Travel Agents Get Training

THE Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) has conducted a training class for the 162 new franchise owners of Cruise Planners.

The SLTB has been partnering with Cruise Planners for the past three years to provide training on a continuous basis for its travel agents. The travel agents were all eager to learn how to sell Saint Lucia. The training class highlighted the different niche markets, hotels, attractions and promotions for both the agents and their clients.

Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the travel industry. It operates a network of more than 1,400 franchise owners who independently book amazing vacation and travel experiences for their clients.

The Florida-based home office team, through its nation-wide network , provides innovative marketing, booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training to the industry’s top executives.

Meanwhile, the SLTB Mid-Atlantic office continued the Tea-Time Step 2 PASS Training in Philadelphia.

In attendance were 38 travel agents on their way to becoming Preferred Agent Saint Lucia Specialists (PASS). At least 50 percent of the agents had already visited the island but needed Step 2, and to log at least one booking to graduate within the programme.

Some of these agents visited the island years ago and would like to revisit. The Saint Lucia Agent Months (SLAM) Programme was highlighted to allow agents to take advantage of fantastic resort offers and American Airline flight rates. The agents were also impressed with the new hotel developments and updates for 2017/2018.

However, they expressed concern about direct airlift from the Philadelphia area, stating that non-stop flights were needed for at least two days weekly for more than just the seasonal January to April months.

The high cost of airlift to Saint Lucia was also a concern, making it a “hard sell.”