WESTA Introduces New Preferred Hotel Program

travel agentThe Western Association of Travel Agencies (WESTA), a member owned and governed marketing cooperative based in Portland, Oregon, reports the introduction of WESTA's Preferred Hotel Program. The new program is an extension of its preferred partner program and seeks to formalize and strengthen member owners’ relationships with top-tier hotel companies worldwide.

The program was unveiled at WESTA's Annual Owners and Managers Conference attended by more than 150 WESTA agents who  attended the two-day conference at the Coeur d’Alene Resort on Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The meeting featured  education and training sessions  on industry trends. WESTA also announced a partnership with travelcampus.com, an online travel and tourism training program. 

“Now more than ever, it’s important to equip new agents with the skills they need to succeed. We are helping to educate our members on the personal qualities to look for when hiring a successful long-term agent. As the economy begins to pick up, agencies need to find, train and retain agents who have the potential to be successful in the long term,” said Mike Estill, Chief Operating Officer of WESTA. “Our goal is to deliver the industry’s most comprehensive education and training and to foster profitable, win-win relationships between suppliers and members,” said Estill.

At the event,WESTA also announced a revision of its profit-sharing program that encourages and incentivizes agency participation. WESTA's Estill said it  will continue to deliver all profits back to its member agencies, rewarding those that most aggressively market themselves. “Unlike other agency group models, WESTA's agency-owned co-op delivers additional financial value to its members in the form of shared ‘back-end overrides’ and organizational profits,” explained Estill. 

At the conference, member owners were also briefed on a variety of topics, including the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new risk-based security initiatives, designed to improve the passenger experience at security checkpoints by applying new intelligence-driven screening procedures.

Estill also led a panel discussion on group travel and how to market and manage the expectations of guest expert guides. “It’s important to manage ‘the talent’ well,” said Estill. “Agents need at least a year to market these types of trips and they need to understand what assets the guest is brining to the table. It’s not enough to have the owner of a winery lead a trip to Bordeaux. But if he or she is a well-known expert, has a following and a significant mailing list comprising high net-worth travelers and wine lovers, it may be worth pursuing.”

The event included a trade show with active vendor participation by a range of vendors, including All About Tours, a  Portland-based wholesaler specializing in travel to California, South Pacific and Hawaii.  WESTA also spotlighted travel to Southeast Asia.

Visit www.joinWESTA.com