This week on Trade Secrets, it’s all about groups. Join co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada as they talk to three travel advisors about how they successfully put together group trips during the pandemic using the “come away with me” strategy. Instead of finding a group leader to draw in travelers, they themselves become the leader, inspiring clients to have confidence in travel. Hear from Emer Coughlin, Carol McKee and Wendy Chambers.

In this episode:
1:21 - Meet Emer Coughlin of Celtic Hearts Travel, Atlanta, Ga.
1:52 - Meet Carol McKee of McKee Travel, Charlotte, N.C.
2:25  - Meet Wendy Chambers of Victory Travel, Westport, Conn.
3:09 - We’ve only got one question this week, but it’s a meaty one: A listener asks for success stories, step-by-step, on travel advisor-led group trips -- not just “I did this” stories, but “here’s how I did this” stories
3:33 - A little background on Gifted Travel Network’s “come with me” strategy that’s been helpful for group sales during the pandemic
4:13 - Emer tells us about the river cruise group she arranged for 2021
7:14 - Carol on her inspiration (Emer) and execution of a group with Celestyal Cruises in Greece
18:27 - Wendy on her group trip to Kenya
28:12 - How Emer managed to keep her entire group traveling in 2022 after 2021’s river cruise was canceled
31:37 - Let your clients know where other people are traveling now

Further resources:

From ‘pied piper’ to ‘come with me’

The ‘come with me strategy’ in action

Smartbrief for the Travel Professional

Travel is back -- and so are travel scams

Need advice?

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com 

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Trade Secrets, it&rsquo;s all about groups. Join co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada as they talk to three travel advisors about how they successfully put together group trips during the pandemic using the &ldquo;come away with me&rdquo; strategy. Instead of finding a group leader to draw in travelers, they themselves become the leader, inspiring clients to have confidence in travel. Hear from Emer Coughlin, Carol McKee and Wendy Chambers.
<hr>
In this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">1:21 - Meet Emer Coughlin of Celtic Hearts Travel, Atlanta, Ga.</li>
<li aria-level="1">1:52 - Meet Carol McKee of McKee Travel, Charlotte, N.C.</li>
<li aria-level="1">2:25&nbsp; - Meet Wendy Chambers of Victory Travel, Westport, Conn.</li>
<li aria-level="1">3:09 - We&rsquo;ve only got one question this week, but it&rsquo;s a meaty one: A listener asks for success stories, step-by-step, on travel advisor-led group trips -- not just &ldquo;I did this&rdquo; stories, but &ldquo;here&rsquo;s how I did this&rdquo; stories</li>
<li aria-level="1">3:33 - A little background on Gifted Travel Network&rsquo;s &ldquo;come with me&rdquo; strategy that&rsquo;s been helpful for group sales during the pandemic</li>
<li aria-level="1">4:13 - Emer tells us about the river cruise group she arranged for 2021</li>
<li aria-level="1">7:14 - Carol on her inspiration (Emer) and execution of a group with Celestyal Cruises in Greece</li>
<li aria-level="1">18:27 - Wendy on her group trip to Kenya</li>
<li aria-level="1">28:12 - How Emer managed to keep her entire group traveling in 2022 after 2021&rsquo;s river cruise was canceled</li>
<li aria-level="1">31:37 - Let your clients know where other people are traveling now</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Further resources:
<a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Insights/Gifted-Travel-Network-adjusts-its-group-sales-strategy">From &lsquo;pied piper&rsquo; to &lsquo;come with me&rsquo;</a>
<a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Insights/Onboard-with-the-come-with-me-strategy">The &lsquo;come with me strategy&rsquo; in action</a>
<a href="https://www2.smartbrief.com/getLast.action?mode=last&amp;b=TravelPro">Smartbrief for the Travel Professional</a>
<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-scams-pandemic-cmd/">Travel is back -- and so are travel scams</a>
<hr>
Need advice?
Email us: <a href="mailto:tradesecrets@travelweekly.com">tradesecrets@travelweekly.com </a>
<hr>
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at travelweekly.com/podcasts.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.

Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.


Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners&rsquo; questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more &mdash; as long as it&rsquo;s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at <a href="http://travelweekly.com/podcasts">travelweekly.com/podcasts</a>.
<hr>
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:
Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors&rsquo; 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.
Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives &mdash; the highs and lows that make them human.
<hr>
 Theme song: Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>
<hr>
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

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