In Argentina’s south, lies the gorgeous and infamous Patagonian region. Known for its exquisite beauty and breathtaking adventures, Patagonia is a must see to those visiting Argentina.

The Patagonian region of South America also includes Chile, although most of it resides within Argentina. Patagonia was named by Magellan, referring to the Tehuelche people’s large moccasins, which made their feet appear huge. Charles Darwin’s account of the native wildlife in Patagonia is still considered as relevant today as it was back then. This gives an indication of how authentically wild Patagonia remains 170 years later. That’s why Australis wants to let you in on the beauty of this land.

Last week I was in Florida for a funeral and ended up at a no-tell motel along Route 1 as it was a last minute booking and I was looking for convenience. I did not expect more than a clean bed, an alarm clock, and a functional lock on the door. I got that. And more.

Every now and then I look back and remark about how far technology has brought us over the past twenty years. Travel agents have ALWAYS been at the forefront for technology. We were one of the first industries to have a computer actually ON our desktops. What was one of the first industries after pornography to embrace the Internet? Yup, that was us as well. Granted, technology has also dealt…

You are probably wondering if Marchev has gone off the deep end? No, I haven’t. Not yet. I want to share an observation I had while my wife Barbara and I were strolling through a fabric store looking for ideas.

After being in the store for about four minutes I felt a migraine coming on … and I don’t get migraines! I was being introduced to the three C’s. The choices, the colors, the cost. I must admit, there was a lot of good looking stuff in that store. Too much stuff. Choices, options, and colors are needed to sell tile, carpets and…

If you believe that travel consulting is primarily a business of establishing and maintaining relationships, then you probably also place a high value on the role of trust in the relationship. Loyalty is founded on trust and will often convince a client to work with you over any alternative. It is trust that induces a client to take your suggestion over their own initial impulse or to try something just because you indicate you think they should. Trust is a powerful motivator for a client. So how do we build trust into our marketing plan?

First, understand what trust is. When a client has trust, they possess a belief in your integrity, reliability, honesty, and competence. Wow. Those…

Felipe Castro is the North American Sales Director of Australis, an expedition cruise company specialized in exploring the “end of the world.” Felipe Castro has over 30 years of varied travel industry experience, working in the largest travel agency in Chile (Turismo Cocha) and the biggest Chilean Airline (LAN) when it expanded to Peru. He was the acting president of the Association of International Airlines of Peru (AETAI) for two consecutive terms, a Commercial Engineer, and boasts a bachelor’s Degree in business administration from Universidad Diego Portales. With such a background in Tourism, Felipe has a lot to say when it comes to…

The one certainty about trade show promotion is it is harder than it looks. The entire process must be a well coordinated and timed convergence of the right suppliers, the right speakers and a collection of travel professionals. This year, Travel Show Marketing Group’s Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum demonstrated how adept the group has become at putting together an exceptional travel agent trade show and received well deserved praise from both suppliers and travel professionals for their efforts.

The Stats: 900 travel agents in attendance with 130 Hosted Agents each whom boasted a vetted one million dollar annual production. More than 280 vendors were on site to exhibit, in total more than 1,700 travel professionals from across the world. 

The Conference Schedule: This…