Travel Bulletin
Travel Bulletin 
In the feature I wrote for Travel Bulletin at the beginning of this year, under the ITT heading, I spoke of my experience with Inga (and if you didn?t read the article let me reassure you ? as you will learn it was a totally innocent experience). I spoke about the way that Inga bustled about behind her bar, cleaning and sorting, even though she needn?t have done so ? simply to create a good impression for her customers.?
The escorted touring market is experiencing continued growth as agents realise the benefits and earning potential of selling touring holidays. Not only can agents earn large commissions, but they?ll also elicit repeat custom from happy clients.?
 | Recent worldwide events have caused me to reflect on some of the basic management omissions that occur in businesses. Essentially, a country is an organisation on a larger scale. Understand one and you will understand the other. So translate the recent stand- off in Egypt into business terms where the board of directors, the shareholders, the customers and the staff are demanding that the CEO step down. |
In my last feature last year (doesn?t time fly!) I said that it was important to try to close the sale and not to let your telephone customer hang up without getting some kind of commitment. Try always to get some agreement from your customer, even if you can?t get a definite booking.?
Agents completing the new Grand Pineapple Beach Resort?s training by December 31 have the chance to win a seven-night all-inclusive stay at Grand Pineapple Beach Antigua.
At the recent ITT Convention in Dubai I was in conversation with a travel agent in the Belgian bar. Our discussion turned to the idiosyncrasies of customers and my friend asked me this question. ?It might just be where my agency is?, she said, ?but my staff spend a lot of time finding out what people need and then, when they think they are ready to book, they will suddenly say that there?s something wrong with the holiday and we have to go all the way back to the start and try to find something else for them. And quite often we can?t find anything that suits them and so we lose the sale. What?s wrong with these people??
By Jayne Finn?
Depending on whether you see life as a glass half-empty or half-full, may well have influenced your reaction to the Chancellor's proposed increases in Air Passenger Duty.
I too share the Industry?s ?outrageous, ludicrous, scandalous? reaction to this huge injustice. How frustrating for those who have been lobbying Government, to find that their carefully crafted, reasoned arguments have been ignored.
