WORDS: JEANNINE WILLIMASON. IMAGE: GETTY


agents | shop talk ADDED VALUE Cruise excursions


CRUISE PASSENGERS FACED with a bewildering choice of excursions can be puzzled over which to take or may consider the merits — and potential pitfalls — of trying to go it alone. Agents can help them through the maze by


recommending shore trips to book in advance. Although commission remains a contentious issue with lines that no longer offer it for selling extras, a few, such as MSC, pay 10% on excursions booked prior to departure. The other option is for agents to sell trips provided by reputable third- party suppliers on a commissionable basis. Either way, advance booking is essential for


popular tours that quickly sell out while offering security in destinations where language and local customs might cause issues and, in the case of cruise line excursions, guaranteeing passengers won’t, quite literally, miss the boat.


“Using one of the shore excursions from the


cruise line provides the peace of mind of knowing you’re getting a reliable tour and, if delayed, the ship will wait,” says Lavonne Markus, certified travel specialist with Market Square Travel. “Excursions have become a great way for cruise


lines to take their customers’ vacations to the next level,” says Lorri Christou, SVP, strategic marketing & communications at CLIA. “Our member lines offer excursions for every type of traveler, from the adventurer to the foodie. They’re a great way to make the most of a cruise vacation and can make all the difference when you have limited time at a destination.” Change could be on the horizon for lines that


don’t offer commissionable excursions. Royal Caribbean International president Michael Bayley has agreed the subject needed to be tackled.


ROUTE TO THE TOP


TIPS ON HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA


In our increasingly connected world, building an agency’s social media presence is vital. And knowing how to capitalize on a brand’s social media presence is equally crucial. “If businesses haven’t got the right [social media] presence, they’re really going to be missing out, because customers are expecting to find businesses and brands on there,” says Julia Bramble, founder of social media consultancy Bramble Buzz. Here are Bramble’s top tips:


CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORM: Don’t


be tempted to just follow the latest media trends or switch back and forth between whichever platform is being talked about. Be it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest or a combination of several, maximizing your social media use means choosing platforms that best suit the business and can be updated regularly.


TAKE AN ORGANIZED APPROACH:


Whichever outlets you use, develop a detailed plan for the type of content you’ll be posting and how frequently you’ll post. It’s no use opening a Twitter account and not having enough time or resources for regular posts, or to respond to questions or complaints from clients.


MAKE IT INTERESTING: It’s vital to present


ongoing and interesting content on social media. If you’re only posting messages such as ‘check out our latest travel deals’, or if consumers find your Facebook hasn’t been updated, they’ll quickly lose interest. Generate regular posts, both engaging and applicable to your business.


Hiking excursion SEPARATE BUSINESS FROM PERSONAL: bottom line


Amadeus revenue rose 14.2% for the first six months of 2015 to 1.97bn euros ($2.15m), fueled by a 10% increase in travel agency air bookings. Amadeus took 266 million air bookings for the period. amadeus.com


TOTAL: $2.15m


It’s important to keep your personal life and your business separate on Facebook. Travel blogs are one thing, but you don’t want clients knowing intimate details about your social life. Rather than add clients to your personal page, direct them to more professional content, catered specifically to them.


MEASURE RESULTS: Tools such as


Hootsuite provide an in-depth view of how well your social media efforts are being received, so you can run with what’s working or change direction. They also allow you to plan posts in advance and select specific channels through which you’d like a message to be shared.


fall 2015 | ASTAnetwork | 37


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