Modern Travel Agent Podcast

In this episode, I share 3 lessons to grow your travel agent business with integrity and kindness.

This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program.

The Dominican Republic was the Caribbean’s most popular destination last year, welcoming over 10 million visitors, and it looks like 2024 is going to be even a bigger year for the popular beach destination. This February, the Dominican Republic welcomed 755,832 visitors by air and 301,384 visitors by cruise ship, bringing the visitor total to a record 1,057,216 (16% increase over February 2023). Expect the Dominican Republic to continue on this trend of growth as we move through 2024 and into 2025.

According to TravelPulse, six North American Airlines are offering direct flights to Tulum Airport as soon as March 28.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines-airports/more-airlines-add-flights-to-tulum

According to Travel & Leisure, Delta Air Lines has increased baggage fees on domestic and some international routes. Both the first and second checked bags will increase by $5 for most domestic flights originating in the United States and on short-haul international routes.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/delta-increases-baggage-fees-for-2024-8605042

According to CNBC, on flights starting after April 10, Frontier will offer UpFront Plus in the first two rows of its Airbus planes, where it will block the sale of the middle seat. Those seats will also include four to five inches more legroom compared with most of the seats on the planes. Prices start at $49.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/12/frontiers-newest-upsell-empty-middle-seats-more-legroom.html

According to Forbes, Crystal Cruises Begins Booking their 27-Country, $85,000 Luxury World Cruise. The 135-day trip will include visits to 72 destinations in more than 27 countries, including Rome, Athens, Hong Kong, Dabai, Bora Bora, and others.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2024/03/14/crystal-begins-booking-27-country-85000-luxury-world-cruise/

According to Travel Weekly, Disney Cruise Line has unveiled their ship deployments for summer 2025, including the Disney Fantasy's first season in Europe and the Disney Wonder's return to Alaska.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Disney-Cruise-Line-unveils-plans-for-summer-2025

According to Travel & Leisure, Virgin Voyages is Launching a Month-long Cruise Pass So You Can Work From Paradise. This pass, called the Scarlet Summer Season Pass, is valid for a month-long journey on board the cruise line’s Scarlet Lady ship sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. The pass starts at $9,990 for two people, which Virgin notes is a 30 percent savings off the cost of a typical cruise fare.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/virgin-voyages-cruise-wfh-summer-pass-8606290

According to Travel Weekly, Ambergris Cay, the private island, all-inclusive resort in Turks and Caicos, has added eight beachfront bungalows, seven one-bedroom accommodations and one two-bedroom.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Luxury-beachfront-bungalows-Caribbean-Turks-Caicos-Ambergris-Cay

According to Travel & Leisure, Cayo Levantado Resort, one of the Dominican Republic's newest all-inclusive resorts which just opened last year, is pricing as low as $500 a night. With 219 accommodations, including stand-alone villas, four restaurants and six bars, the biggest selling point is actually the wellness center, Yubarta, which includes a relaxation area with chaise lounges, a human-made cenote, a meditation room, an atelier, and a nutrition studio. As we head further into 2024, we should expect to see more resorts focusing on wellness travel.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/cayo-levantado-resort-dominican-republic-hotel-review-7970971

And that’s “This Week In Travel.” This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. If you’re currently booking the Dominican Republic but you’re not taking advantage of their rewards program, you’re leaving money on the table. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to learn more about their program and how you can register.

I just returned from an 8-night stay in the Dominican Republic which was my 3rd visit in the past 15 months. It's safe to say the Dominican Republic is my favorite destination to visit and recommend.

I'm going to be releasing full breakdowns of all of the resorts I visited, but in this episode, I just want to share a little about what I think makes the Dominican Republic so special.

Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more!

This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. If you're currently booking Dominican Republic but you're not registered with their rewards program, you're leaving money on the table. Take a few minutes and register here: https://dotravelrewards.com

In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I outline 4 tips to help you master your travel agent consultation calls.

Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more!

This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. With over 50 hotels worldwide and 16,000 rooms in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Brazil, Spain and Italy, Palladium Hotel Group offers great resort options for vacations of all kinds. Palladium Hotel Group has a wonderful team of business development managers, eager to help you learn more about their resorts and how you can partner with them to offer your clients incredible experiences. I’ve included their contact information here:

Palladium Hotel Group BDM Contact Information - https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Palladium-Hotel-Group-USA-BDM-Territory-Distribution.pdf

Site Inspections are such an important aspect of being a successful travel agent. They provide an opportunity not just to expand your knowledge by seeing the resorts firsthand, but also by helping you create new partnerships. In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I detail 7 ways you can maximize the impact of your site inspections.

Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more!

This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. With over 50 hotels worldwide and 16,000 rooms in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Brazil, Spain and Italy, Palladium Hotel Group offers great resort options for vacations of all kinds. Palladium Hotel Group has a wonderful team of business development managers, eager to help you learn more about their resorts and how you can partner with them to offer your clients incredible experiences. I’ve included their contact information here:

Palladium Hotel Group BDM Contact Information - https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Palladium-Hotel-Group-USA-BDM-Territory-Distribution.pdf

In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, we discuss the top wedding venues of Palladium Hotel Group with Daniela Ocampo Morales, the Regional Weddings Sr Manager America for Palladium Hotel Group.

Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more!

This episode is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. If you have any questions about Palladium Hotel Group, you can access the contact information for all of their BDMs below.

We recommend watching this episode on Spotify or Youtube.

In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I share a little bit about my stay at Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana. With a unique minibar based point system that allows you to stock your minibar with exactly what you want, great themed restaurants and bars, and a location on the beautiful Juanillo Beach, Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana is a great option for adult-only and family-friendly vacations alike. This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism.

In this episode of Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I reflect on the top lessons I learned from 2023.

The things that worked last year weren't necessarily the things that worked this year which means the things that worked this year won't necessarily be the things that work next year. I'm setting aside 10% - 20% of my time next year to test and find next year's thing.

However much time I’m focusing on cultivating and building relationships, I need to spend more time on it. Relationships are probably the single most important thing in this industry.

The challenges I face aren’t knowledge problems. They’re execution problems. I have to do a better job starting and a better job finishing. Less procrastinating, more starting. Less perfectionism, more finishing.

I have to continue to improve my process to stay organized and structured. Whether that’s using google sheets or an app like Sunsama, I have to make sure I’m tracking my projects and tasks so I know everything I need to accomplish and when I need to accomplish it by. That way, I’m able to hold myself accountable. Otherwise, deadlines come and go, and things get pushed back or delayed. In 2024, I’m focusing on hitting deadlines.

This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. Palladium Hotel Group has some great properties, and if you haven't checked out the previous episode where I cover the beautiful TRS Coral and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, I recommend you give it a watch or listen.

Learn How To Become A Travel Agent: https://linktr.ee/ModernTravelAgent

In our new series "Resorts You Should Know," we highlight our top resorts and their unique selling points so you're better able to share these wonderful resorts with your clients. In Part 1, we cover Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Known as a favorite luxury destination for celebrities who relish the 7,000 acre private gated community, the activities are world-class — 8 outstanding restaurants including the stunning Minitas Beach Club, a Marina, Equestrian Center featuring Polo, Shooting Course, great shopping, 3 private pristine white sand beaches, and 3 Pete Dye golf courses including Teeth of the Dog, the #1 ranked course in the Caribbean.

This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism.