Exoticca’s laser-focus on the travel agent community has paid off big time – it has seen huge growth in Canada since entering the market in 2019. So to reward agents for their support, the Spanish-based, small group tour operator has launched a new agent-friendly policy and is hinting at a new air booking platform and higher commissions. We asked Mike Quinto, Managing Director Canada all about it in this week’s edition of Take 5.

1..Exoticca has seen huge growth in Canada since entering the market in 2019. What would you attribute this to?

“Exoticca’s huge growth is due to many different things with the way we operate. We are able to have an incredible, inclusive, semi-customizable product at an unbeatable price point. Our online booking system is extremely robust and simple to use. Within minutes you can have a customized quote for your clients with air, transfers, hotels (3-, 4- or 5-star options), excursions, guided sightseeing and more. The quotes look amazing and the product itself is unbeatable, boasting a 4.5/5 satisfactory rating on TrustPilot with over 27,000 certified reviews from our clients.”

2. What’s selling well this summer? Any last-minute summer deals/promotions that travel agents should know about?

“This summer has been all the usual suspects. Portugal is by far the #1 selling product right now, followed by Italy, Greece, Spain, Peru, Galapagos and South Africa. However, we are seeing Egypt, Vietnam and Ireland make a strong comeback as we fall back into autumn’s booking patterns. 

“We currently have our famous, ‘Last Seats Sale’ on right now, which means clients can get an incredible deal on certain tours departing within the next 90 days. All the details are online at www.exoticca.com.”

3. What’s new for travel agents specifically? Any webinars, road shows, training tools, resources they should know about?  

“This year we have a ton of new things in store for travel agents. We have our Presidents Club that just launched, so the top 10-selling agents in Canada, from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024, will get a VIP trip, all expenses paid for, to Spain to see our head office, our hotels, our product and be wined and dined. We also have monthly webinars; to be part of them you just need to join our Facebook group, ‘Exoticca Pro Travel Canada,’ and they are all listed on there. Plus, we have our brand new training tools on our agent site that just launched, but it’s a full library of pre-recorded videos on all the most FAQ’s: How to make a booking, how to apply payment, how to add excursions, how to modify a booking, how to get docs, etc.”

4. Exoticca has really focused on outreach in the agent community recently. Why has this been so important for the company?

“Exoticca LOVES travel agents. We understand how important they are and how influential they are. So our plan for 2024 and going into 2025 is to support travel agents in every way possible. We have introduced a new policy, ‘The Yes Policy,’ where we try to say yes to everything travel agents are asking for. We truly know how hard travel agents work for their clients, and we want to work just as hard for them.”

5. What can agents and their clients look forward to in the near future? What’s in the works?

“Exoticca is extremely focused on the future. We are here to be the leaders in the sector and aren’t slowing down. You can expect more flexibility with our tours, more customizable portions, a new air platform where agents can choose which class of service they want, more flight options, higher commissions, new itineraries, new destinations, and more value for agent and clients across the board.”

For more information go to www.exoticca.com/ca/travel-advisors.