Ready For The Next Chapter
A key differentiating factor between an online booking and booking a trip with a travel advisor is that a travel professional goes far beyond simply completing a transaction for a client.
“A travel advisor is not just someone who books trips — that is an order taker,” Gail Ducharme, vacation manager for Ellison Travel & Tours Ltd. in Exeter, Ont., tells Travel Courier. “You, as a travel advisor, are the key to planning a detailed trip that will add value and create memories to last a lifetime. To achieve this, you need to know your clients, the options available in the destination and the suppliers who will reliably provide the services you need.”
With these relationships and valuable knowledge in place, Ducharme believes advisors will succeed in their careers.
In order to thrive in the travel industry, Laura Main, a travel consultant and adventure specialist with Merit Travel in Vancouver, BC, says travel advisors should value themselves — and their time — by charging a professional fee.
“We are worth it,” she notes. “We are professionals. Don’t undervalue yourself, instead, call yourself a travel professional. Be an expert — don’t call yourself a travel agent. You are a travel professional.”
With these relationships and valuable knowledge in place, Ducharme believes advisors will succeed in their careers.
To meet all of the outstanding Canadian travel advisors featured in Travel Courier’s/Canadian Travel Press’ special 2023 Travel Agents Appreciation issue, just CLICK HERE for the flipbook edition or CLICK HERE for the web-based edition.
