Travellers Choice’s program of travel agent educational journeys is not just getting bigger, it’s getting smarter, with trips tailored to help members enhance their knowledge of important destinations, sectors and product developments.
More than 190 consultants will embark on at least 22 exclusive educationals during the 2018/19 financial year – a 28% increase on 2017/18 when 149 agents took part in 19 trips.
General Manager Marketing Robyn Mitchell says considerable thought has been put into strategically expanding the program in order to ensure each journey offers maximum value.
"For instance we’ve focussed on increasing the opportunities for members to gain first-hand experience of the lucrative sector cruise,” says Robyn. “As a result, since July 2018 we’ve had seven of our TC educationals feature cruises elements, with another four to come this financial year.”
She says Travellers Choice is also working closely with suppliers to ensure greater representation of regions that haven’t been well represented, which has resulted in attractive itineraries exploring destinations such as Japan and eastern Canada.
“Another good example of how we are strategically working with suppliers to create high-value educationals is our incentive-based trip sailing from New York with Princess Cruises. When we learned that Regal Princess was going to be based in Australia next year, we honed in on itineraries featuring the ship and built our trip around her sailing schedule. As a result, 16 Travellers Choice consultants will now have the chance to gain firsthand experience of Regal Princess and have a real competitive advantage when she arrives in Sydney.
"We did the same thing when Peregrine Adventures launched its Adventure Cruising program last year, and the result was that we sent agents on a ‘Thai Islands Adventure Cruising’ educational.”