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Become a Home Based Travel Agent
Making Dreams Come True For Travel Agents and Entrepreneurs
I had the opportunity to speak with Michael Drever the CEO and Founder of Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, one of the most successful host agency networks in the world. Here is how the conversation went: 2009 has been another one of those bumpy years for travel, how are the numbers looking at Expedia CruiseShipCenters? We’ve recovered from the slow start and as of August see very positive results.
What I’m most happy about, is that over 650 new independent agents have joined us this year. The word about our host agency program is spreading throughout the travel agent community. What do you think is attracting so many agents?
I think seeing is believing. We invite people to a short webinar for an overview of our program and to take a tour of CruiseDesk® - our enterprise CRM system. When agents see the tools in action, they immediately understand the power of having their marketing, sales, and back-office at their fingertips from any computer with an internet connection. We hear “wow” a lot. Agents also understand the benefit to them of our global purchasing power and the competitive pricing advantages that we have as a result of the high volume of product that we sell. When you combine that with over $20 Billion worth of Expedia's purchasing power for non-cruise product, our agents are in a great position. (Note: to RSVP for an upcoming webinar simply email agents@cruiseshipcenters.com) You are also adding more store-front locations as well?
Yes, interest in our brick and mortar franchises has never been stronger. We are very pleased to be opening a new Fort Lauderdale area location in the fall. This means that home-based agents in south Florida can choose to be hosted locally as well. There are also many existing agencies interested in joining our organization so they can take advantage of what is arguably the most recognized travel brand. As a host agency, how has the home-based agent phenomenon impacted your business? We have purposely built our system at the agent level right from the beginning. To be more specific, all of our marketing, technology and back office is personalized to allow a home-based agent to run their business like a traditional agency. The main difference is that our store front locations have the benefit of an additional marketing strategy – a 20 foot sign featuring the Expedia CruiseShipCenters brand. What do you think the future holds for travel agents? We have all seen the incredible growth the cruise industry has experienced over the last 25 years. This is not an accident. The cruise lines are delivering an amazing product that caters to the largest market segment, the baby boomers. More importantly, these customers really prefer to deal with a specialist, regardless of whether they are buying electronics or travel. On the supplier side, the major investment that the cruise lines continue to make in supporting agents with training, marketing and selling tools clearly shows that they are committed to the travel agent community long term. I believe there is plenty of opportunity for people to enjoy a successful travel business, whether they are new or experienced. Being home-based or store-front isn’t really a factor; the important thing is that agents have the marketing, technology, training and business support it takes to compete. In today’s world, nobody can go it alone which is why the consortium and host agency business is where it is today. I really encourage agents to be diligent in doing their homework and I hope they will take an hour to attend one of our webinars.
Contact:
Wednesday, September 16th
Thursday, September 17th
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