TPI travel planner Bill Hughes and travel and elite cruise consultant Linda Dinsmore with Chad Kowalenko, market sales manager at Celebrity Cruises.
Christine Winchester, director of sales for Western Canada at TPI.
Virtuoso travel advisor Carol Thornton and travel advisor Lorianne Gerbrand of Clearblue Travel.
Representing Hawaii Tourism, Lea-Ann Goltz, account manager for Western Canada at VoX International.
Representing Sandals and Beaches, Winston Chang, business development manager for Western Canada at Unique Vacations Canada.
Some 25 home-based TPI travel advisors enjoyed rubbing shoulders with fellow agents at the TPI Summit in Vancouver this week.
The day’s jam-packed itinerary included everything from partner presentations from Allianz, WestJet Vacations and Royal Caribbean, to tips on how to utilize TPI tools, Virtuoso and social media promotion.
The event was the second stop on TPI’s Western Canada summit tour, which sees 140 travel advisors attend events in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon, alongside an impressive selection of industry partners including Globus, Transat, Collette and G Adventures.
“Today is about how to navigate business to be successful,” Christine Winchester, TPI’s director of sales for Western Canada told Open Jaw. “Our number one priority is our advisors, so today is all about how to attract new clients, the importance of attending events and supporting suppliers, social media and how to embrace new technology. This industry is ever-changing and every day you can learn something new.”
Embracing change is something Winchester knows a lot about, having transitioned from a storefront travel agent to a home based TPI travel advisor herself back in 2006.
“I worked at an agency for 14 years and I gave my heart and soul to the agency,” she explained. “The home-based industry was really starting to take off and I could see that it was a more cost-effective way to do business because I could pass my savings from overheads on to my clients.
“Within the first year I had made more sales than I ever did at a storefront agency. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner!
“So I understand those who move from storefront to home-based businesses. My role as director of sales is a labour of love because I get to see other agents grow and succeed.
“Nobody looks at our industry and thinks you can make a six-figure income, but travel advisors do, because they eat, sleep and breathe travel.”
Vickie Sam Paget Western Correspondent
Hailing from the UK, Vickie Sam Paget is a travel and tourism storyteller located in Vancouver, BC. When she’s not on the road, creating engaging travel content or gazing at the North Shore Mountains, you can usually find her curled up with a good book or sipping a pint of the good stuff in her local Irish bar.
