It’s kind of funny that individual agents tell me that business is as good as it has been in years. Advisors are more focused then ever and are realizing that working with consumers who understand the value of a travel advisor is the way to go. Advisors need to come to terms with the realization that consumers who still don’t figure out the advantage of your services should be left alone and that expanding travel plans for existing clients is the prosperous road.
Moving beyond the individual advisors is the funny part. We are seeing a lot of movement in the distribution partners who serve the individual advisor. “Big” is the new bad, and quality surpasses quantity. You all have proven this, as the number of advisors has lessened, yet the press that touts your benefits has been at an all-time high. You no longer have to defend your existence.
Using these core ideas, our Luxury Travel Expo event was transformed into Luxury Travel Exchange (LTX). We refocused education on tracks that reflected job function. One-to-one meetings by advisor choice was the networking format. Eight-minute meetings that have become a productive exchange made speed-dating formats feel like an handshake and a hello. Quality, not quantity, was achieved. All attendees had to qualify to guarantee the highest level of advisor, and a free-flowing event let advisors hone in on what they felt would bring them the biggest return. Those that experienced this first of its kind event walked away extremely pleased with the time spent out of the office. As in the past, our thought leadership and innovation will be attempted to be duplicated, but that’s ok, as this is the best compliment we can receive. Our passion is to provide you guidance on being the best at what you do, no matter what your affiliation.
I recently enjoyed a lunch with Barbara Nichuals, president & CEO of Bayside Travel (shown here with me). Barbara is celebrating 25 years in business, and she told me that this is her year to take it to the next level. Barbara is a true businesswoman and has guided her company through expansion over those years. She sees the partner landscape changing as well and is taking advantage of the increased exposure of advisors to accelerate Bayside Travel.
As they say, “Go while the getting is good.” You should follow this simple advice as well.