Tours and Home Based Agents:

The Perfect Match

By Angela Criss

Home Based agents, even those who consider themselves cruise only, have a great opportunity in tour groups. As our clients branch out to other types of vacations, it can be very helpful to be able to assist them so that they keep coming back to us.
At a recent Travel Trade CRUISE-A-THON, a speaker told the crowd that we need to specialize. Even if we could put together an FIT safari to Mozambique, it might not be profitable to spend that much time on only one particular vacation. And as Home Based agents, it is hard to have the opportunity to travel to every destination, especially those hidden trails, to gain the knowledge to put together such a trip. However, many tour suppliers have already done that work for us and are making it easy for Home Based agents to serve our clients better.
The old adage, “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium,” is no longer true today. There are tours for every age and interest, from cruise/tours to very adventurous African safaris. Travel Trade has some excellent suppliers that regularly advertise and support Home Based agents. With their help, you can easily hang on to your clients. And, while you might not be a specialist in that area, with their help, you can appear to be.
Another good advantage of working with tours is the groups that might evolve. Many times it is not just one couple that wants to tour the vineyards in Italy, but a whole group. So tours give Home Based agents another venue to develop groups that not only tour, but may also come back for a cruise.
Tour groups are also easy to find. Many have been traveling together with bus tours all over the U.S., but have never reached beyond. I worked with a tour company last year to develop a cruise/tour. She arranged the bus tour to New Orleans with a couple of nights to see the sights, and then we set up a cruise. It was a big hit and we plan to do it again to other destinations.
I have also developed a few tours of my own. Sometimes groups request shorter trips. We don’t live too far from Branson, MO, so that makes a nice one or two-night trip. We also have a wine country in the hills of Arkansas. It is easy to set up a one or two-night trip to that area and arrange winery tours and tastings for the guests. Or even a trip to our college football game can get guests started. And then once they have traveled with you, you have a good opportunity to offer them other trips!
Tours and Home Based agents are the perfect match to reach new customers and better service our existing clients.

Angela Criss has a B.S. in communications with an emphasis in advertising and a minor in marketing. She has had a myriad of jobs, including marketing director for a manufacturing company, various newspaper jobs and teacher of English for 10 years. She now owns a Home Based travel agency, Criss Travel.