no harm to the travel advisor. “For us, NDC is a small subset in our distribution strategy; we want to be where the customers want to engage Delta, and our commitment is to be best in class in every one of those channels,” he said. “We believe the change to NDC is inevitable and we are committed to that, but in an evolutionary way, not a revolutionary way; we are going to do it right, and make it as simple as possible.”

Also in the Delta game plan is a focus on sustainability. “We can’t be a dirty industry, that’s just not going to be a long-term viable situation so we are all 100% committed.” Delta has gone plastic-free on its planes except for coffee cups and is electrifying all ground service.

Surely Delta expected some push-back from customers when it announced changes to its loyalty program last month. But the carrier this week said it has listened to the disappointment its frequent flyers expressed—and is cutting back on the cut-backs.

“Over the past few weeks, many of you have shared feedback about the changes we announced to Delta’s SkyMiles Program,” the email from CEO Ed Bastion said. “What’s been most clear to me is how much you love Delta and the disappointment many of you felt by the significance of the changes. Your voice matters, and we are listening.”

In response, Delta has lowered the Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD, or dollars spent) requirements at each tier of the program. Here’s how they compare with the previous announcement:

• Silver Medallion Status: from $6,000 to $5,000 MQDs
• Gold Medallion Status: from $12,000 to $10,000 MQDs
• Platinum Medallion Status: from $18,000 to $15,000 MQDs
• Diamond Medallion Status: from $35,000 to $28,000 MQDs.

In addition, Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Card Members will now receive a head start of 2,500 MQDs per card.

Perhaps the most contentious part of the changes involved access to Delta Sky Lounges, to which many Delta SkyMiles® and American Express credit card holders until now have had unlimited access. To cut down the growing crowds there, Delta had earlier cut the number of visits per cardholder. But now the following rules will apply:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve and Reserve Business Card Members will now receive 15 days of Delta Sky Club access per year, up from 10 announced last month.
• Delta Platinum Card® and American Express Business Platinum Card will receive 10 days of Delta Sky Club access per year, up from 6.
• Each “Delta Sky Club visit” includes entries within a 24-hour period, including the departure city, connecting airports and arrival destination. A same-day round trip would count as one visit.
• Holders of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve, Reserve Business, or Platinum Cards from American Express also will be able to purchase club access for $50 per visit.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve, Reserve Business, Platinum Card, and Business Platinum American Express Card holders will earn unlimited Delta Sky Club Access after spending $75,000 on an eligible card in a calendar year. Unlimited access would continue for the remainder of the current Medallion Year as well as the following Medallion Year. Card spend tracking begins on January 1, 2024 for the 2025 Medallion Year.
• Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access under the current policy is available until February 1, 2025.

Delta also announced improvements to its Choice Benefits program, where Platinum and Diamond Medallion members now will be able to select various perks, such as SkyClub membership or bonus miles, and to choose an MQD Accelerator for the following qualification year.

Perhaps the most significant improvement involves Delta customers who have been saving up MQMs. Beginning in 2024, they can redeem 100,000 MQMs to maintain their level of status. If you have 500,000 miles that you earned and rolled over for the past few years, for example, you can use them to keep your status for the next five years, regardless of the other changes.

“I know the modifications we have made won’t solve for every disappointment,” Bastian wrote. “Our goal is to do our best to ensure we deliver the service and benefits your loyalty deserves.”

In a nod to the importance of travel advisors, Delta Vacations has rolled back a planned change that would have made trips they book ineligible for points in Delta’s Medallion status program.

The change follows a move by Delta on Wednesday to dial back other announced changes to its loyalty program, which would have made it more difficult to earn free trips and enter Sky Club lounges.

In a letter to travel advisors this week, Delta Vacations president Kama Winters said the company is rescinding its plan to only allow bookings to count toward Medallion status if they were made direct with Delta Vacations; only the flight portion would have counted toward Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) on bookings made by travel advisors.

Now, SkyMiles members booking with a travel advisor will earn MQDs on all segments of vacation packages, including hotels, cars and activities.

Delta Vacations will advise SkyMiles members who have booked with a travel advisor of the change, and also provide marketing materials to advisors, to help them communicate the change.

“We heard your concerns and acknowledge the disappointment that many of you expressed around this change,” Winters wrote. “We understand the importance of our trusted relationship, and that this change was not aligned with your expectations from that partnership.”

Winters noted that “trust is foundational to our relationship, and we are committed to you and your business. We appreciate all that you do.”

If you’ve been reading my column for any amount of time, I trust you know my goal is always to help the travel industry in general—and travel advisors in particular. To that end, I always try my very hardest to never say anything negative about a travel advisor. But on very rare occasions, the interests of a single TA and those of the industry conflict, and I have to make the hard choice to call them out.

This is one of those times. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not a strike this time but a string of security scares that have closed airports across France, and at the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre Museum.

At least four airports were evacuated on Wednesday following emailed bomb threats and sightings of unattended luggage in Lille, Lyon, Toulouse and Beauvais near Paris, French news agency AFP reported. Citing an anonymous police source, AFP also reported that the airports in Nantes and Nice also were evacuated. The airport in Nice posted on X that “a security perimeter was set up to allow the usual checks to be carried out” following a report of abandoned baggage in a terminal, and CNN reported the airports in Biarritz and Strasbourg also were evacuated.

Tourist attractions are being targeted as well. Visitors were evacuated from the Palace of Versailles three times in the past week, and from the Louvre Museum on Saturday due to email threats and abandoned baggage.

The French government heightened the national threat alert and ordered up to 7,000 soldiers to be deployed until further notice to bolster security and vigilance around France after a suspected Islamist extremist stabbed a teacher to death and injured three others. More than 100 people have been arrested for antisemitic acts or inciting terrorism since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, and 193 foreigners whom French intelligence services consider “dangerous” are being sent back to their countries of origin.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has rejected an unsolicited $8 billion buyout by bid Choice Hotels International, Inc., saying it is not in the best interests of Wyndham shareholders.

Noting that it is the world’s largest hotel franchising company, with 9,100 hotels in more than 95 countries, Wyndham called the proposal “involves significant business and execution risks, including an extended regulatory timeline and uncertainty of outcome, potential franchisee churn, and excessive leverage levels at the pro forma combined company.”

It would take more than a year to determine if the merger of the two companies could clear antitrust review, Wyndham said in a statement to shareholders, that likely would cause franchisee churn. The statement also noted “our deep concerns about the value of their stock,” which would make up 45% of the purchase.

“Choice’s offer is insufficient relative to Wyndham’s recent trading levels, significant growth momentum and premiums paid in a precedent change of control transactions,” Wyndham said, noting its rapidly growing pipeline, which is up 20% over the past two years.

Wyndham operates Days Inn, La Quinta, Ramada and other hotel brands. Its newest brand, ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham, signed 265 contracts since its launch in March 2022. Choice Hotels, meanwhile, last year acquired Radisson Hotels; it now operates about 7,500 hotels in 46 countries.

The two companies have been talking merger for six months, and the deal is not done yet.

“A few weeks ago, Choice and Wyndham were in a negotiable range on price and consideration, and both parties have a shared recognition of the value opportunity this potential transaction represents,” Choice CEO Patrick Pacious said in a statement. “We were therefore surprised and disappointed that Wyndham decided to disengage. While we would have preferred to continue discussions with Wyndham in private, following their unwillingness to proceed, we feel there is too much value for both companies’ franchisees, shareholders, associates, and guests to not continue pursuing this transaction.”

In one of the most beautiful venues I’ve been to recently for a travel event, the Los Cabos Tourism Board last week launched a new promotion designed to “reinvent itself as a holistic wellness-forward destination and Mexico’s top destination for luxury wellness travel.”

On the 38th floor of the new Virgin Hotels in Manhattan, with a glorious sunset as a backdrop, the event emphasized the “personal fulfillment and overall wellness” that is possible in Los Cabos, thanks to its spas, gastronomy, sustainability, culture, community and hospitality.

Barcelona has banned all passenger ships from its central port effective October 22, sending them instead to terminals farther from the popular La Rambla district.

The new regulation, designed to control cruise ship emissions, will send smaller ships from AIDA Cruises, Azamara, Oceania, Regent and Virgin to the Moll Adossat Pier, where large ships dock. Passengers then will have to take a 30-minute shuttle ride.

Barcelona also has cut the number of cruise ships that can visit its ports at one time, from 10 to 7.

The move follows protests against tourism by Barcelona residents over the past six years.

“The closure of the Barcelona northern docks for cruise operations is a new step to comply with the agreement signed in 2018 with the Barcelona municipal government to eliminate the negative impact that this activity could produce for citizens,” said Lluís Salvado, president of the Port of Barcelona.

While many cities have been looking to cut the number of ships arriving on their shores, business owners in Palma, Majorca, this month called on the government to scrap the cruise ship limits set there. They cited an 18% fall in passengers since legislation limited cruise ships to three a day.

“Don’t demonize cruise ship passengers, it is family tourism with a high spending power,” eight local business organizations, including bar and restaurant owners, shopkeepers and tour guides, said in a statement.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will add two new ships to its fleet, and begin sailing one in 2024 and one in 2025.

The S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth—formerly Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler—are being leased from Seaside Collection under a three-year, bareboat charter agreement. They will sail with an all-Uniworld staff and offer Uniworld’s amenities, to create “the signature Uniworld experience on existing itineraries,” the company said.

The two identical ships hold 110 guests in 55 suites and staterooms, each with full-length windows opposite king-sized beds, and adjoining suites that offer two-bedroom accommodations. They also have a massage room, gym, bistro for snacks, rooftop bar and grill, and fine dining restaurants featuring farm-to-table cuisine gathered daily by the chef in each destination.

S.S. Victoria will sail the Rhine for the 2024 season, beginning in March in Amsterdam with an 8-day “Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time” cruise through Belgium and The Netherlands. Then it will sail the 8-day “Castles Along the Rhine” itinerary from Basel to Amsterdam, the 10-day “Magnificent Moselle and Rhine” itinerary and the 8-day “Belgium Holiday Markets” round-trip from Brussels.

“The S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth are unique vessels that we know our guests will love, featuring a modern design, some of the largest suites on the rivers, and an ambiance that exudes contemporary luxury. Onboard, guests can expect our Tiny Noticeable Touches throughout every aspect, from the impeccable service provided by the Uniworld crew they know and love to the multitude of all-inclusive amenities available to them,” said Uniworld president and CEO Ellen Bettridge.

The S.S. Elisabeth is scheduled to sail the 2025 season, though no details have yet been released.

With almost $2 million in sales within the first year of his travel business, Rick Ables feels like he “has the Avoya system down”—and he’s ready to move on.

His career in travel started when he was sitting in the hospital with a child on chemo. During that time he talked with a nurse about travel, and then about selling travel, and then about how the nurse was selling travel on the side through Avoya Travel. He was hooked.

For the past year, the proud owner of Nimble Travel LLC in Lindon, Utah, has been building his business almost entirely through four key suppliers—AmaWaterways, Oceania, Collette, and Globus/Avalon—and mostly with Avoya leads, on which he earns the standard 30% Avoya commission Read the rest of this entry »