Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

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Travel Agent Professional October 2014 Issue 31 What Do You Want, A New Beginning Or A Stab In The Back? By Les-Lee Roland

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TAP is one of the only magazine for the Home Based Trade Agent.... With stories written by industry leaders like Rusty Pickett, ECC, Shellback Cruises, Paull Tickner, Creator of Special Interest Britain, Les-Lee Roland, Owner of The Package Deal and By Cindy Bertram, Cindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC ... also up to date info on today Host Agencies.

Transcript of Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

Page 1: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

Travel AgentProfessional

October 2014Issue 31

What Do You Want,A New Beginning Or A Stab In The Back?

By Les-Lee Roland

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Travel Agent Professional TA

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64 What Do You Want,

A New Beginning Or A Stab In The Back?

By Les-Lee Roland

Owner of The Package Deal

66 Thinking Out of The Box

By Paull Tickner

10 Be Known for What You Do Best —

Creating Your Brand

By Cindy Bertram

Cindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

Showcase

Auto Europe..........................................................16

Avoya Travel/American Express ...........................18

Enterprise Rent-A-Car ...........................................14

October

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October 2014Issue 31

What Do You Want,A New Beginning Or A Stab In The Back?

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Amadeus .......................................17

Auto Europe .................................IFC

Avoya Travel/American Express.......9

Britain Greatdays.............................3

HostTravelAgency.com .................13

TRAVELSAVERS.............................15

Travel Experts ................................19

Royal Caribbean Line ....................BC

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October 2014 Issue 31

Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the firstmagazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abelsran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfa-ther, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they tookthe publication over after her grandfather’s passing.

Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agentindustry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agentsthroughout North America. It spawned a famous series of trade showsand three monthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and HomeBased Trade.

The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the NealAward, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hit-ting editorials.

On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and stay-ing with him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man.He was like a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by hisword and believed in his work. There will never be another.

While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping thatthis new publication, which reunites the original Home Based Tradeeditorial board, will be able to carry on his passion for travel andthose who sell it.

Ann M. Hoek

Travel Agent ProfessionalP.O. Box 120198

Staten Island, NY 10312E-mail:

[email protected]:

718.360.3153

Ann M. HoekPublisher/Creative Design

[email protected]

Bonnie WallingEditor

[email protected]

Alan CohenVice President Marketing

[email protected]

Meet Our Editorial Board

Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises

www.shellbackcruises.com

Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal

Sherry Laskin, ACCTravel Writer/NACTA Webinar Moderator

www.cruisemaven.com

Paull Tickner,Creator of Special Interest Britain

[email protected]

Cindy Bertram,Cindy’s Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

[email protected]

Sue Sh apiro, PresidentShapiro Travel [email protected]

www.shapirotravelresources.com

Joel M. Abels Legend In the Travel Industry

April 1927 to January 2007

October 2014

The opinions expressed in these columns are solely those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the views of Travel Agent Professional.

This online magazine is dedicated tothe memory of Joel Abels, Travel

Trade's editor and publisher. Joel andhis life's work may be gone, but with

your help it can live on.

Travel AgentProfessional

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Travel Agent Professional

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October 2014

4It has become too costly and too

rare for companies to hold seminarsin my city of Sarasota — or one

hour away in Tampa.

I understand the logistics of scheduling a lunch or dinner presen-tation, seeing the abuse of agents not showing up or bringingspouses or friends for a freebie. Not to forget the lesser numbersof working agents in this area.

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Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal

Well Costa held one at a very nice restaurant that show-cases the Italian atmosphere of their ships. It was a niceturnout, smaller than in the past, but with this intimacy, itallowed more one on one time with the honchos. ScottKnudsen came on to head the company just as the lin-guine hit the fan with its disaster. He has hung on, rightfullyso, and his confidence was contagious among the agents.

I have been in this industry for over 20 years, and Ihave gone through serious complications with othersuppliers, and they are still in business. But why evenmention those, we all have to think positively.

One thing I love about this business is that there is achoice of product for different clients. If I want topresent high end, Seabourn, Crystal, Regent come tomind. If I want mid range- lots to choose from. If Iwant value — we all have our favorites. But when itcomes to itineraries — we all do our homework tofind what will appeal to our clients.

If it showcases Italy, other areas in Europe, Far Eastand Middle East, and new longer itineraries in the

Caribbean-look at Costa.

Besides this large turnaround for the company, theywill soon announce partnering with a major touroperator who will feature their cruises. This will beanother way to sell cruises and land together, plusthe air. All commissionable , including the air!

As I watched the presentation, it came to mind howmany groups and clubs are out there just waiting forthese deals. It also brought back the fond memories ofhow well Costa was to work with for my groups. Theircustomer service for me far beat the service, or lack ofservice I have received from other suppliers recently.

But this is not just kudos for Costa. It is just an exam-ple of how to move on if the product is deserving.

But now on to a very pressing matter with Princess.It was brought to my attention at the Costa lun-cheon. It’s so nice to mingle with other agents andhear their praises, their bragging and their horrors.As one agent put his cell phone on the table and

What Do You Want, A New Beginning Or

A Stab In The Back?

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Travel Agent Professional

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played a recorded message from Princess, our delight with the lunch turned toheartburn. If I didn’t hear it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.

The recording was to thank Mr. So and So, for his recent sailing on Princess. Itwas to also remind him that even though he booked with a travel agent, heshould be aware that he could in the future book directly with Princess. Let merepeat this- Princess is reminding people who an AGENT booked that they couldnow book directly with Princess, if they choose to do so.

I remember the good old days when people did call Princess directly to book andthe res agent would provide the name of an agency in their area if they wanted todeal with an agent. They went so far as to say that the agent might give a lower rate.

When I told this phone call story to one of my outside agents, she confirmed that it hap-pened to her recently. On her own sailing on Princess, she received a phone call — notautomated — a real live person. The conversation was the same- thank you for sailing withus, and if you need anything or want to book a future cruise, you can call Princess directly.She then told the gal, she was a travel agent and to remove her name from any calling list.

So it seems that Princess does not have enough staff to take our orders or toanswer questions, but they do have the staff to try to steal our clients.

I have been waiting over 3 weeks for a Princess agent to return my call aboutneeded meeting space for a small group. I wonder when I will get a call telling meto book directly in the future.

But from now on, I will not give Princess my client’s phone number. And I willalert my clients to inform me if they do get any personal calls to please alert me.More importantly, I will no longer offer Princess as readily as I had in the past.

Costa deserves a new beginning. Princess just stabbed me in the back. I thinkagents should make known their feelings about this Princess policy.

What Do You Want, A New Beginning Or

A Stab In The Back?

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October 2014

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Paull Tickner has been designing and operating niche travel programmes for the UK and Ireland for over 30 years.

For more information E-mail Paull at [email protected]

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If harnessing the valuable potential from untapped niche markets is on your agenda let meoffer with you some ideas that will set you well apart from your competitors. It’s something I’vebeen doing for travel agents for well over 30 years and there’s never a shortage of bright ideas, if youknow where to look…

For many, the annual Chelsea Flower Show (end May) is the hook for a customised UK garden tour.If you’re making a pitch to your garden contacts, give your proposal an edge by suggesting a full dayat the Show (it changes every year) and some privately owned gardens in London before a gentlemeander through the castles and gardens in the Cotswolds and North Wales and a grand finale atBloom, Ireland’s largest gardening and food event.

Thinking Out of The Box

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Alternatively you can start with 3 days inParis and include a visit to the Journees desPlantes at the Chateau de Courson beforetaking the Eurostar to London for Chelsea.

Another May option brings together theCotswolds and the 2015 Olimpick Games(note the spe l l ing) , the Hat f ie ld HouseFlower Festival, a Eurostar ride to Paris andthe first day at the annual Jardins Jardin Showin the city centre.

Finally, a tailor made garden tour you won’tfind in many, if any tour operator’s brochuresblends together Scottish castles, whisky distil-leries and the Gardening Scotland show inEdinburgh before a flight to Paris for theJardins Jardin show, Monet’s glorious gardenat Giverny and other must see attractions.

Murder Mystery fans will be thrilled by theprospect o f an i t inerary that combinesInspectors Morse and Lewis in Oxford with 2– 3 days on the English Riviera (aka Torquay)where they wi l l be ce lebrat ing AgathaChristie’s 125th birthday. To widen theappea l , you can add a memorab le ‘OnLocation’ side trip to the small Cornish fishing villagewhere most of the filming of Doc Martin took place.By a happy coincidence and at around the same time,the Jane Austen Festival is taking place in Bath whichthen gives you an intriguing ‘Bookshelf Tour’.

Staying with the literary theme for a moment, familieswill sit up and take notice when you mention the 2words Harry Potter. Having grabbed their attentionyou can then offer them a tour that includes a couple

(continued on page 10)

Travel Agent Professional

Copyright: Story Museum, Oxford

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October 2014

of nights in Oxford where you can add Alice inWonderland as the city celebrates the 150th anniver-sary of the first publication of Lewis Carroll’s interna-tionally popular novel. There’s also a special walkingtour that explores the world of the Mad Hatter andthe Dodo, Lyn and Will (His Dark Materials, the epictrilogy by Philip Pullman) and Prince Caspian andAslan (The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis). Toround off the tour experience and en route forLondon spend a few hours at the Warner BrothersMaking of Harry Potter attraction including the newDark Arts feature.

At nearby Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of SirWinston Churchil l there’s a long menu of eventsmarking the 50th anniversary of his death, the 75thanniversary of his first becoming Prime Minister andthe 75h anniversary of his ‘Finest Hour’ at the Battleof Britain.

And finally, there’s just one more anniversary for youto consider. On June 15, 1215, Magna Carta or theGreat Charter of the Liberties of England was sealedunder oath by King John at Runnymede on the banksof the River Thames. Widely known throughout theEnglish speaking world, it led to the rule of constitu-tional law in England and beyond and it’s being cele-brated by a number of major exhibitions in SalisburyCathedral , the Bodleian Library Oxford, LincolnCastle and at the British Library in London. With theaddi t ion of p laces l i ke Su lgrave Manor GeorgeWashington’s ancestral home, Pilgrim Fathers’ countrydue west of Lincoln, the Benjamin Franklin House inLondon and other famous places with American asso-ciations you can see how this theme can be broughtto life for clients in the legal profession or for teach-ers who are looking for a different way of shaking thedust off the British history books.

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Page 12: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

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October 2014

How many times have you gone to asocial or business event and been asked, “So

what do you do?” You give your “elevator pitch,”and hopefully this results in more of a continuing

conversation. You really get a better idea ofwhat that other person does, and they learn

more about you do. And if there’s good synergy,it won’t be just a quick exchange of business

cards. There could be ways to par tner together,or maybe that person could just be a potential

client.

On the flip side, if you’ve mentioned handling and bookingtravel, how many times has that person commented, “Oh, Ididn’t know travel agents and agencies were still around. Ithought everything was done online...”

By Cindy BertramCindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

Changing the Picture and Avoiding MyopiaWhen that question comes up, we do need to “change the picture” so to speak.

Theodore Levitt’s famous “Marketing Myopia” first published in Harvard Business Review over 3 decades agostill provides great insights for us today.

Myopia is defined as nearsightedness or narrow mindedness. In “Marketing Myopia,” Levitt berated certaingrowth industries for slowing down, including the railroad industry. As Levitt explained, the railroad industryceased growing not because of increased competition, but because it incorrectly defined itself. It should haveviewed itself as being in the transportation business, not the railroad business.

Comparing Levitt’s example to the travel industry today, future success really involves making sure that astravel agent professionals, we need to really define ourselves better because we do fulfill new needs. We’reno longer a “one size fits all” business model.

Be Known for What You Do Best— Creating Your Brand

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Travel Agent Professional

Walter E. Smithe Furniture is one of the most rec-ognized, admired and successful Chicago businessestoday. This 4th generation family owned business,led by Tim Smithe, CMO and his two brothers,Wa l te r and Mark , b los somed f rom jus t under$1 ,000 ,000 in sa l e s back i n 1984 to over$100,000,000 just twenty years later. They’ve turneda good company into a great one. Tim mentions, “Abig change has been the introduction of the big boxstores. They are cookie-cutter and lack personality.Our strategy has been to remain ourselves, remindthe audience that we are family owned since 1945,and are here to help them design their homes sothat it reflects them. We don’t pretend to dictatefashion as the giant corporation stores do.” Anotherstrength their company provides involves their mer-chandise. Tim further explains, “We do “selection”really well. We offer merchandise from over 200 dif-ferent sources, so shoppers can always find whatthey had in mind. “

When you’re in the Chicago area and watch any ofthe major television stations, the Walter E. SmitheFurniture commercials immediately grab your atten-tion because they’re classy, fun and bring more a realfamily side to the business.

As far as marketing and branding, Tim mentions, “The strategy of marketing ourselves as we really arehas been successful. We are whimsical, fun, and ‘theboys next store.’ It is easy to create advertising wheni t i s genu ine . We have fun when we f i lm theWALTER E. SMITHE FURNITURE commercials, and I

think it resonates with Chicagoland and NW Indiana.”As CMO, Tim also notes, “I am the brand championfor the company, and I think long-and-hard aboutmarketing ideas and placement as we move ahead.”

As the brand champion, Tim has successfully takenthe Smithe name from relative obscurity into thehousehold name it is today, thanks to his “out-of-the-box” storytelling, creative execution and unconven-tional style. His advertising work has been featuredeverywhere, from Oprah to the NBC Nightly News,major radio stations and newspapers, along withblogs.

Also an accompl ished speaker who’s presented

Be Known for What You Do Best— Creating Your Brand

(continued on page 6)

Successful Branding and ‘the boys next store” – Chicago’s Walter E. Smithe

Tim Smithe, CMO of Walter E. Smithe Furniture

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keynotes, Tim’s witty, entertaining style combines wellwith his talent for providing relevant examples, andbeing to the point. I first met Tim when he spoke at anAmerican Marketing Associat ion presentat ion inChicago, and since then he’s become a good colleague.

Tim’s willing to share his insights, and tips he’s learned

himself by “rolling up his sleeves.” When he spoke ata Loyola University Chicago Graduate School ofBusiness annual alumni event I co-chaired, titled “SoYou Want to Be an Entrepreneur?” Tim shared fun,valuable examples of his own “learning by doing” andbecoming the brand champion. I’ve also picked upvaluable tips when it comes to branding.

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Figuring Out Your “Brand”Yes, we all have a “brand” that we need to convey whenspeaking to the people we meet at different functions, as wellas clients, friends of clients, and future potential clients.

So how do you figure out your brand and then become a“brand champion”?

While recently at Social Media Week Chicago, one of theMasterclasses I attended was titled “Brand Love.” It was hostedby Tongal, an on-demand creative studio that specializes in cre-ating “brand love.” Jamie Newton, Head of Central Accounts,Tongal and Steve Lindstrom, Head of Innovation, Tongal, firstasked us, “What brands do you love and why?” After goingthrough our responses, some key things came up. People aredrawn to brands for certain reasons - empathy, commitment,mystery as far as people being drawn to what they don’t know,compassion, one of the 5 senses, or even “a small perfect ges-ture” that’s remembered long after.

My takeaways? When we think about our brand and how weconvey that, it goes back to what we do best for our clients. Inmy case, I love being a “Happy Creator” but also love providingthose small perfect gestures that are remembered long aftermy clients return from their trips.

Yes, we all have our own personal “brand” and by defining thatmore concisely? We can fulfill needs and not become extinct.

October 2014

“Bra

nd L

ove”

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Page 16: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

New Survey Reveals Americans Prefer Short Weekend Road Trips Over Week-Long Vacations

How Americans Roll — Study by Enterprise

Uncovers Gender Preferences and

Travel Trends

Whether we’re heading out for a simple change ofscenery… hitting the road to see the changing fall col-ors… or donning our school colors for some footballand tailgating, autumn is a prime season for weekendgetaways. And, according to new research fromEnterprise Rent-A-Car, the world’s largest rental carbrand, these relatively brief road trips may be the mostpopular vacations of all – beating out those long sum-mer weeks at the beach.

The study* finds that Americans prefer shorter week-end road trips versus week-long vacations. Specifically,two-thirds (66 percent) prefer to take a one day or week-end road trip as opposed to 31 percent who prefer totake at least a week-long trip. More than half (57 per-cent) report that they would drive up to 300 miles oneway for a weekend trip, and almost 75 percent prefer todrive to their destinations because of the freedom it pro-vides.

“Our study found that Americans are willing to drivelong distances for a little rest and relaxation, even if it’sjust over a weekend,” said Steve Short, vice president atEnterprise Rent-A-Car. “With car rental branches locatedwithin 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population,Enterprise makes it easy and convenient for drivers totravel to their destinations.”

Other driving and leisure trends identified through theresearch include:Gender:

• Men love the drive, while women focus on relaxationand rejuvenation. Forty-two percent of men were likelyto take a road trip because they like to drive, versus aquarter of women. In contrast, women were 1.5 timesmore likely than men to report that they take road tripsbecause they come back rejuvenated and refreshed.• Forty-one percent of women reported that they’re likelyto have rented a vehicle for a road trip to prevent wearand tear on their own cars, versus merely a quarter ofmen. Comparatively — by a margin of 11-to-1 — men

claim they’ve rented a vehicle for the opportunity to drivea new car compared with their female counterparts.

Age• Millennials (ages 25–34) report having the leastamount of time to take road trips. More than half (51percent) are unable to take more trips because theycan’t be away from work. • Millennials will make time on a road trip for food (35percent), but are less likely to take time for scenic drivesand attractions. • Younger adults (under age 45) are more likely tovalue spending time with family on road trips, comparedwith their older counterparts.

Region• On average, Midwesterners are willing to drive thefarthest for road trips.• Westerners are almost three times more likely thanthose in other regions to take a road trip for outdoorrecreation. Almost one-third (31 percent) of them driveto their destination because of its remoteness.• Southerners are almost twice as likely to involve familyin their road trip decision compared to their counterpartsin other regions (19 percent vs. 10 percent). They arealso inclined to drive the farthest for a day trip (244-mileround trip) compared to Northeasterners (202-mileround trip).• Northeasterners take the fewest number of days forleisure trips and report traveling most often for entertain-ment (e.g. concerts, sporting events).

Enterprise has always focused on community trans-portation needs, renting cars where customers live andwork. Today, Enterprise continues to lead the home-citymarket, operating over 5,500 offices — more locationsthan any U.S. competitor.

For more information, visitwww.enterprise.com.

Showcase

October 2014

Page 17: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

Over 40 years of travel industry success Full staff of personal business consultants Unique protected territory system Excellent preferred supplier relationships Award-winning suite of marketing programs Social media tools Powerful technology solutions Proprietary cruise booking engine Website and mobile solutions Meeting and incentive resources Hotel program with rich amenities A full suite of corporate travel solutions Over 19 travel brands servicing you daily

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Travel Agent Professional

Page 18: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

Auto Europe Features A-ROSA 2015 Family FriendlyCruises On The Danube Including Children’s ProgramsAuto Europe in conjunction with David Morris

International, is offering A-ROSA Family Friendly Cruises

onboard the A-Rosa Donna. The Donna starts out in

Passau, Germany visiting a classical route including

Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and returning back to Passau.

The new onboard program is available during summer

school holidays in the months of July and August and fea-

tures trained staff members with a host of children’s pro-

grams. Crew will also prepare children’s favorite meals

and all children will receive gift boxes with surprises

such as toys and games. Childcare services may also be

available on select departures. All children up to 15

years of age travel free of charge when accompanied by

an adult in the same cabin and cabin category A on the

A-Rosa Donna features triple occupancy.

In addition to Family Friendly Cruising on the Danube,

A-Rosa offers over 200 departures for 2015 including

Rhone/Saone, Rhine, Danube, Moselle and Main rivers

in Europe. Fares have been reduced on many of the 2015

sailings and with their early booking incentives, save

$1000 per couple when you make a 2015 reservation by

October 31, 2014. In addition, singles save more as

every sailing has waived Single Supplements in at least

one category and up to three children sail free with just

one adult (Ages 2-15).

Auto Europe services over 10,000 car rental locations

in over 135 countries worldwide. In addition, through

their tour division, Destination Europe, they offer sched-

uled airfare to Europe with over thirty carriers and service

3, 4 & 5 star worldwide hotels.

For additional information, detailed itineraries, and also pre and post sailing savings on car rental services, chauffeur

meet and greet at the pier and hotel services, contact Auto Europe at 1-855-552-7672

Auto Europe’s tour division, Destination Europe isoffering MiFi units with any European travel packageincluding air, hotel and car rental in the UK, France,Italy and Germany; you only pay $5.00 USD per day toaccess data.

The product is the Huawei Mobile WiFi E5331 modelthat permits connectivity with up to eight WiFi enableddevices up to 30 feet from the portable router, via asecure password protected connection. Each unit comeswith a user manual, SIM equipped for 3G cellular accessin the country of preference, wall & car USB charger anda convenient carrying case.

The SIM cards are only available for the UK, France,Italy and Germany (one country per SIM). There is a datalimit, but it's different per country and three of the coun-tries are "fair use".

This offer is valid for citizens residing in the United

States only and for qualifying reservations in the UK,France, Italy and Germany. Promotion is valid for book-ings made now through October 31, 2014 for travel anytime. Seven day advanced booking notice required. Thehotspots are shipped in advance of departure to Europeand sent back to Auto Europe via FedEx with a prepaidshipping label. The shipping charge is $40.00 USD.Offer can change at any time and is subject to availabilitywhile supplies last. Additional restrictions may apply.

Auto Europe services over 20,000 car rental locationsin over 135 countries worldwide. In addition, throughtheir tour division, Destination Europe, they offer sched-uled airfare to Europe with over thirty carriers and ser-vice over 70,000 3, 4 & 5 star worldwide hotels. Foradditional information contact your local sales represen-tative or Auto Europe at (800) 223-5555. Visit their website at http://www.autoeurope.com.

1 . 8 0 0 . 2 2 3 . 5 5 5 5 • w w w. a u t o e u r o p e . c o m39 Commercial St., P.O. Box 7006, Portland, ME 04112

NEW! MiFi Rentals With Airfare Packages & Hotel Services inThe UK, France, Italy & Germany From Auto Europe!

Page 19: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014
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October 2014

Avoya Travel Partners With Award-

Winning Digital Advertising AgencyAvoya Engages Piston to Continue Accelerating Growth

Avoya Travel®, an AmericanExpress Travel Representative andone of the world’s leading travelcompanies, today announced ithas hired Piston as a new advertis-ing agency partner. The new part-nership will serve to accelerateAvoya’s leadership position withinthe travel industry by leveragingPiston’s best-of-class marketingexpertise and experience.

“We are pleased to welcomePiston to the Avoya Travel family,”said Sam McCully, Vice Presidentof Marketing for Avoya Travel.“We’re confident that Piston’s best-in-class capability will help usdeliver upon our aggressive growthstrategy and plan for the future.”

Piston will provide creative andmedia support as part of Avoya’slong-term strategy of strengtheningthe brand through innovation andtechnologies that enhance the cus-tomer experience. As the brandcontinues growing and reachingnew consumers, Avoya’s focus willremain centered on a very impor-tant principal: changing the waypeople purchase vacations.

“We are delighted to partner witha company that has such a richheritage in innovation and leader-

ship within the travel category, andwe look forward to applyingPiston’s industry-leading experi-ence in accelerating the growth ofAvoya,” said Piston President andco-founder, John Hartman.

About Avoya Travel:Avoya Travel® has a long-standingreputation for being one of theworld’s largest and most innova-tive travel companies. As anAmerican Express TravelRepresentative for more than 25years, Avoya is deeply committedto Integrity and Professionalism™,service, and value in every aspectof planning cruises and vacations.With an elite network of indepen-dently owned and operated travel

agencies, Avoya provides exclu-sive discounts, amenities, and first-class customer service to travelersworldwide. For this, Avoya hasreceived numerous accolades,including being named ‘TravelAgency of the Year’, by NorwegianCruise Line, Royal Caribbean,Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruises,American Express, OceaniaCruises, and more.

Travel agency owners and experi-enced professionals interested ingrowing their businesses shouldcontact Avoya Travel at 800-521-2597 or visit www.JoinAvoya.com.Travelers interested in bookingtheir next vacation with AvoyaTravel, should call 800-753-1463or visit www.AvoyaTravel.com.

Showcase

Travel agency owners and experienced professionals interested in growing their businesses should contact Avoya Travel at800-521-2597 or visit www.JoinAvoya.com. Travelers interested in booking their next vacation with Avoya Travel, shouldcall 800-753-1463 or visit www.AvoyaTravel.com.

About Pistion:

Piston is a full-service digital agency located in New York and San

Diego. Piston creates successful communications between brands and

customers based on a deeper understanding of commerce, culture and

technology. By connecting these three concepts, Piston builds and

tracks brand relation ships that span all media, channels and marketing

capabilities for clients for clients such as Cars.com, Oakley, Intuit,

Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, and many more. www.pistonagency.com

Page 21: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014
Page 22: Travel Agent Professional Oct 2014

ROYALCARIBBEAN.COM

THE SEA KISSES EVERY SHORE.WE TAKE THE RELATIONSHIP EVEN FURTHER.

The sea is calling. It whispers your name, inviting you to a place more beautiful than anything you’ve seen. Where light dances on the waves, and the gentle sound puts you at ease. Where you can enjoy a piña colada, a massage, ice skating and rock climbing all in one place. Only Royal Caribbean International® delivers the one vacation that’s a full sea of possibilities.

October 2014