December 8th, 2015 by Elma Jane
The President blamed (Visa Waiver Program) a special visa travel program for allowing one of the San Bernardino terrorists into the country.
The Visa Waiver Program eases entry into the United States for 20 million visitors from nations that meet certain conditions. Mainly tourists and overseas relatives of American citizens and residents, are able to enter the U.S. easily. Passport holders from 38 countries currently qualify for a 90-day visa-free stay in the US.
Visa waiver program is considered crucial to the multibillion dollar travel and tourism business. New York City’s Manhattan, Florida’s theme parks, the Grand Canyon, Hollywood and Las Vegas get a high amount of tourist traffic because of the Visa Waiver Program.
The House will vote on changes to the program today, a worrying news for Travel Industry.
The U.S. travel industry has seen these kinds of changes coming for some time now. The U.S. Travel Association has spent $2 million on lobbying this year alone. The group is not fighting against all changes to the visa program, but instead wants to make certain that any new facets do not go overboard and are not redundant.
Credits
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: tourism business, travel, Travel Association, travel industry, travel program
December 8th, 2015 by Elma Jane
In Travel Industry, it’s beneficial if travel agents could write and share some of the things that really work for them in running their business and the things that didn’t, whether you’re an online travel agents, homebased travel agents to tour operators. It’s not about being an expert, but the ideas that you can present and task that you face on a daily basis with Travel that may work for some or none will be a great tool to 70,000 agents. This is also a great way to market your Travel Agency. If you’re a travel agent who’s willing to discuss your successes and challenges in a monthly column check this out.
http://www.travelresearchonline.com/blog/index.php/2015/12/and-with-that-the-2015-travel-agent-diaries-are-a-wrap-but-what-about-2016/
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: homebased travel, online travel, tour operators, travel, travel agency, travel agents, travel industry
November 30th, 2015 by Elma Jane
ASTA American Society of Travel Agents presents The Looming Passport Crunch Tue, Dec 1, 2015 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST
Click Here for more info https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8699341866862946817
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: travel, travel agents
November 16th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Travel Ban, Alert and Warning what’s the Difference?
Deciphering the difference between Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings can be confusing.
Travel Alerts – U.S. Department of State’s international travel alerts are issued around short-term events. Alerts are generally short-lived, and the government doesn’t hesitate to pull the alert once the potential concern has passed.
Travel Warnings – Federal Aviation Administration (FAA’s) travel bans on the other hand are the government’s gentle way of suggesting that you reconsider your trip entirely. Unstable government, civil war, ongoing intense crime or violence, and frequent terrorist attacks are all listed as potential reasons for a warning. Unlike alerts, warnings may stay in place for many years at a time if the climate of potential danger persists.
No matter where you are headed, remember that your safety must be your own priority. Americans traveling abroad should educate themselves on areas of the world to be avoided.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: travel, travel agency, travel agent, travel industry, travel merchants
August 24th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Mike Marchev has a saying every travel agent should repeat each day: “Your clients are somebody else’s prospects.” With others in the marketplace vying for the attention of your clients, it is important for you to consider exactly how accessible the public perceives your travel business. Accessibility is sum of the characteristics that makes you easy to remember, easy to find, approachable, likable, and worthy of trust. Each of these elements are wrapped up in your approach to the market and should be given fair consideration as you position your company in your community.
The public’s perception of your accessibility is shaped by how often they see your brand and the brand image you project. If the elements of your branding indicate a luxury travel niche, many consumers will be drawn to it and some portion of the market will find it unapproachable. If your branding efforts emphasize family travel, with images of children and families enjoying vacations together, then you will very likely attract that demographic. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but it is vital the brand you intend to project is indeed the brand that is reflected in your marketing efforts.
Your company name, logo, and contact information need to be “front and center” in each marketing effort you undertake. These are the key graphical elements by which your marketplace will identify and reach out to you. Reproduce these elements consistently in each and every point of contact where appropriate. The familiarity you thereby create is an important component to the sense of accessibility people will have of your company – they will feel as though they already know you, who you are, and what you do.
Likewise, your public relations efforts in your community should be geared to creating a fundamental familiarity with your branding and market position. The more “present” you are in your community, the more networking you undertake, the more events you sponsor or for which you volunteer, the better known will be your brand. The friendlier your persona, the more approachable you are and the degree to which you can engage your clients on an emotional level, the more approachable and accessible you will be perceived.
Remind your clients that you are there. How often do you reach out and touch each and every client in a personal way? How about a phone call, a hand written letter, or a lunch? Not to sell anything, but just to say “hello!” Want clients to think of you as accessible? Begin by first approaching them.
People do business with people. They want to engage with people they like, appreciate, and trust. If your company has a flat, dull persona, it is not likely consumers will perceive it as approachable. Clients want to do business with a personality. They want to know the people in charge of their plans, running the company, and protecting their interests. Your marketing should be charged with personality.
The energy required for marketing in this manner is considerable. Being in business requires a dynamic yet focused awareness of the impact of one’s brand on the public. For a travel consultant engaged in very personal one-on-one services, this means a personal investment in time and energy. Because, as a travel agent, you are your own brand.
by Richard Earls in Publishers Corner
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: business travel, travel, travel agency, travel agent, travel industry
August 10th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Everyone’s looking for the next great idea. The one that will make their travel practice jump. The right niche, the next great marketing trick. The killer idea.
I understand the sentiment.
No doubt, ideas are important. You must have the right marketing to properly present your company, to make it take hold in people’s minds and develop into its own entity, to take on its own personality.
But, I ask you, is a great idea enough? Isn’t there something that comes before the idea, something that is equally if not more important? I’d rather start with the right people. People with the right intelligence, the propensity for making things happen. People with killer attitudes.
Here’s the thing: you can give a great person a mediocre idea and they will do something great with it. On the other hand, you can give a great idea to a mediocre person and it will languish. At the end of the day, great ideas require the right people for execution. It’s not the idea that makes people work. It’s the people who make the idea work. Surround yourself with great people, that’s the surest way to succeed.
It is a real joy to work with smart people. You can give a smart travel professional an idea, and they get it, know its value and can understand how to implement it into their practice. Likewise, hand over an opportunity to a determined travel counselor, and then get out of their way. A determined travel professional is willing to do what it takes to build their practice. People combine the qualities of intelligence, determination and passion become top travel specialists. No excuses. Do or die, and with a smile.
Intelligence, determination and passion – those three ingredients are found at the heart of every great travel practice. Those are not the abstract qualities of an idea, they are human traits, personality qualities. Such agents make a study of their practice, an art, a craft. They are determined to succeed and their determination is contagious and attractive because of their passion for travel.
Choose your associates carefully. If you work alone, be the person you must be to execute well. Dust off your attitude. Wake up, take charge, motivate yourself, learn from the best, keep moving forward. Renew your vow to be truly great at what you do. Take it on yourself to smile at clients, to be passionate on their behalf and to bring all of your faculties to bear on every assignment. Clients are like everyone else, they enjoy working with enthusiastic, smart travel agents.
Cultivate those attributes, insist on being your best, and watch your practice grow.
by Richard Earls in Publishers Corner
Posted in Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: travel, travel agency, travel agent, travel industry, Travel Merchant
July 28th, 2015 by Elma Jane
The annual ASTA Global Convention is set to take place in Washington, D.C., August 29 to September 2, 2015.
A conference that is designed for all travel merchants, whether they are home, office or storefront-based.
American Society Of Travel Agents (ASTA) plays such a vital role in government lobbying and regulation, travel agent awareness and education.
This year’s convention will feature a full roster of speakers, educational seminars, networking events and local sightseeing.
ASTA Global Convention will feature pre-convention events including the chance to see a Washington Nationals baseball game, special tours of Washington, D.C. and the annual ASTA Advocacy Dinner.
The convention will take place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel near Georgetown. Hotel rates start at $169, booking with the dedicated room block ends August 7.
ASTA registration rate will increase on August 1 by $25.
For more information or to register, click on ASTA Global Convention.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: merchants, travel, travel merchants
June 29th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Posted on June 28th, 2015 by Richard Earls in Publishers Corner
“If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
Louie was one of the hardest working men I had ever met. A restaurant owner, he was up first thing in the morning, worked all day in the kitchen and on the floor and went to bed late at night. The next day, he would do it all again. I was amazed at his ability to put in those hours and I was sure that his new venture would be a great success. A year later, he was out of business. I told Louie’s story to one of my business mentors and he shook his head knowingly. He was not surprised at the restaurant’s failure. “Too many business people have to work hard because they don’t work smart.”
He was right, of course. Louie loved his restaurant. Passion for his business was not an issue for Louie. Problem was, he didn’t much care for the business end of running a restaurant. Louie loved mixing with the customers, coming up with new dishes, and talking about food. However, his costs were too high, and he just didn’t get the need to market beyond simply serving good food. His marketing had little rhyme or reason and employees rotated through his establishment in revolving door fashion. Passion, by itself, wasn’t enough to sustain the business.
My appreciation for the Protestant work ethic was radically altered by Louie’s misfortunes. Hard work counted, but smarts counted, too. Like many good travel consultants, he was spending more time IN his business than he was spending ON his business. I see the same situation with many travel consultants. They work very, very hard and they are passionate about travel. But not all of their tools are sharp enough for the job in front of them. Their marketing is sporadic and their sales technique is haphazard and not studied.
How can travel agents be better business people? The answer is deceptively simple.
There are lots of things to be done every day. There are clients to call, there are deadlines for payment, and there are meetings to attend. But it occasionally pays to take a step back from the day-to-day processes that are absolutely necessary and just think about what we are doing. Are we as efficient as we could be? Are we delegating tasks to give us more time at what we both do and enjoy best? Are we investing adequate time in marketing and professional study? Are we growing our client list as well as maintaining it?
Growing your individual travel practice takes time and patience, but it also requires ongoing thought and planning. It takes a willingness to adjust course mid-stream and to break bad habits. Too many agents tend to be sporadic and reactive without giving their craft the study and attention it deserves. They are so chronically short of time they will even explain that they don’t have the time to plan. Their business is running them instead of being run by them.
Give yourself some time each week to review your progress and to adjust your practice. Allow yourself that luxury. Take the time to meet with yourself and review all of your business assets, the points of contact where the public encounters your brand. Set the time aside and make it your own. Take time to review the way you are doing things and whether there are ways to improve on your practices. Read trade journals and associate with peers either at work or on forums like TRO’s Community. Attend trade shows and think about the art of travel planning.
The time you spend just thinking about travel planning will make you a better travel planner.
Posted in Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: travel, travel agency, travel agent, Travel Merchant, travel merchant account
June 19th, 2015 by Elma Jane
ASTA’s Regulatory Compliance Course
The Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance Course is an easy cost effective way to ensure your staff is up to speed on the latest federal regulations. Course cost: $225
ASTA members can save $200. Use code: ASTAfirst
Non-members can save $75. Use code: MustKnow
Sign-up Today! Click ASTA LOGO to Login.
Posted in Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: compliance, travel, travel agency
June 5th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Traditionally, travel-related merchants have a difficult time obtaining merchant accounts. National Transaction Corporation (NTC) is a full service merchant account provider with extensive experience in the travel arena and related markets, servicing thousands of travel-related merchant accounts by specializing in non-cash electronic transactions. Our services include processing credit card transactions, gift card transactions, and e-commerce transactions, among others. We offer a full line of products including credit card terminals, cellular devices, supplies, and accessories for each model sold. We offer aggressive rates and pricing for mail/telephone order, retail/restaurant, wireless, and online transactions while specializing in the travel and high volume sectors of merchant processing, and we are proud to be the preferred merchant provider for ASTA.
NTC is dedicated to providing the highest caliber of service and solutions in the merchant processing industry. We actually answer the phone when you need assistance! NTC has a team of dedicated employees providing personalized service to each account holder and are available directly through their toll free number, never hidden behind a menu system. Our excellent service truly separates us from everyone else in the industry. The principals of NTC have extensive experience in the processing arena for over 25 years, with experience in all facets of operation, including credit cards, credit initiation, credit investigation, loss prevention, deployment, and customer and terminal support. We employ internal sales associates as well as independent sales agents who offer many opportunities through their referral reward services and Independent Sales Organization (ISO) programs.
NTC’s online gateway allows for processing transactions, reviewing account history, and interacting with various shopping cart and accounting applications such as QuickBooks, Peachtree, and many other titles. Reservation software such as Trams are compatible and integrate well with all National Transaction merchant accounts. Whether you are a travel agency or an independent agent, we offer many solutions that cater to the travel industry and will increase your revenue with quicker deposits into your bank account.
Travel environments are unique in that your transactions are usually keyed; there is almost always a delayed delivery period, and large ticket transactions are not uncommon since one card holder may be paying for multiple tickets. They also tend to be seasonal, with peak season months generating an unusual spike in their “average” monthly volume, and charge-back’s pose a potential threat by travelers who are unable to complete their trip. Combine even a few of these factors together and you have cause for a reserve, or even account termination. National Transaction Corp specializes in understanding what makes your transactions unique, as a travel agent, and how they affect your merchant account.
The importance of customer service is something that is over looked when merchants compare the overall cost of monthly fees with their merchant account. That is, until the moment they need assistance with their account. Whether searching for missing deposits, having problems processing transactions, issuing refunds, processing voids, or questioning their billing statement, a merchant should always remember you get what you pay for. If you wonder why they can offer you no monthly fee, they are offering you no LIVE customer support. Customer support for them will come via means of email. You will wait hours for answers, and even days for a simple confirmation or general email, let alone a resolution.
National Transaction Corporation has over 17 years of dedication and experience in providing quality solutions in the credit card processing arena. From internet e-commerce applications to food stamp processing, from small start up businesses to fortune 500 companies, NTC has a complete product selection to customize a solution to grow with your business. We at NTC pride ourselves on being a full service, member service provider. It is our mission to provide the same dedication and service in maintaining your business as you experience in us earning your business. NTC will provide service after the sale. It is that service that sets us apart! For more information, contact NTC for world class service and solutions.
Contact National Transaction Corporation today at 888-996-2273 to see how we can help you with your travel merchant account, or visit us online at www.nationaltransaction.com for more information.
by Elizabeth Cody (Travel Research Online)
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit card Processing, e-commerce & m-commerce, Gift & Loyalty Card Processing, Merchant Account Services News Articles, Merchant Cash Advance, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: ASTA, bank account, billing statement, credit card terminals, credit card transactions, credit cards, customer service, deposits, e-commerce, e-commerce transactions, electronic transactions, gift card transactions, Independent Sales Organization, ISO, merchant account provider, merchant accounts, merchants, service provider, travel, travel agency, travel agent, travel industry
