What:
Veteran travel professionals Tom and Joanie Ogg have created a new online portal that profiles more than 250 North American host travel agencies.
Why It Matters:
The Oggs are industry pioneers who also operate other successful travel agent sites, including TravelProfessionalCommunity.com and HomeBasedTravelAgent.com. The new site, FindaHostTravelAgency.com, strives to help independent agents find the right travel agency partner. The site organizes agencies into five different categories — Recommended, Featured, Highlighted, Other and Small — and provides a profile for each one, including general information, program details and benefits.
The site also offers peer reviews on host agencies. Currently there are more than 700 reviews written by agents sharing their experiences.
Fast Facts:
- Host agencies can request to be listed on the website by applying online.
- There is no charge to be listed on the website.
- The five agency categories organize host agencies based on depth of profile, level of engagement and reviews.
- Agencies in the Recommended category are deemed the most established and professional in the travel industry and offer comprehensive profiles through both text and video.
- Agencies in the Featured category are considered high-quality host agencies, but they fall short of being recommended by the website based on some missing criteria. They also have comprehensive profiles.
- Host agencies in the Highlighted category have reached a specific level of engagement with a quantity of peer-to-peer reviews. These agencies have comprehensive profiles.
- Host agencies in the Other category offer basic profiles but have little to no engagement regarding reviews. These agencies have basic profiles.
- Agencies in the Small category generate less than $5 million in sales and have little engagement in terms of reviews. They also have basic profiles.
What They Are Saying:
“With the rise of independent entrepreneurs and new business models in the travel professional community, choosing a host agency has become even more complex and requires more research,” said Tom Ogg. “We believe our new site can provide an excellent resource for helping independent agents find the best fit. It can also helping the growing network of host agencies tell their stories and find new prospective members. Between the host profiles and agent reviews, agents can easily narrow their selection of potential hosts that fit their specific business model.”
The Details
Find a Host Travel Agencywww.findahosttravelagency.com
