A number of suppliers of adventure, nature and expedition travel
have taken steps to encourage travel agency sales of their products
and are providing opportunities for agents to experience their
trips first-hand. Following is a sampling of suppliers' agency
initiatives.
Temptress Adventure Cruises offers agents a 50% discount on
sailings of its eco-adventure cruises to Costa Rica and Panama. The
agent discounts are available on sailings from Oct. 30 to Dec. 11
and April 15 to Aug. 15.
Big Five Tours & Expeditions in Stuart, Fla., operates
monthly fam trips to selected areas among the 44 destinations it
serves. Upcoming trips include a Costa Rica agent tour, Oct. 29 to
Nov. 5, priced at $1,195, including air from Miami, hotels and most
tours; the price for spouses or companions is $1,395. An agent-only
tour to southern Africa is planned for Nov. 5 to 15; the price is
$1,995, including air from New York or Miami.
For agents interested in learning more about nature travel and
ecotourism in Costa Rica Holbrook Travel will repeat its Rainforest
Conference in summer 2000, probably in August. First held this
July, the week-long conference incorporates visits to key
ecotourism destinations in Costa Rica as well as presentations on
Costa Rica's travel product and responsible tourism. Holbrook's
commission structure allows earnings of up to 15% and the firm
guarantees agent commissions even if a repeat client books direct
on a subsequent trip.
Tara Tours, a specialist in Latin America based in Miami,
operates three or four air-inclusive fam trips annually to the
Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu. Contact the operator for dates,
prices and availability.
Lindblad Special Expeditions in New York has enrolled about 250
agent members in its Lindblad Expedition Club, a cooperative
marketing program launched in 1997. For a yearly fee of $500,
Lindblad will handle eight to 12 direct mailings annually for club
members, sending out Lindblad brochures to agency clients and
prospects with a cover letter from the agency on agency letterhead.
Other benefits include an agency referral program, an increase in
base commission to 12%, in-house presentations at member agencies
twice yearly and special fam trip opportunities. This year Lindblad
launched an interactive multimedia agent training seminar that is
open to all agents.
O.A.R.S., a specialist in river trips and wilderness vacations
based in Angels Camp, Calif., now prints blind copies of its
brochures for distribution by agents under the agency's name. The
operator, which has expanded its trip offerings to Fiji, British
Columbia and Mexico, discounts programs for agents by 50% off
published rates, space available, and 15% for agents'
companions.
Wildlife Safaris in Moraga, Calif., operates more than a dozen
agent fam trips to eastern and southern Africa every spring and
fall, though some are by invitation only. The operator pays 12%
commission.
Trax World Tours, a wholesale division of Corporate Travel
Services, Englewood, Colo., that specializes in deluxe small group
adventure trips, offers a number of joint marketing services for
agents. The firm, which launched operations in March 1998, will
brand Trax World Tours' direct mail pieces materials with an
agency's logo and do a mailing to the agency's database. The firm
also will write columns, newsletters or paragraphs for use in
agency mailings. Trax World Tours provides agencies with charts
organized by destination that compare its prices, policies and
services to those of competing companies and will conduct in-house
seminars in the San Francisco, Denver and Boulder, Colo., areas
about how to target potential adventure travelers. Trax World Tours
pays a 12% commission.
Backroads, a specialist in biking, hiking and multi-sport
vacations in Berkeley, Calif., will provide agents with collateral
materials such as postcards and shells, a travel agent version of
its catalog that does not include Backroads' toll-free number and
copies of its Travel Agent Sales Manual. Backroads' Web site --
www.backroads.com -- contains an agent-only section and earlier
this year the operator conducted a contest to encourage agents to
book on-line.
Mountain Travel*Sobek in El Cerrito, Calif., now produces a
mini-catalog for use by retail agents who want to brand it with
their agency name.
ContactsBackroads: (800) 462-2848
Big Five Tours & Expeditions: (800) 345-BIG5
Holbrook Travel: (800) 858-0999
Lindblad Special Expeditions: (800) 710-7739
Mountain Travel*Sobek: (888) 687-6235
O.A.R.S.: (800) 346-6277
Tara Tours: (800) 327-0080
Temptress Adventure Cruises: (800) 336-8423
TRAX World Tours: (800) 340-8729
Wildlife Safaris: (800) 221-8118 n