Travel Agents

For leisure travel advisors, especially those already accustomed to providing concierge-style services, expanding into incentive travel could be a realistic goal. With help from outsourcing services, even small agencies can handle the complexities involved.

With more cruise choices than ever before, there are plenty of opportunities for travel advisors to boost earnings from cruise sales. Doing so, however, means taking a proactive approach to education and customer service.

This might be the best time in history for travel advisors to sell cruises, but it's also the most complex. Those who take time to know the growing array of cruise choices and focus on the high end of the market are the most likely to succeed.

A proliferation of Hawaii short-term rentals, which are exacerbating an already expensive and tight housing market, is sparking heavy debate in a state where tourism is the main economic driver. While such accommodations are needed to handle rising visitor numbers, some say it's time to get them under control and look at the consequences of unchecked tourism growth.

In Australia, the New Distribution Capability is moving from a vague concept to an active business model, as Qantas urges travel agents to sign up to a new channel with expanded content. Those who miss the June 30 deadline could lose out on some enhancements but also face new fees for airline bookings.

While Hawaii is not the only destination reeling from the impact of short-term rentals from Airbnb and other providers, its already sky-high housing prices and limited land make the problem especially acute. Regulatory measures to control the number of illegal rentals may provide some relief.

The recent terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka underscore the need for addressing traveler safety. While mitigating risk does not come with the same obligations for leisure travel advisors as it does for those on the corporate side, there are still steps they can take to protect clients.

Travel Leaders has turned to a membership model instead of franchising or partnerships to build out its global presence in the corporate space. It's one way to grow without costly acquisitions, although more acquisitions are probably on the way too.

Training for travel advisors has become a big priority for consortiums and host travel agencies, particularly as more people enter the industry from previous careers. There seems to be a shift from mostly educating new agents about destinations to including sessions on sales strategies and marketing.

Ensemble Travel Group hired its first CEO, a veteran travel advisor and agency owner. The move signals a realization that first-hand understanding of the daily challenges faced by travel advisors can only help a consortium better serve its members.