TomTravel2 » travel http://www.tomtravel2.com Travel, the Internet, Twitter and More... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:14:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Goodbye and Hello! http://www.tomtravel2.com/2010/03/26/goodbye-and-hello/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2010/03/26/goodbye-and-hello/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:58:22 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2010/03/26/goodbye-and-hello/ An amazing chapter of my life has come to a close. A new one is opening that looks to be just as enlightening and fun. I am no longer working as a Virtuoso travel agent. Two years ago I entered into a partnership with Judi Walker ( @alliancetravel on Twitter) the owner of Alliance Travel Partners. She has spent 15 years building a very successful luxury travel business. She made the audacious decision to bring in a former stock market trader and analyst and teach him the business of booking luxury travel. I had a wonderful teacher. We end our business relationship as friends.

I had become disenchanted after 18 mostly successful years trading stocks. Those closest to me urged me to find a niche in the travel industry. It was suggested I become a travel agent, but after researching the industry I did not see an easy entry point. I was at the point of looking for another option when my hairdresser Hilda Villaverde suggested I talk to Judi. Hilda is an ordained minster, inspirational speaker, author, and a friend whose opinions I value. After getting to know me, Judi rolled the dice and my journey to becoming @Tomtravel2 began.

I first took a careful  look at the Internet landscape in the industry. It was my opinion (and remains my opinion) that most travel agents and most travel agencies were doing a poor job using the web to attract clients. I set out to build a better online mouse trap. After much study of website design, SEO and SEM I built the site that Judi continues to use with some success. The strategy worked well enough that I could have built a business for myself as a luxury travel agent over several years. What works even better is providing exemplary service which leads to referrals. Random leads are often dead ends that can be annoying. The calls generated by referrals mostly lead to bookings.

After much study and some great couching by my mentor I became a pretty good travel agent. It would have taken many more years to gain the product knowledge and sales skills I would need to become a great one. During this process I was urged to check out Twitter by Judi’s sister Linda  who works with some social media luminaries ( @lindaatv3 on Twitter). I began to study the social media gurus and by trail and error inserted myself into the travel community on Twitter. I discovered that this medium was a much better fit for my skill set than being a travel agent. By the time Travel Mart was over I realized I needed to start looking for a niche in travel that would put my best foot forward.

I was an early adapter of the Internet starting in the 1980’s. I helped my previous associates migrate from proprietary systems for stock market news and quotes to Internet based systems as they became usable. Anyone who remembers dial-up access via compuserve and aol knows that it took time for the Internet to mature into what we see today. By the time broadband was widely available and affordable, I was already hooked on the utility of the medium. I also was a fan of the early social tools via chat, forums, and user groups. Twitter is a natural extension of my personal web evolution.

So where is all of this heading? I am not sure of the destination at this time, but  I am confident that the journey will be interesting! I still feel that travel agents, travel agencies, travel consortiums, and agent organizations could benefit dramatically if they stopped looking at the internet as the problem. The problem they face is how to win market share back from the OTAs. The Internet is the solution for companies and organizations that understand how to play the game. The advent and spread of Twitter and other social media have made this game even more winnable.

I also am of the opinion that most travel suppliers could make far better use of Twitter and other social media. I am interested in helping those companies who would like to make full use of a very complex medium. I see some making great strides, and some doing their brand image more harm than good. It is my hope to provide some insight based on what I have learned over the past year building my own brand on Twitter.

I look forward to continuing to connect with all of you on Twitter. I also plan to share insights I have gained on this blog. I took some time to consider my next steps and say my goodbyes to the great people I was associated with as a travel agent. My journey as a blogger and advisor to the travel industry has now begun. Goodbye, and Hello!

I welcome your comments…

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2010/03/26/goodbye-and-hello/feed/ 3 It’s Over, Now What? http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/10/13/its-over-now-what/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/10/13/its-over-now-what/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:05:49 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/10/13/its-over-now-what/ Today a panel of leading economists agreed that the awful recession of 2008-2009 probably ended some time this summer. (article) As some of you will recall, back in August I took exception to the gloom and doom outlook of the keynote speaker at Virtuoso Travel Mart. Larry Hochman spoke at length on “cutting costs without cutting your throat” and other cheerful concepts. My response to that tone was that the elephant had left the room. Most economists have a great rear view mirror, but that usually is not a good way to drive. As I suggested at the time it would be wiser for travel businesses to focus ahead on how to cope with the imminent recovery. If you were cutting in August you were late to the game.

I am not an economist and have no formal education in the field. I like to say I went to the Levy school of economics. For 18 years I worked managing a bond portfolio and trading stocks with a former floor trader in commodities. In order to maximize our investments we spent much time reading economic tea leaves focusing on getting ahead of the market when things change. I was taught to focus on leading indicators and often mundane things like how many shopping bags one can see at the local mall. In travel 2009 brought fire sale prices on hotels, cruises and tours. By May I noticed a sharp drop in what was being offered at a steep discount. There were still good deals on select travel products this summer, but I felt the everything must go sale had ended.

There are still some relative bargains to be had in travel this fall, but even those places like Arizona and Las Vegas which were hardest hit are starting to tick up in price. My many conversations with the “boots on the ground” people from the luxury travel suppliers reinforced my belief that the worst of the economic pain was behind us some time this summer. As business slowly picks up (it may be a very gradual recovery) hiring will as well and the lagging indicator of employment will begin to improve as well. The most important thing Mr. Hochman pointed out at Travel Mart was the only point of agreement for me: are you ready to deal with recovery? What goes down will eventually go back up. The only market strategy I ever used was to try to buy as close to the bottom as possible. I would have been buying travel this summer.

The bigger challenge facing our industry is how to cut through the clutter and get our message heard in the brave new world of information technology. The Internet has indeed changed the rules of the game. Just as we have begun to rise out of the economic mess, we can also find a way to rise above the noise on the web. New media represent not a problem, but an opportunity. The winners in the internet game have been those that connect people to what they are looking for, not those who are selling to people. The emerging stars are those sites and services that are finding the best ways to connect people to one another such as Facebook and Twitter. This sea change in the internet game works in the favor of a business model that works on person to person contact. The challenge facing the travel consumer using the internet is not finding information, it is finding information they can trust.

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/10/13/its-over-now-what/feed/ 0 Tweetin’ the Travel News for September 18-21, 2009 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/21/tweetin-the-travel-news-for-september-18-21-2009/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/21/tweetin-the-travel-news-for-september-18-21-2009/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:21:58 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/21/tweetin-the-travel-news-for-september-18-21-2009/ arizona mogollon rim

September 21, 2009

September 18, 2009

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/21/tweetin-the-travel-news-for-september-18-21-2009/feed/ 0 Travel News Tweets September 17, 2009 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/17/travel-news-tweets-september-17-2009/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/17/travel-news-tweets-september-17-2009/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:39:21 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/17/travel-news-tweets-september-17-2009/ JRDN fine dining at Tower 23 Pacific Beach

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/17/travel-news-tweets-september-17-2009/feed/ 0 Travel News Tweets September 11, 13 & 14 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/14/travel-news-tweets-september-11-13-14/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/14/travel-news-tweets-september-11-13-14/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:23:38 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/14/travel-news-tweets-september-11-13-14/ DSC00319

September 14, 2009

September 13, 2009

September 11, 2009

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/14/travel-news-tweets-september-11-13-14/feed/ 0 Travel News Tweets September 2, 2009 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/02/travel-news-tweets-september-2-2009/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/02/travel-news-tweets-september-2-2009/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:38:15 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/02/travel-news-tweets-september-2-2009/ view-from-balcony

  • "An elephant and a little bird went to #Virtuoso Travel Mart." My blog commentary  http://bit.ly/zv3jL #tmsm #tmtechno #tvlmart #travel
  • If you can #travel to #Argentina now a reasonable vacation is much more so  http://bit.ly/W6vVm
  • Why do people still book #travel online when this is how they treat people?  http://bit.ly/CE3Fn
  • "You don’t have to be super-rich to enjoy the #Sardinia Emerald Coast, with its wonderful beaches…"  http://bit.ly/4GzOK5 #travel
  • #Barcelona #travel essentials (where’s Casa Fuster?)  http://bit.ly/RH9Vk
  • Santiago de Compostela #Spain was one of the first tourist destinations  http://bit.ly/rZi6 #travel
  • I am 0 for 10 on these less known islands in #Europe (and one is a Lewis!)   http://bit.ly/G6tTu #travel
  • Amazing rainforests of the world (they all are IMHO)  http://bit.ly/OSbYC #travel
  • @RegentCruises gets Canyon Ranch spas in December!  http://bit.ly/GZQwB #travel #cruises #spa
  • 10 cool pools (slideshow)  http://bit.ly/GeF49 #travel
  • "only 46 per cent of respondents said they enjoy using the Internet" to book #travel  http://bit.ly/1PRcLv RT please
  • #Cabo dodges the worst of Hurricane Jimena #Mexico  http://bit.ly/1QmrjH #travel
  • This is THE year to move up to Regent #cruises but book soon as savings will end  http://bit.ly/1p0pl5

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/02/travel-news-tweets-september-2-2009/feed/ 0 Travel News Tweets Catch-Up! http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/01/travel-news-tweets-catch-up/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/01/travel-news-tweets-catch-up/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:39:01 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/01/travel-news-tweets-catch-up/ IMG_2591

September 1, 2009 Travel News Tweets:

August 31, 2009:

August 28, 2009:

August 27, 2009:

August 26, 2009:

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/09/01/travel-news-tweets-catch-up/feed/ 0 Travel News Tweets Comin’ at Ya for August 14, 2009! More after Travel Mart http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/14/travel-news-tweets-comin-at-ya-for-august-14-2009-more-after-travel-mart/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/14/travel-news-tweets-comin-at-ya-for-august-14-2009-more-after-travel-mart/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:11:14 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/14/travel-news-tweets-comin-at-ya-for-august-14-2009-more-after-travel-mart/ IMG_2325

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/14/travel-news-tweets-comin-at-ya-for-august-14-2009-more-after-travel-mart/feed/ 0 Travel News Tweeting Your Way August 13, 2009 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/travel-news-tweeting-your-way-august-13-2009/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/travel-news-tweeting-your-way-august-13-2009/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:25:14 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/travel-news-tweeting-your-way-august-13-2009/ Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

 

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]]> http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/travel-news-tweeting-your-way-august-13-2009/feed/ 0 You’re Young, Successful and in Vogue But Not in the VIP Room? http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/youre-young-successful-and-in-vogue-but-not-in-the-vip-room/ http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/youre-young-successful-and-in-vogue-but-not-in-the-vip-room/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:53:30 +0000 tomtravel2 http://www.tomtravel2.com/2009/08/13/youre-young-successful-and-in-vogue-but-not-in-the-vip-room/ IMG_2284

I do not pretend to be young or on top of all the latest in youth culture, but I am building my luxury travel business mostly with people in their 20’s and 30’s. How is an offline travel agent making repeat clients our of the online generation? Connections, baby! If the headline fits you probably know how to get inside the velvet ropes at the trendy clubs in your city. You think nothing of tipping a doorman or working your connections to bypass the line outside. You may even pay up to get a table in the VIP. What you probably don’t know is that booking your hotel stay on the internet puts you on the wrong side of the velvet ropes, and far from the VIP room you want and deserve.

I am a father who had a very open household as my kids grew up. We had one of those houses where kids didn’t mind hanging out. As our kids became successful young adults their friends have kept in touch. One young couple we know booked their honeymoon on the internet at very nice hotels in Hawaii. I had just started my adventure as a travel agent. After we looked at the photos I pointed out to them that they were in two Virtuoso properties. If they had booked with me they would have had a room upgrade if available, free daily breakfast, resort credits, and VIP status all for the same price they paid on the internet. They let me compare their next trip to what they could do themselves on the web and have been regular clients since. When they start planning a trip now the first question is usually “Is that a Virtuoso hotel?”

This has led to a number of referrals to their friends who are also becoming regular customers. You are probably already hooked on the idea of getting VIP treatment. What most of you don’t know is the cool way to book your travel is not on the internet. A recent article claimed that only 7% of this age cohort uses traditional travel agents! You are the web generation indeed. Are you sure you want that online room? What I offer that the web can’t is connections. I am off to Las Vegas this weekend to build on the great connections I have already made. At Virtuoso Travel Mart we have the opportunity to meet with the sales managers and general managers at the chic hotels you crave. These are the people who decide who gets the VIP treatment and who doesn’t. Who would you give the best room to, an anonymous booking or the client of someone you know? I don’t need to know the doorman, I know the doorman’s boss.

As luxury travel agents we take every opportunity to create and nurture relationships with the people at the places you want to stay. If you don’t schmooze you lose. What the internet travel sites will never be able to do is replace the person to person relationships that we have. Many of the people I have met in the industry want you to book your trip with us, not on the web. It makes it easier for them to make sure your stay is exactly what you were looking for. This creates a satisfaction that leads to repeat business. We have a very high rate of repeat business among our clients. We also mostly generate our new business off of referrals from our happy clients. The internet travel sites struggle with customer loyalty. Under 20% of internet booking customers express satisfaction with the experience. Repeat business is just as low. I know once I get you inside the velvet ropes and into the VIP you will come back for more. Not to mention the free breakfast and resort credit.

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