TUI adventure travel boss calls for better training
January 9, 2010
A lack of knowledge of the adventure travel sector is holding agents back from taking advantage of a £180 million market (European).
Read the full story by Edward Robertson featured in Travel Weekly.
Intrepid launches agent-only web site
December 30, 2009
Adventure travel specialist Intrepid Travel has unveiled a dedicated web site for North American travel agents. Found at http://www.intrepidagent.com , the site is multi-functional and will not only track individual agent’s sales, but offer product quizzes — complete with prizes — free downloadable marketing resources, details on new promotions (such as the Aeroplan promotion where customers can earn 500 Aeroplan Miles on bookings over $1,000), and provide a link to each agent’s BDM.
Plus, agents will earn fun awards for booking with Intrepid. Cumulative annual sales under $5,000 (Bronze level) will earn a handy little phone detangler. Reach the Silver level ($5,000 mark) and get an Intrepid water bottle; Gold status ($10,000) earns a nifty set of packing cubes; while sales hitting $15,000 will earn agents a solar charger. And at the top level of $25,000, agents receive a flip camcorder.
“Though we’ve been present in the North American market for only 18 months, we’re so pleased to see the support we’re getting from our agents,” says Steven Larkin president, North America for Intrepid. “It’s clear they love the diversity of product we have and our belief in sustainable travel – and we love working with them.” Intrepid offers more than 650 itineraries to over 120 countries, with durations from as short as a few hours to as long as six months.
To join the program, contact your BDM (in Eastern North America, it’s Katie Olsson at kolsson@intrepidtravel.com or for Western North America, it’s Kate Rosen at krosen@intrepidtravel.com) for your username and password.
Specialty Travel Agents Tighten Bonds with Adventure Travel Trade
March 2, 2009
(SEATTLE) – March 3, 2009 – Building and strengthening ties between specialized travel agents and the tour operators and ground suppliers who offer adventure travel product throughout the global adventure travel community is the key aim behind a newly forged alliance announced today by the Specialty Travel Agents Association (STAA) and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Under the agreement, collaboration between both associations includes the creation of new channels of communications that help to bring qualified travel agents specializing in adventure travel product before the adventure travel network, and members of the adventure network before the certified and specially trained agents. Specifically, members of the STAA (www.specialtytravelagents.com) who join the ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) will now have access to communicate vis-à-vis business-to-business online networking in the ATTA’s new digital networking space, The Hub, which is set to launch March 4, 2009, as well as through shared Webinar programs and during the ATTA’s 2009 Adventure Travel World Summit (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com).
According to ATTA President Mr. Shannon Stowell, adventure travel tour operators within the ATTA community continue to predict an increasingly important role specialized adventure travel agents will play in the coming years. “Through recent survey research, much event feedback and extensive discussions with operators, we’re finding increasing interest in developing stronger bonds between agents and operators,” said Stowell. “Our partnership will help to advance this mutual interest, and as a result, we fully expect to see immediate returns that helps both sets of professionals to grow their networks, the industry and in the end, bring more knowledge, value and support to adventure travelers worldwide.”
An exchange of cross-promotional and marketing support between both organizations, as well as mutual discounts for membership, resources and events within the respective organizations, is also a part of the cooperative agreement.
“This bringing together of agents and tour operators builds trusted connections that will give our members the best opportunities to succeed,” said Sandy McDowell, STAA president. “We see STAA agents adding to their bottom line. Any STAA agent can expand their client’s experience to include adventure travel in almost any destination they serve. Connecting with this professional supplier base from ATTA represents great new resources for all involved. We’re keen to tap into prospective adventure travel partners who are eager to realize the potential growth that agents can contribute, and in turn, to lean in and learn much more about supporting the outreach efforts of our supplier counterparts who offer a compelling depth and breadth of adventure travel.”
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About the STAA:
STAA is a premier resource working to develop and promote agent members who have specialized in a destination or niche market. By putting all specialty agent members, industry suppliers and CVB’s under the umbrella of STAA’s efforts, the goal of connecting travelers with the right specialist is accomplished and the rewards are shared by the travelers, the agents as well as industry service providers.
STAA’s website is a connection resource linking specialty travel agents with travelers and ultimately their desired destinations, placing all the options for specialized travel in one easily searchable place on the Internet for consumers to utilize. STAA’s website is a professional and sophisticated approach to facilitate the connections between people and places.
For additional information on joining STAA, advertising on the website, or for an interview and further information contact Public Relations Director, Joanne Sanborn at jsanborn@specialtytravelagents.com, 810.629.2386 or visit www.specialtytravelagents.com.
About the ATTA
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market. ATTA members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, specialty travel agents, guides, accommodations, media and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive conferences (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com), the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members.
Media Contacts:
Chris Doyle, ATTA Vice President
916.847.0261 cdoyle@adventuretravel.biz
Joanne Sanborn, STAA
810.629.2386
Feature Coming Soon!
January 1, 2008
Stay tuned for the first feature article in this section.
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