As the end of the year approaches, the to-do lists can feel a bit overwhelming. For many travel advisors, this time is not only filled with holiday tasks and celebrations, but also with preparations for the busy booking months just around the corner.
Though life can be a bit hectic in December, it’s important to spend time thinking about what you have accomplished in the past year and how your travel business has grown. Reflecting on areas of success and those needing improvement will help you plan and strategize for next year.
Here are a few considerations for your travel business for next year:
Improve Your Follow-Up
When it comes to guiding your clients through their initial consultation, the booking process, and the actual vacation, you might already be a pro. But if your business workflow stops with their return home, you’re missing out on an important part of further developing your client relationships.
Contact clients upon their return to discuss their vacations. Their feedback can provide you not only with information to help future clients, but also content to use for blog posts, newsletters, and social media posts.
And don’t be afraid to ask for their positive reviews and testimonials! What you say about yourself is important, but what others say about you is even more important. When it comes to asking for your clients to help your business in this way, don’t be shy. Give them exact directions for sharing their feedback online to make this step even easier for them.
Create a Routine for Education
A travel agent’s learning is never done. There are always new resorts opening, new cruise ships setting sail, new supplier policies and sites to understand, and new destination trends to monitor. It’s important to set aside a portion of the time you spend working on your travel business to further your travel knowledge. Set a goal for yourself to make your travel education a reality.
Perhaps you commit to completing a supplier’s educational courses. You may opt to complete the courses offered by a tourist board. You could also explore the courses in our own Learning Management System or attend one of our educational events, like Boot Camp or Destination Success. Maybe you do all of these!
Evaluate Your Marketing
Channel the momentum of the new year into revitalizing your marketing strategies, improving your current methods, or trying something new.
After considering where you reach your target audience, put a plan into action. Maybe add a new social media network to your marketing. Or dedicate time to posting more strategically on the social media platforms you already use. Perhaps participate in a local trade show to establish your community presence. Or start sending out a monthly newsletter to your client database.
Whichever you choose, allow yourself time to create your marketing materials, set a realistic budget, and have a way to ask new clients how they found you. This way you will know if your new marketing strategy is effective. You can find more ideas for your marketing efforts in the Marketing Hub in MyTravelAgentPortal.
Explore Your Tools
In the day-to-day of running your own travel business, you may not have taken the time to explore all the tools at your fingertips. This year, set aside some time to explore them and learn how to implement them in your business, especially MyTravelAgentPortal and myTravelCRM.
From educational courses to travel suppliers to social media graphics and everything in between, MyTravelAgentPortal is full of information and resources for agents. You can view the many courses in the Learning Management System. You can download qualifying forms and perfect your process for speaking with new potential clients. You can download the Monthly Agent Strategy Guide and use the tools in the Marketing Hub to create a marketing plan for your business. The Portal is an important website to visit often because we are always adding to and updating this resource.
Keep better track of your clients and bookings and communicate more effectively with your clients in 2025 through myTravelCRM. Beyond entering your bookings, this tool allows you to send your clients information about their trip, monthly newsletters about travel, and even messages to wish them a happy birthday!
Set a Sales Goal
Think about your sales in 2024. Did you start the year with a sales goal? Did you reach it? Take a moment to review your sales, the suppliers you worked with most, and the clients that you planned trips with over the past year. Which clients were new and which clients were repeat travelers? Do you think that these clients will book a vacation again in the coming year? Did you have any large family or friend group trips or destination wedding groups that might provide some new clients planning their personal vacations? Which 3-5 suppliers garner the bulk of your travel business?
After you have taken time to think about your clients and sales in 2024, set a goal and jot down your action items for 2025. Take into consideration how much of your business will likely repeat this year and the suppliers you would like to promote and book with. Choose a sales goal that both encourages you to retain clients and add new ones. Also think about how higher dollar sales will impact your goal. Remember that your sales goal should motivate you to grow your business but still be attainable.
Here’s to a happy and prosperous new year for your travel business!