VAX VacationAccess reports it added more than twenty new suppliers to its platform, including the Globus family of brands and JetSet Vacations, who joined as marketing and distribution suppliers in December. Earlier this year Pleasant Holidays also became a distribution supplier. Over 100,000 travel agents use VAX, the company reports.
New suppliers are seeing the value of VAX as the premier resource for agents to research, market and sell leisure travel, VAX said in its forecast for 2012 and review of 2010. "The opportunity to reach these engaged agents, many of whom are home based or independent, is very interesting to these agent friendly suppliers."
In addition to The Globus family of brands, JetSet Vacations and Pleasant Holidays, VAX added other tour operators and hotels including Amtrak Vacations, Foreign Independent Tours, Caesars Entertainment, Oasis Hotels & Resorts, Real Resorts and Riu Hotels and Resorts.
Phoenix and Daytona Beach came on as new destinations, VAX reports. These new suppliers join Alaska Airlines Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, Couples Resorts, Funjet Vacations, Hyatt Resorts and Spas in Hawaii, Norwegian Cruise Line, Palace Resorts, Southwest Vacations, Travel Impressions, Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations and US Airways Vacations that use VAX VacationAccess.
"The primary focus for VAX VacationAccess in 2011 was the evolution from a booking platform to a comprehensive leisure platform to research, market and sell leisure travel. Agents are the primary reason for this evolution as they are using VAX for much more than just booking vacations," VAX said.
"Based on their input and feedback, new content and tools have been added throughout the year to better support their needs. In addition to new suppliers, VAX has added an Agent Resource Center to easily access their client reservations, check out new suppliers and destinations, access news, trends, research and other important travel information. As experiences and niche travel opportunities have become more important, the Agent Resource Center provides agents with relevant content they need to succeed," VAX says.
The first niche showcase available in the Agent Resource Center, the Gay Travel Resource showcase, was added in July and others are planned for 2012, VAX says.
VAX also reports it has improved the “New on VAX” page accessible from the home page and they provide relevant training in the VAX Virtual University to educate agents on all of the improvements and new suppliers.
“VAX continues to bring value to our agents by adding content, suppliers and tools to the platform and suppliers are seeing the value of working with VAX because of our qualified and engaged agents and our overall agency expertise. In addition, agents continue see the value as the number of newly registered agents has more than doubled this past year,” said Kathy Fitzpatrick, president of VAX VacationAccess.
Priorities for 2012 are the diversification and new content, along with new and improved destination information, VAX says. VAX will continue to add resources in the Agent Resource Center including a Romance Showcase to be launched in February and other niche marketing showcases to help agents focus on diversifying their revenue streams. In addition, VAX will be updating the Promos and Incentives page to make it easier for agents to find the most beneficial offer for their clients.
In addition, VAX VacationAccess will sponsor the 2nd annual National Plan a Vacation Week, March 18-24, 2012. This one-of-a-kind virtual vacation planning event is focused on promoting the value of travel agents. In 2011 more than 1,500 agents participated in this free event.
Visit www.VAXVacationAccess.com