With many agents making the most of pandemic-necessitated downtime to brush up on their professional skills or simply keep up with the latest developments in destinations or with important suppliers, there’s been a flurry of activity in the industry’s virtual classrooms.
“Suppliers are engaged and really have the time and energy to connect with agents (while bookings are slow),” noted Nexion Canada president Mike Foster recently. “It’s been really good for agents who want to connect with suppliers – they’ve got this opportunity that they may never have had before to really engage with them.”
Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Dr. Mario Hardy agrees, stating, “The current pandemic has allowed many tourism professionals to take this opportunity to increase their knowledge and education, thus improving their careers and products. Furthermore, destinations are struggling during these unprecedented times to find meaningful avenues to engage with various stakeholders…. (eLearning) is the perfect opportunity for travel professionals to develop insights into various destinations, while destinations can effectively engage with travel professionals in a meaningful manner.”
With this in mind, here’s a look at some of the recent educational news from across the travel industry spectrum:
AMAWATERWAYS
“The Danube River with AmaWaterways” is the newest course offered by the luxury river cruise line in its AmaAcademy. Also launched last week was a second virtual Marketing Suitcase promoting group business.
The course, consisting of four lessons, spotlights Amas’ offerings on the Danube River – and provides details on experiences available for guests sailing AmaMagna’s “Magna on the Danube” itinerary.
Available to travel advisors through the Travel Advisor Portal on the AmaWaterways website, the course material was designed to help advisors grow their river cruise sales. Those who make a reservation with a deposit within 90 days of completing the new course qualify to earn a $50 digital Mastercard.
Meanwhile the Marketing Suitcase focuses on group, charter and part-charter business and features industry training video company execs who share everything from best practices to group policies. There is also access to a host of customizable marketing materials. (Agents must complete the first virtual Marketing Suitcase on the Danube and Rhine Rivers before accessing the second group-related one.)
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line has launched a new Future Cruise Credit (FCC) Toolkit designed to support travel advisors on the many ways they can use FCC’s to assist their clients and grow their business.
With many guests opting for future cruise credits on cancelled sailings, Carnival says FCCs represent a huge opportunity for travel advisors to grow their business as their clients have already expressed an interest in booking their next cruise and have committed funds toward that next booking.
Available via a dedicated page on GoCCL.com, the toolkit includes:
• Lead reporting tool to help agencies note and follow up on pending FCC’s
• Communications schedule to help travel advisors organize client follow-ups
• Easy to use templates for FCC-focused emails, letters and phone calls
• Personalization tools for agents to customize messages based on client needs and interests.
• A video from Carnival BDMs who share effective selling and marketing tips for agents to utilize FCCs to assist their clients on future bookings.
G ADVENTURES
A recent survey conducted by G Adventures suggests that millennials will be the first to return to travel (internationally by the middle of 2021). With this in mind, the company has launched new tools and resources to support agents, including a new online training program designed with “the right tools and actionable steps to both reach and convert the millennial market,” plus a dedicated “Agents of Change” Facebook community. The tour operator says its GPS (global purpose specialist) team is also available to assist with one-on-one coaching and education.
INSIGHT VACATIONS
The final level of Insight’s eLearning program – the Gold Level – has been designed to provide a deep dive into all that is new at the tour operator for 2021-22. The course highlights some of the best sellers in The Americas and Europe and Beyond as well as new developments, including well-being protocols for the pandemic and the “Peace of Mind Promise.”
Beyond increasing knowledge, agents who complete the new course will become eligible for future FAM trips and Advisor discounts on trips.
For details, go to the TTC Agent Academy.
PATA
The just-launched Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) eLearning Platform for travel agents, tourism professionals, and destination marketers features free online courses that allow participants the opportunity to watch videos, complete assignments, and earn a certificate while learning from travel professionals and experts eager to share their knowledge.
Current coursework is available for Palau, Kenya, The Marianas, Tahiti, Bangladesh, Guam, Kiribati and Macao, China.
The destination platform is developed and promoted within the OTT agent training platform, which is accessed by over 150,000 travel professionals worldwide.
SILVERSEA CRUISES
Silversea Cruises’ enhanced digital training platform now offers 18 training modules. Among the new courses are:
• “Selling Silversea,” which provides a comprehensive understanding of the cruise line, its intimate ships, and its broad range of visited destinations
• “Expedition Cruise Expert,” delivering an in-depth knowledge of the luxury expedition cruise experience
• Various modules that cover ships’ public spaces, restaurants, suites, and voyages
• Plus, several modules are dedicated to visited destinations, from Africa and the Indian Ocean to South America and more
The platform also offers easy access to the MySilversea.com portal, where travel partners can view and manage bookings, as well as leverage the tools of Marketing Central to create effective campaigns that feature high-impact, customizable marketing materials. There is also a convenient “Meet the Team” tab to connect travel advisors with their Silversea sales support team.
Each module takes an average of 20 minutes to complete. Travel partners are invited to participate in a quiz at the end of each module and are awarded a certificate upon their successful completion. Moreover, CLIA elective certification credits will be earned upon completion.
Travel agents who complete a training module will be entered into a monthly draw, held for three months, for a chance to win a US$200 gift card. Register HERE.