10 benefits a travel agent should expect from every travel partner
The best way for every travel agent to compete in today’s travel environment is to choose the right partner. This can give you the competitive edge you need to succeed, but the real question is: how do you make sure that a travel partner is giving you the benefits you need?
To help your travel agency with finding the answer, we have decided to come up with the 10 fundamental benefits a travel partner should offer to your travel agency:
Flexibility is fundamental for both your business as well as your clients!
When it comes to booking vacations, it's important to have clear information about cancellation to inform your customers and keep their booking safe in case of emergencies. If you don’t enjoy these advantages from your partner, you may need a change:
Additionally, you should expect the same flexibility also for the payment options, and the booking process! Your ideal travel partner should help you with:
In today’s travel market it is fundamental to have partners that can connect you to a global network. Having a travel partner with suppliers all over the world will allow you to help your customers living their travel experience as locals.
This can be crucial to help your travel agency to compete against the online giants of the travel industry.
As a travel advisor, you should choose a travel partner capable of offering you not just hotel services, but as many complimentary services as possible, to be able to provide complete travel package to your customers.
From car rentals to hassle-free transfer, it’s essential to make your customer’s life as easy as it can be.
Another important benefit for your agency is an incentive plan that helps you grow as the collaboration goes on, and a range of personal discounts to reward you as a partner.
Whether it’s a set of vouchers, discounts, or credit to be spent with other partners, cooperations featuring these elements can be a sign of a travel partner that cares about your growth, and won’t treat you “just like anyone”.
Efficient and easy-to-use tools are just as important as the previously mentioned benefits. Otherwise, what’s the point of a huge portfolio of products if you have a slow and complicated platform to make bookings?
The ideal travel agent portal should work as:
You shouldn’t settle for an average tool, and it’s important to be equipped to fulfill all your customers' needs. Check our guide to the top 10 features an efficient travel agent booking engine should have to find out more!
The success of your travel agency depends a lot on the access you have to exclusive rates. This is one of the most important benefits you should expect from a travel partner! It allows you to compete against the online giants and will boost your value as a travel professional.
Along with exclusive rates, you should look for a partner able to provide you with tailored relevant and timely offers so you can delight your customers at the right time with promotions relevant to your target audience!
If you choose to partner up with Bedsonline you will have access to our wide range of seasonal offers! Using a data-driven approach, we have developed a vast set of offers you can use at your convenience in each key season!
Additionally, travel advisors working with Bedsonline have a great Commission Plan. We empower you to choose between commissionable rates or net rates with the ability to customize your margin. Whatever you choose, your commission rate won't be beaten elsewhere.
Your ideal travel partner shouldn’t be a barrier between you and the service providers! That’s why it is important to choose a partner that can facilitate and allow direct interactions with all the suppliers!
The benefit of being able to contact a hotel directly to accommodate a special request from your clients can be a key advantage for your success and can be a great value for your customer’s satisfaction.
Booking your customer’s vacation can be a long process, that’s why it’s fundamental to have the right quotation tool, that can give you:
This can be extremely beneficial for your daily operations as it can help you to respectfully wait for your customer’s decision process while keeping all the details you need at your fingertips.
FAM trips are one of the best ways for agents to familiarize themselves with the products and services they are offering. The purpose of most of these trips is often educational, but obviously, making a trip to a resort should be considered a benefit!
If you are working with the best travel partner, it means you are connected to some of the greatest hotels & resorts, Tourism Boards, Airlines, Cruises, theme parks and many other players of Travel Businesses. The more first-hand experience you have with their products, the more you are going to recommend them to your customers. So, it’s a win-win relation.
These trips allow you to have fun experiences across the country and around the world. You will return with the knowledge and confidence you need to sell those products and even become a guru in that destination.
Last but not least, another benefit you should look for is having access to a knowledge base, a range of templates and other types of informational and educational content. Some learnings that can keep your travel agency productive, competitive, and updated about the latest trends in the travel environment.
Even the most experienced travel advisors can benefit from having tips and tools from partners with reliable business insights!
