Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: November 1-5

Yearning for a fresh scare or controversy in the wake of Halloween and the 2010 midterm elections? We've got you want right here in the Weekly Wrap. If you ask me, a scary costume agents could have worn during the recent holiday would have been a NCL cruise ship, or website. Why? Keep reading to find out about why NCL may be a tad scary, among other things.

Direct Competition

When NCL announced that 27 percent of its revenue came from direct bookings last week, our own Susan J Young followed up on the story by asking agents and executives what their take on the matter was. Needless to say, several of our reading agents chimed in as well.

Phil wrote:
Considering that it's NCL I'm not surprised one bit. I don't book them unless the client insists. Too mant past issues with them.

Steve asked:
Is anyone surprised at this? All the cruise lines are doing this. Carnival is worse than any in my opinion.

major posted:
The question isn't what are our "partners" doing to negatively impact our industry, it is in fact, how are we becoming less dependent on them? There are many outlets available besides mass market, let them have their cake.

Not being an agent, I do think major has a point in that this may be a sign for agents to begin bringing their cruise clients elsewhere. Still, it's a shame to see such a major cruise line taking this route.

So Maybe Try This Cruise Line

On the note of bringing your clients to a different cruise supplier, Celebration Cruise Lines, which touts cheap cruises to the Bahamas from Florida, got an endorsement from a reader this week. shawna commented:

I've been on several cruises before with Royal Caribbean, So I do know what to expect! We just recently traveled on this Celebration ship and EVERYTHING was Wonderful! I just don't understand where all these negative reviews are coming from? Obviously from people with UNREALISTIC expectations. The ship was in comparable shape as the other ships we've been on, Service was great-In which the pre-paid gratuities where very well earned. I expect that the pre-paids are a result of low-class individuals that don't offer tips. The food was wonderful, entertainment was Great, Spa service was good. I have no complaints at all .. check in/out was smooth. My advice is to experience it for yourself, I would recommend it to others and I would go again. This was a really neat ship! Don't pay attention to the negative nellies out there, they are the one's that would never be happy if given a million bucks!

Anyone else out there have experience to share about this cruise line?

Google Good for Agents?

While there's been much trepidation about Google's potential entry into the travel industry, one reader is amused by the controversy. Commenting on a story about a new video attacking the potential acquisiton of ITA by Google, Sweet Justice (interesting name) shared:

It is indeed ironic that the online travel providers, the very companies which skewed the marketplace with their own proprietary, preferred airline, non-transparent air fare "deals", are now lamenting the very same fate from Google. Clearly lacking the full content and total picture offering provided by traditional travel agencies, these online travel megasites are crying in their collective beer because someone more mega has found a way to oust their influence in selling air travel. Sounds like sweet justice to me. Consumers are not stupid; they're wise enough to know that their local travel agent is their best resource for booking travel ... and always has been.

Interesting point. But is this a bittersweet victory for agents, if a victory at all?

Angry at AVC

While technology and cruise issues may be frightening some readers this week, a travel company is apparently even more terrifying to one reader. After reading a piece by George Dooley that analyzed the pros and cons of using third parties to generate sales leads or not, Kay took a direct shot at America's Vacation Center, lamenting:

AVC IS A RIPOFF!! Beware. They skimped on the leads and most are not buyers but rather lookie loos. They wont hire agents with no exsperience or recent experience. My friend has a large book of clients but she was out of the industry for a little while. They wouldnt take her or her money.She went with other HB job and she is selling like 650K a month and slipped right back with no problem! WISE AVC your a downright idiots! Glad I left as well the others that left too and went to a competitor to work with!~

Wow on two things: 1. If true, that's a shame of a situation. 2. Kay may want to cut back on the caffeine. As I always say, I am not travel professional but from what I have read AVC has been useful to several agents. Can anyone else here chime in to agree with or politely disagree with Kay?

A Break from Travel

While we don't cover music much here at TravelAgentCentral.com, a recent comment about Australia promoting its YouTube Symphony Orchestra inspired a musician to share his audition tape. I am as much of a classical music expert as I am a travel professional (my studies of guitar, piano and percussion where all rock based), so I can't say if the performance is truly great or not, but I figured it'd be nice to share with our readers. Guillermo commented:

Here it is my audition!!!??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuAxQXoXUNU??Thank you very much!!

Not bad right?

While the music strings tug at your heart, don't forget to keep those comments coming. Post a new or responding comment below or at any of the original articles. Write us at our Facebook page. Send a tweet to our Twitter page. You can also start or join in on real time conversations at AgentNation, the only social community online for all types of travel agents.

Until next week.

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: October 25-29

Happy Halloween!

I just came back from the IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas and, while there, was enthused to hear hotel industry leaders discuss online travel agencies (OTAs) as a thorn in their side. In the upcoming print issue of Travel Agent, I cite this "thorn" as an opportunity for agents to build their relationship with hotel companies, particularly as hotels are looking for the best ways to build their brand and business as the recession, albeit gradually, begins to fade. Checking out the variety of comments left upon my return only reiterated, to me, the benefit that agents bring to the table in this technological age. So let's take a look.

Don't Let TripAdvisor Control Your Operations

TripAdvisor may not be an OTA, but it is a part of the new age of the Internet that is irking suppliers across the industry as well. For the most part, suppliers are not fond of the idea that anonymous or non-certifable/non-accredited individuals can potentially mar the reputation of a company or product becuase of their subjective or, perhaps, deviously motivated commentary. On that note, it's a little surprising to read that one agent is taking TripAdvisor seriously enough to affect how she does business. Lorraine Kawoczka did so after reading Joe Pike's personal take on the Verandah Resort & Spa in Antigua, stating:

can not sell the Verandah to a family because of negative comments on Trip Advisor

So, basically, it appears as if a travel agent is letting TripAdvisor control the conversation about the property. Doesn't that go against what being a travel agent is all about? Lorraine, if you are reading this, I'd like to know if you did any research besides TripAdvisor or if you let your potential pitches abotu the property end there? It'd be a shame to let anonymous comments trump your expertise in pitching the property to your clients.

Pike responded to Lorraine's comment, writing:

Are you seriously going by Trip Advisor's advice without visiting the property yourself? That's like Roger Ebert not reviewing a movie because another movie critic panned it. By the way, Trip Advisor is not the most reliable of sites since you never truly know who is really 'reviewing' the property or if they have a hidden agenda.

As you hopefully know, Pike is our Caribbean expert, so I would hope agents take his work seriously. I hope Lorraine's instance is not a common practice among agents.

An Agent's Take Receives Our Respect

On the subject of anonymous comments about selling travel, I'd like to follow up by noting a recent blog post we shared after receiving an e-mail from an agent. After reading up on Travel Agent's exclusive roundtable with cruise industry executives, reader and travel agent Karen Dawson of Southlake Travel contacted us to share scenarios she believes are missed opportunities in training. A reader, named Charlene, commented on Dawson's post, writing:

Interesting. Does this mean I can get my stuff published on Travel Agents Central if I email you?

Charlene poses an interesting question. My initial response is, "Yes, if what you share can be considered of use to agents, particularly if it is based on your experiences which features an analysis that can drive the conversation further."

For instance, we won't just publish anything because it is sent to us. It's not like I'd share a 500-word rant by an agent about a property he or she toured. However, I would share the agent's take if he/she discussed what agents need to better sell said property or what he/she believes the property can do to make it easier for agents to pitch said property to their clients. Make sense?

Agents Follow Up on TSA

In early August, George Dooley penned a piece about a Travel Leaders survey regarding airport security and one reader made a noteworthy comment that I cited in a previous Weekly Wrap. For those too lazy to quick through and read the comment for themselves, here it is again, Mike wrote:

Next month full body scanners are going to be installed at the three New York airports. TSA better put up signs informing the people of the possible health hazard. Most people don't know about the radiation these machines zap you with. Pregnant women are at the greatest risk. The American people have the right to know, and it should be their decision if they want to go through those scanners, they need to be informed though. If signs aren't posted, my crew will be at all 3 airports handing out flyers and interviewing people, letting them know how their government is deceiving them again.

I wonder how it went, and so does reader Kathryn, who posted:

@mike, Did you hand out fliers? How did it go? I want to do this in my area...

Mike, if you're reading this, please share how it went. Kathryn, I'd love to hear how it goes with you in your area. I've traveled to several parts of the country within the last six months (from a trip to Las Vegas in April in addition to my latest stint there, as well as some time in Phoenix), as well as two trips to Mexico. During that time, I haven't run in to any devious situations with airport security. But then again I don't check luggage and, being a blond-haired, blue-eyed WASP who gets a shave and a haircut before every business trip I take, probably don't raise many eyebrows when passing through security. Still, since 9/11, airport security has, and forever will be, changed. If new security measures make the travel process more frustrating or uncomfortable, that's not good for anyone. Hence, it's great to read that people like Kathryn and Mike are keeping a sharp eye on the process. I encourage other agents to do the same, particularly through conversations with their clients.

The TSA was also cited in a recent comment by a reader, this time on our recent cover story about Roger Dow and the U.S. Travel Association. Rick Long provides some inciteful thoughts when posting:

The inbound travel business, like most service business, must rely on repeat and referral business to truly succeed. The acquisition is much lower than marketing to first time visitors. Without significantly improving the arrival experience for inbound visitors, it's of little consequence how much money we spend to promote tourism. Initial dollars should be spent improving a broken system in order for later promotional dollars to be spent more efficiently. It's not rocket science. It's a genuine and sincere welcome to the USA and an efficient arrival experience. Custome and immigrations and TSA must view our inbound visitors and guests and not passengers and treat them accordingly.

I concur, Rick. Well put.

NCL Gets Praise & Criticism

Norwegian Cruise Line has been in the news a fair amount lately, primarily due to the recent CruiseOne and Cruises Inc conference aboard the NCL Epic, in addition to reports of the cruise line releasing new ships in 2013 and 2014. On the topic of NCL's new ships, reader Martin, citing the NCL Epic shared:

The lack of an atrium of any sort made it feel like a suburban shopping mall. The upcharge to even use a suana was a bit much and the pool areas entertainment spots were almost impossible to see from most angles. Entire front of ship cut - off for the "ordinary" pasenger. Only accesible to the upgraded ones. Awful design.

I'll just say that I'm glad Martin is using his own experience, and not comments on TripAdvisor like Lorraine, to deliver his criticism.

Meanwhile, another agent clearly has a different take on the NCL Epic. Commenting on the wrap up of the CruiseOne and Cruises Inc conference, oscarcruises wrote:

Andy Stuart, NCL, and the EPIC ROCK!!!!

That's nice to read, oscarcruises, but could you explain why you feel that way? Just asking.

Join an MLM, Gain a Lover?

It's been awhile since the Weekly Wrap shared somments regarding multilevel marketing firms in the travel industry and, for the most part, I am glad. Most of the time in which MLMs are cited, there's vitriole and more emotional-based comments instead of logical conversation. But this week, there's an adorable combination of both as Nick N notes on Travel Agent piece that asks if you should join an MLM or not:

I enjoyed reading all the comments on the site. To me, MLM is very good.The times and effords you had spent will be fully repaid….ONLY IF you are single. LOL. Let me explain….. About 4 years ago, a girl that I really liked, asked me to join. And I did join…because of her. We went meeting together, had lunch together and finally she became my girlfriend. I told that to my single buddies and they listen to me. One of my buddy got married with a girl he meet at a MLM meeting…. So, if you are single, have problem finding girlfriend, please join MLM. Wear nice clothes, talk professionally, show your interested in there stories, never said a bad thing about MLM at the meeting, you will find your soulmate in no time. Just my two cents, MLM’s members, please dont hate me.

Sounds like MLMs may have a new pitching incentive for people to join. My only question is, what happens if/when your relationship ends? Does your membership in the MLM go with it?

As always, don't let the conversation end here. Keep sharing your comments by posting one below or at any of the original articles. Don't forget to write us at our Facebook page or send a tweet to our Twitter page. You can also join in on or start travel industry discussions in real time at AgentNation, the only social community online for all kinds of travel agents.

Until next week.....

Better Product Training for 2011

After reading up on Travel Agent's exclusive roundtable with cruise industry executives, reader and travel agent Karen Dawson of Southlake Travel contacted us to shares scenarios she believes are missed opportunities in training.

I read with great interest your article with several cruise line executives regarding the agency community…. however, it made me crazy. I think they are missing a huge opportunity because, in my opinion, their focus is solely on the PRODUCT, PRODUCT, PRODUCT. And when the sales don’t materialize as expected, then the big push is on for “Sales Training.” Surely we need to teach the agents “how to close the sale.”

The missing factor that I see in every webinar, presentation, workshop is that the cruise lines fail to teach “how do I find the customers to buy this product?” As a result, the agents walk out of those presentations as, as Bob Dickinson used to say, “good order takers.” So if a customer calls wanting to go that destination or sail on that cruise line, by gosh the agent can sell it. But they are not given the simple tools of how to recognize a great client for that product. And it’s not a case of marketing here, with more e-mails and more direct mail, etc.

It’s more to teach the agents how to recognize the potential client for those one-on-one conversations they will have…  at their next Chamber of Commerce luncheon, their next networking event, their next wine-tasting event, etc. From there, they start formulating groups of people that might be interested in that destination or product, too. Let’s give the agents the confidence of matching these great products with great prospects.

How simple would it be to take five minutes at the end of a training session and say “Let’s brainstorm here…who would be a good client or group to sail on this ship, or destination?”  And have the agents write down at least five people they think might be a good prospect. This is not rocket science.

I can tell you the agents are hungry to sell the cruise lines products, but all they hear about is more balconies,  butler service and new duvets; they all start sounding alike after awhile.

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: October 18-22

Sometimes, the Weekly Wrap is filled to the brim with a seemingly countless amount of comments made by readers and agents. The same can't be said for this week, as only four articles since last Friday have received comments. But I'm not complaining. After all, as the saying goes, it's all about quality and not quantity. So let's take a look.

Someone Sticks Up (Sort of) for Sheehan

Kevin Sheehan, the CEO for Norwegian Cruise Line, has come under fire at times here at TravelAgentCentral.com. In fact, as far back as July 2009, there have been four instances in which readers have posted comments either directed at the CEO or his company (see for yourself: July 2, 2009; May 21, 2010; July 9, 2010; October 1, 2010). But this week is different, as a reader named iimmie notes that how he/she handled her dilemma with the cruise line may have initiated a response others may have sought. Commenting on the announcement of Sheehan becoming the cruise line's CEO, hHe/she wrote:

I had an issue on a cruise and sent off a letter to everyone on the mission statement in January, By February I had a $200 credit for an upcoming cruise and a very nice apology. Use some ingenuity and you can reach people at the top.

Nice to see that nice words bring results. Hopefully, readers with similar problems with the line will take a lesson from this.

Bravo, Rio!

When it was announced that Rio de Janeiro would be the host city for the 2016 summer olympics, Travel Agent immediately profiled the destination for our readers. As interest in the city continues to rise among agents, some shared their praise of the location as others are seeking some feedback.

For starters, Thomas Johnson shared a resource to agents that has apparently been valuable to him. He posted:

Good, informative article! I just thought I would add that in addition to the hotel scene, a lot of clients have been interested in luxury apartment rentals.I've used www.HolidaysInRio.com many times because there is no other agency offering the level of luxury these guys can offer. Check out the Ipanema penthouse with private infinity pool, featured in AD magazine, for example. Perfect for entertaining in olympic porportions!

Meanwhile, Mae Young is ready to start selling the destination, but is looking for some help, writing:

good story. I am a travel agent interested in selling Brazil, who can I contact? I plan on visiting Brazil in January or February 2011.

Hopefully, some fellow agents will share their contacts with Mae by posting a comment below or at the original article. But until then, I suggest she visit Brazil's tourism portal at www.embratur.gov.br/site/en/home/index.php.

St. Kitts: Agent-Friendly?

A highly-read story at TravelAgentCentral.com as of late was Joe Pike's coverage of the island of St. Kitts seeking to get agents more involved in selling the destination. Sounds exciting, right? One agent thinks otherwise, as P Jones states:

Not seeing a travel agent friendly website when linked onto address referenced in article.  No where on site did I find the words travel agent or travel partners. Possibly the reason for 80% of the booking being made online is that St. Kitts makes no reference to the travel agent community which has tried to promote travel to this island through CTO chapters, etc. Also, I saw no reference in Minister Skerritt's suggested outreach to travel agents on how the islands plans to make this happen.

Hopefully, there's no specific language or content about agents just yet because the island's push to engage agents is relatively new. But St. Kitts isn't alone when it comes to coming under fire for its lack-thereof leveraging of agents. In fact, back in the August 27, 2010 Weekly Wrap, one agent commented on how St. Lucia appears to be working more with online travel agencies instead of traditional agents (check out the original story here). Can anyone else share their take on whether either or both of these islands are making a significant effort to involve travel agents?

Agents Win with Awesome Websites

We're always keeping in touch with technology companies to learn about what agents can do to keep their business strong among the heavy competition brought on by online travel sites. So, when George Dooley penned an exclusive interview with Brian Tan, CEO and founder of Zicasso.com, we were happy to see so many readers chime in so quickly. Not only were agents excited, but so was Tan himself, commenting:

Stay tuned, folks...there'll be a Part 2 to this story in which I'll be sharing some practical steps and nuts and bolts on how to get a great travel agent website built, affordably.

Meanwhile, here's what fellow agents had to say about the article and its content:

Dora Theiss wrote:

Great article on website advice for travel consultants. Blogging and other social media are other elements to provide relevant information to your clients linked to your website. Consistency is the key when using twitter, blogging, and facebook.

James Wang shared:

This article is just fantastic! I have learned a lot from it. I am looking forward to read your second part of it. Thank you!

Janet Engel added:

thank you so much for this article-- Great information and agree 100%. There are no shortcuts anymore. Retail agents that want to remain viable and relevant MUST strengthen their online identity, starting with their website, and then expanding out and embracing all of the amazing social media tools that, yes their clients are already using! Agents must also demonstrate not only familiarity, but expertise in these arenas also!

You all have me highly anticipating part two now, as well. Let's just hope it doesn't follow the traditional Hollywood path of the sequels never matching the quality of the first film.

That's it for this week. Of course, I wish there was more to share but that depends on you, fellow readers. So keep the comments coming. Post one below or at any of the original articles. Don't forget to share your thoughts with us elsewhere, whether it's by writing us at our Facebook page or sending a tweet to our Twitter page. You can also join in real time discussions, and start your own, at AgentNation, the only social community online for all kinds of travel agents.

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: October 11-15

There's nothing quite like autumn in New York. At the same time, there's nothing quite like autumn in New Hampshire (where I spent a few days last week, in case there's anyone who was wondering where the Weekly Wrap was last week). I bet there's nothing quite like autumn just about anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. But as much as New England foliage and sweater weather in the Big Apple are what's on my mind these days, what's more important (at least at this very moment) is what you, our readers are thinking about. So let's get scrolling.

California's Credit, Cruise Conundrum

It looks like Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger is getting out of California amidst all kinds of problems for the state, from budgeting to politics. Welfare is rarely a topic we cover here at Travel Agent, but when Susan J. Young read a report in the Los Angeles Times about welfare money being used to buy cruise vacations, it was indeed something worth noting. Needless to say, the dogs have been unleashed when it comes to comments of frustration and anger. Just take a look for yourself.

Cherylbailey wrote:
What the !!@?? No wonder that state is in suc mess!!!@!@@

stebbiej shared:
FIRST OF ALL, WHO WOULD THINK TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS... ITS ALL KINDS OUT HERE...

Margaret King posted:
That is absolutely insane. Did no one ahead think that use of these cards could be exploited? After the fact, I suppose.

Frank Herdman added:
I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't uncommon in all the states including Florida where most of the ships sail from. I would love to see the goverment look into see how many people on public assistance went on a cruise in the last year or so?Any goverment offical willing to take up the challenge?

karen peterson stated:
This has been going on since 2007? And like a lightbulb of an idea, you now decide this is inappropriate. You, the administrators, are what's wrong with this program. GET WITH THE PROGRAM!

Joe Gray, responding to karen peterson, wrote:
Oh, please, and enough already with your sanctimony. No question such behavior is reprehensible and way beyond the pale. That said, the fact this has gone since 2007 (which I presume is when such state-issued debit cards were introduced) and is only now being discovered is most likely due to no one having thought that such transactions were happening in such magnitude; not due to any willful dismissal of those transactions.
Careful there, Karen Peterson, did you not hear about the fellow in unincorporated Tennessee whose home just burnt to the ground because there was no taxing authority collecting for fire protection services? What program is it you are suggesting to get with? If simple auditing procedures, I applaud your clarion call to action; if something else, I urge you consider the consequences of whatever it is you are on about.

elizabeth Koch commented:
I am a travel agent and earn my living from clients vacation travel but using welfare debit cards is beyond terrible...other Calif residents stay home so they can pay their bills while welfare clients are gambling in fancy ship casinos...reprehensible

CLR shared:
I don't think California Taxpayers should be funding Welfare/Unemployment Vacations. Bravo! and about time I say!

Needless to say, there's not much California loving or dreaming going on when it comes to this story. Not only is it a shame to see taxpayers' dollars being monitored so carelessly, it's even worse to think about how much business this incident may have taken away from agents. I hope none of you out there were directly affected in any large manner.

Terrorism in Europe vs. Society in the U.S.: Which is Safer?

Everyone has been well aware of the recent travel alert to Europe that the State Department issued in regards to potential terrorist attacks in the Old Country. After the alert was issued, Jena Tesse Fox spoke to several tour operators, who told us that the warning had little-to-no affect on travel to the continent. Still, there was a report by Onenewspage.com that the alert did, in fact, deter some tourism to the region. One reader, however, seems a little skeptical. Andy Fraser wrote:

About 30,000 US citizens die each year in road accidents and roughly the same number die from guns. How many US citizens died last year from terrorist activities in Europe?

By my count, Andy, the answer is zero. However, just because guns and car accidents have a high death toll here in the U.S. doesn't, in my opinion, mean we should ignore the travel alert all together. Needless to say, 9/11 changed just about everything when it comes to the travel industry and there have been plenty of incidents overseas since (from the train bombings in Spain in 2005 to the attacks in Mumbai in late 2008). I think it's always better to be safe than sorry. In this situation, it appears travelers and suppliers were playing it safe and, fortunately, little-to-no business was lost. In the end, it's great to see consumers sticking to travel plans. Not only does it keep business going, but it's symbolic in showing the terrorists that we are not afraid to live our lives.

A Question on Medical Tourism

Although it's been nearly two months since George Dooley penned his latest piece about the growing niche of medical tourism, the topic remains fresh enough that agents are seeking feedback from other travel professionals. For instance, Henk Bijl appears ready to jump on board to sell medical travel packages, but is curious as to how his business can benefit. He posted:

Extremely interesting. In order to consider business scenarios, what's a ballpark commission from hospitals in destination countries for a facilitator delivering customers?

I think that's a great question, Henk. I'm sorry I can't answer it, but I hope some of our readers can by posting a comment below or at the original article.

ME Cancun's All-Inclusive Decision

One of the most read stories on TravelAgentCentral.com as of late has been ME Cancun's offering of special travel agent rates. As much as that promo is exciting agents, a different policy of the property is continuing to turn heads— it's decision to open it's all-inclusive amenities to non-guests. The topic has been brough up in not just one, but two editions of the Weekly Wrap this year. And here we go for the third time as Robert Paisola, talking directly to Raul Petraglia, managing director of the property, writes:

Raul, Please reconsider this plan We have an incredible property that is EXCLUSIVE. Opening the doors for money will cause uncalculated damages. Look at the art, Look at the way the property is viewed. Is it really worth it?

ME Cancun's decision is a first in the industry. As some readers see it failing, others don't see it as such a bad thing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Commenting on Two Caribbean Islands

Both Jamaica and St. Croix were cited in comments this week, mostly in a supportive tone. For starters, two readers shared their take on a massive fam trip that recently took place in Jamaica. Geraldine Simpson was there, and is apparently thrilled with the results, stating:

I attended the 9/10-13/10 and it was the best I have ever attended. We had the chance to really experience various properties and excursions and were able to really see the island from many angles. Professionalism of the staff at every venue I visited was at its best.  Keep up the good work Jamaica. You have my vote and my clients.

Meanwhile, Richard Post is adding his two cents, reminding agents of another supplier he believes deserves recognition, writing:

Let's not forget about Riu Hotels that also hosted agents and did a great job if I don't say so myself.

I went to Jamaica with my family when I was six years old and I remember it was all I could color/write about in class the following weeks. In 2004, my roommate and grad school went there and had to mind his tongue upon return due to my immense jealousy of not being able to go. In my opinion, Jamaica can sell itself, but it's great to see the island's investment in agents.

In regards to the Jamaica trip, Geraldien thinks such an opportunity would be a great benefit for the island of St. Croix. After reading a report about an increase in arrivals to the U.S. Virgin Islands, she commented:

Having lived in the USVI, I would still like to see them promote St. Croix a little more.  Perhaps do a fam such as the one Jamaic did, but of course on a smaller scale since there aren't as many hotels.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Perhaps someone should make a call, or send me the number so I can make the call for them.

Ending with a Nice Endorsement

Ruthanne Terrero recently attended Nexion's annual conference, where she analyzed how the purchase of Nexion by Tzell will affect agents. According to one reader, no matter what happens as a consequence is just fine as long as Jackie Friedman remains at the helm. Cindy Rake shard:

Thank goodness Tzell had the insight to keep Jackie and her crew, they do a great job.  Nexion would not be the same nor would it be as sucessful with them. Now if Nexion would just improve the tech department's attitude and response time it would be near perfect.

It's always nice to end the Weekly Wrap on a positive note. But don't let the conversation die here. We always want to hear from you and take your comments to heart, especially if they can benefit other travel professionals in an engaging dialogue. So keep the comments coming. Post them below or at the original articles. You can also write us at our Facebook page or send a tweet to our Twitter page. Of course, you can always participate in conversations in real time at AgentNation, the only social community online for all types of travel agents.

Talk to you next week...

On AgentNation: How to Sell Vegas

It's been awhile since we rounded up some of the latest topics at AgentNation, the only social community online for all types of travel agents. So let's take a look at what's on agents minds and how fellow peers can contribute to the conversation with hopes of supportin each other's business.

Group Dining with Carnival

User bsholland is planning a cruise for a group of clients, and she apparantely is having a bit of a cruise conundrum when it comes to setting up dining options for her customers. She writes:

I have just booked my first group on Carnival. I have learned that over half of my group is waitlisted for the 6pm dining. How could they not have groups dining together? We are about 5 months out, I am just going to hold my breath that this is going to work out. I don't want to tell my group we may not all be dining together. I'll wait and see what happens. Anyone out there with a Carnival group.... does it usually work out to be OK?

We're looking for any travel professionals who have booked groups with Carnival in the past. If you can, chime in at the discussion thread and let her know if you expect everything to work out or if there's something she can do to ensure her clients have a pleasant journey.

Going with A Good GDS, Online Lead Provider

Needless to say, the right GDS can make a world of a difference for any travel agent, be they home-based or not. Hence, stevea's query about choosing the right platform for his agency, one can assume, should hit home with some agents. He asks:

Some publications are talking about the great offers agencies are receiving for renewals- Amadeus is offering me .20 per segment after I reach 2,500.  We are small and only produce 2500-3000 per year.  Any ideas or input ?  What are others getting ?  If you don't want to post, feel free to contact me at steve@travellovers.com or just call 1-800-869-6588

Looks like the best help stevea can receive here is from any agent working with a less-than-gigantic group of clientele. Who can help him out by answering his question?

Another topic raised by stevea was that of online travel leads, particularly compete4yourseat.com. He asks:

Does anyone use online Travel lead services. I am using one with no luck yet. I am looking closely at a site that gives you unlimited leads for $49.00 a month. I don't know if they are any good though. The name is compete4yourseat.com Does or has anyone used this service and if so what is your assesment?

Travel Agent basically endorsed compete4yourseat.com a few years ago, in some manner anyway, when we wrote about the company in the past. The story received a comment from a reader back in June, which relates to stevea's query. The reader, going by the name of Travel, wrote:

There are no feedback on compete 4 your seat, especially on the very questionable travel agency called: "Select Travel Club" which bids through the Compete4yourseat web. There are high suspicions raised concerning the legitimacy of this web and of the travel agency. Could anyone confirm that select travel club is not a fraud?

Between stevea's query as well as Travel's comment, who can chime in about compete4yourseat.com and other online travel lead services?

Vegas, Baby, Vegas!

Las Vegas may be one of the only cities in the world that is a destination unto itself. It's practically one of those places every traveler wants to visit before he/she dies. But that doesn't mean that selling Sin City to a client is easy. Perhaps that's why user sautieri wants some feedback from his peers. He asks:

I would like to see what others are doing to sell Las Vegas. What is your approach? Do you specialze in a particular segment of Las Vegas? Online leads for Vegas seem to be very price driven, do you respond diffrently?

Some agents already responded. j9travels wrote:

Interview your client. The interview could be a simple dialogue to learn their interests. Watch the way they are dressed and mannerism. Ask for the Budget they are working with. For instance my clients were women who wanted to experience  Las Vegas but did want to stay on the strip. The wanted to a Hotel with a Spa (lux) and be able to see a show. But be in walking distance of the strip enjoying the sights, restuarants and if they wanted a casino. PH was the hotel for them.  Another client he and his wife wanted to be in mist of everything. Luxor fit there budget and lux accommodations they wanted.

morristravellv added:

as a long time las vegas resident, yes, in many cases it is price driven.  you have to explain the difference of being on the strip and downtown, or off strip properties.  some off strip are wonderful locations,  hard rock hotel, the palms, rio.  some local casinos are 4 and 5 star, red rock, green valley ranch.  it all depend on what type of experience the traveler is looking for.

These are some great answers which will certainly help our friend sautieri. But I'm sure other agents out there have more to share. So please add your take to sautieri's question when you can.

Who's the Best?

Everyone has their favorite suppliers and companies with which to do business. Sometimes it depends on the relationship with the supplier, the client involved or the itinerary being planned. So when sekhmet asked for some feedback on which tour operators are the best, we wanted so share, in her interest and in ours. She asks:

I am trying to establish relationships with various suppliers/tour operators and am having a difficult time trying to narrow down the best companies to do business with. In your opinion who is the best?

Tour Oprator for each region ( eg Trafalgar, A & K)
Africa
South America
Europe
Asia
Middle East
Caribbean

Suppliers that offer vacation packages for any region(eg Pleasant Holidays, GOGO)

Who do you like working with in these regions? Add your take at the discussion thread.

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: September 27 - October 1

When it comes to issues that matter to travel agents, the autumn season is starting off with quite a bang. It's been a bit since I wrote a Weekly Wrap, primarily in part to my recent participation in covering The Lodging Conference 2010 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix (check out www.hotelworldnetwork.com for details). Needless to say, there were plenty of comments to review upon my return, so let's take a look.

First Up

When someone posts a comment on a previous Weekly Wrap, I always make a point of leading with it the next week. Rosemary posted a comment on the last Weekly Wrap, focusing on how consumers' search for travel online causes competition for agents, writing:

Besides on line agencies that discount or rebate cruises, they also discount major tour companies 10% like Trafalgar & Globus. How can you compete with that?

I wish I had answer, Rosemary, but I'm not travel professional, just a journalist covering your experiences. So I am going to defer to our readers and hope one of them can give you an answer that my experience cannot support.

Shots at Sheehan, NCL

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has received some criticism from readers as of late, most of them posting their take on articles pertaining to the cruise line's CEO, Kevin Sheehan. I'd try to explain, but I'll let the comments speak for themselves.

After reading about Sheehan's take on the line's new direction in light of the launch of the Norwegian Epic ship, carolyn wrote:

went on a cruise "jewel" nick for kids. 8/28/10... room was dirty, 8:30 pm they came to keep it. 2 days later we were asked to leave our room so they could clean the rugs @ 8:30 am. When we pulled into port my mother was told that there was no shuttle to take her from the ship so she had to stay behind... she couldn't sit on the balony because they were varnishing it. SHE CRIED THE WHOLE TIME!!!!!!!! when we spoke to someone ( head of hotel mgmnt) he could care less.

carolyn is not alone in her disappointment. When commenting on a nearly two-year-old news item about Sheehan becoming the CEO of the company, TAMMY CAREY, wrote:

WENT ON A CRUISE , HAD BOOKED TO GO TO ATLANTIS, AND HORSEBACK RIDING THE SAME DAY. GOT TO ATLANTIS AND IT STARTED RAINING, AND THE PARK CLOSED. NCL REFUSED TO GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK $596.00 FOR 3 OF US, FOR SOMETHING WE DID NOT USE. WE NEVER GOT OUR TIME TO SWIM WITH DOLPHINS TILL THAT MORNING,. THEY TRIED TO GET ME IN A OFFICE SO OTHER PEOPLE WOULD NOT HERE WHAT TEY HAD DONE. BESIDES ALL THE NO REFUNDS, FOOD WAS TERRIBLE, SEWGE ON THE 8TH FLOOR, JUST A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE COMPARED TO REAL CRUISE SHIPS. THIS ONE SUCKS.LOOK AT THERE RATINGS.

I think the capital letters alone demonstrate the readers' frustration. It's unfortunate to read these experiences. Anyone out there have a similar or contrarian take on this matter?

More on Cruise West

The news of Cruise West's downfall is a few weeks old but, understandably, some are still coping with the shocking turn of events. Here's what two readers had to say:

DC posted:
As a former CFO and worked under Chuck West , it is very sad to see it comes to this. I did start a new small boat cruise company 14 years ago. It was based on Chuck's basic principal of provide intimate cruise experience with the nature. Chuck's spirit lives on.

Madelyn Tyson of Cruise Planners shared:
I am sorry to hear of Cruise West's need to restructure. Dick West has been a leader in authentic Alaskan tourism for many years. As my husband and I took our photography group on our Alaskan cruise this summer I heard more than one cruiser comment that he wished he could have been able to join Cruise West on one of their Alaska sailings.  It's also been a goal of mine to sail with Cruise West. I hope I will still get the chance in the future.
I also am offended by the photograph Travel Central chose to illustrate this article. I do not feel it does Cruise West's superb product justice.

I cannot speak with any authority about the Cruise West situation. But I will note that it was I who chose the image of the stranded Cruise West ship for the story (seen below).

Why? I feel an image of a Cruise West strip stranded on land was emblembatic of the travelers, agents and tour operators who felt "stranded" by the situation. So, that's my bad. Wait, not my bad, my decision. It was not my intent to offend Madelyn or Cruise West.

Cruise Center Call Hours

Another cruise line that got some attention lately was Princess Cruises, which recently reduced its call center hours. For some, it's a schedule adjustment. For Patrick Fok, it's something else. He stated:

Polar supports Princess, Cunard, and Holland America, the three lines we require the least phone contact with. Coincidence?

I don't know if it's a coincidence. But perhaps someone else can add more to this conversation?

Collection of Caribbean Comments

As winter approaches, it's time to start looking at the cold weather getaways clients can find in the Caribbean. One of my best friends, Brad, just spent his honeymoon in Barbados and won't stop talking about the incredible time he had. I wonder if he ran into Anthony Feliciov, Jr. who, after reading news about Barbados' tourism numbers soaring, shared:

Just returned from a weeks stay in Barbados. Beautiful island and will definitely be returning and recommending to many of my clients. Outstanding beaches, great restaurants, and most importantly a very warm and friendly people.

My buddy Brad had the same thing to say about the island and it's people. Any agents looking to learn more abour Barbados should check out our special Featured Channel on the island, where they can get the latest information they need to to sell the destination.

Aruba got some play this month as well, when Joe Pike wrote a piece on the island's new marketing campaign. Apparently, the campaign will have no effect on reader Joy, who commented:

I'm sorry to say Aruba will not be a happy place for me again. It will be a place a girl named Natalie died and was disrespected. So sorry.......But best of luck.

I traveled to Aruba last November, and the Holloway story was unavoidable down there, mainly because anyone I talked to is waiting for that stigma to go away. It's a shame that one incident can mar the island's tourism industry, even five years later. My advice to anyone who feels the same as Joy about Aruba is: get over it.

Again, it's sad. However, if every destination were to suffer due to a lack of tourism after an unfortunate incident that was not directly the fault of said destination, then countless communities would suffering. After 9/11, New York needed tourism more than ever. The same can be said now for the Gulf Region of the United States (just to name another).

Downplaying peoples' misfortunes is not my intent here. My intent is to say that travel brings much needed business (and education) to so many places that those who are able to put bad news aside and still go through with leisure or business travel plans to particular destinations, in my opinion, should be lauded.

Speaking of Tough Situations for Destinations

Let's take Mexico as an example of what I'm trying to say about keeping travel plans going. Needless to say, our North American neighbor has taken a beating over the past few years when it comes to bad news: swine flu, earthquakes, the economy and drug violence that is at the border (not in or near tourist destinations). So when Joe Pike writes about how the country is rebounding, it's interesting to see what some readers have to say about the matter.

For instance, there was Travel Agent's recent cover story about how Mexico is fighting back after tough times. It received one pro and one con.

First, B.S. wrote:
Ur kidding right? You can't call an inevitable reality "bad press". This is far worse than people living in Mexico are willing to accept. Forget H1N1 or the Mexicana bankruptcy. The reason why travelers from the biggest markets (US & Europe...) are having second thoughts about visiting Mexico is simple: all out violence. The drug war is poisoning it all. No matter what the government tries to say to the world, this will not change overnight and it will only get worse before it gets better.... Nevertheless, I hope the gruesome violence will stay clear from travel destinations in central Mexico and beach resorts so that leisure travelers thinking about visiting Mexico will do so and return as often as possible, taking advantage of the amazing travel deals, service and hospitality that are characteristic of Mexico...

Before I could respond, citing my experiences traveling to the Riviera Maya as well as my time spent in Mexico City, MJ Carr chimed in for me, saying:
The last comment is obviously someone who does not know Mexico well nor travel there. As a US Citizen living in Mexico for 5 years, the press has blown things WAY out of proportion. Who are YOU kidding? Do we tell our own citizens not to visit New Orleans, with a murder rate of 22 per 100,000 now the most dangerous city in the US? Or better yet, should we say don't visit all of the US because of what happens in ONE or a few cities? The violence is almost strictly contained to drugs. Use common sense, stay in tourist areas in daylight, and don't buy our use drugs and you have nothing to fear. The truth is, there is still way more violent crimes against innocent people in the US than in Mexico. Our own press doesn't care to make this known.

Amen, MJ.

But MJ and your friend Kirk aren't the only ones speaking out in support of Mexico. Pike recently spoke with Mexico Tourism Board director recently and (guess what?), the country cites travel agents as a strong reason for it resurgence! Just check out these comments for yourself:

Jennifer Constantinos wrote:
I was in Cabos two weeks ago and the service was superb! That's what my clients are always looking for...

Bryan Alvarez posted:
Mexican destinations are getting better all the time. Customers are asking about other destinations but it's difficult to get the deals that you can get in Mexico. It's important to put things into context since the problems are not taking place all over the country.

luisa Allen shared:
Mr. Sumano seems to forget that in July of last year, Mexico was up to it's neck in the swine flu pandemia, and tourism went down by at least 50%. So the increase is not really that impressive...however, it is good that the correct information about the "violence" is getting out.

Good point about the increase, luisa, and kudos to you for noting that the "violence" is abating. In other words, people, don't stop selling Mexico.

AA Gets an A, from this Reader

For those interested in traveling to or sending clients to any destination in Europe via Heathrow, take note of American Airlines' upgrade of its Admirals Club at the London airport. It received some positive testimonials from two readers:

Lette shard:
I can vouch for the renovation. Spent a couple of hours in May. It's superb. A good variety of tasty food, hot and cold, wine beer, liquor, and all of the amenities one could need

Jacqueline Johnson commented:
Great to hear this. It certainly needed an overhaul and update as it was an awful place to visit.

I can only assume that Jacqueline is the same Johnson that writes such insightful pieces about selling wedding travel. That being said, I can attest to how much weight her words carry (hint: it's A LOT!)

Thanks, Man

It's always pleasant to end the Weekly Wrap on a fun note and this week, it's a "hip" note. It appears that Travel Agent has made a new friend through our report about Travel Insured's light-hearted marketing campaign as of late. Sharing his take on the story was Tony Brent, who wrote:

I'm the Travel Hippie and I think you guys are groovy!

Maybe Tony's complimenting Travel Insured and not us. Either way, thanks for the "free" love, brother.

Whether it's telling us how jive you think we are, how bad you think or choice of pictures are, or what your take is on a matter we cover, we always love hearing form you. So please keep the feedback coming. Post a comment below. Write us at our Facebook page. Send a tweet to our Twitter page. Join the conversation in real time at AgentNation, the only social community online for all types of travel agents (maybe one day we'll have a movie made about OUR social network, and hopefully it will be directed by David Fincher and scored by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails— I can dream, can't I?). For those who aren't getting my reference, check out the trailer for "The Social Network" below, which opens in theaters this Friday (been awhile since I dropped a cinematic reference).

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: September 5-10

September truly is a special month. The NFL and NCAA football are officially underway, baseball season is winding down to the playoffs, the kids are off the streets and back in the school room, and it seems as if everyone is back from taking or planning a summer vacation and ready to jump right back in to issues and topics of interest in the travel industry. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a jump in comments and discussion at TravelAgentCentral.com in the coming weeks, so let's dive right on in the what was posted the past few weeks.

Cruise West Woes

This week, Cruise West reported that it was restructuring and there have already been reports of the cruise line laying off employees. It's been a bit of a tumultuous time for many, including Gladys Stout, who posted:

I was very sad to hear of Cruise West's problems. They are a wonderful company, and we have had some delightful experiences with them. I will pray for a healthy restructuring and a return to happy sailing soon! Good luck!

Although I can't speak of any experience shared with the cruise line, I share Gladys' sentiment. Best wishes to Cruise West, its employees, its agent partners and its current/former customers.

A Separate Cruise Crux

As one cruise line has a rough time on its own, it appears the industry in general is giving agents a tough time in general. Susan J. Young wrote an analysis piece on the cruise marketplace as we enter the fall season and one reader is not too enthused about the upcoming opportunities for "Wave Season" sales. Doug Farrell shared:

If I see a lower price and cannot get it, I will not use that cruise line or agent again. It's about time someone stood up for the consumer and offered automatic price protection.

The issue of cruise price rebating/competition etc has been a hot one since we polled our readers about it last December. Then, in July, when Carnival began making moves to equalize pricing, the topic was reignited on the message boards. Clearly, it's not going away anytime soon. So I hope agents and readers continue to share their take on the matter, as I believe it can lead to constructive dialogue which they can leverage to improve their business operations.

Pulp of Politics

Whether it's the cruise industry or the travel industry in general, some stories as of late have inspired some readers to get political with their comments. For starters, there's George Dooley's report on the U.S Travel Association's lauding of President Obama’s new initiative to stimulate economic growth and job creation with a new round of stimulus spending by focusing on America’s roads, rail systems and airports. While some, like U.S Travel CEO Roger Dow, are excited about this news, others, like Mark M., are quite cynical. Mark wrote:

The president SAYS he is going to invest in the infrastructure by spending more money we don't have to improve our transporation system. Well, what happened to the billions of dollars designated for the same purpose in the first stimilus plan? Where did that money go? You would have to be a real fool if you continue to believe ANYTHING this president says. Sorry, Roger.

I always do my best to stay out of political arguments. But I will give Mark credit for posting a comment that is closer to the topic at hand then another comment that was posted on a different story. A similar situation happened recently when Dooley wrote a piece about Royal Caribbean's initiative to encourage Americans to travel more, particularly via a cruise line. A reader, named Jesse, took the story as an opportunity to bash the current and former President, stating:

The President may need to get away, but not as much as he has. He's kicking back during the oil spill and in Martha's Vineyard while people suffer. Same goes with Bush. He vacationed for all of August in 2001. Guess what happened then? He vacationed for August again in 2005, too bad Katrina spoiled his vacation. We definitely DO NOT need any more presidential vacations.

All I'll say is that it seems as if Jesse needs a vacation. The summer heat has clearly been getting to some of our readers.

Acquisition Affects Agents

Big news in the industry last week was the report that Nexion was acquired by Tzell/Travel Leaders. In a separate opinion piece on the matter, Dooley seems to believe this is good news for the travel agent community, particularly home-based agents. But one reader feels the opposite. Bradley wrote:

Does anyone other than me consider this bad for the travel industry? It basically comes down to there being three major power players in the host agency game: American Express, AAA, and now Travel Leaders/Nexion. It may overpower smaller hosts by creating difficult in attracting new travel agents.

Bradley makes a good point. As always, I must remind everyone that I am not a travel professional. So may take on the matter cannot be valid enough. Therefore, I encourage our readers to chime in on this one, whether they agree with Bradley or not.

Agent's Issue with Tropicana Las Vegas Inspires Gripe with Barcelo, Carnival

Every other week, Travel Agent unleashes its bi-weekly Las Vegas newsletter and, to share with those who may have missed it, we always post it on our Facebook page for readers to catch up on the latest Vegas news. So one time when we shared it, we received an interesting slew of comments from an agent who had an unfortunate incident with the Tropicana Las Vegas. We followed up by contacting the property and were happy to see that both the agent and Donna Marcou, the property's vice president of leisure sales, quelled the issue together (with our help of course). The story received a lot of feedback from readers. Sue, for starters, praised Marcou, writing:

I have had the pleasure to work with Donna Marcou numerous times. She always takes care of our clients and is a true partner--always willing to help us increase our business with her. It's a win/win/win for our clients/our agency/Tropicana. Travel agents need to partner with her and other travel professionals who support our businesses.

Meanwhile, Sharon lauded Tropicana Las Vegas' handling of the situation as well, commenting:

Great to hear that Tropical's intent was above board, and I'd venture to say that additional training was probably given.

But that's not all Sharon had to say. She also responed to a reader's comment about Barcelo exercising a practice similar to the incident involving Tropicana. The initial comment about Barcelo came from M.J.A., who posted:

Last year repeat clients wanted to stay at a Barcelo property. I called 2 air/land companies...gave the clients the best rate for the resort they wanted. Didn't hear from clients for a week. Sure sign I'd lost it. Called client ...they called Barcelo & got a "commission free rate". I lost the booking. Agents were livid. Barcelo back-peddled an apology. Too late. Since then, when I receive any thing with the Barcelo name I delete it. Yes, "Shame on them"!

Sharon's response to that was as follows:

As for Barcelo this is distressing since they have hotels in many countries I been working on recommending them as my clients that I've booked in their Riviera Maya properties throughly enjoyed themselves.

So M.J.A responded, writing:

I agree, Barcelo does have resorts all over & glad your clients enjoyed one of tbeir properties. But, I spent time researching the clients' request, then lost it to Barcelo's "commission free rate". Put yourself in my shoes.

Just as Barcelo seemed to be the new target, Paula chimed in about another supplier she feels commits practices that aren't agent family. She shared:

It was this article that gave me the inspiration to write a post on Carnival's FB page with a situation of the same. I immediately received a response from CCL and a follow-up phone call today. Hopefully, by Tuesday the entire situation will be resolved and they will honor my commission on a botched booking. Please read my CCL FB post and thank you for putting this up online for all to read.

Barcelo and Carnival are still not alone, at least according to Gerry, who commented:

I am finding that many hotel chains post rates on their website that are "not commissionable" to travel agents. After recommending the "perfect hotel / perfect location" for a client's trip, and quoting a hotel rate ( for which commission is paid)-- the client can go online and book a lower rate (often this is a pre-paid, non-refundable rate) -- but if the client is definately going, they will select this option -- and are satified that they "found a deal" without the travel agent. It saves them about 20% off the agent quoted price. The "non-commissionable rates" happen with Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt, Choice hotel chains. This practice of "non-cmmissionable rates" is becoming more common. Agents need to be careful!

As much as we are thrilled to see that our efforts helped the Tropicana situation and inspired one reader to bring up her concerns with Carnival, it is disturbing to see agents suffering from such incidents. We'd like to hear more from agents that have encountered similiar situations, either by posting a comment below, writing us at our our Facebook page, sending a tweet to our Twitter page or joining the conversation at AgentNation. We want to hear from you, and help you.

We Can Only Celebrate You If You Participate

In case you missed it, we recently shared our Top 25 Agents of 2010 with the community. We were thrilled to receive so many nominations, as much as it made it difficult to pick just 25. I mention the nominations because it appears as if Andy Pesky, senior vice president of Protravel International, feels he was overlooked, stating:

No sour grapes as they say but did anyone interview or ask anyone at Protravel Intl? Being perhaps the largest upscale agency in the country there are some extremely talented, knowledgeable and sophoisticated high quality agents sitting amongst the 900+ agents that make up Protravel. Just curious as CWT Travel seems to be your #1 choice? Andy Pesky, Sr.Vice President

I responded to Andy's comment on the article, writing:

All potential candidates either submitted an application on their own or were represented in the contest through a peer's or client's submission of their name. We received all nominations openly and picked the best from the pool we received.

I'd like to also point out to Andy that Robert Becker of Protravel was one of our top 25 agents of 2009. I'm sure if Andy nominates himself, or if someone nominates him, next year that he'll make the list. So just remember to submit your nominations. And speaking of that, if you know an agent under the age of 30 (or are an agent under the age of 30), then submit nominations now for our third annual 30Under30 campaign, where we profile the best of the youth in the industry. You can submit nominations here.

As always, I hope the comments and conversation don't end here. Keep your opinions coming. Post a comment below, write us at our our Facebook page, send a tweet to our Twitter page or join conversations in real time at AgentNation.

Until next week...

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: July 26-30

Just as the heat wave calms down here in New York City, our message board is lighting up with comments, and I couldn't be happier. This week, there's not really any bickering. No comments were posted asking questions or making comments that could be answered if the reader simply read the article. And it seems several readers are already benefitting from what they are posting here at TravelAgentCentral.com. Let's take a look.

Medical Tourism = Target Market

We ran a cover story about medical travel in 2008, and have been covering various elements of this niche market ever since. But when George Dooley filed an update on the matter this week, speaking with Jack Schafer, president of GlobalSurgeryNetwork, the topic has had a major resurgence of interest when it comes to our readers. Check out the exchange below:

Julie Munro believes medical tourism is a great opportunity, but notes it comes with strings attached, writing:
One of the hard realities of medical travel and health tourism is you are dealing with clients/patients whose lives you may be putting at risk. The Medical Travel and Health Tourism Quality Alliance (MTQUA) online course for Certified Medical Concierge teaches and informs how to do medical tourism "right" - with quality and safety. Medical tourism is much more than an "add on" opportunity. In other words, what do you need to know before sending your mother or your child for medical care abroad? Sources of information include imtjonline.com and mtqua.org

Meanwhile, some agents are looking to jump in on the game and hit the ground running.

Amiee Hamilton posted:
I am a travel agent with a mid sized firm in LA. We have been looking at overseas travel for years and thought it was only about dentists in Mexico and Cosmetics in Costa Rica. I had no idea how large the business was for more traditional procedures but it certainly makes sense. We might not be a large enough agency to get involved in promoting this but I'm sure interested in more information.

Jim Shuster added:
We're a marketing company that serves the travel industry. WOW - I had no idea that Medical Travel was even an industry, and none of our travel clients did either. How does an entire industry come into being, that SHOULD be a Travel & Tourism product, and we don't even know about it. This is going to become a really big item in the near future and could "change" both the medical and the travel industry enormously !  How do we get involved ?

Other agents made specific calls for assistance to Schafer himself and, although he did not respond directly, he is clearly available for more feedback. Hopefully, he and agents can take advantage of this situation to network for more business in addition to the right travel package for their clients.

Good Health at Sea

Keeping on the medical topic, we got a lot of comments about the latest news regarding regulations for cruise ships while at sea. Simply, and shortly, put, our readers are ecstatic.

Eleanor Anderson stated:
That is a great bill. It is about time. I am a frequent Cruiser.

Norma Swartout shared:
Wonderful = could use those peepholes at least. Thank you.

Gene Shaddix added:
Long overdue!

It's great to see the excitement. I wonder if John Kerry had been this aggressive on the policy back in the 2004 election season if it would have made a difference. Probably not.

Speaking of Politics

Oh no! I just mentioned a Democrat when writing about travel! I must be a pundit!

But I'm not. I actually do my best to steer clear of politics because it gets you nowhere. But this week I must address a politics-based comment posted at one of our stories for home based agents. Citing Reuters, we shared the news about a small business bill not passing the Senate this week. We mentioned that Republicans blocked the bill, which they did. We did not say we agreed with them or not. We just shared the facts we found in the Reuters article. Still, someone went into a tizzy.

Dennis wrote:
Did Republicans really block the bill? What happen to "Pay as you Go" that the democrats said they would only accept 7 months ago! Since then they have a party spending us to Mars... There is about 400 billion left from the stimulus. Why not that? There is also $166,800 that could have been used BUT! Nancy "botox" Pelosie had to have a bigger office to the tune of $19,900 a month! Oh yeah, $166,800 is the difference that could have been saved from her $6,000 a month rent. That could feed a lot of hungry children. The $30 billion wouldn't have made the banks lend any money anyway. $12 billion is a drop of water in the ocean. What the banks need is reassurance from the top down that housing, jobs, and deficit control would be adressed. Stay away from polotics in your forums.

Dennis, if you click through to the Reuters article, GOP representatives proudly said they blocked the bill. So that answers your first question. Secondly, it's Pelosi, not Pelosie. And yes, she is a botox queen who, in my opinion, is hard to watch on TV. Thirdly,  it's politics, not polotics (unless you are reading your high horse with a mallet in hand). Finally, we'll gladly stay away from "polotics" in our forums if you stay away from our sites if you are going to go off on such oddly passionate tirades.

Domincan Republic: Bad for Cruises?

We reported this week that the Dominican Republic is going to host an annual cruise ship conference and you would think that would be great news for the Caribbean island. Not so, according to Eleanor Anderson, who wrote:

I was in Santa Domingo with Carnival Cruise Lines several years ago. Went on a Tour bus into old town. Police escorted us the whole time and it was recommended by Cruise line not to go anywhere on your own. I hope they have improved on that because it was a little scary.

That's unfortunate to hear. Perhaps this conference will shed light on this apparent security issue. Have any agents out there (or their clients) had a similar experience when cruising to the Dominican Republic?

Keep the Ideas Coming

Needless to say, the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast region is goingwhere nowhere, fast. With that in mind, George Dooley shared a piece with our audience with the goal of gaining agent interest on selling travel to the region and supporting the U.S. Travel Association. Although it wasn't a proposed idea, Gwyn Gordon did share some relevant feedback, commenting:

Just to let you know that I own a condo in Ft. Walton Beach, Fl- in the Florida panhandle & am here today. The media needs to let the public know that there is no oil to be found anywhere here. The beaches are as they always are - white luscious sand. It's beautiful! We have lost income from our rentals unnecessarily. Thank you.

This is the kind of information agents and travelers need to hear and share with each other. I hope more readers out there can chime in to support the areas.

Azul Fives, Agent-Friendly?

When Joe Pike wrote about the highly-anticipated Azul Fives opening in Mexico last month, we initially received several excited comments from readers about the property. But the latest raises an issue as to whether the resort can do more to benefit travel agents or not. Patrick wrote:

The Azul Fives has been heavily promoted as a timeshare for the past two years, both online and at the Karisma resorts. Indeed, I've lost several upscale clients the last two years to onsite timeshare salesmen. I understand that timeshares are an important part of the total revenue mix in Mexico and as such are unavoidable. Its time for Karisma to step up and begin a program to compensate travel agents (either through cash or marketing dollars) for clients lost through timeshares purchased onsite. After all, are we not the original referring source?

Has anyone else had this experience that Patrick has gone through? It seems to be a massively unfortunate shame that a new property, which must be tempting to all kinds of travelers for a visit, is not leveraging the travel agent community to sell vacations. I encourage anyone who has had any contact or business with Azul Fives to chime in here, as it's important to know what's going on with this new property's relationship with the agent community.

As always, don't let the conversation end here. We've been having great discussions about tarmac delays at our Facebook page this week, as well as conversations about hotel inspection lists at AgentNation, the only social community online for all kinds of agents. Of course, you can always hit us up at our Twitter page (@travelagentmag) or post more comments below and elsewhere at TravelAgentCentral.com. Until next week...

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: July 19-23

I'll be honest. During the summer, it's hard to find comments by readers of Travel Agent to share in the Weekly Wrap for two reasons: 1. many take a break in the summer 2. sometimes the heat has clearly gotten to those commenting as what they write can be too outrageous.

So this week, I was pleased to see a plethora of feedback, even tough some of it was on YTB. Let's take a look.

YTB Re-Enters the Fray

When YTB recently announced changes to its compensation structure for executives, George Dooley did some investigating by connecting with noted YTB critic John Frenaye and perusing the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In addition to digging up some information, he also stirred up one reader, Doug Bauknight, who wrote:

While the "knowledgeable source" admits he's "not sure what to make of it" - anyone who can read sure can. The Founders are holding themselves more accountable - not getting ready to resign. If you think the Board of Directors would approve a single dime in severance if any of them rode off into the sunset - you belong in John's "Den". If you want to read something that knowledgeable (and accurate) hop on over to my blog. (Or read the entire SEC filing. It's in English.

Dooley spoke with Bauknight last year, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's back to defend YTB. As usual, I'm staying out of this and yielding the floor to anyone who wishes to join the discussion. Thoughts anyone?

Online Vs Human

When Orbitz announced its new program for traditional travel agents, we offered the company an opportunity to address the community, which they did. So we wanted to do the same for Expedia, which has launched its Travel Agent Affiliate Program, and they shared their thoughts with us as well. Readers shared their thoughts both at Expedia's op-ed piece as well as at our Facebook page.

Commenting on the article, a reader named Air Carrier wrote:

Intersting-Expida, like Orbitz, who both trid to put us out of business, suddenly wants to partner with us. The VP-has said nothing that I as a traditional agent dont alreay have. They are just like regular tour suppliers-trying to get our business, and elimiating us in the process. His speech is just another somkecreen. I've been an agent for 38 years.

Meanwhile, at our Facebook page, Go Marie shared her thoughts, posting:

Hmmm. Okay I've been following this for quite some time. These online giants are finally reaching out to the traditional travel agents with our little sites? Affiliates? They are trying to create a spider web into the stream of clients that traditional travel agents are gaining. Thus the Giant Google Travel site will point back to them.
Why GOOGLE & ITA software merge.
Expedia is worried about Google/ITA deal
ITA was in collabo with Orbitz. Orbitz hired ITA for the purpose of direct information on flights straight from airlines
Do you know how powerful this information is???
Yah Expedia, Kayak, Orbitz now opens it's arms to travel agents.
I get it now.

Marie is definitely right about Google. As the Internet monster enters the travel business, it's got leaders at all companies tugging their collars. Does this mean traditional agents and online travel agencies should strengthen their bond? Let me know your thoughts.

Nice Places to Go

Let's take a break from the controversial now and focus on something more positive. Two stories recently received some feedback that leads me to believe the content was helpful. First, Trevor Cartman commented on Jena Tesse Fox's recent blog entry about her Rail Europe journey to Lugano, Switzerland, saying:

This is a great post Jena. What an experience this was. Thanks for the info.

While meeting South Africa Tourism CEO Thandiwe Sylvia January-McLean in New York last night, one of the public relations representatives made a point of telling me how much she enjoyed Jena's coverage of her touring of South Africa last month. Nice to see Europe is getting a taste of her talent as well.

The Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino in Curacao is another story that got some praise this week, as Nina posted:

It is a great hotel with lots of history. I stayed there in October and can't wait to go back. You are in town so you can walk to restaurants,museums,shopping,etc.I highly recommend the hotel.

There you have it, an agent endorsement! Looks like you should start looking more into this property.

More on Cruise Rebating

The topic of cruise rebating was a hot one at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010. Travel Agent shared poll results and agent feedback on the matter back then, and now that Carnival is taking another step in the matter when it comes to advertising, I'm not surprised that the subject has come back under the spotlight. Commenting on our coverage from late 2009, CabinVacationGuide shared:

Most professionals should have the money to pay for the trip expense. I do know some companies that do trade advertising space for trips and it works out good for them

Sounds great, CabinVacationGuide. But who are these wonderful companies of which you speak? I'm sure our readers would like to know, right?

Airline Notes

Whether its pet policies, regulation proposals or an opinion about an executive, air travel received a lot of attention this week. First, one reader, a b s, points out an update in American Airlines' (AA) policy regarding flying with pets, noting:

American Airlines according to their website now only transports "dogs/cats" no other animals 7.18.2010

Indeed, this is sad news for owners of frogs, fish, monkeys, iguanas and other exotic creatures. My violin is playing for you.

The same day a b s shared his/her update of information on AA's policy, one reader, e krueck, shared his/her opinion on Richard Branson and his attacks on the potential AA alliance with British Airways, posting:

the usual 'blah, blah, blah' by the showman himself !

Branson sure is a charismatic ham, isn't he? Just see what he had the guts to do when sitting as a guest on Stephen Colbert's "The Colber Report" in the clip below:

As much as Branson pushes peoples' buttons, I do admire his efforts to make travel more eco-friendly and appreciate his support for Las Vegas as well as Florida during these tough times. But that's just my opinion.

Finally, another Dooley item got attention when he explored the question as to whether airlines should undergo some re-regulation. Rob S doesn't seem too enthused, writing

Oh good. The feds have airport security all screwed up. They have ancient ATC computer systems and can't keep up with air traffic demand, but they want to run the airlines again? How many more kickbacks to the unions are the democrats going to stick us with?

Between ancillary fees, tarmac delays and more, I don't think anyone is going to be too happy with airlines too soon. But we can remain optimistic, right?

As always, don't let the conversation end here. We want to hear from you. Post a comment below or at any of the cited articles. Write us at our Facebook page. Send a tweet to our Twitter page (@travelagentmag). Log on to AgentNation for real time dialogue.

While you're here, I'd like to let you know that the Weekly Wrap has been upgrade to print! (so to speak). Pick up the latest issue in print or in digital and check out Hot Buttons, were I cite some of the recent trends in the industry and share reader feedback. Maybe you'll make the pages?!

Until next week...