TORONTO — TRAVELSAVERS Canada is all about the BAs.
In this case, BA refers to Business Analyst, and it’s one of the secrets to the success of the TRAVELSAVERS Canada consortium.
As Daphne Sword, newly appointed Director, Business Development, tells Travelweek, “we have five BAs across the company local to every region, with native knowledge and an intimate understanding of the market, seasonality, and variances in travel behaviours. The sole goal of the BA is to strategically grow the topline business and generate improved bottom-line profitability.”
As reported yesterday, Sword’s appointment gives TRAVELSAVERS what it says is the largest service team in Canada.
Sword started her travel industry career as a travel advisor, working for Sears Travel for 15 years. Most recently she was Managing Director for Red Label Vacations. In her new TRAVELSAVERS role, in addition to bringing on new agencies, she will support existing affiliates in Ontario as a business analyst.
TRAVELSAVERS Canada’s SVP and General Manager, Jane Clementino, says TRAVELSAVERS Canada is poised for growth as it continues to prioritize its agency partners and uphold its people-centric ethos. “As demand increases, the expansion of our team will be pivotal. Daphne’s knowledge and skills will be invaluable as we continue to uplevel the business,” she said.
Travelweek connected with Sword to find out more about her mandate and her goals in her new job.
Travelweek: TRAVELSAVERS Canada now boasts the largest service team in Canada. Why is this so important, and what are some ways TRAVELSAVERS Canada ‘does service differently’?
Sword and Clementino: “Service is so important to TRAVELSAVERS as we are driven to ….
. “Optimize an advisor’s time freeing up their schedule to allow them to do what they do best, which is to sell and generate revenue.
. “Support sales growth through consultation and best-in-class strategies.
. “Strengthen communications and training with our preferred supplier relationships, in an effort to reduce any service disruption and improve customer services and experiences.
“We invest in an industry-experienced Business Analyst (BA) in every market in Canada. We have five BAs across the company local to every region, with native knowledge and an intimate understanding of the market, seasonality, and variances in travel behaviours. The sole goal of the BA is to strategically grow the topline business and generate improved bottom-line profitability.”
Travelweek: In your experience as a former travel advisor, what are 3 things agents need most from their retail organization to do their job to the best of their ability?
Sword: “The three most important things agents need are …
Relevant Communication
“Providing travel agencies with relevant information in a timely and advisor-friendly format is key. We we understand that a consultant’s and business owners’ time is their most valuable asset, so we must deliver this applicable information in the right format as soon as possible.”
Tools & Technology
“This is key as we want our agencies to optimize selling time by providing the best tools and technology in the industry to be successful.
“The demand for digitalization has significantly increased and providing advisors with access to premium resources has become imperative. AI integration into proprietary programs and TRAVELSAVERS’ state-of-the-art booking engine create a window of opportunity for agencies to increase sales, support and revenue.”
Support
“Upholding the TRAVELSAVERS’s people-centric approach, it’s integral to support members in resolving any supplier escalations and situations.”
Travelweek: This time next year, what do you hope to have achieved in this role when you look back on your first year?
Sword: “What I want to achieve this year is an incredibly high level of satisfaction among TRAVELSAVERS affiliates in my key market.We want a healthy top line with healthy sales and a robust bottom line with profitability and everything in between. This year we are looking to support advisor engagement, business and grow double digits in the market.”
