by John Frenaye
Monday April 04, 2016

Several years ago, I had the chance to address a group of agents on dealing with the media. Last week, my local paper called me asking about travel and how the Brussels bombing has impacted travel locally. I do very little retail travel with my agency but from the days when I did, I am their “go-to” source. Anyhow, after the interview, I came across my notes from my address, refreshed them and wanted to share!

“As marketers, we know the old stuff isn’t working. We’re too busy to pay attention to advertising, but we’re desperate to find good stuff that solves our problems.”

Purple Cow - by Seth Godin, page 4

This week’s quotes come from Seth Godin’s Purple Cow. The concept of this book is that in order to capture the attention of your prospects, you must appear to be different from the competition. You must become “purple.” We all know what cows look like: some are black and white, others are brown or tan. Either way, we don’t have a reason to stop and take a photo. But if the cow along the side of the road was purple, that would create a little curiosity and perhaps an impromptu…

by Richard Earls
Saturday April 02, 2016

Like most technology geeks with a marketing background, I am fascinated by the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.  I get the social media stuff; I believe in it and I think there is a place in almost every travel agency's marketing plan for these online tools.  However, I also believe the marketing that really counts is rooted in the local, physical community of each travel professional.  My concern is far too many agents hide behind their computer screens when they should be out speaking locally, writing articles, developing word of mouth tactics, and practicing public relations instead.  I know, I sound like a parent fussing at the kids to get away from the computer and get outside and play…

As a Chinese American, Tom Wan has been in US travel business for years. Wan is the Senior Travel consultant and manager of the US region wholesale team for Chinatour.com International Inc., a well-established tour supplier specializing in travel to China and Asia. Tom possesses enormous dedication and passion, both in the retail and wholesale sides of the travel business.

As a tour guide in his early career, Tom Wan had the luxury of leaving his footsteps in almost every corner of China, and gained first-hand travel experience and a deep understanding of the needs of a traveler. After few years living in the Los Angeles area, Tom attended the University of Florida to pursue his Master’s Degree in…