Travel Degrees: When Is the Right Time to Enroll & How to Get the Most of Your Investment
byDori Saltzman/Last week Travel Market Report broke down thetangible ROI of travel degree programs. This week, we discuss when the "right" time to invest in a travel degree is, how to make the most of your investment, and why your investment is also good for the entire industry.
No One Size Fits All
Generally speaking, the earlier in your career you can start a degree program the better off you'll be. But not everyone is ready for the intensive study required by these programs in the early stages of their career. Others find they've picked up enough knowledge from supplier and destination specialist courses to move their business forward at a pace they're comfortable with.
话虽如此,TMR与几位顾问进行了交谈,后者说完成了他们选择的计划后,他们希望他们能尽快完成。
"There are lots of things I learned throughout the program that I was like 'Oh, I didn't know that,'" said Dusty Davidson, CTA, owner of a Dallas-based Dream Vacations franchise, who started working part-time as an advisor in 2016. "I really wish I would have [taken the program earlier] because there were some things, particularly with itinerary building that were really helpful that I wish I had gone through that process earlier."
"I'm hearing that from people a lot," Guida Botelho, CTIE, director of education at The Travel Institute told TMR. "Somebody [with 10, 15, 20 years], the feedback we get is, 'I wish I had done this earlier' and 'It's amazing how much information I needed to refresh.' This is coming from our more seasoned professionals. "
Luv2cruise Travel的所有者MCC Charlotte Pointer,Nest成员代理商说,她刚开始时没有等待。她在职业生涯开始时从Clia那里得到了ACC,并慢慢发展到MCC。她告诉TMR,她向与她合作的所有新顾问提供了学位课程,但补充说,当她提出它时,她也经常听到长期顾问的兴趣。
Another reason more experienced advisors might want to consider going for a degree? Things change. Sales and marketing strategies change. Technology changes. And the curriculum in these programs usually get updated to keep up with the times.
For advisors who are worried about repeating too much information, there might be a way to skip over a beginning level. At The Travel Institute, experienced advisors can take the CTA test without going through the full program if they want to try to pre-qualify for the CTC program.
新顾问六个月
旅行学院的Botelho在开始后六个月告诉TMR,这是顾问开始考虑学位课程的好点。
她说:“原因是,在六个月之前,您甚至都不知道PNR的代表。六个月时,您至少应该有一个想法。”关于思考,像符合资格的客户,克服反对意见,将自己定位为专家一样,正是这些学位课程通常涵盖的材料类型。
Choosing When & Between Programs
With a no "one size fits all" selection of degree programs, who does an advisor decide when the right time to start a program is or which program is the right one?
"The most important thing when you're considering 'should I do one of these programs,' is, first of all, to be clear about what it is you need to get out of it," said Sandy Saburn, CTIE, chief membership officer for the Gifted Travel Network.
For instance, if you focus on cruises, getting a degree from CLIA might make more sense than going through ASTA's VTA program. Alternatively, if you've been selling cruises for the past five year and you're interested in learning how to expand your business, a degree program from The Travel Institute might be the right choice.
Saburn补充说:“想想这是您的时间最高,最好的时间,现在在您的业务阶段或职业阶段,取决于您的角色。”“如果您刚刚起步而急需客户,这是否会帮助您在那里取得名字,或者这会为您提供以后有客户的知识吗?”
The answer will vary for each advisor.
快乐Teet, MCC, CTA、VTA Florida-bas的合伙人ed Dream Vacations franchise, told TMR she started with CLIA certification pretty quickly after getting her franchise.
她说:“我为邮轮刚接触的人提供了有趣和信息的基础课程和标准。”
“在大约五年的大关上,我参加了CTA课程,该课程更加先进,后来我加入了ASTA课程。”
Part of the reason she took the ASTA course, she added, was that your agency will come up higher in consumer searches for a travel advisor.
Florence Brethome, CTIE, general manager, leisure talent development for the Travelstore, a Signature member agency, told TMR, she never felt a need for a degree program until she started shifting into a management position.
"Then the CTIE is what really made sense for me," she said. "I did it 20 years after I started my career."
But don't assume that just because you've been in business for a long time that an advisor-focused program can't help you, Diane Petras, CTIE, president of The Travel Institute emphasized.
"One in particular that I remember, it was during COVID. She took the CTA and she's a successful agent. She has a niche. She's a Virtuoso agent, but she doubled her business after taking the CTA."
Saburn told TMR it's also important to research each option to ensure it offers the content you're looking for.
“实际上看一下内容,并确保您现在需要得到的是您现在需要的。有时人们会加入这些程序,并且他们的期望纯粹是基于假设的。”
This is particularly important if your host agency or the consortium that your agency belongs to requires its own in-depth training. Check to see if there's overlap. If there is, is there an advanced degree that could be more helpful?
How to Make the Most of Your Degree
Going through a degree program, regardless of which one, is an investment of both time and money. Advisors who have earned an educational designation should be using those designations in their marketing and as part of their value proposition in order to get the most out of their investment.
签名会员代理商Accent On Travel的所有者兼创始人Annette Stelhorn说,它们是“视觉提醒您的专业培训”。
"I'm sure that there are a lot of people who have done various programs who don't even use the initials after their name," Saburn added. "If you have the letters, use them."
Petras告诉TMR:“如果顾问对我说,'我的客户不在乎我的凭据,'对我来说,这意味着您不在营销它们。”“您并不是让他们意识到得到什么,这意味着什么以及如何使他们受益。”
Signature的旅行开发顾问Nolan Burris表示同意,他告诉没有向客户传达教育名称的TMR顾问缺少机会。
“无论是来自旅行社还是目的地专业的CTC,您都努力获得任何这些方法……您需要发布它。不要试图告诉别人CTC的含义 - 他们不在乎 - 但是会有所帮助的是要在社交媒体上发布类似的内容:您不会使用未获得董事会认证的外科医生。为什么您会相信未经认证的旅行顾问的假期?”
"Besides social media, make it integral to the consultation, where it makes sense in context," he added.
例如,假设有人在询问巡航,而您有Clia的MCC。“你应该说,'你很幸运,因为我碰巧是填充空白的认证专家。你知道吗?并非所有旅行顾问都在。我会告诉你为什么这很重要。'”
Telling them why it matters is particularly important. People want to know how your certification will benefit them, so tell them.
"Especially in your one-on-one consultations," he added. "That's where the ROI starts to grow exponentially."
Why Degree Programs Are Important to the Industry
Aside from marketing an advisor's professional quality and level of training, degree programs and the educational designations that come with them advertise to the general public that being a travel advisor is a profession.
"The more visibility they have in the industry, the better off it is," Saburn said.
And Dream Vacations owner Davidson added, "These courses are important for the industry in general, that we have a full representation that we are professional. Any sort of certification you can get is beneficial not only to the advisor, but also to the clients they serve and to the industry because it makes us look better prepared and more educated to deal with our clients and be able to give them the best advice."