The Most Valuable Travel Networks for Travel Agents Who Are Just Starting Out
It’s tough to build your base in this competitive industry, but these three travel networks will connect you with resources for success.
As we’ve mentioned before, consumers these days are less and less inclined to plan their own vacations. As a result, the best tools for travel help agents and consumers book trips with more ease.
For example — Travel Networks are quickly becoming 2018’s hottest and most effective method for agents to reach, engage, and plan trips with new clients. For a small concierge fee, travelers can quickly align themselves with an agent who specializes in the destinations of their dreams. Who wouldn’t want that?
Signature Travel Group has partnerships with over 1,000 hotels globally, 30 different cruise lines, and a serious number of member perks that can equal to over $500 worth of travel amenities for their subscribers. Additionally, those who pay for travel planning services receive 24/7 trip advising from one of their 7,000 travel consultants.
What about the benefits for agents?
These large travel networks (sometimes referred to as consortiums) allow agents, travel vendors, and hospitality brands to partner with each other to provide a more holistic vacation or trip planning experience.
When all players within a travel network come together, agents are able to boost their buying power and leverage more amenities and concessions for clients. The benefits of joining are different with every consortia, but some key benefits to look for when selecting an agency include:
- Marketing Programs: Your network should be helping you to build your client base as an agent. If you find yourself wanting a little more leverage in that pursuit of reaching new clients, check out our app — created specifically with travel agents like yourself in mind.
- Agent Training: It takes more than a love of a travel and a passport to be a quality travel agent. Your travel network should place an emphasis on training you to understand and assess your clients needs along with the modern travel landscape at large.
- Referral Programs: Be careful. Some networks are less of a “partnership” and more of a marketing scheme that doesn’t care about their agents. If they’re not helping you build your client base, why even bother with joining one? Screen the referral programs of every network you’re considering to see if it aligns with your needs.
Which travel consortiums are the best?
To start, not everyone can join any travel network. So you’ll need to be aware that there’s a certain level of exclusivity at play. Most agencies and independent consultants are required to have met an minimum sales volume to be invited to join in the first place, for example. But once you’ve hit your stride as an agency or travel consultant, consider the following:
1. AAA — For agents that prefer a sure thing
The automotive roadside assistance giant, AAA, has long been a silent heavy weight in the travel industry due to its amazing perks and concierge travel service for members. Agents can apply directly to work for AAA as a travel consultant, meaning this is a great full-time with benefits stepping stone for a freshly starting out agent.
AAA’s biggest benefit? Complete travel agent training. AAA often recruits agents that have just completed their education and offers them a sort of apprenticeship as a travel counselor before being moved into an agent role.
So if you’re still getting your travel business off the ground, their program might be worth a look.
2. Travel Leaders Network — Perfect for agents who want the perks
With over 35,000 agents worldwide and $17 billion in gross annual revenue, the Travel Leaders Network (TLN) is considered one of the most popular travel consortia in the world.
Having recently completed a partnership/acquisition with Vacation.com, TLN is in the unique position to offer agents lead generation services and a host of other marketing technology resources.
Independent contractors are encouraged to join and align with host agencies to make their lead generation and marketing experience more seamless, and potential host agencies can apply to join via the TLN website.
TLN’s Biggest Benefit? Thanks to their Vacations.com partnership, TLN offers members perks such as the “Engagement Marketing Tool”, and the “Agent Profiler” tools which will let you generate leads from users who visit their website — this could be huge in regards to ramping up your sales development efforts.
3. Virtuoso — For agents who want to build their luxury brand
As another popular travel network offering, Virtuoso travel “advisors” are known for serving luxury travel experience across 41 countries.
Thanks to a combination of experiential marketing, Virtuoso Travel Week, and their ability to offer nearly $1,000 worth of travel perks for select destinations makes this one of the hottest networks for agents to be aligned with.
The trend-setting agency is perfect for niche agents who are looking to build a very tailored client list, while also wanting the visibility that comes with a more generic service.
Virtuoso’s biggest benefit? Their sponsored events are some of the travel industry’s most popular gatherings. Agents have the opportunity to establish themselves as a industry expert via their symposiums, conferences. and regional travel forums — all of which have an average attendance well into the thousands.
