HOUSTON -- Mexico Wholesalers expanded its product line to include
packages to the Caribbean and Central and South America.
According to Joe Tate, president, the region "holds a huge
potential."
The task facing the 24-year-old company is to get the word out
to agents that the firm offers more than just Mexico packages.
In fact, its three new divisions reflect its newest product
offerings: Caribbean Wholesalers; Central America Wholesalers, and
South America Wholesalers.
"Our most effective sales tools are the brochures sent out to
25,000 agents twice a year," Tate said.
The company also updates agents on new products and promotions via
weekly broadcast faxes and by hosting trade shows and seminars
several times a year.
Tate projected sales of more than 8,000 packages to the
Caribbean and Central America this year.
"The potential is gigantic, especially with dive tours," he
said.
Tate said he hopes to tap into the Caribbean dive market in much
the same way his firm has done with the Mexico dive market.
Mexico Wholesalers employs a professional dive instructor to
talk with clients interested in dive tours.
Caribbean Wholesalers has partnered with several tourism boards
in joint promotions, such as the Puerto Rico Travel Expert program
and Aruba and Barbados agent certification programs.
The firm is the preferred supplier for agency consortia Action 6
and Travelsavers, and it is working with other consortia, as
well.
Caribbean Wholesalers pays 14% commission on land-only packages
and will offer bookings through its Web site at www.trvlwhls.com
when the site is operational in six months.
Caribbean Wholesalers works with Continental Airlines, Cayman
Airways, Air Jamaica and Air Aruba as well as more than 200
Caribbean hotels.
Packages cover Antigua, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire,
the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica,
Puerto Rico, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Lucia and St. Thomas.
Tate hopes to add Trinidad and Tobago and the British Virgin
Islands to the firm's destination offerings.
"We are also looking into packaging deals with BWIA," he
said.
Caribbean Wholesalers employs 12 full-time staff members, all of
whom have been with the company more than 10 years, in one office
in the Houston area.
"So many of our competitors try to open up offices all over the
country and they stretch themselves too thin," Tate said.
Caribbean Wholesalers
Phone: (800) 531-0084 or (281) 531-0084
Fax: (281) 558-2761