For the past two and a half years, Global Travel Collection advisors have graced small screens across America in the reality television show "1st Look Presents -- Extra Mile Club," in which travel advisors compete to craft the ultimate getaways for celebrities.
The show and the advertising surrounding it have been undeniably good for Global Travel Collection, Internova Travel Group's luxury arm. But Angie Licea, GTC president, said she hopes it elevates the larger travel advisor community, too.
"This is really for our industry," Licea said. "The fact that we're so passionate about the value of a travel advisor and the fact that people can have these amazing careers that they never even dreamed of by working in the travel space."
"Extra Mile Club," airing this month in the spot after "Saturday Night Live," is projected to reach more than 1.3 million weekly viewers.
Its most recent episodes feature GTC advisors Tom Ho and brothers Michael and Steven Lieberman planning a Scottish getaway for Olympic figure skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir. The show highlights activities and experiences that require the insider access that travel advisors bring to the table, like private castle tours with the Duke of Argyll, Dior spa treatments aboard the Belmond Royal Scotsman train and candlelit visits to Rosslyn Chapel.
The nationally syndicated show airs on 11 NBC-owned stations and streams on Peacock and NBC LX Home. Licea said GTC ads during the show appear nationally, with additional targeted markets where GTC has a large presence (New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Texas, California and Chicago).
The show and its ads that tout travel advisors overall seem to be striking a chord within the industry. Licea recently shared a car ride with an advisor from another agency who said, "I really respect that you guys are doing it because I feel like you're doing it for the industry."
"That," Licea said, "was probably the best thing somebody could have said to us."
Brand and travel advisor awareness has been a goal of GTC's advertising on the show thus far. In the next phase, Licea said she plans to incorporate more messaging around travel advising as a viable career.
"This is a great way to reach people who are second-career individuals, who we do particularly well with, or even new, younger people who are just looking for their life's calling," she said.
How 'Extra Mile' began
The idea for "Extra Mile Club" hatched when Licea took over GTC in the spring of 2020 after Internova merged Protravel and Tzell, creating the combined brand GTC. At the time, she suggested to the head of marketing that GTC get on NBC's "Today Show" for publicity.
From there, GTC started working with NBC, and Licea began pitching the network on the value of travel advisors. She started thinking about a television show and was inspired by real estate reality shows like "Million Dollar Listing" and "Love It or List It."
Licea had several guiding principles: "I don't want it to be trash TV, and we want all advisors to win in this."
It's tough to measure the return on investment GTC has seen from "Extra Mile Club" in terms of bookings, but Licea said website viewership peaks for a period of a few weeks following an episode's release.
But it will be easier to measure advertising that touts the benefits of becoming a travel advisor, Licea said, especially if it inspires experienced advisors who bring portfolios with them to join GTC, increasing sales.
Licea said she hopes such ads show that being a travel advisor can be a lucrative career in which motivated people make well into the high six figures.
"I don't think that people understand that about this industry," she said.