By Mark Murphy
Back in July, I wrote a column for our sister site, www.TravelPulse.com, which focused on anything but luxury travel. It was geared to finding opportunities around your local community and specifically with sports teams and the many tournaments they travel to. I was surprised at the negative comments ...
By James Shillinglaw
We’re calling this annual issue of Agent@Home “Luxury on Stage” since the sale of luxury travel is a topic that’s always of prime interest to you as agents working from home. Indeed, I’ve often described the luxury market as the “Holy Grail” of travel for independent agents, since it affords ...
By Annita Pagliasso
Watch what you say to clients…watch what clients say to you
The story goes that as a child George Washington chopped down the backyard cherry tree and then admitted the whole sordid affair to his beloved father. “I cannot tell a lie,” he supposedly said afterward. “It was ...
By Stacey H. Small
Pay attention to the people you meet along the way
A few days ago, I received an email from a client with this in the subject line: “XYZ Hotel is very nice, but…” I was almost afraid to open it, since the “but” was a clear giveaway that ...
By Jeff Miller
How to protect yourself if you sell high-end travel to upscale clients
Over the past several years, more agents working from home and host agencies have continued to expand their marketing efforts to attract more luxury travel business as a result of the continued diversification of the travel industry. ...
By Cory Andrichuck
How you can maximize your fam trip experience to produce more sales
Consistent and updated product knowledge has always been the key to success in any industry. The travel industry is no exception, especially when it comes to successfully matching your client with the product that ...
By Stuart Cohen
Ways you can counter the discounting mania in sales today
“I give you very good price, $1.50 just for you.”
“No. I want lower.”
“That is lower. $2.50 was price last week. Last year, same trip, $5.00. $1.50 very good price for you.”
“No. You have ...
By Mark Marchev
There’s no time like the present to reach out to a client with a phone call
There’s an old saying that reminds us, “If it could be said, it probably already has been said.” You would probably be wise if you didn’t quote me word for word, but regardless ...
By Penney Rudicil
Solutions for computer meltdowns, international calling and business cards
My friends and colleagues call me “the gadget girl” because I love technology and learning about new products and services available. Although I use what I consider to be the most up-to-date technology, I enjoy hearing from you regarding products ...
By Stacey Zable
How you can take part in year two of the country’s travel specialist program
Travel to the Philippines comes alive when you take the Philippines Specialist Program from the Philippine Department of Tourism, available at Travel Agent Academy (www.TravelAgentAcademy.com).Year two of the program launched this summer, featuring updates to ...
By Jane Jamison
Register now for the only trade event that focuses exclusively on what you sell
Be sure to mark your calendars for the second annual Virtual Vacation Expo. The two-day “live” event, sponsored by Vacation Agent magazine, sister publication to Agent@Home, is slated for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, and ...
By Kate Rice
Berta Aizen keeps luxury top of mind to achieve her goals
Berta Aizen’s motto is “Aim high.” Dallas-based Aizen, who is affiliated with Frosch Travel, focused on her goal to sell $4 million a year—and made it in 2008. This year she might fall short, since some of her ...
By Kate Rice
Top upscale agents offer tips for truly understanding your luxury clients
Picture this. It’s August in Venice, Italy. A couple walks into St. Mark’s Basilica alone. Outside wait the masses, inside it’s just them. For a moment the church is theirs and theirs alone. And it’s an exquisitely timed ...
By James Shillinglaw
An essay on how you can develop a luxury expertise even in this economy
Back in the mid-1990s, a decade where wealth seemed to be spreading quickly across the American population, Thomas Stanley and William Danko wrote a book called “The Millionaire Next Door.” Their thesis was that many ...
By Mimi Kmet
Today’s affluent passengers seek enriching experiences and personalized service
Luxury cruising certainly isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the mandatory black-tie dinners and assigned seating on most luxury lines. Gone are the strict schedules and, in many cases, the added onboard costs. Today’s luxury cruises cater ...
By James Shillinglaw
The line’s new Odyssey offers a revolutionary luxury experience
When you first see Seabourn Odyssey, it looks similar to other vessels in the line’s fleet, but a whole lot larger—which, of course, it is. Indeed, at 450 passengers, 333 crew and 32,000 gross registered tons, the ship is nearly ...
By Kerry Medina
High-end hotels are switching gears to meet a changed economic climate
Luxury products and services are often considered recession-proof, but the current economic times are bucking this historic resilience and that includes the hotel industry’s top-tier brands. In June, for example, the Leading Hotels of the World (www.lhw.com) ...
By David Cogswell
Top trends in the changing market for luxury tour programs
In recent years the luxury tour market has chalked up solid gains and has proved itself to be resilient in the face of economic challenges. But the current global recession has put pressure on all markets across the board. ...
By Kate Rice
This new social networking site puts your travel expertise in front of consumers
It’s time for you to join the Tribe—TravelTribe.com, that is! TravelTribe.com, a sister company to Performance Media Group, LLC, publisher of this magazine, is a travel-centric social networking website that connects travelers, travel agents, suppliers and ...
By Mark Chestnut
The Big Easy is back on its feet with new and improved hotels, tours and attractions
Gazing out from the rooftop pool at the elegant Hotel Monteleone, one would be hard-pressed to guess that a powerful hurricane named Katrina had ever ravaged this city on the Mississippi River. ...
By Mimi Kmet
These high-end hotels have become an integral part of the Las Vegas landscape
Luxury hotels have become an integral part of the Las Vegas landscape over the past 10 years. The Strip arguably has more luxury properties on its six-mile stretch than anywhere in the world, and even more ...
By Kerry Medina
Florida now offers even more lodging options for your customers
According to the Ypartnership 2009 National Travel Monitor, Florida reigns as the dream destination for American leisure travelers, with one-third (34 percent) mentioning the state as one they would like to visit most during the next two years. Florida ...
By Melanie Reffes
The latest on accomodations scene on this popular Caribbean island
In the midst of a punishing recession and fierce competition for the tourist dollar, Jamaica remains on solid ground with a strong start in arrivals for this year, with the largest attraction sector in the Caribbean and accommodations that rival ...
By James Ruggia
A range of accommodations and experiences makes these islands easy to sell
The Cayman Islands, located in the Western Caribbean about 400 miles south of Miami, are easy to reach and offer a strong product for you to sell to several key markets, including families, groups, snorkelers and divers, ...
By David Cogswell
Tour operators are offering high-value packages
In spite of a string of bad publicity over swine flu and some civil disturbances far from the tourist areas, Mexico remains one of the best vacation destinations for Americans. It has some of the world’s best beach resorts as well as some ...
By Mark Chestnut
Costa Rica is welcoming a host of new hotels and branded resorts
Costa Rica has long been a focus for hotel growth in Central America, welcoming ever more international brands as well as unique small properties to its inventory. Even with the economic downturn affecting the tourism industry, Costa ...
By James Ruggia
Switzerland offers a unique combination of sublime experiences and natural beauty
Speaking at the Swiss Travel Mart in the alpine lakeside city of Lucerne, Jurg Schmid, CEO of Switzerland Tourism, took a broad view of the world’s economic malaise and focused on how it will change the reasons people ...
By Robert Selwitz
Louis Cruises is an affordable way to see the glories of Greece and Turkey
As an island and seafaring nation, Greece is often best experienced by ship. Many lines offer sailings that include Greek islands, but there’s only one that does it full time and exclusively. Much less publicized ...
By James Ruggia
There may be no better time to visit the classic Thai destination of Chiang Mai
In the late 14th century, a group of Buddhist monks followed a white elephant into the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. They were looking for the sacred animal to give them a sign that would ...
By Mimi Kmet
Suppliers wishing to submit fam information for publication in Agent@Home must submit the information to Mimi Kmet at mimik@pmgemail.com at least three months prior to the departure date of a fam tour or the expiration date of a fam rate.
Abercrombie & Kent
A&K is offering a Morocco ...