Travel Agent Professional May 2015

Travel AgentProfessional

May 2015Issue 36

Go the Extra Mile — What We Do Best

By Cindy Bertram

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=11





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Travel Agent Professional TA

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Ad In

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64 Oceans of Profits in Worldwide Destination Cruise SalesBy Mitchell J. Schlesinger

President, MJS Consultants

68 Go the Extra Mile — What We Do BestBy Cindy Bertram

Cindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

12 Points To Ponder By Les-Lee Roland

Owner of The Package Deal

16 New Developments New OpportunitiesBy Paull Tickner

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Royal Caribbean Line ....................BC

May 2015 Issue 36

Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the firstmagazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abelsran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfa-ther, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they tookthe publication over after her grandfather’s passing.

Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agentindustry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agentsthroughout North America. It spawned a famous series of trade showsand three monthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and HomeBased Trade.

The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the NealAward, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hit-ting editorials.

On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and stay-ing with him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man.He was like a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by hisword and believed in his work. There will never be another.

While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping thatthis new publication, which reunites the original Home Based Tradeeditorial board, will be able to carry on his passion for travel andthose who sell it.

Ann M. Hoek

Travel Agent ProfessionalP.O. Box 120198

Staten Island, NY 10312E-mail:

[email protected]:

718.360.3153

Ann M. HoekPublisher/Creative Design

[email protected]

Bonnie WallingEditor

[email protected]

Alan CohenVice President Marketing

[email protected]

Meet Our Editorial Board

Paull Tickner,Creator of Special Interest Britain

[email protected]

Cindy Bertram,Cindy’s Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

[email protected]

Mitchell J. SchlesingerPresident, MJS Consultants

[email protected]

Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises

www.shellbackcruises.com

Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal

Sherry Laskin, ACCTravel Writer/NACTA Webinar Moderator

www.cruisemaven.com

Sue Sh apiro, PresidentShapiro Travel [email protected]

www.shapirotravelresources.com

Joel M. Abels Legend In the Travel Industry

April 1927 to January 2007

May 2015

The opinions expressed in these columns are solely those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the views of Travel Agent Professional.

This online magazine is dedicated tothe memory of Joel Abels, Travel

Trade's editor and publisher. Joel andhis life's work may be gone, but with

your help it can live on.

Travel AgentProfessional

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Travel Agent Professional

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May 2015

Follow the trends and dramaticallyenhance your profitability

The cruise industry, via CLIA and individual lines,

offer travel sellers a myriad of sales, marketing

and product training programs designed to

enhance professionalism and business skills. By

taking advantage of these programs and applying

these lessons to your key cruise target markets,

you can achieve the goal of selling more cruises,

earn higher commissions and do so in a way that

is effective, efficient and more profitable.

By Mitchell J. SchlesingerPresident, MJS [email protected]

4Oceans of Profits inWorldwide Destination

Cruise Sales

It is critical that you take advantage of the demographic trends in your cruise market. For instance,

one of the most significant demographic trends is the dramatic aging of the population.

Commensurate with this aging phenomena is the psychographic trend of wanting more interesting

travel experiences. And these trends present one of the best opportunities to sell more worldwide

destination travel:

1. The fastest growing segments of the population are Baby Boomers and Seniors/retirees.

Over 40% of the population is over 50, life expectancy is expanding and by 2020 there will

be over 70 million Americans over the age of 65.

2. These 2 segments control more than 70% of consumer spending and have significant

amounts of disposable income to spend on travel. They are value conscious, concerned

more that the overall content of their purchase is commensurate with the price.

3. As empty nesters and in many cases DINKS (double income no kids), they are not bound by

traditional travel timeframes and in fact can purposely avoid traditionally crowded travel

seasons. In fact, these are excellent targets for “off season” spring and fall travel.

Your opportunity is to take full advantage of the myriad of worldwide cruise destination products and “manage”

the travel experiences of your clients as they get older:

1. Recognize the aging trends in your own clientele, and guide them through the selection of

longer and more interesting trips as they age.

2. The main difference between younger baby boomers and seniors/retirees is the length of time

they have to travel. Baby Boomers still in the workforce will want to cap travel in the 10-14 day

range. Seniors/retirees are prime targets for longer trips, including world cruises. In fact they

prefer to be onboard for longer periods of time, so look for cruise lines that offer back-to-back

itinerary opportunities with no port duplication.

3. Access available resources to enhance your own worldwide destination expertise so your

clients will recognize this skill when discussing travel alternatives and sending them commu-

nication.

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4. Psychographically, they are more concerned with experiences that are meaningful, enriching, ful-

filling and memorable. Many have already visited core destinations and are ready for new

adventures to places like S.E. Asia, South America, Australia, Antarctica and more.

5. And best of all, they book travel well in advance, are interested in traveling for lengthy periods

of time and spend much more than Gen X & Y groups.

Oceans of Profits inWorldwide Destination

Cruise Sales

The cruise lines have done their part by offering itineraries to

all seven continents and by expanding more in depth itineraries

in the most popular destinations. An excellent example is the

growth of European river cruising which gives clients who have

sailed to the Baltic and east and west Mediterranean, the oppor-

tunity to immerse themselves into individual countries within

these regions.

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May 2015

4. Most important is the development of marketing materials to entice them to purchase these

trips, the detail provided and the questions you “pre-answer”. Be cognizant of the following:

• These target segments are better educated, want extensive detail about

trips and are willing to read in depth, so direct mail is still a valuable method

of communication.

• Key marketing messages must convey:

• It’s all about the destination experience. You are enticing your clients to

travel across the globe to experience a memorable destination.

• Value not price

• Discovery and exploration, not the ordinary

• Education and fulfillment, not status or hype

• Action, not passivity

5. Make sure to plan the distribution of your communication well in advance (8-12 months) of the

travel being offered.

6. And don’t forget that you and your staff will need to provide a very high level of service in

response to clients making extremely high ticket purchases.

It is “worth” your while to focus on these trends and become proficient at promoting worldwide desti-

nation cruises. You can position the profile of your agency to one that is recognized as the expert in

trips of this nature and earning commissions on a steady diet of transactions of $5,000-$20,000 pp. And

imagine booking a group of 20 on a world cruise!! You can influence the travel purchased by your clients

as they age and in return, be rewarded with dramatically higher commissions and substantially stronger

profitability.

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May 2015

How many times have we run into a problem situation

that just wasn’t handled well? If you’re like me, I get a

bit disappointed thinking, “Is it really worth doing busi-

ness with this company?” But I want them to know

there’s a problem, and immediately reach out, usually

via phone call. I do the same when it comes to han-

dling and resolving problems for my clients. And I’ve

realized that’s what we really do best as travel profes-

sionals — we go the extra mile for our clients.

By Cindy BertramCindy's Inside Cruise & Travel Track, LLC

We Don’t Use Toxic ShameI just ran across the term, “toxic shame,” and ironically dealt with it recently. Toxic shame occurs when

you’re made to feel bad and guilty, even if you’re not the “bad person.” Think back to when you were

young, and maybe treated like the “bad little kid” – where you got the “shame on you, you should have

known better” response!

In my case, I ran into this when trying to report a potential “scam” situation that came up. It surfaced

through a professional online networking group I’ve belonged to for over ten years. My only avenue to

report this was via email. A few days later, one of the representatives responded back, and said they would

look into this situation and get back to me. In this email I was also told that I should only accept people

that I knew, along with some cut and dried “suggestions.” Yes, they put “toxic shame” on me, but instead I

felt they handled this wrong. And they’ve not gotten back to me since then.

I won’t pull out of this particular group, but will be more careful. And I am quietly sharing my experience

just to make people aware that there can be potential scams even with higher level online networking

groups. I’m dealing with this in a positive way, not a toxic way.

As far as our clients? When an error comes up, what we don’t do is to “point the blame” nor do we cre-

ate “toxic shame.” Instead we race to get the error solved, keeping our clients’ needs at the top of our list.


9


Southwest Airlines Changes a Negative into Positive


When it comes to flying, we have multiple choices.

In my case, I admit it – I prefer flying on Southwest

Airlines, because they do make it a bit more fun,

and I’m not just a number. And Southwest Airlines

recently changed a somewhat negative situation

into a positive one for me.

I was attending a conference in Miami, and opted to fly

Southwest Airlines to Fort Lauderdale, rent a car and

then drive down. The day I was flying back, I left the

conference early, giving myself plenty of time to drive

back. Once I got onto the Interstate, however, a traffic

accident resulted in two lanes being closed going

north. After driving for an hour and a half, I was still a

good 15 miles from the airport, and was worried

about making my 7:10 pm flight. I called Southwest

Airlines and was told it would be best if I purchased a

ticket to get on the next flight which wasn’t until

10:15pm. This reservation agent sounded as if I could

not go standby, so I paid the additional money ($400)

and got confirmed. Including me, there were just 31

people who boarded that flight. I was a bit confused

why I couldn’t have tried to go standby, but figured I

could call Southwest Airlines to clarify later.

The next day I called Southwest Airlines reserva-

tions to find out their rules for flying standby. They

said it would be better if I filed a report, either

online or mailing a letter to their corporate head-

quarters. I did both just to cover all the bases.

One of Southwest Airline’s customer service

agents contacted me the next week and could not

have been more helpful. She clarified Southwest

Airlines’ standby policy. I could have been put on

standby for the 10:15 pm flight back because there

was plenty of space. She also did the paperwork

needed to get a $400 Southwest Airlines flight

credit arranged for me. It would take about 3

weeks for me to receive it, but then I would have

$400 to use on a future flight.

A week later, I received a separate email from

Southwest Airlines wanting me to call them. This

was in response to the separate letter I had mailed

them. The customer care agent I spoke with imme-

diately thanked me for calling her and said she was

going to put an additional 1000 points into my

Rapid Rewards Account. When I mentioned this

wasn’t necessary, she said, “Don’t worry – I just

put those points in your account.” I told her

Southwest Airlines had already taken care of my

problem and thanked her. And she thanked me!

My situation was happily resolved and once again

Southwest Airlines came through. I felt like they

cared about me and went the extra mile.

Mike Julius, Carnival CruiseLines – “Agents Provide Value”Even though there have been some major changes

within the travel industry, the comment, “Travel

agents are dead” is really not a reality. The real

travel agent professionals today are ones that

thrive because they’re the ones who provide extra

needed services.

Mike Julius, Senior Manager of US Trade Sales for

Carnival Cruise Lines, explains, “One of the most

important values of being a travel agent is provid-

ing above and beyond service to clients. This is

something that the Internet simply can’t do and is

what ensures the longevity of the travel agent – or

as I call it ‘travel expert’ - profession.”

A Go Above and BeyondExampleMike Julius also shared a story from Deborah

Fogarty, Be Well Travel. Deborah explained, “I had a

client last summer who was so excited to sail on

the Carnival Breeze. They had gotten two cabins

and she missed her cruise as she had written down

the wrong date, even though we had confirmed

everything. And all of the other possible Carnival

cruises that she could take were sold out that

week.” Deborah then mentioned, “I asked her

where she could go that was local to have some

type of vacation and she said the Keys. So I paid for

them to stay in a hotel for a week out of my own

pocket. I did not want her to lose her vacation time.

Luckily, she had bought insurance and Carnival went

well beyond understanding of the missed cruise.

They even contacted me to ask if these clients

needed to get to the next port. And Carnival gave

her credit for a future cruise, so all was well.”

Deborah went above and beyond, still managed to

provide her client with a vacation, and it resulted

in many positives.

The “Going Social” AspectsIf we think about how we express our dissatisfac-

tion, today there are multiple avenues. It’s no

longer just a “run from the bad experience,” never

to return again. Now more than ever, people will

openly share their negative experiences online via

social media.

But the same holds true with positives. People tend

to share those as well. And getting those positive

testimonies are valuable, because they’re genuine.

We Can and Do Create thePositives – Why We ExcelGoing the Extra MileI think back to numerous times where I’ve gone

the extra mile for my clients, and as a result have

gained referrals. But like Deborah’s example, as

travel agent professionals we want to make sure

that our clients can enjoy their vacations, have fun,

create life long memories, and return with smiles

on their faces. It puts a smile on our faces as well,

doesn’t it? And it’s another reason why we contin-

ue to thrive - we provide the “above and beyond”

service to our clients.

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May 2015

Mike Julius, Carnival Cruise Lines

Travel ProfessionalC O M M U N I T Y

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Home Based Travel Agent Books

“How to Start a Home Based Travel Agency Independent Study Guide and Workbook”

“Selling Cruises, Don't Miss the Boat“

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“Marketing Prescriptions, For Today's Economy and Beyond“

Right next to the pile was another pile .

Brochures! No one had been given the task to file

them. And the agents were too busy cleaning their

desk space, so they could put on fresh nail polish,

and do crossword puzzles. Reading the brochures

was obviously not part of their job.

I explained to the owner, that doing a public rela-

tions campaign for her business was not to just

buy ad space with the local media. It was to set up

guidelines and policies for the employees. It was

for me to first be the eyes of anyone who walked

through the front door.(The employees parked

behind the building and walked through the back

door). And I was more interested in getting her

free publicity, speaking engagements, involvement

with local organization, rather than paying for ads.

At first she hesitated, and then she gave in. She wasn’t

there to just sign their paychecks. She was not just

their friend. She was the boss and everyone who

worked was not just an employee, but an outreach

into the community representing her office

Now, almost thirty years after our meeting, she

has retired and living her bucket list life in

Colorado. She was able to sell her office to a

longtime employee who understood and wit-

nessed the values and kept them into effect.

In this quarter of a century, I have seen the change in

thoughts about travel agencies and the agents.

Before the computers became our number source,

it was the agent who was supposed to be the expert

on each destination. And where did they get their

knowledge? Probably from a fam they took, or a

sales call with the rep. In those days, outside agents

were looked down upon. The in house agents hated

them. They were looked upon as interlopers, earning

money but not working as hard as in house people.

Whatever the reasons were, they never made sense.

And believe me, I had my share of conversations

with agency owners chastising me on how “we”

were giving travel agencies a bad reputation.

May 2015

12When I became a travel agent twenty five years ago, I didn’t

work in a travel agency. I was an independent contractor from

day one. I literally was self taught. My only travel background

was because I owned a public relations company, and one of

the clients owned a travel agency in the Detroit area and

approached me to help her business.

While visiting her office, I saw a pile of trade magazines sitting

on the floor. I asked her if I could take some home to read,

and she welcomed it. She said no one was reading them, and

she was tired of them piling up until they got thrown in the

garbage.

Le

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By Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal

Points To Ponder

13


Now, in 2015, every single week, I receive an e-mail

from some agency or chain asking me to join

forces with them. And I am sure that every reader

of this column gets them too.

Commissions have changed from 50% (years ago) to

85% or even 100% in exchange for a sign up fee or

monthly fee. So, how do you choose which one to join?

Well, first of all, if you are an outside agent, you

don’t have to choose one company. You can

choose two if you wish. Loyalty, you ask! The logic

is that no one company can ask you to be an inde-

pendent contractor and limit you to only selling

through them. IF you are told you have to sign a

contract saying that, you are no longer an IC, you

are now an employee. And you are entitled to any

benefits given to an inclusive employee.

I haven’t seen any one company that provides the

highest commissions paid for each supplier. Yes,

some tour operators pay more to one agency than

to another. And some agencies are tied to a con-

sortia but not affiliated with another one.

These are decisions you – if you are an IC have to

explore. If you are an agency owner, you too have to

explore what works best for you AND what works

best for your clients. What do you need to do to

raise the commission level with certain suppliers.

Sounds confusing, so let me further explain. I am an

IC with at least two companies. Plus I have my own

agency, my own CLIA and IATA. So when I process a

booking with a major cruise line, I can check which

one is promoting the best deal for my clients and for

me. Sometimes the commission is the same. But one

may already have group space with amenities in place.

Or one may have a local rep who will work with me

directly, while the other company keeps my identity a

secret from the cruise line. They won’t divulge their

agent list, because of mathematics. If they do x

amount of business per year with no agents listed,

they look better to the cruise line than an agency

who does the same amount of business but it is split

between 100 agents. Some suppliers feel they don’t

have to pay high commissions if only 3 sales per agent

are producing. It’s a wrong concept, but I have been

told that’s why I cannot get personalized support

from that supplier. I have no identity with them, other

than the phone number of the agency.

I have literally fought for identity over the years. I

have been outspoken at the many Cruise-A Thons

where the head honchos were appearing. One of

the named gurus in the industry actually said I was

obstinate and difficult when I approached him

about the lack having a policy where the local DSM

could call on me even though I was booking with

an agency outside of her territory. I told him we

were in this altogether, and selling is selling, and

support was needed to recognize ICs.

Now, years later, some of the DSMs, including his

do know and will work with agents in their terri-

tory, even if you book elsewhere. Some companies

even allow you to use your own phone number

when booking and it is linked to your booking

agency of choice. So I won that battle!

That has been a significant form of progress.

Although I do have problems with Princess and

their great booking engine POLAR. One of my

companies cannot allow us access to POLAR since

any agent in their fold could access all bookings for

all agents. That is an obvious no-no, and I wish it

could be corrected. Their other problem is that

for each agency, I need a separate phone number,

So, if you’re looking at these generic offers from agencies who use ICs, ask the a few ques-

tions before signing anything. But don’t be surprised if some answers are not forthcoming.

These are just starting points, because offers may be tempting. Your identity is at stake,

as well as your bank statement.

14

May 2015

and a separate e-mail address for each agent. How

would you like getting a dozen identical E-Mail

blasts daily??

Occasionally an agency might say that they need a

push with a certain supplier to keep up the com-

mission structure. That’s when you decide YOUR

loyalty versus your deposit slips. Only you can

decide.

But, when I did some bookings this week and saw

comissions vary from 10%-16%, with no additional

perks, it was an easy decision to make.

1. How many agents do they have already. Or ask about their growth in the last 5 years.

2. Consortia — whether with Vacation.com, Signature, Virtuoso, etc. No need to duplicate

3. Fees. Including mailing costs, penalties, cancellations

4. Reporting policies- how much paperwork

5. GDS or booking airline tickets if that is what you need. If they say to go to Expedia,

what do youneed them for. Expedia already pays agents who book directly.

6. Commission levels — check out your preferred vendors as well as theirs.

When do you get paid. Do you earn the TC and the amenity point bonuses. Or do they keep a

portion. This is very important if you do a lot of groups.

(example- if I get a $50 bonus for each cabin in a group of 50 cabins= $2500. If they take $250

As their portion, compared to another company who gives both the TC and the bonus to the

agent).

7. How flexible are they when booking groups. Can you renegotiate.

(ex. You want to book a supplier but one company is offering 3% less, ask them if they need you

to build the revenue, and will they match the other company.

8. And who is your contact with the company for accounting, membership, etc.


Mary Lee DeFrance of TRAVELSAVERSReceives Top Supplier Partner Award

TRAVELSAVERS announced that Mary Lee DeFranco,Business Analyst was awarded Top Supplier PartnerAward in the Consortia Category by the readers ofTravel Agent Magazine and travelagentcentral.com.

“Gleaned from hundreds of responses we are veryexcited that Mary Lee has been recognized for thehard work, commitment and enthusiasm that sheshares with our members every day,” says KathrynMazza-Burney, Executive Vice President of Sales andService, TRAVELSAVERS. “The award appropriatelyreflects her dedication to serving our members.”

An experienced travel professional, Mary LeeDeFranco came to TRAVELSAVERS after nearly twen-ty years of service in the airline industry. Prior tojoining TRAVELSAVERS in 2012, she was a senioraccount executive for Northwest Airlines based inNew York servicing the corporate and agency com-munities.

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To find out more about how to become part of the TWIN global network, independent travel agencies can visitwww.twintravelmanagement.com, email [email protected], or call 516-624-0500 x5080.

About TRAVELSAVERS:Owned by AmericanMarketing Group, Inc., TRAV-ELSAVERS is an internationaltravel marketing organizationwith a retail chain of morethan 3,000 independentlyowned full service travel agen-cies in over 30 countries thattogether generate more than$20 billion in annual travelsales. Headquartered inOyster Bay, New York, TRAV-ELSAVERS offers a compre-hensive range of products andsupport services to help itslicensed agencies maximizesales though a select group ofsuppliers – and stand out astravel leaders in their localcommunities. The marketingcompany also features aunique exclusive territory sys-tem based on populations of50,000, so agents maintaincontrol over clients andprospective leads in theirexclusive area. Travel profes-sionals interested in learningmore about joining TRAVEL-SAVERS can visithttp://sales.travelsavers.com.

May 2015

Pa

ull T

ic

kn

er

Paull Tickner has been designing and operating niche travel programmes for the UK and Ireland for over 30 years.

For more information E-mail Paull at [email protected]

16

The eagerly awaited arrival of Princess Charlotte of

Cambridge, a new non-stop route into the heart of

England and the news about the Year of the English

Garden in 2016 have inspired me to inspire you with

some new ways of looking at your old friend Britain.

Give some careful thought to these suggestions and think

about those anglophile customers who are fascinated by

our Royal Family. Think about others who’d love to avoid

the congestion at London Heathrow as the starting point

for their UK tour and start doing some homework on

your gardening contacts ahead of the Year of the English

Garden in 2016.

The best news of all is that you can make some handsome

sums of money out of each and every one of these rec-

ommendations.

By Paull Tickner

New Developments New Opportunities

A Royal Tour with a TwistTo celebrate the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on Saturday 2nd May, I’ve created a short 2

night pre/post cruise extension which includes a photo op at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital and a

visit to Kensington Palace as part of a full day tour of places associated with William and Kate. En route to

Southampton, there’s a visit to Windsor Castle and a pub lunch in the village where Kate grew up. The

programme works well in reverse and can be expanded into a longer Royal themed London tour which

includes places associated with Princess Diana and other residences connected to our Royal Family.

Lift Off into the Heart of EnglandOn Thursday 7th May, American Airlines started DAILY NON-STOP service from JFK to Birmingham in

the heart of England. So what’s to get excited about?

•Airside kerbside takes just over 30 minutes

•40 minutes later, your clients can be tucking into a traditional English breakfast in a country house

hotel in Broadway, Chipping Campden or Stow on the Wold.

•1 hour later they can be strolling around the fragrant and internationally renowned gardens at near-

by Hidcote Manor Garden or award winning Kiftsgate Court.

•At 1pm, they’ll be having lunch and a pint of Speckled Hen in a pub I can vouch for.

JFK to BHX gives your clients a much better start to their UK vacations.

Year of the Garden 20162016 is going to be a very good year for travel plan-

ners interested in UK garden tours.

In the February edition of Travel Agent Professional, I

gave a heads up on next year’s 300th anniversary of

the birth of our most famous Master Gardener

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.


17New Developments New Opportunities

18

May 2015

This month, I’m flagging up the 2016 Year of the English Garden and I can guarantee that both will receive

extensive coverage in the gardening magazines your clients pore over every month.

England has some of the finest gardens in the world from dramatic historic landscapes designed by

‘Capability’ Brown to fragrant English rose gardens and hundreds of privately owned gardening ‘works of

art’ that rarely open to the general public.

If this is an area of interest, we should be talking about a customised tour that’s packed with value added

visits to some of England’s finest castles and stately homes timed to coincide with the Chelsea or

Hampton Court Flower Shows.

To point you in the right direction, start building a list of where you might find potential interest. So far

mine includes Orchid, Herb, Rose and other specialist societies, your local garden club, Master Gardeners

and Friends of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta, flower arranging societies and the gardening correspondent

on your local TV/radio station and newspaper. Among potential co-sponsors for a tailor made tour, talk to

your local nursery and explore opportunities with manufacturers of garden equipment, statuary and

greenhouses. What have I missed?

In the summer, I’ll be putting together a feature with more on the Capability Brown Tercentenary, UK and

European Garden Festivals you may not have thought of and news of many inspired offerings that will cap-

ture the essence of the Year of the English Garden 2016.


Enterprise Holdings announced today that it hasappointed Amigos S.R.L. as its Alamo Rent A Car franchisepartner in Paraguay. This appointment continues the expan-sion of the Alamo brand’s footprint in Latin America andthe Caribbean — which now includes 24 countries and ter-ritories.

Enterprise Holdings, through its regional subsidiaries, oper-ates the largest fleet of vehicles in the world through a glob-al network of more than 8,600 neighborhood and airportlocations in more than 70 countries and territories. In addi-tion to Alamo, the company also owns and operatesNational Car Rental, as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand.

“By opening locations in Paraguay’s largest city, Asunción,we’re connecting our existing Alamo customers throughoutthe region to a new travel destination, as well as introduc-ing local customers to the value and affordability of theAlamo brand,” said Peter Smith, vice president of globalfranchising at Enterprise Holdings. “We’re also excited tooffer a new Latin American travel option to our tour andtravel agent partners around the world.”

Alamo will serve Silvio Pettirossi International Airport anddowntown Asunción.

Enterprise Holdings is the largest car rental company in theworld, as measured by revenue, employees and fleet. Italso ranks near the top of the travel industry, ahead ofmany airlines and most cruise lines, hotels, tour operatorsand online travel agencies. The company’s long-termexpansion strategy is focused on building a global networkthat delivers value, choice and outstanding customer serviceto business and leisure travelers.

For more information about Enterprise Holdings, visitwww.enterpriseholdings.com.

Alamo Rent A CarExpand Into Paraguay

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About Enterprise HoldingsEnterprise Holdings – the largest car rentalcompany in the world as measured by revenue,fleet and employees – operates a global net-work of more than 8,600 neighborhood andairport locations under the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent ACar brands. In addition, Enterprise Holdingsand its affiliate Enterprise Fleet Managementtogether offer a total transportation solution,including extensive car rental and car-sharingservices, commercial truck rental, corporatefleet management and retail car sales.Combined, these businesses accounted for$17.8 billion in revenue, employed 83,000and operated 1.5 million vehicles throughoutthe world in fiscal year 2014.

Enterprise Holdings currently is ranked as oneof America’s Largest Private Companies.Furthermore, if i t were publicly traded,Enterprise Holdings would rank on Fortune’slist of the 500 largest American public compa-nies. Enterprise Holdings, through its regionalsubsidiaries, operates more than 6,000 fullystaffed offices in the U.S. – almost 70 percentmore than its nearest competitor – and alllocated within 15 miles of 90 percent of theU.S. population. In addition, EnterpriseHoldings not only accounts for the largest air-port market share in the U.S., but its domesticrental fleet also is one of the newest in theindustry. The company’s affiliate, EnterpriseFleet Management, provides full-service fleetmanagement to companies and organizationswith medium-sized fleets. Other transportationservices marketed under the Enterprise brandname include Enterprise CarShare, EnterpriseRideshare, Enterprise Car Sales, EnterpriseTruck Rental and Zimride by Enterprise.

This press release and car rental industrynews are available in the Enterprise HoldingsPress Room.

May 2015

Well-Being Travel Symposium AnnouncesSpeakers for June 2015 Conference

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For more information about the speakers and sessions that we have prepared and toregister, visit www.wellnesstravelsymposium.com.

The Well-Being Travel Symposium, announced speak-

ers for its June 15-16, 2015 Symposium, at the

International Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in

Toronto. This two-day conference brings together travel

professionals, wellness experts and industry leaders

including, top hotel executives, spa directors and travel

suppliers to discuss the growing trends in wellness trav-

el and opportunities for travel sellers and consumers.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from

travel professionals, educators, suppliers and indus-

try leaders about trends, strategies and opportunities

in wellness travel. Highlights include:

Prof. Carolana Dimopoulos, President of Learning

Journeys powered by Perillo; Aundrea Taylor-

Caldwell, Leisure Sales Manager, Mandarin Oriental

– Las Vegas and Kathy Egan, President of Biggest

Loser Resort Niagara; Adam Glickman, Head of

EVEN Hotels & Director of Brand Experience,

Lifestyle Brands at InterContinental Hotels Group

(IHG), will lead this wellness travel industry panel

and provide the inside story on some of the world’s

best wellness travel products, what makes them

stand out and how to sell wellness.

David Boucher, COO of Companion Global

Healthcare Inc, will answer questions about medical

travel, highlight opportunities and challenges, and

present additional opportunities for travel agents to

expand their knowledge. You will also hear first-

hand from a recent medical patient traveler.

Steve Gillick, President, Talking Travel, will redefine

what it means to the wellness traveler to be

‘unplugged’ including the types of activities and

destinations available for those who really want to

leave the office at home!

Anne Marie Moebes, Executive Vice President,

Well-Being Travel, will provide an overview of how

the wellness travel niche fits into today’s consumer

driven market and how each industry segment pro-

vides information about the benefits and options of

traveling for wellness.

Carmen Perez, The Well-Being Messenger, Life

Balance Strategist and Trainer, Creator of Effortless

Living, will discuss how to get noticed online and

turn “likes” into sales by building a magnetic plat-

form that boosts the bottom line.

Mia Kyricos, Chief Brand Officer at SpaFinder

Wellness, Inc., will share highlights from a recent

research report on the top ten wellness trends for 2015.

“The name Well-Being Symposium defines what the

conference is about. We have brought together

renowned speakers, industry leaders and suppliers

to share their unique knowledge and experiences

about health and wellness travel,” says Anne Marie

Moebes, Executive Vice President of Well-Being

Travel. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to

bring travel professionals together to learn from the

best, exchange insights with each other and connect

through our conference network.”

Over 40 years of travel industry success Full staff of personal business consultants Unique protected territory system Excellent preferred supplier relationships Award-winning suite of marketing programs Social media tools Powerful technology solutions Proprietary cruise booking engine Website and mobile solutions Meeting and incentive resources Hotel program with rich amenities A full suite of corporate travel solutions Over 19 travel brands servicing you daily

We invite you to learn more about why our

The TRAVELSAVERS Difference.

Over 40 years of travel industry success Full staff of personal business consultants Unique protected territory system Excellent preferred supplier relationships Award-winning suite of marketing programs Social media tools Powerful technology solutions Proprietary cruise booking engine Website and mobile solutions Meeting and incentive resources Hotel program with rich amenities A full suite of corporate travel solutions Over 19 travel brands servicing you daily

We invite you to learn more about why our

The TRAVELSAVERS Difference.

May 2015

The Affluent Traveler Magazine Expands Readership

American Marketing Group’s, The Affluent Traveler magazine is expanding its distribution channel to include

American Airlines Admirals Club lounges. Increasing readership of the magazine is part of the strategy to

deliver against our goal to support the growth of Affluent Traveler agencies. The Affluent Traveler magazine

is published semi-annually and has a distribution in more than 15 countries. The magazine is also available

by subscription, at major bookstores, on newsstands, select airport lounges and in the guestrooms of all Affluent

Traveler Collection preferred hotels.

“The continued growth of The Affluent Traveler magazine confirms our commitment to build a following for our

Affluent Traveler agencies and to deliver qualified leads to them. The Affluent Traveler magazine gives readers

access to exclusive travel options through the global connections of the world’s best travel experts,” says Nicole

Mazza, Chief Marketing Officer, TRAVELSAVERS and NEST. “Now with The Affluent Traveler Magazine in

Admiral’s Club lounges, discerning travelers can learn about extraordinary new destinations and exclusive

experiences that will help them plan their next vacation, with an Affluent Traveler Collection travel professional.”

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, Admirals Club members can now enjoy the global collection of

world-class luxury travel experiences with editorial features that include; city hotels, boutique properties and luxurious

resorts, spas, opulent cruise ships, exotic destinations, traditional guided vacations, dinning spotlights and more, all

in one richly appointed publication, The Affluent Traveler. To learn more visit: www.theaffluenttraveler.com.

About The Affluent Traveler Collection:The Affluent Traveler Collection, one of 18 brands owned by American Marketing Group, Inc., is an elite

marketing organization that provides its licensed travel advisors with a range of products, tools and services

including marketing expertise, cutting-edge technology and training opportunities. Through its relationships with

the world’s best travel suppliers, The Affluent Traveler Collection’s licensed travel specialists have access to an

enriched amenities program and a variety of exclusive offers. Its semi-annual magazine, The Affluent Traveler,

is distributed in more than 15 countries and is available by subscription, through licensed travel specialists of The

Affluent Traveler Collection, at major bookstores, on newsstands, in select airport lounges and in the guestrooms

of all Affluent Traveler Collection preferred hotels. For more information, visit www.theaffluenttraveler.com.

*No purchase necessary to win.

Terms and conditions apply and can be found by logging on to www.theaffluenttraveler.com/contest.

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For more information about The Affluent Traveler Collection, agencies and suppliers can visit www.theaffluenttravel-er.com, email [email protected], or call 877-645-6351.


Travel MarketPlace Speakers AnnouncedFor June 2015 Conference

Travel MarketPlace, the premier conference inCanada that brings travel professionals and supplierstogether for education and training announced itsspeaker list for this year’s conference. The TravelMarketPlace conference will take place June 16-17,2015 at the International Plaza Hotel and ConferenceCenter in Toronto. Speakers and presentations willexplore business growth strategies, marketing tools,how to engage clients and reach personal goals.Below is a highlight of speakers:Ron Cates, International Director, Digital MarketingEducation, Constant Contact, will serve as the emceeextraordinaire and will share his tips and insight onthe importance of e-marketing and successfulengagement strategies. Ron’s second session willprovide an in-depth review of how to create andexecute a successful social media campaign.Simon Gilmartin, Co-Founder and Dave Holt, CSPFacilitator and Sales Performance Coach, DWGPerformance, Inc., will give a crash course on how toharness the power of end-to-end selling. This dynamicsession starts as a general session and continues withbreakout sessions that will deep dive into thecomprehensive sales process, value propositions, clientmotivation and how all of these elements drive business.Nolan Burris, Chief Visioneer, Future Proof TravelSolutions, brings to light how to create and sustainsuccess in life or business. Based on the premise thatsuccess is not an event but an ongoing process, thissession suggests how to control your future.Steve Gillick, President Talking Travel, will share hisperspective on; the five key tips to choosing aspecialty and his point of view on the six steps toenhancing your reputation as a specialist andunderstanding how to turn a topic into a passion.Mike Foster, President, Nexion CA; Rhonda LaFosse,Regional Sales Manager, TPI; Jeff Verman, CEO,Uniglobe; Michelle Palma, National Accounts -Canada, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise; Dana Gain,

National Director, Sales – Canada, Norwegian CruiseLine, join these executives for a view from the topwhile they discuss daily issues, and trends and openthe session up for questions.John Bateman, Regional Trainer, Cruise LinesInternational Association (CLIA), will share how toposition the value of a cruise vacation with detailsabout pricing, river versus ocean cruising, themedvoyages and more. Continuing education credits willbe available for this session.Meredith Hill, Founder, Global Institute for TravelEntrepreneurs, will highlight messages from her book:How to Monetize Your Passion for Travel: The 7Habits of Highly Effective Travel Entrepreneurs.Scott Koepf, Senior Vice President of Sales, AvoyaTravel, shares his ultimate approach to sales successthat will make a difference in your bottom line.Kitzia Morales, Co-founder, MeWed; JenniferDoncsecz, Owner and President of VIP VacationsInc.; Lisa Sheldon, CTC (Certified Travel Counselor)and Master Romance Travel Specialist; BrendaWashington-O'Neale, Owner/President of With ThisRing Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Travel,will discuss the hot destination wedding market, howto build a client base, how to manage a destinationwedding and keep them long after they say “I do.”“Our two-day program is carefully planned withattendees in mind. We are bringing the brightestindustry experts and partners together to provideinsightful sessions that will send you home withactionable information,” says Anne Marie Moebes,Co-Publisher, Travel Market Report.

There are many speakers from all areas of the industryparticipating in Travel MarketPlace.

For more information and to register visitwww.travelmarketplace.com or

contact Debbie Press at 516-624-0500 ext. 6000 [email protected]

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