by John Frenaye
Monday April 13, 2015

Last week, TRO Publisher, Richard Earls wrote a column that got me thinking critically about my agency—go read it, it’s well worth the three minutes. I’ll be honest, my business is not burning any barns this year. Granted we are not down, but based on the economic recovery, I had expected to see the purse strings loosened up a little more to see more single parents traveling.

I could sit back and just take what came my way by continuing doing what I am doing—it’s working. We’re growing--just not enough. Or, I could do something. Enter Richard’s column.

We all fall victim to our own great ideas. I know that I routinely come up with ideas that I am convinced will propel my agency into the…

You’re joking! This headline should be as obvious as the day is long. To me, it is the perfect analogy. Building a business is exactly like seeding a lawn.

As most of you know by now, I usually find the subject of my column somewhere during the previous month as my life unfolds in its unorthodox fashion. Yes, I can honestly say that my circuitous path through life is anything but boring.

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

by Richard Earls
Sunday April 12, 2015

No doubt there is a lot of competition out there. If you live in a community of any size, there are likely dozens of travel agents in the yellow pages, networking, writing articles and, in general, marketing hard to get themselves noticed. Beyond the boundaries of your geographic community, just on the other side of your clients' keyboards, are thousands upon thousands of booking opportunities from the largest sites like Travelocity and Orbitz to small, niche players. But diligence will pay  off and, over time, you manage to attract some portion of your share of the market to your agency.

That's when the hard work really begins.

Marketing is not merely about the acquisition of new clients. Marketing is…

Emily Chang's earliest experience with the tourism industry was in the role of "crying baby on the plane," and later "toddler that won't stay in her seat." This early exposure to the wonders of travel has made her a lifelong wanderlust and adventurer at heart. Emily joined SITA World Tours at their Los Angeles headquarters in 2005, after having spent over a decade living abroad in Asia. She currently serves as SITA's E-Commerce Manager and works closely with travel agent consortia, handling SITA's marketing, tour promotions, and delivering campaigns. 

As part of her love of the travel industry and ongoing continued education in the field, she also holds a Masters Degree in Tourism Administration from George Washington…