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This week I came across a CD program I once recorded for Vacation.com. They have since joined Travel Leaders but a few years back I teamed with the Hertz Corporation and delivered a quarterly audio newsletter. This particular recording featured an interview with industry specialist Bob Abrahms who shared his thoughts and importance of maintaining a sound business relationship with preferred suppliers. The information was good a few years back and it is just as sound today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Network (TLN), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at TLN's annual media briefing about his network's record sales in 2024 and why this is still the Golden Age for travel advisors. Lovell details what's been selling on land and at sea for TLN's agencies and why the future looks bright for their business, with help from TLN's Agent Profiler lead generation tool, Agent Universe intranet, SNAP booking tool, Cruise Complete and more. For more information, visit www.travelleadersnetwork.com or www.travelleaders.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean, iHeartRadio, Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.
All the details on next year's WAPL International Incident to Costa Rica!
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
In episode 164 Steph is co-hosting again with Lindsay Taylor of Travel Leaders 365. Have a look at the questions below that they cover in this rich and informative edition of the Friday 15! 1. Hi Steph. I worked as a Travel Manager at my previous company, however, it was a created position and I used a combination of Concur, Expedia, Hotels.com, National Car rental and all the other sites. I loved this position but it all went away during Covid. Now, I'd like to get back into it but everything I'm interested in requires some Sabre experience. I know it's easy and I know I could do it but do you think it's worth taking the 60 hour course with The Travel Institute? Is there a better place to obtain this training? It could add a few lines on my resume and I'm great with self-study. $149 doesn't seem high for getting some experience. What are your thoughts? Thanks for your time! :) —Anonymous 2. Hi Steph. I have a diploma from Penn Foster and when I look at the CTA, I feel like I've already done all of the same lessons. Is it better to have one of these certifications over the diploma I've already received? Are these just better recognized and received by people in the industry and clients? It seems like these have a more elevated status over my diploma. Is that the case? —Anonymous 3. I refunded a non refundable ticket by accident. The agency paid it back but now I'm on the hook for over $6000. The airline does not reverse the transaction so the traveler has a credit. Have you ever worked with this? I would like to find out how this is even legal? ---Anonymous RESOURCES: https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-gds (In-depth information on what the GDS, global distribution system, is and which travel advisors use it.) https://www.thetravelinstitute.com/product/sabre-personal-trainer/ (Travel Institute's program) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/become-corporate-travel-agent (Tips on how to become a corporate travel agent.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/molly-williams-the-optimists-travel (TAC episode with Molly Williams. https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-certification (What travel agent certification is and isn't. Plus, what are the certifications out there for agents?) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-debit-memo (What is a travel agency debit memo?) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-gds (In-depth information on what the GDS, global distribution system, is and which travel advisors use it.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (TL 365's HAR profile) https://TL365.com (TL 365's website) ltaylor@tl365.com (Lindsay's email address) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!)
Lea Diele, CTIE, VTA, vice president of education for Travel Leaders Network, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's Travel Leaders EDGE conference about all the training and education her agency consortium provides to help existing travel advisors and new advisors coming from outside the industry. Diele, who received The Travel Institute's Educational Excellence award at the Travel Leaders conference, details the full range of training currently available to Travel Leaders' advisors and their agencies. For more information, visit www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Mike Saladore, owner and co-president of 58 Stars Travel in Seattle, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's Travel Leaders Network's EDGE conference about how his host agency has grown and how his luxury travel business is booming. He also details the services and programs gets from Travel Leaders that help his agency boost sales. For more information, visit www.58starstravel.com or www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
In episode 163 Steph is co-hosting with Lindsay Taylor of Travel Leaders 365, If you have a question for Steph and her co-hosts, please submit it here for a future episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! 1. I work as an independent contractor so I already have an LLC for non travel related business. I was wondering if I could just add a "second" DBA and use the same LLC to start the travel business but continue to work on my full time job as another name. So basically 2 DBAs under one LLC? I live in Florida. Thanks! —Anonymous 2. Hello, so I live in the US and want to help people in Guyana, South America purchase flights to travel to and from the US and charge a small fee. I want to use sites like Priceline and Expedia and Booking to purchase the flights. Sort of an off the books business. Is this possible? —Mike S. 3. Hi, I'm curious about startup/yearly/monthly fees. I keep reading that it's a red flag if a travel host charges. In your opinion and experience, what do you want to look for when searching for a host? Thanks! –Jamie K. RESOURCES: https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-business-structures (The options for your travel agency's business structure — pros and cons) https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/travel-advisor-research-reports/ (Travel agent survey data on fee charging practices: what they charge for, how much, fee structures and more.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/travel-advisor-research-reports/ (Travel agent survey data on fee charging practices: what they charge for, how much, fee structures and more.) https://www2.arccorp.com/support-training/fraud-prevention/ (ARC's fraud prevention webinar) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-debit-memo (What is a travel agency debit memo?) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-gds (In-depth information on what the GDS, global distribution system, is and which travel advisors use it.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (TL 365's HAR profile) https://TL365.com (TL 365's website) ltaylor@tl365.com (Lindsay's email address) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!)
Pam Edwartoski and Tricia Bischoff of the Travel Exchange in Troy, Mich., talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's Travel Leaders Network EDGE conference about their successful full service travel agency and how they see the future for travel and travel advisors. They also detail how they use Travel Leaders' services, technology and training to grow their business. For more information, visit www.travelexchangemi.com or www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
In episode 160 Steph is co-hosting with April Swales of Uniglobe! Please join us as this dynamic duo tackles a couple of important questions! 1. I was wondering if I could pick your brain a little about the current status of the industry, the possibilities of finding someone interested in buying an agency, and what makes a travel agency attractive for a potential buyer. My mother isn't ready to stop working as an agent and loves helping her clients but I could see it being a good exit strategy for her in the near future. —Nathan 2. I went to an actual school in 1988 on the Sabre system. Do you know if there are courses that might bring me up to speed & how much they cost? I spoke with IATAN & ARC today. It's not as expensive as I thought it'd be but I'd still like to start off maybe working with a national agency for a while first. Thoughts? —Anonymous TODAY'S RESOURCES: https://www.youtube.com/live/b8PvbmxA35U?feature=shared&t=8959 (Host Week presentation with Steph and Marc Casto on selling an agency) https://www.tvlacq.com/ (Broker specializing in travel agencies/tour operators) https://www.score.org/resource/eguide/small-business-owner's-guide-succession-planning https://www.trinet.com/insights/small-business-succession-plan-101 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/general-guide-succession-planning-small-business-c-suitesupport https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/become-corporate-travel-agent (Tips on how to become a corporate travel agent with links to Sabre trainings.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-accreditation (A list of the different travel agent accreditation options.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-jobs (Find travel agent jobs on HAR's travel jobs board!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/how-much-do-travel-agents-make-travel-agent-salary (Info on how much travel agents make) https://www.travelleadersoftomorrow.com/business/ (Travel Leaders of Tomorrow is only accepting students who have already secured a job with an agency but are in need of training.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-gds (In-depth information on what the GDS, global distribution system, is and which travel advisors use it.) https://www.thetravelinstitute.com/product/sabre-personal-trainer/ https://your.sabre.com/sabretraining https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/what-most-important-gds-training-resources-travel-ihklf
Steve McGillivray, chief partner marketing officer for Travel Leaders Network parent Internova Travel Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the EDGE conference, held June 8-11 at the Gaylord National Mall in Maryland, about the newest marketing programs that Travel Leaders agency members can use to sell more travel. McGillivray details updates to Travel Leaders Network's Agent Profiler lead generation program, new social media marketing tools, new booking tools and much more. For more information, visit www.internova.com, www.travelleaders.com or www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at Travel Leaders Network's EDGE conference, held earlier this week near Washington, D.C., about why his consortium's agency members are seeing surging sales and why we are in a Golden Age for travel advisors. Block also tells us why he's stepping down as president at the end of the year after 16 years and 44 years in the travel industry to take on a senior advisory role. For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com or www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the Travel Leaders Network EDGE conference, held this month in National Harbor, Md., about the key issues affecting the travel market and travel agencies today. Lovell reveals what's selling, why there's a need for travel advisors more than ever, why is the Golden Age for advisors and more. For more information, visit www.travelleadersgroup.com, www.travelleadersnetwork.com and www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
In episode 146 Steph and the lovely Lindsay Lauer of Travel Leaders 365 answer your excellent questions! 1. Would the Accelerator course be helpful if I've been an employee? I'm thinking of going on my own. I do a volume of around $1M and have 2.5 yrs experience with over 1000 cruise bookings. --Anonymous 2. Can I require my agency's independent contractors (ICs) to work exclusively with my agency? A few prospective ICs have told me that exclusivity is not allowed by law. Is this correct? --Anonymous 3. I'm wondering if I can start with a host agency right away, or if I need to complete any training first. Does it vary by agency? --Donna A. TODAY'S RESOURCES: https://hostagencyreviews.com/7-day-setup-accelerator (HAR's 7DS Accelerator Course - Start your agency faster, with the support you need) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/hosted-travel-advisor-report-2023 (HAR's Hosted Advisor report 2023 with income data) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/the-employee-travel-advisor-research-report-summary-2023 (HAR's Employee Travel Advisor report) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/beginners-guide-navigating-paying-estimated-taxes (Guide to paying and understanding estimated taxes) https://www.travelweekly.com/Mark-Pestronk/The-legality-of-IC-exclusivity (Attorney Mark Pestonk on if a host agency can require exclusivity of ICs) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/the-dangers-of-independent-contractor-travel-agent-misclassification (Hidden dangers of IC misclassification) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-industry-lawyer-list (List of Travel Industry Attorneys) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-training-travel-agent-education (Training and education options for ICs )
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Get to know the different consortia within the travel industry in Host Week's Meet the Consortia segments. We have all the major consortia, with the exception of Signature Travel Network. If you're going independent or with a host agency, your consortium will play a key role in the technology, partnerships, and marketing you'll have access to. Learn more about your options in our 10-15 minute interviews. Host Week 2024 Landing Site: https://har.news/hostweek View Host Week Magazine: https://har.news/2024HWmagazine Host Week Specials: https://har.news/deals Register for Host Week 2025: https://har.news/signupHW2025 7-Day Setup Course with HAR: https://har.news/7DScourse Host Week 2024 Survey: https://har.news/hwsurvey
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Every host agency starting to look alike for you? Hear from over 30 host agencies in Host Week's Meet the Hosts sessions! We interview them to learn more about their culture, programs, and success stories. Tune in for the 10-20 minute interviews that will help differentiate and humanize the myriad of host agencies out there. Host Week 2024 Landing Site: https://har.news/hostweek View Host Week Magazine: https://har.news/2024HWmagazine Host Week Specials: https://har.news/deals Register for Host Week 2025: https://har.news/signupHW2025 7-Day Setup Course with HAR: https://har.news/7DScourse Host Week 2024 Survey: https://har.news/hwsurvey
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Every host agency starting to look alike for you? Hear from over 30 host agencies in Host Week's Meet the Hosts sessions! We interview them to learn more about their culture, programs, and success stories. Tune in for the 10-20 minute interviews that will help differentiate and humanize the myriad of host agencies out there. Host Week 2024 Landing Site: https://har.news/hostweek View Host Week Magazine: https://har.news/2024HWmagazine Host Week Specials: https://har.news/deals Register for Host Week 2025: https://har.news/signupHW2025 7-Day Setup Course with HAR: https://har.news/7DScourse Host Week 2024 Survey: https://har.news/hwsurvey
Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at Travel Leaders' annual media forecast about how members of his travel agency consortium did in 2023 and what the outlook is for 2024. As Block says, now maybe the best time ever to be a travel advisor and Travel Leaders keeps developing the programs and technology agencies need to be successful selling travel, including Agent Profiler leads and more. For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com or www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Which conversations are we avoiding in the travel industry? Destination managers and travel industry leaders are under increasing public pressure to follow up their sustainable words with action, says today's guest, Signe Jungersted. Signe worked on The End of Tourism As We Know It strategy as Director of Development at Wonderful Copenhagen. She continues to lead destinations and communities through change at Group NAO, where she is CEO and Founding Partner. In this episode, she explains why the tourism industry needs to take itself seriously as a solution to the climate crisis and why the best pathway forward for DMOs is to step into a more expansive role. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
In episode 138 we chat with the lovely Lindsay Taylor of Travel Leaders 365 as they tackle three questions from an astute listener named Tim M. Thanks, Tim! Thanks to you all for your great questions from week to week. 1) How to navigate clients' loyalty programs: what are the logistics of ensuring they receive loyalty benefits, qualifying nights, miles/points? 2) Being an Agent vs. an Operator: If I want to book FIT travel, how can I safely curate customized itineraries as a travel agent and not stray into accidentally being considered a tour operator? 3) Project Management Platforms! Do agents typically manage their workflow with their host agency provided CRM program only, or are there other project management platforms that are popular with travel agents? We do this every week! If you have travel industry questions, HAR likely has an answer :) Submit your burning question here: https://har.news/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips! TODAY'S RESOURCES: https://www.mastersintravelpod.com/ (Whitney's podcast, Masters in Travel) https://www.thehive.travel/ (The Hive: Global directory of suppliers, properties and DMCs) tcarpenter@carpentertaylor.com (Thomas Carpenter's email) https://www.carpentertaylor.com/ (Thomas Carpenter's law firm's website) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-industry-lawyer-list (Complete list of travel industry specific attorneys)
Copenhagen is often thought of as the greenest city in the world. But they didn't earn that title by accident. We sit down with the CEO at Wonderful Copenhagen, Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, to learn about his approach to making change and his inspiring advice for leaders hoping to do the same. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
97% of Valencia's inhabitants live within 300 metres of green urban areas and it's set to be named 2024's Green Capital by the European Commission. A combination of brilliant data gathering, initiatives to improve liveability, and policies supporting Sustainability are making a huge positive impact on residents and visitors alike. We chat with Visit Valencia's Miguel Angel Perez Alba to learn more about the wins and challenges he's working with to keep making a difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Carbon Neutral by 2030: that's what Oslo is tirelessly working toward. From a harbour that's clean enough to swim in for the first time in years through to a huge uptake in EV adoption, Norway is already seeing the benefits of thinking long-term. In this chat with Anne-Signe Fagereng from Visit Oslo, we learn about how this progress is being made within tourism specifically, and the role marketing is playing in ensuring that tourism aligns with the city's larger goal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Glasgow has always been a city driven by innovation, and its ambition led it to be selected for hosting COP26 back in 2021. In two years, the legacy of the massive global event can still be felt in the city. Aileen Crawford sits down with us to discuss how and why Glasgow and its citizens are driving change forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There's only once scenario that Bernadett Papp and her team identified that will allow for tourism to meet Paris Agreement goals by 2030. And surprisingly, that solution still lets us travel –just a little differently. Learn more about the scenario, restrictions that are needed, and what people and governments need to do differently in order for tourism to continue to flourish. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We work in tourism every day, but how often do we zoom out and consider the industry from a birds eye view? Tourism is interconnected to so many aspects of our larger economies and so many of the world's issues are interrelated. Let's examine that with Dr. Ljubica Knežević Cvelbar and learn about the benefits that can come from changing our mindset and broadening our perspectives on the challenges we face. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Elephant in the Room: that's what some of Europe's travel leaders met in Sofia to discuss earlier this year. From climate emergencies to maintaining resident quality of life, there are solutions all over Europe that are addressing these externalities and changing the way cities are being managed. But is it enough? And is implementation happening quickly enough? We sat down with some of Europe's boldest leaders to learn about what is being done and what is holding them back. In this quick chat, we sit down with Elke Dens of the Travel Foundation to learn about how Visit Flanders took a different approach to measuring success. Elke shares tips for looking holistically at tourism to find solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As the CEO and Editor of JourneyWoman, Carolyn travels most of the year while leading an editorial team of writers and chairing the JourneyWoman Women's Advisory Council. She was named one of the most influential women in travel by TravelPulse in March 2023 for her work advocating for solo women's travel. She is the incoming chair of the Canadian chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), Women's Travel Leaders and a Herald for the Transformational Travel Council (TTC). https://journeywoman.com/
Heather Kindred, vice president-business development and education for Nexion Travel Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how Nexion trains and educates newbie travel advisors and more experienced advisors. For newbies, Kindred uses Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, a program that introduces the travel advisor profession, and one that is available to all potential advisors. For more information, visit www.nexion.com or www.travelleadersoftomorrow.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 124 Steph chats with Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion Travel Group about the advantages of joining a host, the best travel agent education, and going from salary to being an IC. A list of helpful resources for today's episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hostweek (Register for HAR's Host Week event!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/top-10-benefits-of-using-a-host-agency (Benefits of using a host agency.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/hosted-travel-advisor-report-2023 (HAR's 2023 Hosted Travel Advisor Research Report.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-training-travel-agent-education (List of training/educational opportunities for advisors.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/how-to-ask-questions-to-peers-on-social-media (How to ask questions to your travel industry peers on social media.) https://wanderlustceo.com/ (Wanderlust program) https://www.travelleadersoftomorrow.com/ (Travel Leaders of Tomorrow) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/hosted-travel-advisor-report-2023 (HAR's 2023 Hosted Travel Advisor Research Report.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/nexion/ (Nexion's profile on HAR) https://nexion.com or sales@nexion.com (Nexion's website, click on getting started) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hostweek (Register for Host Week! It's free. It's fun. It's full of info to grow your agency!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips! Join 30,000+ agents and subscribe to our newsletter: http://www.hostagencyreviews.com/newsletter
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 121 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting for Travel Leaders 365 about booking groups, payments done in installments, and ticketing vs. non-ticketing. A list of helpful resources for today's episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/speakers (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/events (HAR's free event calendar w/ over 100 industry events!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/group-booking-tips-travel-advisors-agents (10 Insider Group Booking Tips from Travel Advisors [+Infographic]) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/5-steps-to-finding-groups (5 Steps to Finding Groups) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/supplier-want-you-know-booking-groups (What Suppliers Want you to Know About Booking Groups) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter (Listen to advisors who specialize in booking groups! Use tag dropdown and select ‘groups') https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/ja-vonne-harley-advantage-international (Ja'Vonne Harley's educational trips with ~100 people around the world) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/ashley-morris-alpaca-your-bags-travel (Ashley Morris' destination wedding groups) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/valerie-gossett-premier-resources-travel-group (Valerie Gossett's cruise groups) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/will-medina-destination-weddings-expert (Will Medina destination wedding groups and processes) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/travel-agent-chatter-vol-3-be-well-travel (Deb Fogarty affinity group cruises and how she finds them) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-accreditation (Travel agency accreditation options — ARC and IATA ticketing/non-ticketing) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-gds (A primer on what the heck the GDS is!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-debit-memo (Everything you've ever wanted to know about debit memos) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (TL 365's profile on HAR) ltaylor@travelleaders365.com (Lindsay's email address) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 117 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting for Travel Leaders 365 about how travel agents deal with visas, website links, and how to break up with your host agency. Here's a list of helpful resources for today's episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/speakers (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) https://www.joinsherpa.com/ (Sherpa provides visas for travelers and a wealth of info! Best fit for agencies with a significant % of travelers needing visas) https://cibtvisas.com/ (CIBT visa services) https://g3visas.com/ (G3 visa services) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/tips-for-choosing-travel-agency-names (Tips for choosing your agency's name) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15/difference-of-tradeservice-markcopyright-trademark-process-costtime-mistakes (Trademark/servicemark process with trademark attorney on Friday 15 #58) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/host-agency-not-paying-commissions (What to do if host isn't paying out commissions) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/independent-travel-agent-contracts (Info on what to look for in contracts with host agencies) cibtllauer@travelleaders365.com (Lindsay's email address) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (TL 365's profile on HAR) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!) We do this every week! If you have travel industry questions, HAR likely has an answer :) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 112 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor-Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting at Travel Leaders 365 about umbrella liability policies and they can take the place for E&O insurance, travel industry jobs besides being a travel agent, and the downward trend on flights. Here's a list of helpful resources for today's episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agents-need-eo-insurance (Read more on what Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance is and what it does and doesn't cover.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-jobs (HAR's list of travel business jobs!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter (Hear how other advisors started out in the travel industry and how their old careers skillsets and networks transferred to being an advisor in HAR's other podcast, Travel Agent Chatter.) llauer@travelleaders365.com (Lindsay's email address) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (Travel Leaders 365's profile on HAR) We do this every week! If you have travel industry questions, HAR likely has an answer :) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!
Travel to Europe surged last summer after two years of pandemic-related restrictions, and this year is no different. The continent is undeniably busy — even busier than last summer, by many metrics. Travel advisors are grappling with planning travel to sometimes sold-out destinations, difficulty securing airfare, high prices and more. In this episode, we'll help navigate European travel this summer with the help of Lindsay Taylor-Lauer, director of luxury and hosting at Travel Leaders 365. We answer listener questions about dealing with sold-out suppliers, getting in touch with luxury operators and more. We're also starting a new Trade Secrets tradition: count how many times Jamie's microphone, which is on a spring-loaded stand, goes flying in an episode (spoiler: it's just once this time). This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises. https://www.windstarcruises.com/ Further resources: Travel Leaders 365 on the web Lindsay's email and Instagram Europe is busy this season! Articles from Emma and Jamie The Hive, from friend of the pod Whitney Shindelar Thanks to our friends at Travelmation for helping us solicit questions for this season! Need advice? Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098 Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com Theme song: Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
David Crooks, senior vice president of product and operations for World Travel Holdings, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the recent EDGE conference about why his cruise-selling powerhouse was selected as Travel Leaders Network's Affiliate of the Year. Crooks details how World Travel Holdings, parent of such agencies as Dream Vacations and CruiseOne, as well as many other travel brands, are growing their business (owned by Brad and Jeff Tolkin) to new heights after the pandemic. For more information, visit www.worldtravelholdings.com or www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 108 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor-Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting of Travel Leders 365, about seller of travel license, creating a business plan, and getting an Admirals Pass. A list of helpful resources for today's episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/survey (Sign up for reminders and to get the final reports here.) Take the survey, get the free report! https://hostagencyreviews.com/affiliate (Become a HAR course affiliate and earn 20% commission) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-license (Info on the 4 U.S. Seller of Travel registration states) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/canadian-regulations-travel-agencies-nutshell (Canadian Seller of Travel registration information.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-industry-lawyer-list (Travel industry attorney list) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/free-travel-agency-business-plan-template (HAR's free travel agency business plan template) https://courses.hostagencyreviews.com (HAR's course on starting an agency has a more in-depth and editable agency business plan PDF) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (More info on Travel Leaders 365) ltaylor@tl365.com (Lindsay's email) https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!
Dave Hershberger, owner of Prestige Travel in Cincinnati, last month won Travel Leaders Network 2023 Golden Legacy associate award, which recognizes outstanding professionalism and commitment both to the network and to the travel industry. In this interview, Hershberger talks about how his agency has grown over the years and how he got so involved with ASTA, for which he served as chairman, and with Travel Leaders itself. For more information, visit www.prestige-travel.com or www.travelleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how his agency members are doing so far in 2023 and how membership is growing. Block also details the latest new programs begun by Travel Leaders, including a new cruise booking system, an upgraded Intranet, a upcoming overall booking system and improvements to Travel Leaders' Agent Profiler. For more information, visit www.travelleadersnetwork or www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last week's Travel Leaders Network EDGE conference in Nashville about where the network stands today and how its members have recovered from the pandemic period. Lovell details how Travel Leaders is leveraging the power of its parent Internova Travel Group, what sales look like for 2023 and into 2024, and why he believes now is the absolute “best time” to be a travel advisor. For more information, visit www.traveleadersnetwork.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Travel Agent Chatter | Starting and Growing Your Travel Agency
Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 104 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor-Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting for Travel Leaders 365 about using an EIN for two agents and how to do taxes, becoming an independent agent and getting the best rates with suppliers, and what to do if a client finds a better rate than you did. A list of helpful resources for today's episode: har.news/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0cSwYJxyOU&t=17658s (Lindsay's Host Week presentation: How to Make Your Clients Crave the Travel that You Sell) har.news/survey (Sign up for reminders and to get the final reports here.) https://hostagencyreviews.com/tac (Find all the Travel Agent Chatter episodes, including our newest!) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-industry-lawyer-list (List of travel industry attorneys) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-business-structures (Article going over the different types of business structures) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-commissions (List of commission ranges by supplier type) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/3-ways-travel-agents-save-you-money (3 Real-Life Ways Travel Agents Save You Money) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-vs-booking-online (Advantages of using a travel agent vs. booking online) llauer@travelleaders.com365.com (Lindsay's email) https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/travel-leaders-365 (Travel Leaders 365's HAR profile) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!
“We started focusing purely on water, sanitation, hygiene, education, because that's the starting point, but it's the starting point to so much more. It's the starting point to better health, more safety, better education, food security, gender equality, climate action; the impacts are significant right across the board.” -Fiona Jeffery On World Water Day, join Caroline and Fiona Jeffery, the founder of Just a Drop, in this episode as they discuss the inspiration behind the charity. Fiona started Just a Drop after working in the travel and tourism industry, where she saw a lack of effort in protecting the environment and giving back to communities. Through her research, she discovered that a child was dying every 17 seconds from dirty water, leading her to create a grassroots charity that supports communities around the world with sustainable water solutions, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education. Fiona and Caroline explore the connection between sustainable travel and Just a Drop's work. They share specific examples of the charity's programs in Cambodia, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Uganda, where they have provided appropriate low-tech and sustainable solutions to meet the communities' specific needs. Just a Drop aims to make a lasting difference in communities and give people the hope and belief that they can take ownership of their futures. Since 2016, Euromonitor International has been one of Just a Drop's headline charity partners. Our involvement has helped the charity's programs and projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, benefiting over 20,000 people. Millions of women walk for hours every day, just to collect water. But how far would you go? For World Water Day, Just a Drop are challenging people to scroll through one woman's 9km walk to the well and back – the longest Twitter thread ever made. Click here to take on the challenge: https://twitter.com/Just_a_Drop/status/1635366676932751392 For more info on The Walk to the Well, click here. To learn more about how Euromonitor can help your business embrace sustainability, visit our website.
Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network (TLN), gives Dawn Barclay of Insider Travel Report an update on his consortium, which is the largest in the U.S. in terms of number of member agencies. Block details what TLN has accomplished over the past year, what sales look like for 2023, and what the future holds. For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
A fixture on the Indy Scene for many years, these two former radio and TV icons are in charge of their own travel agency! Find out more about their passion for adventure, all the while making sure their dog Reggie is well cared for at home.Exciting and entertaining, you'll love hearing from John and Ann Craig-Cinnamon.Let's go!!!(***contact....Travel Headquarters 317 709-4609***)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Heather Kindred, CTIE, vice president-business development and education for host agency Nexion Travel Group and program director for Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the CoNexion conference last month about all the training and education programs Nexion has for both experienced advisors and those new to the industry. Discover how Nexion provides one of the most extensive and in-depth training programs for advisors both virtually and in-person. For more information, visit www.nexion.com or www.travelleadersoftomorrow.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Cindy Tyo of North Dakota's Travel Travel, the recipient of the Travel Leaders Network's Associate of the Year Award for 2022, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her award and her travel agency. The award honors the top travel agency among hundreds of Travel Leaders Network associate member locations nationwide. For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Sara Butruff of Minnesota's Galaxy Travel talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about getting the Golden Legacy Award, the agency group's highest honor given to a travel advisor who exhibits outstanding professionalism and commitment to both Travel Leaders and to the travel industry as a whole. The award, which Butruff received last month at Travel Leaders' EDGE conference, honors an associate whose career achievements best exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and highest quality standards of the franchise system. For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network (TLN), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last week's TLN Edge conference in Aurora, Colo., about what his giant travel agency group is up to today as we emerge from the pandemic, including new training programs, augmented marketing delivering leads and a proposed new dedicated res system for all TLN agencies and advisors. For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.
Cyndi and Mike will discuss about Travel Leaders Network and their significance in the Travel Industry. https://www.travelleadersnetwork.com/ www.careersonvacation.com/readynow
Join Caroline Bremner for the latest Travel Leaders Podcast in conversation with PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera. Liz gives us the latest update from Asia Pacific on tourism recovery, where there is cautious optimism based on pent up demand and increasing flight capacity as the region reopens. Liz outlines PATA's work in vaccine equity to ensure a sustainable recovery. Finally, Liz shares best practice, outlining how crisis triggers the best type of innovation out of urgency as true needs are sharpened.
Join Caroline Bremner as she speaks to Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability at WTTC and Megan Morikawa, Global Sustainability Office Director at Iberostar. Chris walks us through the key findings of WTTC's Roadmap to Net Zero where urgency is required to accelerate a sustainable transition for travel businesses. While Megan outlines the importance of making decarbonization a reality in destinations to the net benefit of local communities and preserving fragile coastal ecosystems. Want to learn more? Check out Caroline's article about green tech innovation in tourism.
How Lynn's journey from corporate marketing (starting with Disney) led to a partnership in four Travel Leaders locations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this episode, Lynn will share her journey as well as how she and her partner are reacting and recovering in the COVID-19 storm. Belief in the value of retail locations and how the shelter at home orders have changed the way they work. Her affirmation that you are only as good as your team- the steps she took to keep from laying off as few as possible. The Perfect Storm that is COVID-19 The value of belonging to a paid mastermind program with your peers. The importance of their relationship with Travel Leaders in reacting quickly to the changing business environment. How they will operate going forward How long she predicts a recovery back to pre COVID booking levels Current trends for 2021 and 2022 Any regrets? Three things she wish she knew before becoming an agency owner. Lynn's definition of "The Wealthy Travel Agent." This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy