Good humor and gratitude: These were the themes of the opening session at ALG Vacations’ (ALGV) 2021 Ascend conference in Cancun, Mexico, where some 400 travel advisors and more than 210 supplier representatives were in attendance to learn and connect.
While candidly acknowledging the imperfections of the company’s initial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacki Marks, executive vice president of ALGV, said that honest feedback from travel advisors has helped the company learn from its mistakes and improve its relationships with partners — leading to recent changes such as the hiring of more than 400 people to lower the company’s service times.
During the event — which took place Oct. 14-16 — travel advisors could choose from a selection of 47 unique workshops, ranging from ALG Vacations-specific learning to wider business topics. Offered over the course of two educational days, educational opportunities included “Say ‘I Do’ to Destination Weddings With ALG Vacations,” “Getting Started With Social Media for Business: The Basics,” “Building and Evaluating Your Business Plan in Our Ever-Changing World” and many more. Supplier-hosted sessions from Hoteles Xcaret, Riu Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, TRS Hotels and Grand Palladium Resorts and others — plus a supplier showcase — rounded out the programming.
ALGV executives also sat down for a panel during the conference, to answer questions from travel advisor attendees. Moderated by Scott Wiseman, senior vice president and general manager, the panel included Marks; Ray Snisky, group president; Mike Ehlers, vice president of groups; and Anderson Hernandez, senior vice president of contact centers and operations.
Hyatt Hotels’ Purchase of Apple Leisure Group
Among the topics of discussion was Hyatt Hotels’ purchase of Apple Leisure Group — a $2.7 billion transaction that’s set to close in the fourth quarter of the year — though the conversation remained high-level, without too many new details shared. Snisky did say that Apple will remain a distinct brand under the Hyatt umbrella, with Alejandro Reynal, CEO and president of Apple Leisure Group, reporting directly to Mark Hoplamazian, CEO of Hyatt.
He noted that in ongoing talks with Hoplamazian, the approach to the acquisition has been “humble, purposeful and thoughtful. He respects so much what we’ve accomplished and the success of our company.”
Snisky also predicted an “arms race” of big hotel brands looking to get into the all-inclusive space following not just the return of leisure travel following the COVID-19 pandemic, but also based on how much the product has improved in recent years.
As Business Rebounds, ALG Vacations Is Investing in Advisors
In terms of business outlook, Marks shared that 2022 bookings look “amazing,” and have come back strong after a “hiccup” during the height of the Delta variant-related rise in COVID-19 cases.
Group business is also rebounding well for the company, up 20%, according to Snisky. ALGV response times for group bookings have been a particular concern among travel advisors during the pandemic, and Snisky also noted that the company is working hard to get that team “ramped up and trained,” but are looking for the right people to fill open positions, which has been a challenge due to the ongoing labor shortage. That said, with 14 new hires over the last few weeks, the overall feeling is now more optimistic for the groups team.
In other news for travel advisors, ALGV will be launching a refund calculator by the end of the year, according to Hernandez, to create much-needed consistency on refund amounts, which the company acknowledges has been missing during the pandemic. In addition, the company is working on simplifying its call routing to improve agents’ experiences with the call center.
Marks also pointed out that the company is highly focused on investing in its agent partners by paying commission on travel protection, finalizing contracts with host agency and consortia for 2022, offering the ALGV360 marketing platform with free tools for advisors and looking for additional ways to provide agents with more commission.
The Details
ALG Vacations
