What
The Travel Institute is offering a new Northern Europe destination specialist course for travel advisors that comprises Scandinavia and The British Isles. The program is the first release in a multipart European series.
Why It Matters
According to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office, in 2018, international outbound travel for U.S. leisure travelers was up 6% overall, with a 12% increase in U.S. leisure travel to Europe. So 2019 is a perfect time for agents to brush up on their knowledge of the region, as well as learn more techniques on how to best close the sale with clients.
Fast Facts
- According to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office, international outbound travel for U.S. leisure travelers in 2018 was up 6% overall, with a 12% increase in U.S. leisure travel to Europe, which saw visitation from 17.7 million Americans last year.
- The Northern Europe course utilizes The Travel Institute’s recently announced e-learning platform and includes the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland; along with the British Isles, which includes England, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
- The course will educate agents on Europe’s cultural norms, culinary options, varying climates, history and architecture, inter-region travel methods, tipping, adventure travel options and other nuances of the countries covered, while also tapping into professional sales strategies to close a deal.
- The course will also allow advisors to tap into curated lists and descriptions of key landmarks, attractions and local ground transportation options in each country; discover the culture, celebrations, special events and public holidays that add value to traveler communications; provide insider advice with local vocabulary, pronunciation guides and other travel secrets; understand seasons, temperatures, optimal travel times and geography using interactive maps; learn about local shopping, dining and entertainment possibilities; access keyword searches to find additional information quickly; obtain sales tips and niche market advice; find specifics on cruise ports of call in each region; view sample itineraries to make planning easier; and read arrival briefings with information on customs, changing money, tipping and more.
- Students who successfully complete the Northern Europe course will earn continuing education units toward maintaining certification as well as standing as a Northern Europe Destination Specialist. Both designations can be used in further marketing agent expertise. Central Europe, the next course in the multipart series, is scheduled for release in the last quarter of 2019.
What They Are Saying
“The key to successfully selling European travel is simply to understand the complicated possibilities,” said Diane Petras, president of The Travel Institute. “As a travel professional, you must know and be able to articulate well what travelers don’t know about a particular destination. Our goal is to curate this type of information and place it at the agent’s fingertips.”
“With so much to see and do, travelers considering Northern Europe want to call upon a travel expert who can align their personal interests with an itinerary that maximizes both the experience and their return on investment,” added Guida Botelho, director of training for The Travel Institute. “This course helps agents do just that.”
The Details
The Travel Institute
www.thetravelinstitute.com
