A friend of mine just returned from Florence, Italy. She saw Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo’s David, Ponte Vecchio and Brunelleschi’s dome. She ate great food and amazing gelato. It was a successful vacation.
But she has no idea that her trip could have been even better if she had booked with the right tour operator. Private wine tastings, exclusive gallery viewings, knowledgeable experts and much more could have been hers if she had gone with a great company.
This issue’s cover story, “The New Guys” (page 16), looks at five up-and-coming tour operators that provide fresh opportunities to travel advisors. Experts like these — with innovative visions — help travelers enjoy unique experiences they couldn’t arrange on their own. Agents can take advantage of their creativity to entice clients to take that trip of a lifetime — or to return to a favorite destination with a new way to appreciate it.
Creativity is an underappreciated business skill, including in the travel industry. But an inventive approach is a necessity in today’s hyperconnected world where everyone wants to share something novel on social media. Destinations and suppliers are constantly striving to find new attractions they can market. More possibilities and unusual twists on classic activities are becoming the lifeblood of travel — the industry can’t come up with ideas fast enough.
Advisors need to think the same way, constantly upping their approach to stay relevant. If you’ve never changed the way you sell destinations, it’s time to try something new. Photos of Peru’s Machu Picchu; a gondola in Venice, Italy; or even Iceland’s Blue Lagoon just don’t inspire people the way they used to now that those images are repeatedly shared online.
By staying up to date on the latest options and operators, and pushing their business to always have an innovative marketing approach, advisors can mix expertise and creativity — which is a powerful, winning combination.
