一位代理商所有者如何在Covid-19期间通过墨西哥建立企业护送顾问
经过克里·蒂斯(Kerry Tice)/
激情,专业知识,勇气和责任。他们总结了将洛里·斯温德曼(Lori Swinderman)推进她最新的墨西哥家族的核心原则。
At a time when advisors have realized the best way to reinforce that travel can be safe and still enjoyable during the time of COVID-19 is to “walk the walk” so they can “talk the talk,” Swinderman has established a business to facilitate travel advisor familiarization trips to her favorite destination: Mexico.
An eight-year veteran of the travel industry, Swinderman began her travel career as the co-owner of Upon a Star Travel based in Pittsburgh with her business partner. Together they currently have 28 ICs based across the United States. Despite the overall industry decline due to effects of the pandemic, their business has begun seeing an uptick in recent months. And, in the midst of that growth and navigating new protocols, her circumstances began to shed light on a new business opportunity that Swinderman knew she just had to use her expertise to seize.
随着新规定和法规开始旋转着库维德旅行,墨西哥开始成为地图上最受欢迎,最易于访问的度假地点之一,史威德曼(Swinderman顾问寻求她的知识。
“墨西哥一直是我的激情。这就是我一直卖出的最多和我所相信的东西。但是后来她注意到还有更多的事情:许多与她联系的旅行顾问是坚实的资深顾问,他们以前从未卖过很多墨西哥,或者是认真地了解目的地的新手。他们有一个共同的愿望:他们想去墨西哥接受教育,以便他们可以与客户分享他们的经验。
I thought to myself, ‘What can I do to make sure that this is done correctly, that people are learning as much as they can to be able to sell Mexico the right way and make it beneficial for Mexico and the travel industry as a whole?’”
Part of the solution required a courageous move. With her four kids in tow (ages 11, 11, 9 & 8), Swinderman packed up her belongings and headed south to Playa del Carmen (just south of Cancun), where she is now residing in a home with her family while thrusting herself into her new venture. For Swinderman, it’s not only a business decision but the culmination of a long-awaited dream to live in and support both the country and industry she loves most.
Not your typical fam trip
Once Swinderman made the decision to start Mexico FamTrips, the rest fell into place fairly quickly, a testament to the need for her new business. Suddenly she had 300 applications of travel advisors seeking to participate in one of four fam trips scheduled from now through March, 2021. In fact, the first official fam embarks this week to Cancun with 30 participants who were exclusively chosen by Swinderman. While she hopes to eventually have the capacity to host all of the applicants on her waiting list, for now the selection process is based on specific criteria like percentage of sales to Mexico and a proven desire to learn about Mexico and sell the destination.
In addition to the individual advisor fams, Swinderman is also hosting five agency-exclusive fams for companies who are looking to travel as a group on a more customized itinerary that includes specific properties and locales in Mexico. Swinderman coordinates all of the fams through long-standing partnerships she has formulated with Mexican resorts and transportation and excursion companies. Her partners include: Fives Resorts, Hard Rock & Unico brands, Haven Resorts, Live Aqua, Karisma Resorts, Catalonia Resorts, Excellence Resorts and Lomas Travel.
她指出:“船上还有更多的物业,我还将与代理商希望访问现场检查的其他个人物业合作。”
FAMS目前正处于坎昆/里维埃拉·玛雅地区,但斯温德曼计划在明年这个时候将其覆盖范围扩大到洛斯·卡波斯(Los Cabos)和瓦拉塔(Puerto Vallarta)。她还计划迎合奢侈品市场的FAM,以及喜欢EP和精品店的人,以及更多的旅行经验。三月和四月后的代理商FAMS目前正在为普通FAM申请。FAM的成本各不相同,但基于所选择的住宿时间和度假村。
For example, a 4-night fam to an all-inclusive 3 ½-4 star property, including transfers, activities and seminars provided by both technology and social media experts, might start at $350 per person.
While dubbed Mexico FamTrips, Swinderman points out that her fams are not typical. “What we’re doing is much more custom and focused on culture and specialized education for what these agents need. Plus, I want people to see that it’s safe to come here. You don’t need to be afraid to travel in Mexico and if clients see their agents going, they will change their perception. And of course, in the age of Covid, they can also come here, be socially distant, and have a safe and fun vacation at resorts that are taking every precaution, many at their own expense.”
共同的目的
Swinderman’s desire to start Mexico FamTrips was always tucked away in her long-term business plan, that is until the pandemic gave her the courage to bring it to the forefront, she said.
“This is a time when we so desperately need to support each other. I love and truly believe that we are not each other’s competition. If other agencies start learning about Mexico and succeed, it benefits all of us and most of all, it benefits the tourism sector. That’s what we all need.”
她补充说,通过这一过程,她还目睹了令人难以置信的非传统伙伴关系。一个例子是同一城镇中的代理商所有者聚集在一起,要求其集体顾问进行定制的FAM Trip。她还指出,墨西哥度假胜地和她的BDM非常支持她的努力。
“的一个原因,我想这样做because I want Mexico to thrive. I’ve seen what the pandemic has done to them. If they don’t work, they don’t eat and they are hard workers.” As part of the effort to give back, Mexico FamTrips is also adopting a local orphanage, whereby she is asking all of her fam participants to offer a small donation. “So, we are not only giving back with the donations but also by bringing people to Mexico so they can watch it flourish.”
Satisying a need for advisors
While hosting fam trips is hardly a new concept for the travel industry, Swinderman pointed out that particularly for advisors who are new and don’t have the volume with resorts and tour operators or the experience of working in Mexico, it can be very difficult and frustrating to try to plan a fam of your own.
“Maybe you’re an advisor who started selling Mexico but you haven’t sold a ton yet, it can be hard to get a hold of people to plan a fam. Not to mention there have been quite a lot of changes in staff at many resorts. Then you have to figure out the transfers of how to get from one resort to another. I live here, I know the best routes to go in and out of these properties and I know the people. I’m at these resorts at least once or twice a week, just visiting. I’m doing absolutely everything to coordinate the fams, creating the best possible schedule and educating the advisors. All they have to do is show up.”
在一个大流行中,史辛德曼(Swinderman)找到了她的一线希望,幸运的是,对于旅游业和墨西哥,这是深远的。