The five tips below will help you, as a travel professional, talk about yourself to clients. Use these tips to promote and explain your certifications, expertise, industry relationships and your commitment to the travel industry.
1. Expertise
Experienced travel professionals know the market and can match clients with a better product than they can find by searching the internet. They’ve been there, done that, and can often speak to the experience from firsthand knowledge and continuing their education and training. An agent certified by The Travel Institute is a highly qualified travel professional who can talk through multiple options, handle the complex reservation process and enable clients to focus on the fun and the trip of a lifetime! If you are certified, make sure you are listed on our FREE certified travel agent directory.
2. Advocate
Clients miss a flight or a cruise ship? Arrive at the wrong hotel? If something goes wrong before or during their trip, a certified travel agent will work hard to get your vacation back on track. They have the relationships and experience to rectify the situation.
3. Resources and Relationships
Certified travel agents have a variety of tools and contacts that consumers can’t access or don’t know about. Often, they can get you a better airplane seat, added amenities at hotels, room upgrades, event tickets and access to special activities. They stay updated to know if vaccines or visas are needed for any destination. Things change daily and travel professionals must stay updated.
4. Convenience
Your clients’ time is valuable, so allow them to let a certified travel agent research and plan the memorable dream vacation. A certified agent can help define what you want to get out of your travels and present options that fulfill or exceed your desires. They can book everything for you, from hotel and air to spa appointments and dining.
5. Save Money, Add Value
A certified travel agent can often save you money even if charging a fee, due to their exclusive relationships and in-depth knowledge of suppliers, which also saves you time and effort. And there are a lot of value-adds that most consumers don’t even know about that a certified agent can bring to your travel planning. Some have inside information on the best times to visit different locations depending on the season, special events or even weather. They sometimes even know what the next “it” destinations are going to be before they become overcrowded.
