ASTA news VIEW FROM THE TOP Moving forward
Melissa Lee, travel consultant for Royal Travel & Tours, talks about what inspires her in the travel industry
Q Q
How would you describe your job in a nutshell?
I’m a luxury travel consultant, which basically means I research, plan and organize travel for leisure clients.
What’s a typical day at work like for you?
I spend my mornings replying to emails from existing and new clients. In the afternoons, I am typically on the phone to suppliers researching options for my clients. I also spend part of every day reviewing social media, vendor news and travel-related media to learn about the latest trends and newest offerings.
Q
What’s the biggest challenge you face in the business?
My two biggest challenges are convincing potential clients of the value of a travel agent, and educating clients on the value of a travel agent versus booking for themselves from an online portal.
Q
What would you say in the most valuable benefit of being an
ASTA member? Te most valuable benefit of being an ASTA member is having the incredible support of ASTA and its team to help consultants better perform their job. ASTA provides resources, connections and education to keep us current and engaging.
Q
What are some of the best opportunities facing the
industry today? Social media provides an exciting opportunity to connect with clients in a creative and engaging way. Images and videos provide excellent visuals to share aspirational experiences and destinations that I can plan.
Q
What are your thoughts on the millennial market?
I think it is a very different market to what has been previously experienced. To market to a millennial, one must adapt to their communication style (text and email) and focus on their wants, such as experiential travel.
Q
What are some of the things your organization is most
excited about? My organization is excited about the new app that we are able to offer our clients to help organize travel itineraries, vouchers and documents for their trip all on their smartphone. Te app is easy to use and fully customizable to the client, and is well-designed with photos and our company logo.
Q
What do you admire in a leader or mentor?
I admire someone who’s fair, engaging and approachable. Being a good leader or mentor is valuable as it improves employee satisfaction, which in turn motivates the employee to work better. I’m lucky in that my agency’s owner, Kendra
Tornton, has always been encouraging, responsive and engaging in promoting my marketing and new business plans. She values all of our thoughts and opinions and strives to assist us in working more efficiently and successful to increase our sales.
Q
What was the most recent vacation you took that made an
impression on you? In March of this year I traveled to South Africa to visit four of Te Royal Portfolio properties: Te Silo (Cape Town), Royal Malewane (Kruger National Park), La Residence (Franschhoek) and Birkenhead House (Western Cape). I was incredibly impressed with the diversity
of experience to be enjoyed within one country across destinations that are relatively close to each other — from a safari experience spotting the Big Five in the African wilderness, to tasting world-class wines in the wine country, to a great white shark cage diving off the coast, and then exploring the vibrant, global city of Cape Town. Te South African people were incredibly welcoming and engaging, and always ready to share details of their local culture. I was also struck by how easy it was to travel
within South Africa. Tere were no language barriers, travel between destinations was easy and accessible and I saw every level of comfort available at each destination.
Te most valuable benefit of being an ASTA member is having the incredible support of ASTA to help consultants better perform their jobs. Tey provide resources, connections and education to keep us current and engaging.
ASTAnetwork | Fall 2017 | 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140
