LOOKING AHEAD: Education and expansion are among
the priorities for two leading organizations that serve the
home-based and independent agent community. Here's what's on tap
for 2004.
JOANNIE OGG, Nacta president, said her group's
top three goals are creating a supplier awareness campaign for
home-based agencies; increasing participation in Nacta's Seminar at
Sea program, and surveying members for suggestions and to determine
whether their needs are being met by the organization. Ogg said she
also would continue to offer sales training to suppliers that work
with independents. "The supplier community is anxious to learn more
about this growing group of retailers and how best to communicate
and market to them."
AT OSSN, Gary Fee said he would focus on
developing new educational programs that incorporate the Travel
Institute; expanding OSSN's chapters nationally and
internationally, and building greater supplier recognition through
the TRUE (Travel Retailers Universal Enumeration) Code program. The
TRUE system of agent identification is maintained by IATA and
managed by OSSN and ARTA.
ASTA, meanwhile, revealed its lobbying
priorities for 2004, including two initiatives that could help
home-based and independent agents with marketing tactics. The
Society said it intends to pursue legislation that prevents the
Federal Communications Commission from "issuing restrictions on
faxes that damage travel agents' ability to make a living." It also
plans to lobby for federal legislation enabling agencies to market
electronically without undue interference from state laws governing
e-commerce.
TURNING TO THE HIGH SEAS, home-based and
independent agents specializing in cruises will have a lot more
cabins to sell next year; a dozen new ships are slated to enter the
market in 2004. The vessels will add some 26,000 cruise beds,
according to Bob Sharak, executive director of CLIA. The
association said more than 2.6 million people cruised during the
third quarter, putting the North American cruise industry on track
to send nearly 10 million vacationers on a cruise this year. CLIA
said the third-quarter figures reflect an 8.9% hike compared to the
same period last year.
THROUGH THE PORTHOLE
• Carnival Cruise Lines added a points-based program for travel
agents to create customized group packages. Agents who book a group
of eight cabins or more receive a specified number of "Fun Points"
per voyage, redeemable for things like cocktail parties and cabin
upgrades--or agents can forego the points for reduced rates. The
number of points received per cruise varies depending on the sail
date and length.
• Britain-based Swan Hellenic added new destinations to the Minerva
II's cruising schedule in 2004 and 2005. The company's new brochure
features trips to South Africa and Asia, and offers a range of
early booking discounts. Details are at www.swanhellenic.com.