TORONTO — TravelOnly is celebrating the return of its first successful live training workshops in more than a year and a half.
The in-person events, after more than 18 months of virtual training, webinars and events, took place this past Saturday in Toronto.
More than 50 TravelOnly advisors, partners and executives were in attendance.
TravelOnly CFO Ann Luciani said everyone could feel the energy and excitement in the room. In her keynote address, Luciani’s also stressed the importance of community and what TravelOnly stands for as an organization as a pathway for future success.
“We’re a family company, with family values and I am certain that with the personal and professional expertise of our Associates and Affiliates community, combined with our state-of-the-art technology, TravelOnly is best positioned to lead our industry into the future,” says Luciani.
The event included a live broadcast to another 50+ advisors across Canada. Luciani’s speech included a look at the challenges of the past year, the professional and personal losses experienced by many, as well as “the amazing camaraderie evident among TravelOnly advisors during the pandemic.”
TravelOnly’s CEO and President, Gregory Luciani, said: “We’re not just here to survive, we’re here to thrive. There is nothing more important than reconnecting with each other and our preferred partners. The world needs expert, professional travel advisors more than ever and if you aren’t staying on top the latest restrictions and requirements, your clients are going to go elsewhere.”
TravelOnly reports that bookings have grown exponentially over November, to the highest levels since the pandemic. TravelOnly wants to ensure their advisors have every tool available to them to manage the demand.
Says TravelOnly’s VP Sales and Marketing, Ian Elliott: “It’s incredibly important that our advisors have the confidence to answer the call, email or text from clients and let them know that ‘Yes, it is safe to travel’ and ‘I can help you every step of the way’.”
TRAVELONLY’S ‘CONSUMER CONFIDENCE’ EVENTS
To help clients (and their advisors) feel comfortable with the process when crossing a border or boarding a cruise ship, TravelOnly has launched ‘Consumer Confidence” events with key partners.
“Travel has always been somewhat of an anxious process but the pandemic, vaccine and testing requirements add just another layer of uneasiness. We are encouraging all of our advisors to get out into the world, travel and show clients that it is easy and safe to travel, as long as you work with a professional travel advisor,” said Elliott.
TravelOnly’s Shannon Smith, Director of Training, and Leia Marvin, VP Client Success, helped develop the program, which
started with a series of sales-focused workshops involving suppliers from all sectors. They then layered in focused small group training sessions so that each preferred partner had the opportunity to discuss practical ways to market and grow sales with their brand. Of course, given the time of year, there was also “a little bit of fun with a ton of great prizes and a festive holiday lunch for all.”
The team reports that the workshop “was a huge success,” with positive feedback from both suppliers and partners. Marvin says she feels that these types of sessions will be critical over the next 12 months.
“Our goal is to help every one of our independent travel advisors recover and grow their sales in 2022. Every chance we get to interact with our membership is an opportunity to discuss the sales and marketing activities and support they will need to succeed. We know that it is not a one-size fits all approach and we will be there to help every advisor through this period and into a very successful New Year,” she said.
More than 100 TravelOnly advisors are expected to arrive in Toronto for TravelOnly’s National Conference and Awards, scheduled for Jan 28 – 29, 2022. More information on the event is available from Elliott by emailing ielliott@travelonly.com.
