Partners for life
Trafalgar makes agents a priority
IAN STALKER
Trafalgar proudly notes that it has been befriending travel agents for more than 70 years, and its parent company has established a terrific rapport with them as well.
Wolf Paunic, who oversees Trafalgar’s Canadian operation, says the tour operator continually reaches out to the travel agency community.
“For over 72 years, Trafalgar has worked closely with retail travel agents to build a concentration of repeat business and high level of loyalty and trust with both travel agents and travellers,” he says. “For several years now, Trafalgar has focused on #AgentsFirst in marketing activations, sales initiatives and consumer events across the nation.
“We always recommend clients to book with qualified travel agents who have experience in explaining unique Trafalgar travel programs and value. We’re always working with agencies and agents in Canada and investing in substantial resources to build our businesses together.”
Trafalgar – which has been the perennial favourite in the Agents’ Choice Awards Motorcoach Operator category for the past 17 years – has numerous incentives, sales tool and training programs for agents.
Efforts rewarded
“We love to recognize our agents partners and enable them to experience Trafalgar through an attractive Travel Agent Discount program, periodical tactical incentives and, above all, by offering ‘Love to Talk Travel’ events across Canada as a ‘close the sale’ tool,” Paunic says. “Many of our agent partners generate hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in commission in one night.”
Trafalgar and Costsaver – another brand of The Travel Corporation – recognize their top agents with the exclusive, merit-based, global agent appreciation events Acclaim and Clique. The annual agent incentive trip Acclaim will visit Trafalgar’s newest destination of Africa in 2019 and Costsaver has launched its first global fam trip, the Costsaver Clique, a rewards trip giving 13 top-selling agents from Canada the exclusive opportunity to experience its inaugural program in Asia this year.
Trafalgar has expanded its sales team to cover more retail accounts and added to its marketing department to deliver better tools to the trade.
“We were the first to celebrate International Travel Agent Day, with recognition parties in both Toronto and Vancouver,” Paunic declares.
Paunic says Trafalgar’s participation in the Agents’ Choice Awards demonstrates its support for the travel agent community, noting the company was involved at the awards’ very beginning.
Peace of mind
He says Trafalgar clients appreciate travel agents and the “value and peace of mind” they provide to both guests and tour operators alike. “Knowing that travel agent distribution has fully recovered from the trials and tribulations of the past 10 years is relieving – and super important to us.”
The Travel Corporation has 30 brands worldwide and Paunic says it “values each and every travel agent partner.” He praises its “robust new online program” My Travel Portal, which is “designed to provide agents and guests with a simplified solution to deliver nothing but the best service.”
The Travel Corporation is “always reaffirming its commitment to its partners,” he continues.
Meanwhile, Paunic is upbeat about the future of travel agents in this country.
“Travel agents have displayed their adaptability to technology, changed consumer buying habits, global and local challenges and have not only survived, but thrived and established a strong presence that is here to stay,” he says. “And we wouldn’t want it any other way – so we are here to help and support [agents].”
Win A Spain & Portugal Trip From Trafalgar
As a primary sponsor of the 2019 Agents’ Choice Awards readership survey, presented by Travel Courier, Canadian Travel Press and PressToday, Trafalgar is offering a two-country, 13-day “Highlights of Spain and Portugal” trip for two.
For a chance to win the prize – or others – simply take part in the Agents’ Choice Awards survey at: https://agentschoice2019.questionpro.com.
The closing date for voting in Agents’ Choice 2019 is April 5, 2019.
