A
Michigan travel agent, convinced it is too hard for consumers to
find retailers based on their specialties', founded the Specialty
Travel Agents Association with the idea of publishing a
comprehensive database of specialists.
The STAA plans a
Nov. 1 soft launch of its search engine, according to Sandy
McDowell, STAA founder and president.
McDowell, a
specialist in Austria and France travel, operates France Journeys
as a home-based business in Fenton, Mich. The STAA's founding
officers also include Raynette Owens, vice president, and Ray
Owens, business manager. They own McDowell's host agency,
Smithfield Travel.
McDowell said it
was difficult for agents with special expertise to attract
customers who needed them the most.
"No one knows where
to find these agents," she said.
STAA member fees
are $199 a year, but those who join this year won't be billed for a
renewal in 2008. Participating agents can use their listings to
provide a summary of their specialties and services as well as to
promote travel products, McDowell said.
Consumers would
search based on their interests and "call as many agents as they
want," she said. The STAA will not function as a lead generator but
will sell advertising slots at SpecialtyTravelAgents.com, according to Donna Kujat,
STAA vice president.
Nonagent
memberships are $495 for suppliers, $750 for local destination
marketers (a city, state, province or region) and $1,500 for
destination marketers representing a country.
McDowell said that
while the STAA could be characterized as a membership organization
comparable to other Web-based businesses that attempt to match
customers to agents, there are differences.
For one thing,
McDowell envisions major advertising efforts once adequate supplier
and destination support can be lined up. She wants to see
advertising on TV as well as in newspapers and travel magazines.
She aims to start advertising Jan. 1, but at a modest
level.
In the meantime,
McDowell said the STAA aimed to use search engine techniques to
ensure its site turns up on the first page when consumers search
based on travel interests.
Also, the STAA will
distribute a monthly e-newsletter featuring destinations and
special interests and promoting agents who sell the destinations.
Agents will be able to download the newsletters and distribute them
to clients.
Another key
differentiator for STAA, McDowell said, will be education to deepen
the expertise of participating specialists. She said the training
would be Web-based and provided by various industry
sources.
The STAA began
offering memberships this month and has received a "pretty good
reception," McDowell said. To kick things off, the STAA is offering
free memberships to all experts tapped by Conde Nast Traveler and
Travel & Leisure as the best of the best in their categories.
The STAA is looking to form partnerships with some of the large
agency trade groups, she added.
When asked why
nonagents would participate, Kujat said this would be a way of
supporting the agents they trained or identify as their
experts.
The STAA said
agents would have easy online e-mail and hyperlink access to member
suppliers. Suppliers can include descriptions of their products and
services in the site directory. Supplier press releases can be
posted in the media area.
As for tourist
boards and other destination marketing entities, the STAA offers
the same e-mail and hyperlink access and the option to post press
releases.
It also offers to
review materials translated into English, consult on development of
specialist courses for agents and place one free ad at the STAA Web
site.
The STAA is a
for-profit business because "it's a quicker way to get things
accomplished," McDowell said, adding that it could be a nonprofit
later.
To
contact the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Nadine
Godwin at [email protected].