If you’re interested in a simple system that will help you improve your process and save you time, then this is going to be a great episode for you. Every agent wants more time, but when you’re in the whirlwind of replying to emails, returning calls, making reservations, and dealing with travel emergencies, it’s hard to set aside the time needed to look at your process and figure out ways to improve it. That is why this system is so helpful, because whether you have 20 minutes or several hours, it works.

This episode is brought to you by Blue Diamond Resorts, and as agents, we’re always looking for resort options that are the best in their category. For your clients who are looking for the perfect family-friendly resort, the Planet Hollywood Cancun is a phenomenal option. They have two splash parks, a lazy river, a flowrider, minigolf, a theater, an arcade, and tons of entertainment and shows. They also offer a unique dining option in Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint. To learn more about Planet Hollywood Cancun or Blue Diamond Resorts, please visit: https://www.bdagentrewards.com

One of the most challenging parts of being a travel agent is de-escalating negative situations with unhappy clients. After 12 years in the industry, I’ve interacted with a lot of clients, some of which were unhappy, to put it mildly, and I feel like I’ve learned a ton throughout this process on what works and what doesn’t work, so on this episode, I’m going to share with you some of the tips I learned on how to de-escalate negative situations with unhappy clients.  

This episode is sponsored by Palladium Hotel Group. To learn more about how you, as a travel agent, can partner with Palladium Hotel Group to grow your business, please visit: https://pro.palladiumhotelgroup.com/en/

If you’re sick of getting ghosted by your clients, then this episode is for you. I’m going to share a six step process I implemented that made a huge difference in increasing my closing percentage and reducing the number of my clients who disappeared throughout the travel planning process. Every travel agent knows that there’s nothing more frustrating than spending weeks or months making recommendations, discussing options, answering questions, going back and forth over text, email or phone, just to have your clients fall off the face of the earth in the 11th hour.

And while you can’t avoid this entirely, there are some steps you can take to reduce the number that fall off, and when you’re dealing with something so frustrating, every single one counts. The best part about this six step process is that it doesn’t require any expensive software or classes, and it can be implemented by any agent at any time.

This episode is sponsored by Palladium Hotel Group. To learn more about how you, as a travel agent, can partner with Palladium Hotel Group to grow your business, please visit: https://pro.palladiumhotelgroup.com/en/

On this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I cover antigen Covid testing policies for the major resort brands that we book in Mexico and the Caribbean including Palladium, Posadas, Blue Diamond, AIC, AMR Collection, Sandos, Karisma, Playa, and Atelier. I cover two primary questions for each resort brand.  

1. Is the Covid-19 antigen test included at no cost by the resort? If not, what is the cost of the test?  

2. What happens if you or your clients test positive in destination?

All of the links and sources can be found here:

http://moderntravelagent.com/10-resort-covid-testing-quarantine-policies/

On this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I sit down with Erika Almaraz who is a Regional Senior Weddings Manager for Palladium Hotel Group in America. Erika has 15 year of experience in the Destination Wedding industry, working in destinations like Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. She has a hotel management degree and is a true believer in Simon Sinek’s theory of starting with why. She’s applied this theory in her practice to build wedding teams and convert clients into Palladium fans. If you’re interested in building and leading teams or marketing and selling destination weddings, this is the perfect episode for you.

Check Wedding Availability at Palladium Hotels online in real time:

https://palladiumweddings.eweddingcalendar.com/Wedding-Calendar-Home

Originally published November 21, 2021: The ALGV Ascend Conference returned to Cancun, Mexico in a big way this past October with over 400 travel agents, 200 representatives from over 100 partner companies, and 65 ALGV staff to make sure everything ran smoothly. It was such a great experience to see so many familiar faces and to be surrounded by so much positivity and gratitude. There was a lot of information presented over 2 full days of workshops, but for this episode, I recap just a few of my key takeaways that I think are either interesting or will be helpful for agents moving forward.

To learn more about the Royalton Riviera Cancun or Blue Diamond Resorts, visit:

https://www.bdagentrewards.com

For more information on submitting group service requests through Vax Vacation access, visit:

https://www.vaxvacationaccess.com/suppliers/apple-leisure-group/training-pages/library/submitting-a-group-service-request/

On this episode, we speak with Nuit Hernandez who is a Director of Sales with Marival Resorts. Marival Resorts owns three properties on the Pacific coast of Mexico; in Nuevo Vallarta, they have two properties, Marival Emotions & Marival Distinct, and they have their new luxury hotel in Punta de Mita, Marival Armony.

On the destination side, we discuss Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, and all three Marival properties. On the business and sales side, we cover the importance of agent education, of qualifying clients and putting them first, and keeping perspective during difficult times.

If you’ve been to an airport recently, you’ve probably noticed that travel is back in full swing, and with that, we’re looking to expand our team at Modern Travelworks. We’re currently seeking to fill positions in both service and sales, so if you have experience in travel, are a team player, and are interested in joining the Modern Team, please visit modern.travel/careers for our open positions.

To contact Nuit with questions or request regarding Marival: [email protected]

On this episode of The Modern Travel Agent Podcast, we speak with Todd Kirlik who is a Senior Director with Sunwing Travel Group. Sunwing Travel Group is a 17,000 employee vertically integrated travel company with brands at the level of tour operator, airline, hotel, destination management, and retail.   

We do a lot of business with Sunwing, but the majority of it is done through their resort brand Blue Diamond Resorts. Blue Diamond Resorts is the sponsor of this episode, and if you’re an agent who books all-inclusive travel to Mexico or the Caribbean and you’re not considering Blue Diamond Resorts for your clients, I highly recommend that you check them out. They have 44 properties in 10 countries throughout Mexico and the Caribbean, and they consistently deliver a great product at a great price.  

To learn about Blue Diamond Resorts, you can visit: www.bdagentrewards.com 

In this episode, we sit down with Charlie Thompson who is the regional sales manager at Norwegian Cruise Line. Charlie was born into travel with his mom being a veteran of the cruise industry. Charlie started his travel career right out of college while working as a youth staff member on a cruise ship based in Shanghai. From there he went on to work for a well respected host agency, helping build a curriculum for new agents to sell travel. He’s worked as a BDM with The Mark Travel Corporation overseeing over 600 different agencies and their independent contractors. Charlie has a wealth of knowledge, and it was a pleasure having him on the podcast.

In today’s episode, we interview Luke Majewski who is the Business Development Manager for AIC Hotel Group.  Luke shares his insights on how agents can maximize their social media and referral programs to drive new business. He shares tools and resources that he uses to manage his social media accounts and what he sees the top agencies doing differently.

Social Media Resources:

https://canva.com/​

https://aichotelgroup.mediavalet.com/​

https://snapseed.online/

To connect with Luke:

https://www.facebook.com/lukemajewski.hardrockaic 

Visit to learn more about AIC Hotel Group and their hotels: 

https://allinagents.com/all-institute​ 

Visit to learn more about Modern Travel Agent:

https://ModernTravelAgent.com