Globus Family of Brands announced new products for Globus, Cosmos and Monograms during its 2015 launch on Sept. 17. The launch spotlighted new Italy tours and a new promotion, as well as Client Connect, a recently instated feature of the brand’s online travel agent locator.
Italian Sampler
Italy is Globus’ leading destination worldwide, and tour sales experienced tremendous growth this year, jumping over 25 percent from 2013. Steve Born, vice president of marketing for Group Voyagers and Globus Family of Brands, attributes much of this year’s success to a 2014 tour called the Italian Vista.
The tour combines city forays into Rome, Florence and Venice with cultural experiences in small towns. This unique itinerary produced what Born described as a “magic number” price — a $200 per diem that helped make Italian Vista the most successful tour in Globus’ 85-year history.
“By staying in first-class properties in lesser-known towns, you generate a price that’s really powerful,” said Born. “We’re going back to that tour design, combining quaint and unique destinations throughout Italy with our new 2015 Italian Sampler.”
The Sampler’s itinerary will give travelers a taste of must-see Italian landmarks, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Colosseum. It also includes activities in less-visited destinations, such as sightseeing in Mantua and grappa (an Italian grape-based pomace brandy) tasting in Bassano.
Milan Expo and Monograms
Meanwhile, Monograms is taking advantage of Expo 2015, to be hosted in Milan, by introducing a three-day expo package. The theme of this year’s expo is “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” and 130 countries will showcase advances and technologies related to nutrition and the planet’s resources. Visitors can experience the world fair with the guidance of a Monogram’s “Local Host.”
Jennifer Halboth, director of channel marketing for Globus Family of Brands, said Monograms is the least understood out of all Globus brands, hence the promotional Monograms video release. Ideally, the video — which depicts a couple exploring Rome with the help of Monograms — will be a helpful tool for agents and clients.
Cosmos Northern Italy and Italy Tour Deal Promotion
A third new Italy product, an eight-day Northern Italy tour for Cosmos, is another aspect of Globus’ push to establish themselves as the go-to tour operator for Italy. The tour starts in Milan and takes travelers around Italy’s northern cities to enjoy castles, Italian villages and Parmesan cheese tasting.
Born hopes travelers will take advantage of one of the recently introduced tours in conjunction with a new promotion that saves couples $1,000 on 2015 Italy tours with Star Alliance.
Client Connect
On its digital front, Globus has revamped its online Travel Agent Locator with the new Client Connect feature.
“Every time we went to a show or talked to an agent and asked what we could help with, the number one answer was prospecting or finding new clients,” said Halboth.
Customers select a destination, as well as their own zip code and radius. The Locator returns a list of relevant travel agencies as well as new “View Specialists” and “Click to Connect” buttons. The latter button shows up next to travel agencies that reached a minimum sales threshold with Globus. It links to an email form for customers to fill and send to the agency.
Before, clients would be shown agents’ information and were left to do their own contact work, while this feature directly connects agents to clients. Agencies that have at least one agent with Globus specialist credentials automatically sort to the top of the search results.
“This is a way to funnel new clients to the agencies and specialists who are regularly booking with us,” said Halboth.
Britain and Ireland Brochure
Last but not least, Globus introduced its first standalone Britain and Ireland brochure in 10 years — a promotional boost for their second most popular destination, said Born.
The multiplicity of Globus’ new initiatives shows they’re pushing for a strong start to the new year.
“We look to continue our 2014 momentum with a combination of product, price, and a promotion to get things kicked off with a bang in 2015,” said Born.
The Details
Cosmos Northern Italy
www.cosmos.com
Globus Family of Brands
www.globusandcosmos.com
Italian Sampler
www.globusjourneys.com
Italian Vista
www.globusjourneys.com
Milan Expo
www.monograms.com
Monograms Video
www.monograms.com/videos
Travel Agent Locator
www.globusjourneys.com
