Selling professional travel services is not a one-call business. You cannot sell travel services the way automobile mechanics or dry cleaners sell their services. Conventional advertising does not work well for us, probably because we are asking the prospect to risk a great deal more than a few dollars. We are asking them to trust us with their vacations, honeymoons, reunions and valued time off from work.

Prospects become clients only after careful consideration and after being impressed with us sufficiently. Prospects buy the image you have created, or they do not buy you at…

Athens is the city of classical wonders; a land of gods and temples, of sports and plays, where scholars and philosophers first dreamed up democracy; a must-see city for anyone visiting Europe. Step into antiquity. Step into Athens. Step into the past and discover breathtaking sites from one of the most important civilizations to ever flourish.

Athens is located in the southern side of Greece along the peninsula of Attica. Protected by mountains and nearly surrounded by water, Athens is a city with a bit of something for everyone. Adding appeal to the destination, the hot summers and mild winters encourage visitors year-round.

Tourist traffic has risen over the last few decades in reaction to the city’s rehabilitation of travel infrastructure. There is a state-of-the-art international airport, a new motorway…

For many travelers from the United States, the island of Fernando de Noronha off the Brazilian coast is an unknown travel destination. With Marnella Tours, travelers can discover the vegetation-rich landscape and unparalleled biodiversity that makes Fernando de Noronha not only a tropical beach destination, but an island full of adventure.

Thanks to Marnella Tours, the supplier sponsor of this column, you can use this 60-Second Geography article in your own travel agency’s newsletters and websites. You may want to pay attention to the many opportunities Marnella Tours provides your agency.

Last week, my in-laws decided we should all go to the casino for an afternoon of fun. I am not a big gambler, but for a few hours—I was game. One of the players at our poker table repeated these words with every hand: “Go big or go home.”

This reminded me of a big gamble I made with my travel agency. Outwardly, we were very successful, and from a sales perspective, we were. We did a fairly high volume of contemporary product. Because of this, we were often treated like VIPs—flown first class to inaugural events, served lavish dinners with industry executives, and so on. However, we were in real danger of going out of business due to low margins and high cost of sale,…