In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in the summer of 2020, Jennifer Doncsecz and her agency, VIP Vacations, sold more destination weddings than they had the summer prior. Considering many in travel considered 2019 their historic best year, it’s quite the feat. How did she do it? What advice does she have for other advisors planning romance travel in today’s climate? And why does she think romance travel will lead the way as the industry emerges from the coronavirus crisis? Find out in this episode of Trade Secrets, with senior editors Jamie Biesiada and Emma Weissmann.

In this episode:

• 1:21 - How did Jennifer sell more destination weddings in 2020 than 2019, amidst the global pandemic, and continue setting records in the first quarter of 2021?
• 7:02 - How might the pandemic affect destination wedding and honeymoon patterns for 2021 and beyond? Will smaller groups, domestic weddings and short honeymoons become the norm?
• 10:06 - What does venue availability look like in 2022? Spoiler: You shouldn’t expect to get one on 2/2/22 or 2/22/22 ...
• 11:44 - How long will it take for travel to normalize again, either a return to what it was pre-Covid or reach a new normal post-Covid?
• 14:20 - In-person bridal events are still on pause. How can travel advisors reach prospective clients?
• 16:34 - Some email hacks to get your clients’ attention.
• 20:59 - Think about leveraging other social media platforms outside of Facebook and Instagram, like TikTok or Clubhouse.
• 24:15 - Does it make sense for agents to consider getting more involved in destination wedding ceremony planning, like becoming a wedding planner, to charge new fees?
• 27:55 - Beyond adjusting the language in client agreements and disclaimers, what other steps can agents take to protect themselves against future liability if another pandemic happens?

Further resources:

Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association - http://dwhsa.com/

VIP Vacations - https://www.vacationsbyvip.com/

This travel advisor sold more destination weddings this summer than last summer - https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Romance/This-Travel-Advisor-Sold-More-Destination-Weddings-This-Summer-Than-Last-Summer

How to use clubhouse to grow your business - https://www.travelagewest.com/Industry-Insight/Business-Features/How-to-Use-Clubhouse-to-Grow-Your-Business

Paid wedding sites to utilize for leads:

• WeddingWire - https://www.weddingwire.com/
• Wedding Chicks - https://www.weddingchicks.com/
• The Knot - https://www.theknot.com/
• Style Me Pretty - https://www.stylemepretty.com/

Travel Weekly’s Legal Briefs column by industry attorney Mark Pestronk - https://www.travelweekly.com/Legal-Briefs

Mark Pestronk’s resources, including models of disclaimers (both general and related to Covid-19)  - https://pestronk.com/resources/

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Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

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