Vacation.com's vice-president, Canada Christine James with president and CEO Steve Tracas
Matt Djorsev of Thomas Cook chatting with Teddy Boyce of Gala Travel
Tourcan's Phillip Solomon with
Augrey Schmidt from Anderson Vacations
Hektor Kaczuga of Globus
In our business, loyalty is the name of the game – and it’s clear Vacation.com wants to keep its agents loyal. Apart from biweekly “mixers” between managers and suppliers, regional conferences and trade shows keep everyone in touch with updates in the biz.
Take the recent one at the Days Hotel in west Toronto. Some 85 agents showed up to mingle and learn with their colleagues and preferred suppliers. When better than on a damp and gloomy Thursday to talk cruises…ITCs…and the charms of Europe?
Speaking of finger on the pulse, it was interesting to chat with suppliers about trends for Winter 10/11.
Sunwing/Signature’s Lorraine Brisbois was touting the company’s new “Mojito Mondays” (a different Cuba product on sale every week, for a week); while Silverseas’ Cheryl Topalian comments that the free air and transfers, including Canadian gateways, is hot, along with the $250 US shipboard credit (which just, hot off the presses, has been added to 27 departures in 2011).
Matt Djorsev of TCook says lots of pax like FIT: “Durations like 9 or 11 days are proving more and more popular each year.” Globus’ Hektor Kaczuga pointed out that river cruising is going to be an even hotter item next year: “Avalon appeals to big ship cruise clients – and once they try small ship cruising they’ll never go back!” Vacation.com prez and CEO Steve Tracas agrees that cruising is growing by leaps and bounds. “The value, plus the first class service and newness of ships is unbeatable.”
It was also interesting to ask agents what they enjoyed most about the day. Clearly technology is still on the radar: Dundas Travel and Tours’ Luisa De Cando told me that the Power Sales Session led by Steve Crowhurst was a hit with her. “His session gave me a helping hand to get on to Twitter.” Jatinder Singh of YTB travel agreed, “We heard how we can effectively use Twitter – not just to sell but to stir clients’ curiosity and make them want to call you.”
The “call it as you see it” award goes to Mike Kolosowski of Blue Mark Travel for saying that the highlight of the day was the gin and tonic he was enjoying. But I loved it when Teddy Boyce (Gala Travel) told me he enjoys the fellowship most of all. A low-tech response…but you know what? It’s one of the reasons so many of us stay in this biz.
