Travel Centres Preferred Supplier Manual 2020

Accommodation Airlines Car Rental Cruise Ferries Ground Arrangements Insurance Technology Tour Operators Transfers Travel Services

PREFERRED

SUPPLIER MANUAL

8th E D I T I O N Travel Centres is Ireland’s leading travel agents’ consortium. This annually published Preferred Supplier Manual is an expertly curated reference guide for our agents that showcases the best suppliers in the industry.

Don’t miss a connection!

The agency network that’s going places w travelcentres.ie T 051 383 622 E info@travelcentres.ie

Contents Useful Information

Car Rental Services

Websites 4 Telephone Numbers 5 Personal Contacts 7 Usernames & Passwords 7 Calendar 2020 8 Calendar 2021 9

Affordable Car Hire 73 Flexible Autos 75 Hertz 77

Top Tips Management 10 Delegation 12 Time Management 13 Selling Travel Insurance 14 Selling Car Hire 15 Selling 17 Handling Objections 18 Marketing 19 Public Relations 20 Customer Retention 21 Handling Complaints 22 Maximising Profit 23 Cutting Costs 24 Productivity 25 Using Google 26 Using Facebook for Business 27 Handling VAT 28 New Year’s Resolutions For 2020 29 Guarding Against Credit Card Fraud 31

Resources Website of the Week List of Blogs

Cruising Celebrity Cruises 79 Marella Cruises 81 MSC Cruises 83 Royal Caribbean 85 Silversea 87 U River Cruises 89 Uniworld 91

Ferries Irish Ferries

93

Ground Arrangements Do Something Different 94 ThemeParkBeds.com 95 hoppaGo 97 Incentive Connections 99 Privatetour.com 101 RailShop.ie 103

Insurance Accident & General Blue Insurance

105 107

Technology 32 35

Travelport 109 Zenotec 143

Accommodation

Tour Operators

Æquora Lanzarote Suites 41 Bedsonline 43 Bookabed.ie 45 Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Programme (TAAP) 47 INNSiDE by Melia 49 James Villas 51 Stuba 53 Teldar Travel 55

Al Fresco 111 Breakaway 113 Caribtours 115 Classic Collection 117 Crystal 119 Eurocamp 121 Insight Vacations 123 Obeo 125 Riviera Travel 127 Sunway 129 Travel Solutions 131 Travel the Unknown 133 Wendy Wu Tours 135

Airlines Aegean 57 Aer Lingus 59 Air Canada 61 British Airways 63 Croatia Airlines 65 Finnair 67 KLM 69 United 71

Travel Services Dublin Airport Travel Services

137

General Conference 2018

138

Travel Centres T 051 383 622 14, The Fairways, Golf Links Road, E info@travelcentres.ie Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, Ireland. W www.travelcentres.ie All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Publisher’s Note: Whilst care has been taken in compiling the information contained in this manual, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. © Travel Centres 2019.

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Useful Information Websites

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www.a2bairportparking.com www.aberdeenairport.com www.accidentgeneral.ie www.adventure-holidays.ie en.about.aegeanair.com/ travel-agents/ www.aerlingus.com www.affordablecarhire.com www.aircanada.com www.airlinequality.com www.airlinemeals.net www.alfresco-holidays.ie /agents/login www.ie.amadeus.com www.aslairlines.fr/en www.attractionworld.com www.aviationreg.ie www.azamaracruises.co.uk www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk www.batraveltrade.com www.bedsonline.com www.belfastairport.com www.bestholidaysinitaly.com www.birminghamairport.co.uk www.blackpoolinternational.com www.blueinsurance.ie www.bookabed.ie www.bournemouthairport.com www.breakaway.ie www.bristolairport.co.uk www.budgetyourtrip.com www.buseireann.ie www.calluma.com www.caribtours.ie www.celebritycruises.co.uk www.chartsbin.com www.cilt.ie www.cityofderryairport.com www.classic-collection.ie www.conduit.com www.contiki.com www.corkairport.com www.coursera.com www.croatianairlines.com www.cruiseholidayguide.com www.cruisingpower.ie www.crystalholidays.ie www.cubatravel.ie

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www.finnair.ie www.flatseats.com www.flexibleautos.com www.flightrights.ie www.flysas.ie www.flywaterford.com www.freecrm.com www.freetranslation.com

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www.obeo-travel.ie www.oceaniacruises.com www.openflights.org

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www.packagetrackr.com www.pagemodo.com www.penzu.com www.privatetour.com

www.gadventures.com www.galwayairport.com www.getairmail.com www.glasgowairport.com www.glasgowprestwick.com www.globehotels.ie www.gti-ireland.com www.guernsey-airport.gov.gg

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www.railshop.ie www.raveable.com www.rivieratravel.ie www.robinhoodairport.com www.royalcaribbean.ie www.rsa.ie

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www.sanebox.com www.seabourn.co.uk www.seat61.com www.seatguru.com www.shannonairport.com www.silversea.com www.similarsites.com slasuites.com/en/ www.sligoairport.com www.southendairport.com www.spain.info www.sportstours.ie www.stanstedairport.com www.stenaline.ie www.stepuptravel.com www.stuba.com www.synneo.ie www.sunway.ie

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www.tbicardiffairport.com www.teldartravel.com www.teuxdeux.com www.timeanddate.com www.themeparkbeds.com www.tmb.ie www.towd.com www.transport.ie www.travelbiz.ie www.travelextra.ie www.travelfinders.ie www.travelfocus.ie www.travel-industry-dictionary.com www.travelmedia.ie www.travelport.com/ireland www.travel-solutions.co.uk www.traveltheunknown.com www.tuiholidays.ie www.turkishairlines.com www.typingweb.com

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www.ubyuniworld.com www.united.com/ie www.uniworld.ie

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www.visafirst.com www.viajeseuroamerica.com

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www.zamzar.com www.zenotec.ie

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www.heathrowairport.com www.hertz.ie www.hipmunk.com www.holidaytaxis.com www.hollandamerica.co.uk www.hoppago.com www.hotspot-directory.com www.hurtigruten.co.uk/agents

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www.ifonly.ie www.iifa.ie www.imagine.ie www.incentiveconnections.com www.insightvacations.com www.interhome.ie www.intrepidtravel.com www.iom-airport.com www.irelandwestairport.com www.irishferries.com www.irishpubsdirectory.com www.irishrail.ie www.itaa.ie www.ittn.ie

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www.jamesvillas.ie/agents www.jerseyairport.com www.join.me

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www.keithprowse.ie www.kerryairport.com www.klm.com www.kropla.com

www.dayuse-hotels.com www.dectek.ie www.discovertravel.ie www.discoverypuglia.com www.distancefromto.net www.donegalairport.ie www.dosomethingdifferent.com www.dublinairport.com

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www.launcheffectapp.com www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk www.libreoffice.org www.liverpoolairport.com www.londoncityairport.com www.london-luton.co.uk www.longatwickairport.com www.lynda.com

www.eastmidlandsairport.com www.eat2eat.com www.econcepts.ie www.edinburghairport.com www.embassyworld.com www.emirates.com/ie www.etihad.com www.eurocamp4agents.ie www.evernote.com www.exeter-airport.co.uk www.expedia.ie/TAAP-Info

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www.festivals.com www.fetchmyluggage.co.uk www.fexco.com www.filedropper.com

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www.mailchimp.com www.mailinator.com www.manchesterairport.co.uk www.meliapro.com www.mikogo.com www.moonfruit.com www.morguefile.com www.msccruises.ie www.msgtag.com/home www.mywot.com www.nationaltransport.ie www.newcastleairport.com www.nileguide.com www.nra.ie

www.wendywutours.com www.wickedcampers.com www.whatsonwhen.com www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com www.wikihow.com www.world66.com www.worldclimate.com www.worldreviewer.com www.wtgonline.com

Useful Information Telephone Numbers

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F G H I

A2Bairportparking.com +44 1488 804 808 Accident & General Insurance 01 874 8458 Adventure Holidays 01 259 0133 Aegean Airlines +44 208 759 3800 Aer Lingus 01 886 6686 Aequora Lanzarote Suites +34 928 092 598 Affordable Car Hire 076 801 164 Air Canada 01 9446170 Alfresco 021 206 3010 Amadeus 01 879 2500 Attraction World +44 121 486 0300 ASL Airlines France + 353 1 882 8680 Azamara Cruises +44 844 493 4016

Barclaycard (Commercial) +44 844 822 2100 Barclaycard (Technical) +44 844 811 6666 Bedsonline 0818 275 722 Belfast Airport +44 28 9448 4848 Best Holidays in Italy 01 254 4280 Birmingham Airport +44 871 222 0072 Blue Insurance 0818 484 484 Bookabed 0818 365 465 British Airways 1890 709 999 Breakaway.ie 01 607 9999 Bus Éireann 01 8366 111

Caribtours 01 431 9700 Celebrity Cruises 1800 932 611 Classic Collection 01 541 3000 Commission for Aviation regulation 01 661 1700 Contiki 01 775 3838 Cork Airport 021 4 31 31 31 Cosmos (TravelFox) 1890 989802 Croatian Airlines +44 7767 685400 Cruisingexcursions.com +44 800 091 8274 Crystal Holidays 01 433 1028

Department of Transport 01 670 7444 Derry Airport +44 28 7181 0784 Discover Travel 021 463 5440 Discovery Puglia 01 254 4280 Donegal Airport 074 954 8284 Do Something Different 1800 80 40 44 Dublin Airport 01 814 1111

East Midlands Airport +44 1332 852939 E-Concepts 01 5240 040 Edinburgh Airport +44 844 481 8989 Emirates 01 516 1600 Etihad Airlines 01 765 1800 Eurocamp (formerly Keycamp) 021 425 2300 Expedia TAAP 01 517 1525

Fexco 066 976 1258 Finnair 01 882 8680 Flexible Autos 021 601 9067

G Adventures 01 697 1360 Galway Airport 091 755 569 Glasgow (International) Airport +44 844 481 5555 Glasgow (Prestwick) Airport +44 871 223 0700 Globe Hotels 01 256 9529 GTI (Group Travel International) 01 843 4734

Hertz Car Rental 053 915 2500 Holiday Taxis +44 1273 828 210 Holland America Line +44 843 374 2300 hoppago.com +44 1488 804 808 Hurtigruten 01 607 4420

Iarnród Éireann 01 8366 222 If Only …

01 447 5275 Incentive Connections 01 882 8679 Innside by Melia 01 437 2381 Insight Vacations 01 775 3838 Interhome 01 431 1086

I J K L M N O P R S

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Intrepid Travel +44 203 308 9753 Ireland West Airport (Knock) 094 936 8100 Irish International Freight Association 01 854 5411 Irish Ferries 0818 300 400 Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) 01 417 9696 Irish Travel Trade News 01 450 2422 James Villas

Keith Prowse Kerry Airport

London Gatwick Airport London Heathrow Airport London Stansted Airport

Manchester Airport Marella Cruises Melia Hotels Metropolitan Touring MSC Cruises

National Roads Authority National Transport Authority Obeo Travel Oceania Cruises

+44 (0)152 452 97 01 878 3500 066 976 4644 +44 844 892 0322 +44 844 335 1801 +44 844 335 1803 +44 8712 710711 1850 812 109 01 437 2381 +44 208 675 4150 1800 932 499 01 660 2511 01 879 8300 +47 941 57 414 +44 345 505 1920

Privatetour 01 5240 706

RailShop.ie 01 882 8679 Resort Hoppa 01 828 0765 Riviera Travel 01 905 6300 Road Safety Authority 1890 406 040 Royal Caribbean 1800 555 604

Scandinavian Airlines (agents support) 01 844 5888 Shannon Airport 061 712000 Seabourn +44 843 373 2000 Silversea 01 611 0560 Sligo Airport 071 916 8280 Spanish Tourist Board 01 635 0200 www.sportstours.ie 01 4572311 Stena Line, Dún Laoighaire 01 204 7722 Stena Line, Rosslare 053 61560 Stuba 1800 939 130 Sunway 01 231 1800 Syneo 01 547 7884

Teldar +44 (0)7553 676 106 The Travel Corporation 01 775 3803 ThemeParkBeds 01 697 1108 TravelBiz 087 256 7962 Travel Extra 01 291 3708 Travelfinders 01 496 6644 Travel Focus 1890 929 323 Travel Media 086 858 3585 Travelport 01 602 0444 Travel Solutions 048 9045 5030 Travel the Unknown 01 254 8657

United Airlines 01 672 7070 U by Uniworld River Cruises 1800 98 98 98 Uniworld Boutique River Cruises 01 775 3838

Vertical Group +44 800 983 000 Viajes Euroamerica +34 95 205 8366 Visa First 056 777 1227

Wu W Wendy Wicked Campers Z Zenotec

0818 776 380 +44 203 086 8606 091 397 488 5

www.Travelbiz.ie The Travel Industry Directory and Diary.

• Travelbiz Weekly Trade E-zines • Travelbiz Daily News Bulletins • TravelbizTV • Travelbiz Social Media platform Travel Trade Buzz direct to your desktop and inbox every day.

Get your hands on your free copy TODAY...

Follow us on:

www.Travelbiz.ie Camden Business Centre 12 Camden Row Dublin 8, Ireland Don Shearer T: +353 87 2497017 don@travelbiz.ie

Useful Information Personal Contacts Name

Phone Number

Email

Website

Usernames & Passwords Website

Username

Password

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Top Tips Management

DEFINITION: Management in businesses and organizations is the function that coordinates the efforts of people to accomplish goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively.

Management includes planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization to accomplish the goal.

Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources.

Being a good travel agent is so much more than just knowing who does what and where or how to sell the right travel experience to a prospective customer. With ownership comes responsibility and it is in everyone’s interest that each owner/ manager successfully navigates the choppy and sometimes uncharted waters of modern commerce in order to not only deliver a memorable experience to their customers but also a sustainable and rewarding future for themselves and those in their employ. Here are some top tips for how you can make such aspirations a reality in 2016!

1 Cut your costs Since the net margin (after costs) that travel agents work off is around 1%, this is probably the single most important priority for the modern travel agent since every €1 saved is the equivalent of generating €100 in additional sales. It should also be an ongoing process and not just something that gets done once a year when you’re not busy. Scrutinise and question everything: salary levels, rental costs, advertising/marketing spend, telephone and banking overheads, heating, lighting, travel & subsistence expenses etc.

Every €1 saved is the equivalent of generating €100 in additional sales

2 Increase your productivity.

Do more with less. Scrutinise everyone’s work rate. Are the right people being deployed to do the right jobs? Do they have the personality/ patience/skillset appropriate to the work being delegated to them? Are some tasks unnecessary?

Do you create additional workload unnecessarily due to mistakes and ineffective forward planning?

(See separate article on productivity).

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3 Take a step back and review what you’re doing and why?

Are you going after the right markets or customers or are you simply being busy fools? When was the last time that you conducted a SWOT analysis of your business and its competitors? Are there easier ways to make money or more lucrative market segments (such as cruising or touring) that you should be targeting instead?

4 Give staff training the priority that it deserves.

View it as an investment rather than a cost. Welltrained staff will feel more motivated and valued and are also less likely to leave your company to go to a competitor. They are also more likely to sell more and thus deliver a higher return on your initial investment.

5 Meet regularly.

Hold a staff meeting every week — preferably at the beginning of the working week and review the week just past in terms of highlights (best sales), lowlights (biggest problems — particularly if avoidable), and lessons that can be learned from same.

Set tone for coming week and delegate specific tasks or projects for the week/period to come. Such meetings are also a good time to get staff to deliver a presentation to all colleagues on an aspect of the business that they’ve been asked to swot up on/take ownership of in the previous week — e.g. learning about a new product, supplier or destination, especially if just returned from an educational to that destination.

6 Delegate.

Come to the realisation that you simply can’t do it all and that you need to empower other people within the agency to take on some of the responsibility and relieve you of some of the pressure. They will appreciate you for the vote of confidence and will also add additional capabilities to their respective skillsets. (See separate article on the art of delegation).

7 Marketing.

You can have the best travel agency in the world and provide the best service levels for your customers but your business will ultimately be doomed if you cannot continue to acquire new customers whilst retaining the existing ones and the only way that you can do that quickly (as opposed to organically, over time) is to market yourself and your business effectively. The marketing mix will inevitably include some or all of the following activities: advertising, marketing, PR, promotions, incentives, interviews, writing articles for local publications etc.

8 Motivation & incentivisation.

This does not necessarily mean throwing money at people but it does mean acknowledging when people do a good job or show some initiative. Of course nothing speaks louder than money but if you do decide to implement some sort of incentive scheme amongst staff, base it on increases in margin per sale rather than just sales themselves.

9 Exploit technology.

Using the right kind of technology for the right reasons can dramatically increase the overall productivity of your agency and lead to higher sales, better margins and less stress all round. If you don’t already utilise CRM software (customer relationship management), do so without delay.

10Prevention is always better than cure and much less costly!

Human error costs travel agents thousands every single year yet rarely if ever is singled out on a company’s accounts so that it can be properly quantified. Take your time and double if not triple-check everything.

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Top Tips Delegation

DEFINITION: Delegation is the assignment of responsibility or authority to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is one of the core concepts of management leadership. However, the person who delegates the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work.

Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions — i.e. it is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational level to a lower one. Delegation, if properly done, is not abdication. The opposite of effective delegation is micromanagement, where a manager provides too much input, direction, and review of delegated work. In general, delegation is good and can save money and time and help in building skills and motivating people. It is all too easy to try and do every job yourself, particularly if you feel that it would take longer to explain how to do the job to someone else rather than just do it yourself but proper and effective delegation is probably the single most important management skill that any travel agency owner can acquire, if they are to manage their own business in the medium to long term.

1 Decide what to delegate

5 Be patient and understanding

If you’re just dipping your toes in the delegating water, start with a small project, or one that doesn’t have to be completed in a specific way. Don’t assign your most critical, time-sensitive tasks, and leave ample time for mistakes to happen (that means don’t pass off something at 5 PM on Thursday when it needs to be back on your desk first thing Friday morning). Most importantly, never delegate something you’re not willing to do yourself— that’s the fastest way to lose your staff’s respect.

While delegating will take work off your plate in the long run, be prepared to take extra time out of your schedule and answer lots of questions at the beginning. Just be patient—as you learn how your staff work best, and as they learn your expectations, things will get easier.

2 Communicate clearly Open, clear communication from the outset is absolutely crucial to ensuring that the projects you delegate will be done well. From the very beginning of the task/project, be up-front about your expectations, including timeline, and give your staff all of the information they need to achieve those goals. It can be helpful to put everything in writing or provide people with a template or guidelines for the task/ project—the more direction you give them, the more likely they’ll come back with what you’re looking for.

3 Explain the reasons You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated. And why to that person or people? What is its importance and relevance? Where does it fit in the overall scheme of things?

4 Check in, but don’t be overbearing Once you delegate a task, give your staff flexibility on how they get it done (unless, of course, there’s a specific protocol or procedure). Dominating a project with an overbearing presence doesn’t encourage anyone to succeed—and certainly won’t win you any ‘Boss of the Year’ nominations. But do check in periodically to make sure everyone is on the right track and to offer to answer questions as needed. Try using systems like shared Google docs and spreadsheets or having periodic team meetings to keep everyone on the same page and moving forward.

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6 Share in rewards and give credit where due Taking all of the credit for a project that others assisted with is a great way to make sure they’ll never want to help you out again. Be sure to recognize and thank anyone who’s helped you out. Give public credit when they succeed. If something goes wrong, withhold blame so they don’t becoming defensive, and instead help them debrief mistakes and learn from them.

7 Don’t take it back.

Require them to first propose their own ideas for solutions when they come to you with a problem. When they ask you for the answer, it is tempting to take on their work. If they have the skills but are lacking confidence or motivation, coach them. Don’t take it back unless it is absolutely clear that the situation has become too complex.

8 Maintain accountability.

Although the person reporting directly to you has the responsibility for seeing the job well done and the authority to make needed decisions, remember that the ultimate accountability remains with you.

9 Delegate consistently.

Delegate consistently — not just when you are overloaded or when tasks are unpleasant.

Top Tips Time Management

DEFINITION: Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. It is a meta-activity with the goal to maximize the overall benefit of a set of other activities within the boundary condition of a limited amount of time.

There are only so many hours in a day or week so it is critically important that you maximise the use of that time and in a way that is effective as opposed to being engaged in activity that simply makes you look busy without actually ever getting anything done. Most effective time-management practices are just common sense.

1 The ‘To Do’ list*.

8 Structure your workload.

I am a great believer of the ‘To Do’ list as it helps to quantify what needs to get done and it also helps you to prioritise the relevance and importance of tasks.

Avoid the habit of commencing a task; doing a bit and then putting it back on the ‘pile’. Deal with tasks one at a time and finish each before moving on to the next.

2 Review your workload on a regular basis

9 Don’t let your Outlook ‘inbox’ dictate your workload.

i.e. every day or even several times a day. Is there one task that always ends up at the bottom of the pile?

If you receive 100 emails per day then this equates to 100 potential interruptions per day! Don’t check your inbox every time an email arrives. Switch off ‘instant alerts’ and get into the habit of just checking your emails every couple of hours in order to avoid constant distractions.

If you find that you’re avoiding it, can someone else do it?

Consider delegating whole projects that you don’t need to be involved in or allocate a specific time of the day when you only do your admin work — e.g. between 08.30 and 10.00 for example.

3 Remember the Pareto Principle — i.e. 80 per cent of your work contributes to less than 20 per cent of its value. Focus on the most crucial/important 20 per cent of your workload and your overall performance will still be strong.

4 Prioritise.

Do urgent and important tasks first — not the easy ones!

Efficiency and effectiveness are not the same thing.

Effective people focus on the important tasks.

5 Create habits.

10 Keep multi-tasking to a minimum Starting a number of jobs simultaneously means most of them won’t get your undivided attention.

Think of multitasking as dealing with more than one task during the day and not at the same time.

That way, you focus on the project in hand.

11 Avoid procrastination.

The best time to do something is usually now. Taking action generates the impetus for further action. Organise your work to meet deadlines and reward yourself for achieving goals.

12 Handle each piece of paper that crosses your desk only once:

Try to undertake tasks at the same time and in the same location each day in order to form habits.

File it; action it or bin it!

6 Set realistic deadlines for your tasks.

• • • • • • •

Look at your ‘To Do’ list and estimate the amount of time needed to complete each task but don’t be over optimistic.

Be realistic in what you can achieve in a given day or week so that you don’t feel overwhelmed right from the start.

7 Allow time for interruptions.

If you’ve set yourself the goal of finishing a certain task by a certain time, only deal with urgent queries during that particular time frame.

Advantages* of using a ‘To Do’ list:

• • • • •

Focuses your mind on important objectives You are less likely to forget to undertake tasks Writing a list helps to organise your thoughts It helps to show the bigger picture You don’t need to hold everything in your head It saves time It helps you focus on priorities; the most important and the most urgent You are less likely to become side-tracked You enjoy the reward of ticking of completed tasks You feel more in control You have an instant record of what you’ve already done You always have something to work on

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Top Tips Selling Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is a vital part of any overseas trip. It is important that when anyone is travelling abroad that they have a valid and comprehensive travel insurance policy in place. In recent years, international travellers have also seen inflation in overseas medical costs of up to 13%; a rise in airport and airline strikes and who can forget the eruption of that unpronounceable Icelandic volcano, whose ash cloud caused havoc in European airspace!

As your clients’ travel professional, there is no reason why they should not be buying their travel insurance from you. If your client is not buying it from you then they are buying it elsewhere and that represents lost income to your company. The following tips, if implemented by you, will help you maximise your insurance revenue and have already been proven to work.

1 Confidence Be confident in the insurance product that you are selling.

Make sure you have up to date sales training from your insurance supplier and that all staff are confident in selling the product. Feedback given to us has shown that the main reason for a drop off in sales is down to the sales agents’ attitude in selling travel insurance and ‘lack of confidence or knowledge’ in how to sell it. Agents who have received training and improved their knowledge and attitude on insurance product have seen a rise in insurance sales and more income for their respective businesses.

2 The Travel Insurance product Familiarise yourself with the travel Insurance product that you sell. Make sure your sales staff have continuous training from your insurance provider so that they are familiar with the key terms and different cover levels of your preferred insurance policy. Top Tip: Knowledge leads to confidence and confidence leads to sales.

3 Health check procedure Be sure to familiarise yourself with the Health Check procedure on the travel insurance policy your company is selling. Each client must be advised of the Health Check procedure at the time of sale and most commonly this will involve a medical screening facility or in some cases, a fit to fly option where a letter needs to be signed by a GP.

4 Additional covers Offer all clients the option of adding additional covers at the time of booking. Most insurance policies will have additional covers like Travel Disruption, Cruise Connection and Excess Waiver to make the basic policy more comprehensive.

Top tips suggested by Jason Whelan CIP, Blue Insurance

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These additional covers not only provide more protection to your client but also generate additional revenue for your company. Top Tip: Be sure to make families aware that any excess deducted will usually be for each person named on the policy. If a family of 5 are making a cancellation claim for example, they could lose out on 5 times the excess.

5 Personal details Always enter client’s full details on the insurance certificate and not the details of the company. Full details will normally include: • • • • •

Name Age Address Email Home or mobile number.

Top Tip: Entering the clients email address will usually mean the client will receive confirmation of cover straight away, along with the policy document and validation certificate. This is a record that all documents went to the client and will be of benefit to your company.

6 Handling objections You may have clients advise you that they have their own travel insurance and it is important to confirm with them what cover they have. As their travel professional, you should be aware that the likes of EHIC (previously the E111) and Private Health Insurance plans are not sufficient Travel Insurance policies and will not be as comprehensive as a dedicated travel insurance policy. You want your client to be fully protected so be sure they are.

Top Tips Selling Car Hire

2019 should be the year for all Travel Centres members to exploit opportunities to sell and drive fresh revenues. When you learn how simple it is to sell car hire you will find it an easy money maker. All prepaid car hire bookings and extras are commissionable when booked through Affordable Car Hire so don’t miss out.

When your customer is immersed in the holiday purchase experience, let it become standard practice for you and your colleagues to offer car hire rental as part of the sale process. Ask questions — make sensible recommendations on the advantages of booking car hire before travel.

Q Have you thought about car hire instead of booking transfers?

Q How much driving will they be doing?

• At some locations car hire works out cheaper than transfers.

• You can go straight to your accommodation in your hired car, without having to hang around waiting for flights to arrive or coaches to drop off at several hotels.

• Have the freedom to explore the area in your own time and in the comfort of your own hire car.

• If your customer has not decided then give them a quote — it won’t hurt, and schedule a reminder to contact them again before they travel.

• Drivers must hold and produce an original, full, clean drivers licence when picking up the car.

• You must inform Affordable Car Hire of any endorsements when making the reservation.

Tip: Check the Supplier Fuel Policy.

• If they are just driving a short distance then find the supplier that offers Full-Full — they put deposit down for fuel on arrival and return full to get their deposit back. So the customer only pays for the fuel they use.

• Alternatively if they are planning on driving long distances, a good tip is for you to find the supplier that offers Full-Empty. This way they pay upfront for their fuel and will return as empty as possible, not having to worry about finding a petrol station on their journey back to the rental location.

Q How many people travelling and how much luggage is being taken?

This is a great way to instantly upsell bigger cars. Find out how they are travelling to the airport from their home. This is a good way you can get an idea of the car type/size they will require when they arrive.

Q Do they need any additional drivers?

• Search for the supplier on the ACH website that has additional drivers included in the price. Save your customer money on the local additional driver fee by upgrading or changing to a supplier that includes additional drivers.

• Valid Credit Card must be in Lead Driver’s name.

• Be aware that Debit Cards are not generally accepted by Car Rental Suppliers.

Q Do they require Sat Nav? Tip: Check suppliers charges for Sat Nav, payable locally.

Exception: USA suppliers offer prepaid Sat Nav which works out cheaper than renting locally at desk. **Pre paid items are commissionable*

Q Are children travelling?

Do they require child seat for ages between 4-11 years old?

Tip: Child seats are charged locally. Child seats work out very expensive when payable locally. For example, USA suppliers charge approx $12 per day per seat plus local charges. Instead, offer them our Affordable Car Hire Bubble Bum Booster seat — it’s a once-off price of £29.95 which includes P&P and ACH send it out before travel commences. It’s an inflatable booster seat which deflates when you need to pack it in your suit case or bag and inflate by mouth when needed for the rental. This product is a money saver for your customer and it’s theirs to keep. **Pre paid items are commissionable**

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Top Tips Selling Car Hire

Q Special occasion? customers having a Birthday/Anniversary/ Wedding or Honeymoon?

Why not upgrade your customer to a convertible or a luxury car type, this can be booked and confirmed with Affordable Car Hire before travel (depending on destination).

Travel Agents play a valuable role in selling car hire to travellers.

Encourage your customer to enjoy the freedom and independence of booking car hire as part of their holiday purchase. Take advantage of the strong sales proposition pre-paid car rental offers travel agents at a time when commission opportunities need to be maximised.”

Q Know your customer?

If you know you customer is on a business trip then quote corporate suppliers. Don’t book the cheapest no-frills company. Affordable Car Hire has more than 200 suppliers to choose from in more than 15,000 locations worldwide. All Drivers must have full clean drivers licence.

Q Driver’s between the ages of 21-24 years old for USA bookings?

Save your customer money and book Budget on the platinum package and pre book their Young Driver Package, which works out cheaper prepaid than locally and with any other supplier.

Don’t forget they must be the lead driver and must have a credit card in their name. This is commissionable to you.

Top tips suggested by Affordable Car Hire

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Q Want 100% cover and peace of mind with your insurance?

Pre book Supermax or Maxi Top Up Insurance for your customer, depending on supplier and the excess on the policy.

This insurance covers your customers on items on the car that the Supplier will not cover: Tyres, Wheels, Windows, Undercarriage and loss of keys. Not only do you earn commission from selling this insurance, but Affordable Car Hire offers additional monthly incentives if sold. If you would like more information on this product register for Affordable Car Hire’s A.R.T.S. Training Academy.

Be aware customers can be offered local additional insurance which will cover similar items such as Tyres, Wheels, Breakdowns etc.

This insurance can be quite expensive and is payable locally as an additional extra if your customer signs up for it when picking up the car.

Sensible reasons to PRE BOOK your car hire!

• Avoid the hassle of booking in-resort or at the airport • Receive competitive prices with none of those ‘hidden’ extras, that can occur when booking locally.

• Book early to avoid high season lack of availability which occurs in many locations.

• Know exactly what is included before travelling.

• Save money! For the price of a 1 day excursion you could rent for an entire week or if you tend to take taxi transfers you could save on that too.

• Be free to visit more places and explore more of them in the comfort of your own hire car.

• Affordable Car Hire Price Match Promise ensures you will get the best deal.

• We work with the most reputable car hire companies such as Hertz, Dollar, Avis, SIXT, Budget, Thrifty, Alamo, Europcar and many more.

• 24/ hour emergency phone helpline available 365 days a year.

Top Tips Selling

DEFINITION: Selling is the art of closing the deal where the ‘deal’ in question is the exchange of certain goods or services in return for money.

We are not in the travel business. We are in the selling business. It just happens that what we sell is travel — travel destinations, travel products, travel services and even travel concepts. Whilst some lucky individuals are born sellers, most must learn the skill set and it is a set of skills that can most definitely be learned once one understands the concepts behind it and the psychology of why people buy in the first place. Like all things, practice makes perfect. So, here are our top selling tips. They are not the only ones. They may even differ from what other individuals or companies claim are the best or most effective tips,but they represent a good starting point so you could do worse than incorporate them into your own deliberations.

1 Know your product/service

6 People love to buy

Know your product/service. You need to know your subject matter inside out and that means taking every opportunity to read up on your subject, whether that means brochures, books, magazines, travel articles, trade publications, tourist board marketing literature etc. The more you know, the more comprehensively you can address a client’s needs by answering all their questions and allaying any concerns that they might have. The ultimate product knowledge of course comes from visiting a destination or experiencing a product or service. There is never a substitute for the ‘real thing’ but comprehensive product knowledge comes a good second. Travel Centres recognises this fact by hosting weekly webinar sessions in conjunction with key preferred supplier partners.

People love to buy — but hate to be sold to! Sell what people want to buy and not what you want to sell!

2 Know your client People buy on emotion and later use logic to justify their purchase decision. Listen and learn. The single most important part of any potential transaction is the information gathering phase where you need to ask sufficient questions in order to build up a profile of who your client is and what they want.

3 never sell on price Never sell on price. ‘Real’ selling is all about ‘features’ and ‘benefits’. You need to paint a compelling picture for the client.

4 Be enthusiastic Be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm and passion are infectious human emotions. The more genuinely enthusiastic and passionate you are about the product or service you’re selling, the greater the likelihood that the client will purchase.

5 Don’t guess If you don’t know the answer to some question, admit that you don’t. Clients respect honesty.

7 Pressure is an art Practice F.U.D. (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) when addressing a clients’ objections or when, for example, articulating the argument in favour of using an agent over that of booking directly on the Internet — e.g. Trip Advisor rankings have been shown to be manipulated. Search engines direct users to certain sites based on browsing habits etc.

8 Be truthful and never exaggerate Don’t overuse descriptive adjectives. Complaints often occur as a direct result of over-selling rather than any inherent shortcoming in the product or service purchased.

Under-promise but over deliver! Better to lose a sale if you’re not confident that the product/destination is suitable for your client, rather than rationalizing that a sale is better than no sale and risk compromising your reputation and integrity into the future.

9 Don’t give too much away Show a client enough to impress upon them that you know what you’re talking about and that you have the knowledge and expertise that they need and will benefit from but not so much that they will simply go off and book it themselves online. Don’t refer to specific companies or properties. Try to speak in generalities. Use FUD techniques to impress upon the client the pitfalls of doing it themselves.

10 Don’t be afraid to close Many people who are good ‘sellers’ are poor ‘closers’. If a client walks into your agency or calls you on the phone, you must work on the simple premise that they want to purchase something from you so don’t be afraid to capitalise on that assumption. Use strong closing statements like ‘How would you like to pay for that’ as opposed to weak ‘get off the hook’ ones like ‘Take these brochures and go off and have a think about it’! The ‘Pareto’ principle states that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. Make sure that you know who those 20% are.

‘It is not your customer’s job to remember you.

It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you Patricia Fripp

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Top Tips Handling Objections

DEFINITION: When you demonstrate, explain a feature, talk about a benefits or uses a sales closing technique, your customer may well respond in the negative sense , giving excuses or otherwise heading away from the sale.

Main and minor objections

Common objections

Objections are either ‘main’ or ‘minor’ ones. Main objections are deal breakers that, if not overcome, will prevent you from closing the sale. Minor objections are usually beliefs that cause your customer to question something about you, your product, your service or your company. Distinguishing between main and minor objections takes a combination of experience and acuity.

• They say that they do not need your product or service for some reason or another, or perhaps have a need that you cannot satisfy.

• Objections about the price of the product.

• The customer objects to some element of what you are selling, whether it is aspects of a service or details of a product.

• An objection around time, such as the person not being ready to buy.

• The customer questions the source of the product or its credibility.

1 ask for a sale then shut up

6 Be an active listener

While it is important to draw out objections, it is even more important not to help your customer think up more objections. In other words, if the person you are talking with agrees with a statement you’ve made, move on and don’t bring up any additional details. The golden rule of selling applies not only during a close but during objection handling.

Give your prospect your full attention and avoid the temptation to think about your response while they are speaking. Learn to be an active listener. An active listener is not only listening to what their prospect is saying, but is also trying to discover the meaning behind their words. Research indicates that 65% of our communication is nonverbal. Therefore, it is vitally important to pay attention to body language and listen for voice inflections.

In addition to observing your prospect’s gestures, you must also learn to be mindful of your nonverbal signals.

2 Ask questions For ‘customer-owned’ objections, your main focus should be to get as much detail about the objection as possible.

Again, asking questions is more important than talking more about your product, service or self. If you ask enough questions about why your customer objects to something, they will reveal their reasons. If you don’t ask questions, you may very well be fighting a lost battle.

3 Stop and reflect Never rush your response to an objection. Show the customer you are listening! Sales people often respond too quickly in these situations.

4 Recognise the signal Remember that objections are often a “BUYING SIGNAL” because the customer is questioning your offer. If they had no interest, why would they still be talking to you?

5 The 3-5 rule Remember that statistically speaking 3-5 OBJECTIONS are needed before a person will buy. Simply put, an objection is nothing more than a request for additional information.

As a general rule, prospects are hesitant to commit to purchasing a product or service until they have convinced themselves they need it and that they are getting it at a fair price.

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7 Clarify the objection By feeding the objection back in the form of a question it gives your prospect an opportunity to expand upon their concern. This technique reduces the perception of pressure.

By having the opportunity to explain their position, your prospect will frequently answer their own objection.

Another reason it is important to clarify the objection is to make sure you are addressing their exact concern and not creating a new one. Some objections are of greater importance to your prospect than others. After you clarify the objection, you need to ask your prospect how important that concern is to them.

8 Resolving the objection Take the following into consideration: Stay big picture, but be prepared to provide details as necessary. Verify the objection has been resolved.

9 Closing questions You may have to ask for the order several times before you get the sale, so make sure you vary your closing questions.

Remain patient and be persistent without becoming argumentative.

Top Tips Marketing

DEFINITION: Marketing is the process of communicate the value of a product or service to customers.

Where selling is all about one-to-one transactions, marketing is essentially about one-to-many transactions. Many text books suggest that marketing can be distilled down to just five ‘P’s — Product, Place, Price, Promotion, People. The term ‘marketing’ intimidates many people but as long as you can remind yourself that it is simply an extension of the selling process whereby instead of trying to persuade just one customer to part with their hard-earned money, you’re trying to persuade many — and not necessarily all at the same time. Like selling, marketing is as much an art as a science and whilst some people take to it like a duck to water, it is possible to build up your expertise and effectiveness in this discipline through a combination of hard work, repetition, observation, learning from your mistakes and being mindful of some of the following ‘principals’.

1 Know your audience

7 The power of bartering

Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand.

Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.

This is an excellent tool to promote your business and get others to use services. You can trade your product for advertising space or for another company’s product or service. This is especially helpful when two companies on limited budgets can exchange their services.

2 focus on the offer

No single marketing effort works all the time for every business, so rotate several marketing tactics and vary your approach. Your customers tune out after a while if you always sing from the same hymn sheet. Not only that but you will get bored. Marketing can be fun, so take advantage of the thousands of opportunities available for communicating your value to customers. But don’t be arbitrary about your selection of a variety of marketing ploys. Plan carefully. Get feedback from customers and adapt your efforts accordingly.

A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.

3 Split test Never ever run a campaign without testing something.

One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.

4 High production values Did you know it costs six times more to make a sale to a new customer than to an existing one? You can use newsletters to focus your marketing on past customers. Keep costs down by sacrificing frequency and high production values.

If printed newsletters are too expensive, consider an e-mail newsletter sent to people who subscribe on your web site.

5 Don’t sell on price This can often lead to discounting and lower profitability.

Focus on creating so much value that the perception of price becomes less relevant

6 Create value after sale As a marketer, it’s your job to understand your market segment(s) and build relationships and not simply dump people off at the front door of your agency and walk away.

Focus as much of your energy on building relationships with customers as you do prospects.

8 Rotate marketing tactics

9 Promotional activities Use cross-promotional activities to market your business — e.g. you print some DL or A5 flyers that promote another local business that is complementary to yours and they do likewise. Some examples would be a local camera shop or chemists that you recommend your clients to get their holiday snaps printed at or a local shop or boutique where they can purchase their new bikini-wear or suitcases etc.

The idea is that you get to target a whole new audience that might not otherwise be using your services but who are in that frame of mind. The other partner retailer does likewise in promoting your agency as the preferred choice for people making their travel arrangements.

10 Costless marketing activities Not all marketing initiatives or activities need to cost you money. So why not make reference to some special offer when your staff answers the phone — e.g. ‘Good afternoon.

Thanks for calling ABC Travel. My name is Mary. Would you like me to email our latest offers to you?’ (or words to that effect! This way you can easily build up an email database for use with your CRM policy.

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Top Tips Public Relations

DEFINITION: Public Relations (PR) is the practice of managing the flow of information between an individual or a company and the public.

Put simply, PR is about the ongoing process of always trying to present your company in the best possible light, as far as the general public is concerned. It is also about the practice of protecting as well as enhancing the reputation of any particular organization/firm or for that matter any individual. In today’s world of fierce competition and social media, where every travel agent strives hard to work on its brand image, public relations is more relevant than ever before. It is essential for every organization to communicate well with its public/target audience. Public relations may include a company or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. Common activities include speaking at conferences, winning industry awards, working with the press, and employee communication.

1 Start a blog

5 Include your website address

Establish your authority or expertise by dispensing little nuggets of advice to intending travellers without actually trying to sell them anything. Don’t go into too much detail — just enough to establish that you know what you’re talking about with the inference being that one would do well to have your company looking after their travel arrangements or advocating on their behalf.

Always include your website address on all your press releases and promotional materials. By having your website address on your promotional materials, especially when it can be viewed online, you are driving traffic to your business and making it easy for readers to click.

2 Approach a radio station Offer to do a weekly/monthly ‘spot’ for thirty minutes where you discuss various aspects of international travel, be it up and coming resorts or destinations, common mistakes that travellers often make when planning their trip or indeed anything that you feel might be relevant to a travel-hungry audience. Radio station programmers have a lot of ‘air-time’ to fill each week and you’d be surprised at how easy it often is to get approval for such a suggestion. The same principle applies with regard to local or regional newspaper titles or free sheets. Publishers always welcome the opportunity to fill those column inches with relevant or interesting content. Be prepared to sell yourself by writing your own articles. Local media are more than happy to print because they don’t have to write it themselves! An interesting article is great free publicity.

3 Think of your plan of attack Figure out who you want to reach, and why; when you want to reach them; and how to measure success, or how you will know if your plan is successful. Successful PR is all about targeting the right sources. The more targeted you are, the more successful your chances are of getting a journalist to respond to your pitch.

4 Do a press release Get into the habit of generating regular press releases and submitting them to your local newspaper. It might be about a new member of staff who has just joined the company or a fam trip that one of your staff has just returned from.

Deliver your message in a short media-friendly way. Be brave and whenever you see something to comment on, just send an email.

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6 Generate articles Generate articles that people care about. There has to be more to your message than: I’m here; come buy my product.

Your PR efforts should be engaging and interesting to audiences, because an engaged audience member is more likely to pay close attention to your communication efforts.

7 Word of mouth Provide an exceptionally good service and your customers will love it and talk about it. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most powerful PR tools, and with the significant advances in communication technologies, no business can afford to have a bad reputation. If you offer a professional and efficient service, clients will recommend you to others, and there is no PR tactic that’s more effective.

8 Join the chamber of commerce Join your local chamber of commerce, if there is one in your town/locality. A chamber of commerce is a means for businesses to work together to look out for their common interests. These societies advocate on behalf of the local business community. Apart from promoting your own business interests by getting involved, this is an excellent way to network.

9 Sponsor and get exposure Sponsor an event, local team or deserving charity. It might even be possible to do it in conjunction with one of your suppliers who will also be glad of the additional exposure and public goodwill. Your sponsorship (or cosponsorship) might take the form of a free draw for a holiday. Alternatively and budget permitting, you might consider sponsoring jerseys for a local boys or girls’ GAA, soccer, hurling ore basketball team. The only limitation on the possibilities here is your own imagination. Sometimes you have to spend a little money to make money, and sponsoring an event or supporting a charity through your business is a great way to get your name out there.

Top Tips Customer Retention

DEFINITION: Customer retention is defined as the activity that a company undertakes in order to reduce customer defections. Successful customer retention starts with the first contact a company has with a customer and continues throughout the entire lifetime of a relationship.

Capturing the client is sometimes the easy part. Keeping them can often be where the hard work begins. Some travel agents become so focused on recruiting new customers that they fail to effectively address the need to retain those that they already have. This is counterproductive considering that it’s far easier (about 50% easier according to Marketing Metrics) to sell to existing customers than to capture new prospects. Agents often tend to focus more on customer addition, whereas customer attrition can have a much more negative impact on their business. For those who feel that customer retention plays a relatively minor role in helping their agency grow a healthy bottom line, here’s something that should give you plenty to think about: Attracting new customers will cost your company 5 times more than keeping an existing customer.

1 Earn customer loyalty

6 Get the right on-hold audio

Customers don’t owe you their loyalty. You have to earn it — continually. Having an effective customer retention program in place gives you the ability to identify, track, and custom promote to those customers who are most likely to become loyal, long-term sources of revenue.

CRM can help you to keep constantly focused and on message with each of your customers. Loyal customers don’t just come back; they don’t simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you.

More than two-thirds of consumers admit to putting the phone down if they’re placed on hold to silence for more than 30 seconds. Playing music or promotional marketing messages can keep them with you longer. However, on-hold audio can have the opposite effect if it is treated as an afterthought. Repetitive jingles or disingenuous apologies for keeping them waiting don’t always go down well. Think about your customer demographic: who they are, and why they’re calling you. The right onhold audio can keep a customer holding for longer.

2 Fix it!

7 Take care of online customers

Customers don’t necessarily expect you to get it right all the time but they do expect you to fix things (and quickly) when things go wrong. Indeed, the real measure of the quality of a company and its commitment to proper customer retention is how they react when things go wrong.

Socialising with your customers online can build retention if you do it correctly. The key is to tone down the corporate presence and give your customers a voice and a forum to connect with other customers, and then let them build the traffic. As you build your Facebook fans and twitter followers, stay engaged with them and establish ‘alerts’ so that you can react to whatever is being said (both good and bad) about your agency. Always take care of your social media savvy customers, as they can either be your most powerful advocates or your biggest PR nightmares.

3 Identify your profitable clients Hard to believe sometimes but probably 80% of your profits are generated from just 20% of your clients so try to identify them and fulfill their needs by selling them what they want.

Promotions can be a very effective way of retaining customers by keeping them actively engaged with your agency/brand.

The key is to run relevant promotions that reward customers, make them feel good about doing business with your agency, and encourage them to do more of the same.

4 Recognise and appreciate Train and coach your staff to accept the idea that they own a part of the business as if it were their own. Take that attitude to sales and customer service and you will have a person who will embrace the customer as if it were a one-on-one relationship between a proprietor and a customer. This is the old-fashioned grass-roots approach – treat the customer with total respect.

5 Give a differentiated experience Offering something the competition doesn’t (or can’t) is a wonderful way to retain customers. In fact, according to a recent study, the ability to deliver a differentiated experience was the leading factor in maintaining customer loyalty.

8 Contact the client Many agents tend to be paranoid about contacting clients after they return from holiday for fear that they will open a can of worms. Better to take that (minimal) risk and deal with whatever you find than to ignore it and have clients bad mouthing you to their friends and colleagues behind your back.

9 Keep contact with all customers You should also take the opportunity every year to trawl through your customer records in order to see if there is anyone who hasn’t travelled with you in recent times. This serves two purposes: to ascertain as to whether they booked elsewhere or online or to take the opportunity to update them on new/relevant offers that are available. Either way, you’ll invariably find the exercise worth the effort.

10 Under promise and over-deliver Under promise and over-deliver. Don’t make exaggerated claims in order to close a sale. If you’re presented with a complicated quote that you know will probably take two days to put together, tell the client that you’ll be back to them in three and then surprise them when you revert a day earlier than expected. Always try to exceed their expectations.

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Top Tips Handling Complaints

DEFINITION: A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction whether justified or not.

Nobody likes dealing with complaints but when you come to think of it, they are an excellent way of potentially turning defeat into victory! Isn’t it much better for a customer to tell you what they felt was wrong with their holiday of the service you provided and at least afford you the opportunity to redeem yourself and your company in their eyes, rather than have them never come back to you again and bitch about you behind your back.

1 Have an open policy

6 Learn from every complaint

Have a clear, flexible welcoming and open policy on complaints. A complaint is an opportunity for you to redress a perceived failing in the eyes of the customer who brings the matter to your attention and thus should be capitalised on whenever possible.

Do something! Fix the procedure/protocol; train staff in the issue; eliminate the fault. Wherever possible, let the complaining customer know that they have helped you resolve a problem – they’ll feel great and come back again and again (and will probably tell their friends!)

2Show courtesy

7 Minimise the reasons

Thank the customer for complaining. Say that you are sorry that the problem has happened. This is NOT an admission of guilt on your part, it’s just good manners.

Prevention is always preferable to cure. Do you have a continuous improvement culture? Do you check customer satisfaction regularly? Do you check the quality of the goods/services sold in your agency? Remember it costs at least 5 times as much to gain a new customer than to keep an existing one.

3 Recognise the complaint Start with the view that the customer has a valid point, not that he/she is trying to rip you off. Accepting that the customer may well have a point, (even internally), may well trigger ideas for an acceptable resolution. This will instantly give you an advantage, as you not only will have more empathy with the customer, but also you know your business better than them and so can hopefully see the solution quicker.

4 Get all of the facts first Letting the customer give you all of the information helps you fully understand the situation and, if they are emotional, will give them time to calm down.

5 Don’t opt for easy solution Don’t automatically opt for the ‘credit note/ex gratia gesture solution’. It’s very tempting to give the customer a partial refund, credit note or vouchers, and in many cases, done properly, it makes good PR sense. However, too often it is done INSTEAD of solving the problem, which can lead to more complaints about the same thing because it hasn’t been fixed, and also has a tendency to send out the wrong signals to serial complainers and only encourages and reinforces such behaviour.

8 Maintain regular contact Maintain regular contact with the complainant. For example, if you have to wait a week or more whilst a supplier such as a tour operator waits for a report back from the resort, ensure that you communicate that fact to the customer and even call or email them periodically lest they think that you have forgotten about them. Remember, perception is everything.

9 Avoid further complaints Most complaints tend to occur due to overzealous selling in the first place which results in unrealistic expectations on the part of the customer. Always be careful to remind clients of the old adage that ‘you get what you pay for’.

Most complaints tend to occur not because of some inherent shortcoming in the actual product, destination or service provided but rather the manner in which it was ‘pitched’ to them in the first place. Avoid hyperbole and overuse of adjectives and absolutes such as ‘amazing’, ‘exclusive’, ‘top-notch’, ‘world-class’ and so on and just reserve them for those rare instances when it really does do what it says on the tin!

When complaints are freely heard, deeply considered and speedily reformed, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attained that wise men look for.”

John Milton

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Top Tips Maximising Profit

Definition: Profit is a financial gain, the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, or producing something.

There is an old saying that ‘turnover is vanity but profit is sanity’ and it is very true. Too often, people focus on closing a sale at any cost and either spend to much time and effort in chasing an enquiry that delivers very little margin at the end of the day or end up discounting out of that margin in order to capture an elusive booking — rationalizing that any sale is better than no sale at all. All travel agencies represent a team effort where every single member of staff needs to be mindful at all times how their actions (or inactions) impact on overall profitability as they are all stakeholders in the business. Here are some reminders of things that agents can do to help maximise their profitability.

1 Increase your use of/ dependence on preferred suppliers Earn more commission by supporting those suppliers who value your business and have agreed to pay you more for the bookings that you put their way. Typically, you can expect to earn anywhere from 10% to 50% more commission by simply moving such discretionary sales to preferred suppliers without even having to grow your own turnover. The added benefit that you get when you support preferred suppliers is that they’re much more likely to ‘bend the rules’ if mistakes or errors occur as you are seen as a commercially important customer to them.

This ‘VIP’ treatment presumes of course that your figures are both healthy and regular and that you don’t have a record of regularly causing errors/mistakes.

2 Focus on margin Focus more on margin and less on turnover. Margin is the key in our industry and with so many overheads having increased in recent years; the standard 10% commission is no longer sufficient in order to generate profit for a travel agency and so must be increased at every available opportunity.

3 Incentivise staff The one common denominator that seems to single out more successful businesses is that there is a clear focus on growing sales through the use of both regular (i.e. weekly or monthly) sales targets and staff incentives. Incentives work.

4 Reduce costly errors Prevention is always better than cure and nowhere is this more relevant than where mistakes are concerned. Given the nature of the business that we are in, mistakes invariably cost money and in some instances — lots of money — whether that be by way of ADM’s on incorrectly issued tickets; compensation paid to clients because of mis-advice or nuisance money paid to complaining clients in order to diffuse certain situations before they escalate into litigation. Mistakes cannot, of course, ever be eliminated 100% as that is an impossibility given the fallibility of human nature but they can be greatly minimised through a combination of proper training and instruction; well documented internal procedures; adequately qualified people undertaking the right tasks and an overarching philosophy of checking and double-checking everything before ending the transaction.

Ninety to ninety-five percent of all mistakes are avoidable.

5 Cut costs As is explored in more considerable detail in the companion article entitled ’Top cost-cutting tips’, the single most effective

way of maximising your agency’s profitability is by cutting your costs as every €1 saved is roughly equivalent to you generating €100 in gross sales value. Costs can be cut by changing your energy and telecom providers; your credit card acquirer and numerous other initiatives.

6 Use email rather than phone Although the cost of phone calls and telecommunications in general have plummeted in recent years the volume of calls made by travel agents is still significant enough that the annual cost of same is still likely to be a considerable four-figure sum, particularly with the percentage of calls that now have to be made to mobile phones, rather than land lines. Try acquiring clients email details whenever possible and communicate with them via that medium whenever possible as the cost of email is effectively zero. The other major benefit of communicating via email is that you will always have a written record of who said what to whom and when — extremely valuable if/when anything gets disputed down the line.

7 Improve productivity The single biggest overhead of any travel agency is the staff cost, so this is an area that agency owners, managers and supervisors need to look at critically. The more productive all members of staff are, the lower the staff ratio to income level is and thus, the greater the likelihood of operational profitably.

Productivity can always be enhanced through a combination of internal operational procedure, office layout, proper investment in and use of technology; relevant and regular training and staff motivation.

8 Training Good effective selling is all about product/destination knowledge and that can only come about in one of two ways — actual experience and training. One of the most time and cost effective forms of training nowadays are the weekly webinars that Travel Centres conducts every Tuesday morning at 09.30. Each session takes just 45 minutes and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your desk. In the event that you cannot personally attend a given webinar due to being on a day off or away on holidays, each session is recorded and can be shared with upon request.

9 Sell ancillary products/services Focus on margin Overall sales margins can be enhanced by two or three percent by also selling ancillary products/services such as transfers, car hire, attractions, excursions etc.

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Top Tips Cutting Costs

DEFINITION: Thrift is the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.

As we know all too well, the retail travel industry works off wafer-thin margins. That 10% gross commission that you earn on the sale of a package holiday usually translates into a net profit of just 1%, after your costs have been factored in. That’s just another way of saying that for every €1 you spend on something, you need to generate €100 worth of sales just to cover that cost and break even! Therefore, cutting your costs (as opposed to growing your sales) can have a disproportionately positive impact on your bottom line. Here are some of the more obvious suggestions for cutting those costs!

1 MAXIMISE ON DEALS

7 Renegotiate your rent

Check out our affinity deal with Barclaycard on credit card processing. Documentary evidence to date suggests that the average agent can make savings upwards of €2,500 per annum on credit card processing costs.

Reduce the cost of your marketing/advertising bill by utilising social media more. The likes of Facebook and Twitter cost nothing, other than your time and effort.

If you do not own the building that you occupy and are not tied in to upward-only rent reviews, consider trying to renegotiate that rent with your landlord in order to reflect the more challenging economic circumstances under which you now have to trade. You won’t get unless you ask! It is not an unreasonable request to make and your landlord might be more accommodating than you think as a paying tenant represents a much better option than a vacant premises. If you are a smaller agency and most of your clients are regular and conduct most of their business over the phone or via email then you might even consider becoming your own home worker and stripping one major cost out of your overheads.

Many before you have managed the switch successfully so you can seek advice from them before you make such a move in order to make yourself aware of the downsides as well.

4 Tighten credit control

8 Purchase rather than lease

Exercise tighter credit control with your customers/corporate accounts. Money costs money and you should not be acting as someone’s banker.

Purchase rather than lease office equipment. Technology has moved on so much in recent years that it sometimes doesn’t make sense. Consolidate by investing in a multifunction device that combines the functions of printer, photocopier, fax machine and scanner. It takes up less space in your office and makes three other pieces of office equipment redundant almost immediately. Opt for a laser version rather than an inkjet one as inkjets tend to be more expensive in the long run because of the cost of consumables. Most of the major manufacturers market models in the multifunction range such as HP, Canon, Dell, Xerox, Samsung, Brother, Lexmark etc.

2 Switch now Switch over to Imagine as part of our deal with this Tier 1 telecom provider where you should expect to realise annual savings of approximately 15% or more, depending on who your current provider is and what tariff you’re on.

3 Use social media

5 Buy used equipment If you need to replace computer equipment, office hardware or add more desks, filing cabinets etc. then why not consider buying second hand. With all the companies that have sadly gone into liquidation or ceased trading over the course of the past few years, there is an abundance of good quality, keenly priced second-hand office equipment for sale so there’s no need to have to pay over the odds for something that’s brand new.

6 Cut energy consumption Aside from checking if you’re currently enjoying the cheapest electricity rates (see our new affinity deal with Electric Ireland), you should also be taking every opportunity to reduce your energy consumption costs by getting into the habit of turning off the lights in rooms that are not in use; turning off monitors or closing down computers overnight, or even reducing the temperature of your office heating by just a degree or two. Also check out the feasibility of replacing all the bulbs in your office with energy efficient ones which will realise savings over the long run. Don’t pay to have your excess brochure stocks disposed of. Contact Neville Monahan of Carmon Waste (www.carmonwaste. ie) who will gladly take them off your hands for free. Contact Neville on 086 3229542.

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9 Improve productivity Purchase an office mobile(s) and choose the most competitive call tariff and get staff into the habit of using that mobile to call/notify clients whose only point of contact is a mobile phone. This should help to reduce your overall call costs. Use a web-based service to communicate regularly with such clients by bulk-purchasing text bundles. Do an audit of the number of lines you currently have active. If you have reduced your staff numbers in recent years you may now have an excess of telephone lines that you are still paying annual rental charges on.

10 Maximise free webinars Maximise the use of Travel Centres weekly webinar series in order to keep staff up-to-date and current on supplier news on new products, services and destinations. This will help to eliminate all such travel and subsistence costs that would be otherwise absorbed in sending staff to out-of–office workshops and training days.

Top Tips Productivity

DEFINITION: Productivity is usually defined as the measure of efficiency of a person, machine, factory or system in converting inputs into useful outputs. Productivity is a critical determinant of cost efficiency.

Productivity is not rocket science. It is simply about doing more with less and doing it efficiently — cost-wise, time-wise and resource-wise. It is often the one thing that differentiates the companies that succeed from those that do not. Here are some suggestions that can help you and your colleagues improve both your individual and collective productivity.

1 Make lists and finish them

6 Delegate

Make lists! Apart from ensuring that you don’t leave anything to the mercy of your fallible memory, it acts as a visual prompt and reminder of what has yet to be done and forces you to be productive when you otherwise might not!

Delegation is another useful tool if you are to improve your productivity and effectiveness. You do not need to do everything yourself; if you find a task that someone would be able to do as well as you or even better, then delegate that task to that person.

2 Black out communications Black out your communications. Close down Microsoft Outlook. Turn off your mobile phone. Retreat to a back office (if you have one). Do it for just an hour a day or adopt a policy that you don’t open your email before 10.00 a.m. each morning or turn on your mobile phone before lunch time. What these actions achieve is that they insulate you from distractions that can otherwise negatively impact on both your productivity and thought processes. The fewer the distractions; the greater the productivity.

3 Prioritise your work Differentiate between those tasks that are important and urgent; those that are important and not urgent and those that are neither important nor urgent. Get into the habit of prioritizing tasks on the basis of the profit that can be earned on them and react accordingly. Recognise the difference between tasks that make you more effective from those that simply make you more efficient.

4 Complete the big jobs first Start your day with one of the big, important tasks and then go onto smaller and less important tasks. By first focusing on the large tasks you will get them complete in a shorter space of time and then will be able to deal with smaller tasks, whereas if you start with the smaller tasks you will soon find them filling up your day and not having time left to do the larger tasks.

5 Keep your space organised Keep your desk and office organised. A major cause of ineffective time management is disorganization. Keep your desk and office organized, keep everything on hand and keep things in the place you have assigned them and you will never waste time searching for the things you need or have important items go missing.

7 Recognise ‘Tyre-Kickers’ Learn to recognise ‘tyre-kickers’ early on so that you or your colleagues do not inadvertently waste unnecessary amounts of time giving away valuable product information to someone who will ultimately go off and utilise that information to book on the Internet. Guard your knowledge/ expertise zealously.

8 Set S.M.A.R.T. goals SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding and Timely. By setting SMART goals you know what you are working towards, have a way of measuring when it has been successfully completed and know when you want to complete it by. SMART goals are useful in showing you what steps you need to take in order to fulfill your dreams.

9 Exploit technology Technology, if used effectively can offer a great boost to productivity. A perfect example of this is the automation of customer communications. Your customers need to stay notified of itinerary changes, but do you personally need to send these messages? Programs are available to take these tasks off your hands. Amadeus checkmytrip.com is a free Web portal (available to all Amadeus agencies) where travelers can gain 24/7, real-time trip details and updates.

Both agent and traveler can rely on Amadeus Flight Alerts to send (based on your preference) trip reminders, gate assignments, flight status updates and more. Similar functionality is available with other GDS’s.

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Top Tips Using Google

The indexed web currently contains in excess of 14.93 thousand million pages! The internet is not just a great research source for customers but also for travel agents too. The search engine of choice for most people nowadays is Google but how much do we really exploit all its sophisticated features? Here are just some suggestions and productivity tips that you may not already be aware of.

1 Get local time anywhere

7 Use Google as a calculator

The simplest way to do it is just ask the question on Google.

Simply type in the question ‘What time is it in Bangkok? The first search result will appear in a box showing the local time in the location specified.

Just type in your calculation to Google using the right operands and the talented search engine will do the rest. If you would like to learn more about Google Calculate, check out http://www. googleguide.com/calculator.html

2 Track flight status

8 Use Google as a phonebook

Enter the airline and flight number into the Google search box and get back the arrival and departure times, right inside Google’s search results. The results will appear in a rectangular box at the top of the listing of returned results.

Try it yourself.

Google has a gigantic phonebook directory, their index is one of the largest, if not THE largest, on the Web. Just type in a telephone number and its area code and you should be able to track down the identity of the company that it belongs to.

3 Convert currency

(http://translate.google.com/).

It’s generally reckoned to be the most accurate of all the translation software out there. You can either use it to translate content on foreign websites that don’t have an English language version or you can use it to convert English to any one of the other major languages if you need to send say, an email, to a hotel or company where there’s a chance that English may not be spoken. Very handy. Very accurate!

Refine your Search Results. Most search engines do not consider extremely common words in order to speed up search results or to save disk space. These filtered words are known as ‘Stop Words’. The plus operator (+) tells the search engine to include those words in the result set. Example: tall +and short will return results that include the word and. The tilde operator (~): Include a tilde in front of a word to return results that include synonyms. The wildcard operator (*): Google calls it the fill in the blank operator. For example, amusement * will return pages with amusement and any other term(s) the Google search engine deems relevant.

You can’t use wildcards for parts of words. So for example, amusement p* is invalid. The OR operator (OR) or (|): Use this operator to return results with either of two terms. For example happy joy will return pages with both happy and joy, while happy | joy will return pages with either happy or joy.

5 Check out Google Trends

10 Use shortcuts

(http://www.google.com/trends/ ) Google Trends is a public web facility of Google based on Google Search that shows how often a particular searchterm is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages. This is separate from the kind of analysis that you would normally go to Google Analytics for if you wanted to find what search terms consumers were using so you could incorporate those phrases into your own website as part of an SEO strategy in order to increase your natural page ranking with the search engine.

There are dozens of different shortcut keys that can be used with Internet browsers. Below are a few of the top suggested Internet browser shortcuts.

• Pressing Alt + D in any major Internet browser will move the cursor into the address bar. This is a great way to quickly enter an Internet address without having to click the mouse cursor in the address bar.

• Hold down the Ctrl key and press the + or - to increase and decrease the size of text.

• Press the backspace key or hold down the Alt key + left arrow to go back a page.

• Press F5 to refresh or reload a web page.

• Press F11 to make the Internet browser screen full screen.

• Press F11 again to return back to the normal view.

• Press Ctrl + B to open your Internet bookmarks.

• Press Ctrl + F to open the find box in the browser to search for text within the web page you’re looking at.

Convert currency. OK, you can always use a dedicated website like www.xe.com but if you’re already in Google, just type in something like ‘How many polish zlotys are in 50 euros’. The result again appears in a rectangular frame at the top of the list of search results. Simples!

4 Use Google Translate

6 Use Google as a dictionary Simply prefix the word that you want explained by the word ‘define’ as in ‘define’ loquacious and voila!

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9 Refine your results

Top Tips Using Facebook for Business

As social media continues to mature, Facebook remains the firm favourite with travel brands for marketing their business. Facebook is the perfect platform for travel agents to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, engage with customers and promote word of mouth referrals and sales.

However, while it has huge potential for business growth, many travel agents are not using Facebook as effectively as they could. With that in mind, listed below are tips to help you become more strategic in how you use Facebook and in turn effective.

1 Determine your facebook strategy You need to know why your using Facebook, what your goals are, what you hope to achieve and within what timeframe.

No goals, no strategy, you’re going to fail.

2 Create a content calendar This can be as simple as putting an excel spreadsheet together and mapping out what content you’re going to post each day e.g. Monday: Travel Tip of the Week, Tuesday: Featured Destination, Wednesday: Our Weekly Deals and so on. You can also have theme weeks e.g. Honeymoons which would be perfect for around Valentine’s Day. With a content calendar in place, you know in advance the content you’re posting which make the process easier and more time efficient.

3 Use promotions to engage fans Create regular promotions on your page to keep fans engaged. You don’t always need large prizes to do this, something small and on a regular basis can work just as well. Prizes such as branded mugs, travel books, luggage tags, and beach towels will get people talking and sharing your page which helps to organically boost your brand awareness with a wider audience.

4 Respond to user queries No one likes to be ignored and yet the average response time on Facebook to a user query is 19 hours. By then, the user has disappeared and checked out your competitor. At a minimum, you should incorporate an end of day practice to check for outstanding Facebook queries and respond to them. You have the option to download the Facebook Page Manager App to your Android phone or IPhone which means you get alerts when users post queries.

5 Schedule out of hours content Not all your Facebook fans are online during the day, in fact many will check-into their Facebook accounts after dinner or when the kids are in bed. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to get in front of these users. Use the scheduling option which is free to use on your Facebook page or from any other social site management tool you may be using e.g.

HootSuite.

6 Get everyone involved Whether you have 2 or 22 staff active on social sites, encourage them to become involved in promoting your brand with their networks.

Ask for suggestions for content and for feedback reports with photos from FAM trips that you can share on your site. Bring the human side of your business to your fans by introducing the team and sharing photos from events you attend, charities you support, awards you’ve won.

7 Use Facebook advertising Facebook is now a pay to play site. Since their IPO, Facebook is a public company with shareholders and the way they make their revenue is through advertising. What that means is brands who want to reach more fans need to buy Facebook ads. There are multiple advertising options on Facebook from the very easy to use ‘Boost’ post to the more complex Power Editor. If not already familiar with the various ad options available, now is the time to check them out.

8 Best practices for Facebook advertising When you create an ad, remember most users are on Facebook to catch up with friends so they don’t want to see hard sell ads appearing in their newsfeed. Instead of directly promoting your business or special offers, promote the benefit or value instead. Using questions in your ad is good as the ad will feel more like a conversation than a sales pitch e.g. ‘Need some sunshine on your bones?’ Keep ads short, snappy, and visually engaging.

9 Re-evaluate your Facebook marketing strategy On a quarterly basis at minimum, re-evaluate progress with your Facebook marketing to see if you’re achieving the goals you set in place for using the site. Accessing the free analytics tools on Facebook called ‘Insights’ will help as you have access to lots of stats about what’s working and what’s not on your page. If what you’re doing isn’t working, it’s time to change it. This gives you the chance to brainstorm new ideas, to get creative about content which will prevent your page becoming stagnant and boring for the user.

10 Don’t put all your eggs in one basket Facebook is a great fit for travel agents, and a really good way of engaging with customers both new and existing.

However, Facebook should never be your only resource for marketing your company. It is not a replacement for email marketing, your website or print ads. Facebook is a complementary tool that allows you to reach out to a growing online community and when integrated with other marketing initiatives brings the best results.

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Top Tips Handling VAT

All VAT returns must be made online to ROS and must be submitted every two months starting in January. When you make this return you must pay the amount owed for January and February, together with the estimated amount you will owe for March and April. From this amount you can reclaim VAT paid on imputs (see below). If you already do this, then don’t forget to deduct advance payments for Jan/Feb made in December.

1 Package holiday If an agent buys a package holiday from an Irish based tour operator originating in Ireland — regardless of the destination — there is a VAT liability. The tour operator will show commission and VAT on the confirmation invoice.

The agent remits this VAT to Revenue. The tour operator will reclaim this VAT from Revenue, so it is very important to get the figures right. Flight-onlies on charter flights are the same as above.

5 Bonus commission

There is no VAT on travel insurance. There is no VAT on service charges except for business house clients (see below).

If you receive bonus commission or overrides these will have a VAT element and they must be remitted to revenue, remembering that the tour operator can reclaim this VAT. This sounds complicated but in reality is it not really. It is always the exceptions that can be difficult. For example: a booking to Palma; one client for 7 nights booked with Falcon VAT on seat only. Client being joined by friend booked with Ryanair — NO VAT. One single room booked with Bookabed —VAT payable. Another booked with Travel Cube — NO VAT( but VIES). So for different components there are different rules.

4 Accommodation

6 Business house

This is a more complicated area. It all depends on who you buy it from and where they travel to. Irish based suppliers who pay commission, and clients travelling to EU destinations: VAT is payable.

If you have business house clients, who are registered for VAT, and you charge a service charge you must charge 23% VAT on the service charge and remit this to Revenue but your client can reclaim this VAT.

• Irish based suppliers, who pay commission, and client travelling to NON EU destination: — no VAT is payable.

• NON-Irish registered suppliers but who are based in the EU, e.g. — RCCL, MSC, Travel Cube and Holiday Autos etc., to list but a few: — NO VAT payable regardless of destination. You must do a VIES report on these. VIES is VAT Information Exchange System. You must issue a self billing invoice to these suppliers, listing booking reference

7 Vat on imputs

2 Schedule flights There is no VAT on schedule flights regardless of origin or destination, whether they are booked by Internet and paid by credit card; booked on GDS and issued on BSP or purchased from a consolidator.

3 Service charges

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numbers, client names and commission amounts.

These suppliers must account to their own revenue authorities for VAT. This return is every three months so it coinsides with VAT in June and December.

• NON Irish registered suppliers, but based outside the EU: — no VAT payable and there is no requirement to file VIES.

There is VAT payable on audit fees, telephone bills, light and heating bills, stationery, printing, subscriptions and licences and numerous other imputs. You can claim this VAT back in the two month period in which they are incurred when you make your return.

Top Tips as recommended by Peter Dolan, Creation Travel

Top Tips New Year’s Resolutions For 2020

Running a business is never easy and travel agencies are no different — indeed they may be even more difficult to successfully manage — given the wafer-thin margins that necessitate high turnovers in order to make any money and of course the threats and challenges that face owners on a day to day basis.

All the more reason to take time out and evaluate how you can start working smarter rather than harder. Clearly, not everything that we do is effective so we need to identify those activities that are and stop wasting time on those that are not, otherwise all we do is continue to perpetuate the status quo.

New Year’s Resolutions are a great way of re-evaluating everything about your business and making them the corner stones of your new, re-vitalised and re-focussed approach to making money because (and let’s be honest here) that’s what business is all about, at the end of the day!

Not all of the following items on the list will necessarily work for you but I suspect most will so just think of them as a reference point — a blueprint, if you will — on which you can base your own business strategy for the coming 12 months.

These resolutions are based on the very simple premise that there are only three ways that you can grow your business: 1. Get more customers 2. Sell more often to existing customers and/or; 3. Sell more things to existing customers Since there appears to be ample evidence from multiple sources that acquiring a new customer can cost you up to nine times more than retaining an existing one, it clearly makes more sense to focus (at least initially) on selling more stuff, and more often, to your current customer base.

Here then, are our 10 suggestions for what you can do to maximise your sales, your time and your profit:

1 Increase your compliance levels

3 Take on a junior

Make a conscious effort to increase your compliance levels in supporting preferred suppliers. After all, they probably pay you higher commissions than what your agency can earn, delivering discretionary sales to non-preferred ones.

A perfect example is when your agency places cruise sales through tour operators who pay you 10% commission when you can earn anywhere between 12% and 15% (or higher) when you book them directly with our preferred cruise suppliers. The same goes for other industry sectors.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find experienced staff So take on a junior and start training them up so that they can take the pressure off your more senior staff and thus minimise the incidence of costly mistakes. It also provides you with more coverage when it comes to days off, sick days, holidays, maternity leave etc.

2 Invest in training Spend some money and send your front counter staff on training courses — particularly those that focus on selling skills as it will be the best money that you’ll ever spend.

Consider such expenditure as an investment rather than as a cost.

4 Conduct weekly staff meetings If you don’t already do so, instigate weekly staff meetings on Mondays in order to review sales performances from the previous week; Address mistakes that might have been made or problems encountered and plan for the week ahead. In order to make time for such staff meetings, don’t open until an hour later than normal and put a sign on the door and/or message on your answering machine or night service. It is quite common for most companies to open late one day a week for training purposes so why not travel agencies? Your customers will understand.

29

Top Tips New Year’s Resolutions For 2020

5 Delegate more

8 Embrace online

Assign portfolios or specific areas of responsibility to different members of staff, depending on their respective skill sets and years of experience. Everyone can’t become or maintain sufficient levels of expertise in every area of travel agency practice so why even try? Appoint someone with responsibility for cruise product; someone else for long haul; someone else for package/family holidays and someone else for weddings/special events or whatever.

Each person should have the responsibility of keeping all other colleagues up-to-date with relevant market/product information and should be the ‘Go To’ person when any other member of staff has a question or problem. Specialisation is the name of the game.

Like it or not, we now live in an increasingly networked world Where people expect to be entertained and informed on a 24/7 cycle. You therefore need to set time aside in your busy working day for updates to be written in respect of your online presence, whether that be your website, Facebook page, Twitter or Pinterest account or your Blog!

Assign this duty/responsibility (as already alluded to in item 5) to whichever member of staff is most adept at navigating the various social media channels that you wish to engage with new and existing clients.

6 Concentrate on the 20% It is claimed that 20% of your customers represent 80% of your profit So it is extremely important that you identify who those 20% are and focus your efforts on keeping them happy and selling them even more stuff. This means that you need to constantly analyse your sales data from your back office system (if you don’t currently have one then you need to invest in one straight away!) or better still, invest in a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. Each customer should be viewed in terms of their lifetime value to your agency — not just the value of their last purchase!

7 Start to specialise As traditional markets that were once the preserve of the travel agent get whittled away by changing consumer habits and the onward progression of technology, you need to seriously re-think your long term plan and try to identify a niche that can be exploited or a market that isn’t yet adequately served, whether that be gastronomic holidays, trips abroad for cycling enthusiasts or nature lovers etc. With Google planning to roll out new and more sophisticated search and booking solutions for travellers and recent announcements that Ryanair is planning to get into the package holiday business, current sources of sales and profits will inevitably dry up in time. As travel in general becomes increasingly commoditised, you need to move your business up the value chain in order to cater for a more sophisticated, demanding and discerning kind of consumer who is happy to pay extra for exemplary levels of service and travel expertise.

30

9 Be proactive Don’t wait for the business to walk through your door.

Those days are all but over so you need to be more assertive in letting people know that you exist and provide them with a compelling argument for why they should choose your services over those of your competitors. Set aside a realistic marketing budget but also invest some time in exploiting the media’s insatiable appetite for news by writing (or getting someone else to write) your own press releases as it is a marketing activity that is often overlooked by travel agents and certainly undervalued. No less a person that Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft and arguably the world’s richest man) once famously said that if he was ever down to his last dollar, he would spend it on PR! Be creative in your marketing efforts and don’t exclude the potential to be gained from collaborating with other local businesses to your mutual benefit — e.g. credit unions, banks, pharmacies, camera shops, places that sell luggage, swimsuits etc.

10 Stop working for nothing Stop being an unofficial tourist bureau where people wander in to pick your brains, only to wander out again and book it online. If you don’t value your expertise and put a premium on your time, how do you expect other people to?

Be limited in the information that you divulge and seriously consider introducing booking/commitment deposits in order to separate the tyre kickers from genuine customers.

Start a dialogue with your local competitor(s) and ask them to do likewise so that neither of you suffers at the hands of the other.

Top Tips Guarding Against Credit Card Fraud

It is becoming increasingly important for consumers to have the ability to buy goods and services without having to be physically present at the point of sale. Card Not Present (CNP) transactions are an important part of your product/service ordering but this shouldn’t mean that you lose out to the fraudsters who seek to abuse the system.

Criminals now use this type of fraud with complete anonymity, therefore there is more risk involved in accepting a CNP order.

Remember - you can be held financially accountable for a fraudulent transaction, even if the issuer has authorised it. To protect yourself against CNP fraud, there are a number of simple guidelines which, if followed, will help stop fraudulent transactions from the outset. These straightforward steps will allow you to determine whether a transaction, the card and the cardholder are genuine.

1 Security We recommend that you observe these guidelines.

CNP orders fall under these categories:

INTERNET, TELEPHONE, E-MAIL For all CNP orders, the following details must be obtained: 1. The card number.

2. The cardholder’s name as it appears on the card.

3. The expiry date.

4. The customer’s name and address.

5. Insist on obtaining a land line phone number

2 Internet orders 1.

Check the time of the transaction. A large percentage of card fraud is carried out late at night.

2. Be wary of orders coming from free e-mail addresses. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to trace these back to the sender.

3 Telephone orders 1. Record the time and date of the call.

2. Does the customer have trouble remembering his/her address and telephone number?

4 Email orders 1.

As with Internet based transactions, be wary of orders coming from free e-mail addresses. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to trace these back to the sender.

2. Make extra checks about the cardholder as outlined below.

5 Tell tale signs of fraudlent CNP transactions 1. Transactions from cards issued overseas.

2. Delivery addresses that are very different to billing addresses.

3. Orders shipped to a single address made on multiple cards.

6 Responsibility 1.

You should have a detailed understanding of the risks associated with CNP transactions.

2. If you fail to follow the procedures established by your acquiring bank, you may end up being liable for the transaction.

7 What should you do if you are suspicious?

1. Make extra checks.

2. Check if the delivery address has been used before with different card details, contact names and/or phone numbers.

3. Call your acquirer (AIB, Bank of Ireland or Ulster Bank) and ask them to check the name and address of the cardholder with the issuer of the card.

4. If you still feel the transaction is fraudulent do not proceed with the transaction. Remember — you can be held financially accountable for a fraudulent transaction, even if the issuer has authorised it.

5. If you become a victim of card fraud, contact the Gardai immediately.

31

Resources Website of the Week

The problem with the Internet is its sheer size. Over 600 new websites launch every single minute of every day, 365 days a year so is it any wonder that it is impossible for anyone to try and keep up with this neverending and forever expanding list of online resources?

In our own very small way, Travel Centres tries to keep an eye out for new and interesting websites that we feel might, in one way or another, make your life a little easier and your work day more productive. Where possible, we try to choose travel-relevant sites but we consider anything fair game, as long as it’s work-related. Here is a collated listing of what online resources we’ve shared with you to date!

32

Publish Date

Website of the Week

04/10/2019

https://www.phocuswire.com/Travel-technology-Enterprise-Ireland

24/09/2019

http://www.bailii.org/

09/09/2019

https://dictation.io/

29/08/2019

http://unagi-travel.net/

23/08/2019

https://www.scam-detector.com/article/fake-travel-agency

13/08/2019

https://forebears.io/surnames

06/08/2019

https://www.ethnologue.com/

31/07/2019

https://bit.ly/32AH8gp

22/07/2019

https://www.picmonkey.com/

15/07/2019

https://managementhelp.org/

07/07/2019

http://app.thefacesoffacebook.com/

01/07/2019

https://moz.com/learn/seo

15/06/2019

www.timeshifter.com

10/06/2019

https://www.taxifarefinder.com/?lang=en

02/06/2019

https://www.snopes.com/

26/05/2019

https://virusdesk.kaspersky.com/

18/05/2019

https://envato.com/

09/05/2019

http://www.cuzzblue.com/2019/04/dagen-h-day-sweden-switched-traffic.html

04/05/2019

https://www.ecosia.org/

01/05/2019

https://qz.com/

25/04/2019

www.soundsnap.com

16/04/2019

gapminder.org

07/04/2019

http://www.hackertyper.com/

18/03/2019

https://www.tineye.com/

10/03/2019

https://infogram.com/

28/02/2019

https://virusscan.jotti.org/en

23/02/2019

https://www.autodraw.com/

14/02/2019

https://www.upwork.com/

06/02/2019

https://www.kialo.com/

28/01/2019

https://www.futurelearn.com/

23/01/2019

https://www.flightstats.com/v2/

14/01/2019

http://download.iris32.com/

08/01/2019

https://www.goodnet.org/

16/12/2018

https://www.computerhope.com/shortcut.htm

06/12/2018

https://www.hotelwifitest.com/

26/11/2018

https://www.kisspng.com/

17/11/2018

https://placeit.net/

04/11/2018

www.resizeyourimage.com

27/10/2018

https://audiojungle.net

17/10/2018

https://unsplash.com/

08/10/2018

www.wikimapia.com

03/10/2018

https://www.shareaholic.com/

26/09/2018

https://www.strikingly.com/

11/09/2018

https://www.climatestotravel.com/

04/09/2018

https://www.stockfootageforfree.com/

28/08/2018

https://borrowaboat.com/

Resources Website of the Week

Publish Date

Website of the Week

21/08/2018

http://www.resortfeechecker.com/about.html

09/08/2018

https://www.canva.com/

30/07/2018

https://www.printfriendly.com/

23/07/2018

https://bit.ly/2O4nUIT

16/07/2018

https://www.jacksflightclub.co.uk/

09/07/2018

https://www.transfertravel.com/

02/07/2018

http://www.mapfrappe.com/

25/06/2018

https://www.tourhound.co.uk/

17/06/2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-b4SUOfn_4

12/06/2018

http://thebesttravelled.com/

05/06/2018

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/first.shtml

27/05/2018

https://tinyurl.com/yd2eflao

19/05/2018

http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp

07/05/2018

https://www.henleypassportindex.com/

28/04/2018

www.numbeo.com

22/04/2018

https://privnote.com/

15/04/2018

https://www.routehappy.com/

09/04/2018

https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout

01/04/2018

https://tinyurl.com/ycrzjjv5

24/03/2018

https://gdprcourse.com/

15/03/2018

https://spark.adobe.com/

05/03/2018

http://www.ace.net.nz/tech/TechFileFormat.html

27/02/2018

https://www.priceoftravel.com/

19/02/2018

https://trends.google.com/trends/

12/02/2018

http://www.isitdownrightnow.com

04/02/2018

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/global-millionaire-population/

30/01/2018

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/

22/01/2018

https://www.mapcustomizer.com/

15/01/2018

https://www.passportindex.org/

07/01/2018

https://www.pexels.com/

17/12/2017

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/maps-that-will-help-you-make-sense-of-the-world/

10/12/2017

https://www.antipodesmap.com/

26/11/2017

https://www.crystalknows.com/

19/11/2017

https://www.memrise.com/

05/11/2017

https://globomd.com/

01/11/2017

https://www.byhours.com/en.html

22/10/2017

http://backgroundchecks.org/justdeleteme/fake-identity-generator/

01/10/2017

https://www.recharge.com/en-IE

24/09/2017

http://www.whym.global/

17/09/2017

www.cruisecompete.com

10/09/2017

http://www.wikivoyage.org/

06/09/2017

https://burner.bonanza.com/

27/08/2017

http://www.findsounds.com/

21/08/2017

http://hackertyper.net/

14/08/2017

https://eversign.com/

07/08/2017

https://turo.com/

30/07/2017

https://www.acronymfinder.com/

25/07/2017

http://www.easytaxi.com/

10/07/2017

https://www.airfordable.com/

02/07/2017

https://www.travedoc.com/

26/06/2017

http://web.asta.org/imis/travelsense/simplesearch

17/06/2017

https://sidewaysdictionary.com/#/

11/06/2017

https://www.woorank.com/

28/05/2017

http://smmry.com/

21/05/2017

http://picresize.com/results

14/05/2017

https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/crm

03/05/2017

https://unsplash.com/

24/04/2017

https://www.virustotal.com/ 33

Resources Website of the Week

34

Publish Date

Website of the Week

18/04/2017

https://www.plustransfer.com/

07/04/2017

https://www.freepdfconvert.com/pdf-jpg

01/04/2017

https://funeralbooker.com/home-cremation

25/03/2017

https://travefy.com/

18/03/2017

https://getpocket.com

11/03/2017

http://bit.ly/2n9W5F0

28/02/2017

http://www.worldreviewer.com/

20/02/2017

http://www.googleguide.com/

13/02/2017

http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/

06/02/2017

http://www.miceandtourismaroundtheworld.com/calendar-of-events

31/01/2017

https://unsplash.com/

23/01/2017

https://www.amcharts.com/visited_countries/#

03/01/2017

http://www.worldreviewer.com/

21/12/2016

https://studio.stupeflix.com/en/

13/12/2016

https://instabridge.com/en/

05/12/2016

http://www.mapillary.com/map

06/11/2016

https://www.medigo.com/en

02/11/2016

https://www.sailo.com/

25/10/2016

http://www.thecruisechecker.co.uk/

20/10/2016

http://www.directferries.com/

09/10/2016

https://www.busbud.com/en/

02/10/2016

www.pana.com

12/09/2016

http://happyplanetindex.org/

29/08/2016

https://bitly.com/

23/08/2016

www.thetruesize.com

17/08/2016

http://www.oldversion.com/

09/08/2016

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

01/08/2016

https://www.hotelwifitest.com/

24/07/2016

https://geoguessr.com/

12/07/2016

www.changeupdate.com

04/07/2016

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

27/06/2016

www.itt.co.uk

19/06/2016

https://onlinetraveltraining.com/uk/

31/05/2016

https://www.scribblemaps.com/

18/05/2016

https://wn.nr/kFkh3h

14/05/2016

http://morguefile.com/

14/05/2016

https://pixabay.com/

14/05/2016

https://stocksnap.io/

14/05/2016

https://unsplash.com/

14/05/2016

http://raumrot.com/

14/05/2016

http://negativespace.co/photos/

14/05/2016

http://www.lifeofpix.com/

14/05/2016

http://freestocks.org/

06/05/2016

https://suitecrm.com/

26/04/2016

http://scam-detector.com/

20/03/2016

http://www.invoiceto.me/

02/03/2016

http://excelexposure.com/

25/02/2016

http://www.goodcountry.org/index_intro

15/02/2016

www.ereceptionist.ie

06/02/2016

https://www.teamsid.com/worst-passwords-2015/

01/02/2016

https://www.passportindex.org/

27/01/2016

https://www.hotelsbyday.com/en

27/01/2016

http://www.byhours.com/en_gb.html

Resources List of Blogs

The travelling public has an insatiable appetite for information and it is often very hard and onerous to keep that appetite satisfied — particularly if you have your own Facebook page or website that needs constant updating.

Therefore, why put yourself under all that stress when Travel Centres is more than happy to let you syndicate our own Blog Awards Ireland Finalist content — the only condition being that you credit us with the authorship of same. We publish a blog most weeks on www.travelbug.ie and the following list provides you with a one line description of the subject matter of each blog that’s already been published; its original date of publication and a word count, in case you’re limited by the length of article that you can upload.

Title

Publish Date

Word count

What the Blog is about

Washington, DC — Brain City USA!

06/10/2019

643

My trip to Washington DC

The world is beating a path to Bangkok

24/09/2019

826

Bangkok

Are you buying or shopping?

27/08/2019

656

Enhance your buying experience with a Travel Agent

Traveling is good for your health!

23/08/2019

549

Reduce metabolic syndrome with a vacation

Jamaica — Ireland’s Caribbean next-of-kin

15/08/2019

579

The Irish-Jamacian connection and its unique appeal

Welcome to Veggie Heaven!

07/08/2019

630

Vegetarian countries around the world

‘Nownership’ — what is it and why travel agents should be happy about it!

31/07/2019

470

The growth of experiental travel

‘Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer’

23/07/2019

523

My Bucket list destinations yet to be visited

There’s a hotel for everyone!

16/07/2019

645

Hotels around the world with the novelty factor

What is a VPN and why do I need one when I travel to certain countries around the world?

07/07/2019

400

Benefits of a VPN when travelling

Reinventing the wheel, hotel-style

01/07/2019

904

Melia Jardines del Teide, Tenerife revamp

Something to shout about!

15/06/2019

413

New attraction in Dubin - interactive play telling various Irish Dubin history

Celebrity Edge — does it live up to the hype?

02/06/2019

444

My visit to Celebrity Edge in Southampton

In Cyberspace, no one can hear you say %£&@!

29/05/2019

601

The dangers of booking online

All roads don't lead south

19/05/2019

470

Northern and Eastern Europe for sun holidays

Discovery begins at home

05/05/2019

449

Sheen Falls lodge in Kerry

Car Rental — one of the most underused resources when travelling abroad

28/04/2019

601

My view on car rental abroad

A long overdue reunion with an old acquaintance

07/04/2019

770

Sandals Resort in St Lucia

Dubrovnik – the real King’s Landing

18/03/2019

463

Dubrovnik

How competition benefits the consumer in more ways than you think!

12/03/2019

647

MSC Cruises

Going to Florida this year? You’ve got to do the Bahamas too.

24/02/2019

743

The Bahamas

Where do travel agents go on their holidays?

14/02/2019

147

South Africa

‘The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten’

07/02/2019

127

Travel agents busiest time of the year

35

Resources List of Blogs

36

Title

Publish Date

Word count

What the Blog is about

Nippon - Land of the rising Sun

29/01/2019

100

Japan

Ask an Expert

23/01/2019

95

You might have the information, but you don’t neccesarily have the knowledge

How cynicism created a new travel publication

14/01/2019

638

Dispelling buyer uncertainty through the medium of our magazine!

Premium economy anyone?

17/12/2018

592

Premium Economy experience with American Airlines

Philadelphia, here I come!

06/12/2018

736

My trip to Phildephia

The best fun you can have standing up!

17/11/2018

631

Skiing

Want a glimpse into the future? Visit Dubai!

05/11/2018

555

Winter sun in Dubai

I haven't been everywhere - but it's on my list!

27/10/2018

966

Be brave and choose somewhere new and different to visit in your travels

Go West, Young Man!

17/10/2018

870

North America

Pietra Dura - the opposite of Naff!

08/10/2018

798

Mementos from around the globe

Perceptions, assumptions and misunderstandings

03/10/2018

810

Wendy Wu Tours

In India, they drive on the left…

25/09/2018

582

Golden Triangle tour

When a man is tired of London …

12/09/2018

670

Why London is underappreciated by Irish people

Out of this world!

03/09/2018

649

Ponant Le Laperouse

The fascinating world of micro-climates

26/08/2018

538

Micro climates around the world such as Mogan, Gran Canaria

When they’re gone, they’re gone!

13/08/2018

972

Places to tck off the bucket list before they cease to exist

The gems right on our doorstep!

06/08/2018

743

Isle of Man and Channel Islands

Lakes & Mountains — a gem just waiting to be discovered!

30/07/2018

627

Lakes & Mountains holidays for a change of scenery

Where to stay in London?

24/07/2018

718

The Grand Royale Hotel

Bucket Lists and all that jazz

16/07/2018

775

Personal top six places left to visit on my bucket list

The vicissitudes of being single

12/07/2018

634

Intrepid Travel's single supplement initiative

Objects may appear smaller than they actually are

02/07/2018

604

Some destinations are bigger than you think

Up close and cuddly!

28/06/2018

589

Swimming with Jaguars in Honduras

Far from the madding crowd.

18/06/2018

685

Least visited destinatins in Europe

There’s nothing like a good Seaview

12/06/2018

644

MSC Seaview

Are you a tourist or a traveller?

06/06/2018

582

9 destinations to visit for an authentic experience

Some of the most beautiful destinations are on our doorstep.

27/05/2018

642

The Cotswolds

Georgian on my mind

19/05/2018

706

The delights of the city of Bath

When travelling by sea makes sense

09/05/2018

792

The benefits of travelling by Ferry

The thorny issue of visas

30/04/2018

727

The devil is in the detail

Does familiarity breed contempt?*

23/04/2018

754

Dunmore East

Is Barcelona the perfect short break city destination?

16/04/2018

828

My quick trip to Barcelona

The best cruise ship in the world

10/04/2018

886

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas

Resources List of Blogs

Title

Publish Date

Word count

What the Blog is about

Do you know what travel agents do?

27/03/2018

680

Travel agents role is more complex than the public often assume

You say tomato, I say tomayto!

19/03/2018

872

Sensory overload from too much travel at once?

Is Singapore the perfect city?

09/03/2018

867

A few days in Singapore

It’s all about context!

28/02/2018

896

Boracay, the Philippines - not really as good as they say…

The reasons why we buy things are changing.

19/02/2018

458

Wi-Fi at 30,000 feet

Where to go in 2018? — Part 3

12/02/2018

462

San Sebastian, Spain

Where to go to in 2018? — Part 2

05/02/2018

425

China

Where to go in 2018?

30/01/2018

399

Seattle, Portland, Hong Kong and more

How to book your first cruise!

22/01/2018

1012

Room 101 for new-to-cruise

Where to go in 2018?

07/01/2018

451

Puglia, Italy

Snow, beautiful snow!

17/12/2017

630

Ski breaks

The most sparsely-populated country in Europe is becoming increasingly crowded!

11/12/2017

593

Iceland

Harry Potter and the Portuguese connection!

26/11/2017

515

Coimbra, Portugal - where JK Rowling drew her inspiration

Seattle, here we come!

19/11/2017

605

Visit Seattle with Aer Lingus new direct route

Water Babies — Cities that live in, by or on the water!

05/11/2017

629

Destinations that are defined by their proximity to H2O

And you thought it was all about the destination?

22/10/2017

496

Bridge climbing in Portugal

Why does it take a hurricane for consumers to appreciate the value of service?

01/10/2017

518

Travel agents have got your back when things go wrong

Buy cheap, buy twice.

24/09/2017

518

Cheap online holidays v value with travel agents when there is a problem

Who should pay for whom — The longrunning joke that is Irish travel legislation!

17/09/2017

880

Your not covered if airline goes bust suggest universal levy to cover everyone.

Without a Travel agent, your on your own!

10/09/2017

577

Don’t take the chance with your travel arrangements, use and agent for peace of mind.

So you think you know the canaries?

07/09/2017

707

The island of La Gomera

How you save money as soon as you pick up the phone to call a travel agent!

27/08/2017

434

Time is money!

Is anywhere safe anymore?

21/08/2017

563

Safest places in the world stats

Where do you go next when you’ve been almost everywhere?

14/08/2017

715

The remote island of St Helena

These numbers may surprise you!

07/08/2017

649

Cruising stats

The same, but different - on Safari in Kenya

30/07/2017

680

Safari in Kenya

4°37′S 55°27′E — The coordinates of Paradise!

25/07/2017

624

Seychelles trip

I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list!

10/07/2017

535

Safari is on the list

The Pleasure Paradox

02/07/2017

464

Theme parks around the world

Experience how the other half live

26/06/2017

450

Dublin Airport Platinum Services

There is no sincerer love than the love of food!

19/06/2017

578

Oceania Cruise line

The Success story that is MSC Cruises!

11/06/2017

497

Brief MSC history

The Vegans are coming - live long and prosper!

29/05/2017

556

9 great vegan restaurants around the world

What is the ultimate travel experience?

22/05/2017

694

G-Adventures Expedition ship

Theme parks with a difference - part 2

14/05/2017

683

Novelty theme parks around the world

37

Resources List of Blogs

38

Title

Publish Date

Word count

What the Blog is about

Theme parks with a difference - part 1

03/05/2017

617

Novelty theme parks around the world

The reasons why we travel and the criteria by which we choose our destinations

26/04/2017

585

Most expensive and least expensive cities in the world

Shoulder season - The best time to travel in Europe?

18/04/2017

383

Avoid peak season to enjoy monetary savings

Luxury - Silver Muse by another name!

10/04/2017

768

Silver Muse launch

What is value and why is it more important than price? - part 2

01/04/2017

674

Travel price vs value of what you get

What is value and why is it more important than price? - part 1

26/03/2017

482

Hidden costs of 'low cost' Airlines

Prediction is difficult - especially if it is about the future

18/03/2017

547

The future of cruising

The beauty of Lourdes - How perceptions sometimes do us no favours

10/03/2017

668

Lourdes is not only for the religious

Riviera Travel and the sinuosity of Rivers

03/03/2017

620

5* River Cruising

The 10,000 hour rule

21/02/2017

643

Travel agents can specialise in different areas of travel

What budgets reveal about how much we spend

15/02/2017

711

Price: Package holiday Vs Cruising

Would you like to win €2,500?

06/02/2017

570

Customer Booking incentive competition

Ones man's meat…

02/02/2017

501

Variety is the spice of life when choosing a destination

Be careful what you wish for!

22/01/2017

828

Tyre kicking 'customers'

Timely advice

03/01/2017

611

Book travel as soon as possible to get the best value

Where to go in 2017?

20/12/2016

730

Why you should consider a cruise in place of a European package holiday

Don't miss the boat!

14/12/2016

535

Uniworld river cruising

Its that time of year again!

05/12/2016

537

Christmas Markets

All roads lead north at this time of year

06/11/2016

292

Lapland

Fear is temporary - Regret is forever!

02/11/2016

524

Go somewhere different and do somethingout of your comfort zone

The true cost of that holiday!

25/10/2016

420

Which countries are better value for money once you get there

Moving out of your comfort zone

20/10/2016

436

Hurtigruten Expeditions

Sometimes, perfection is nearer than you think!

09/10/2016

443

Cliff house hotel visit

Self-catering or all-inclusive — which represents better value for money?

02/10/2016

861

Benefits of all inclusive holidays

Planning a honeymoon abroad?

19/09/2016

556

wedding hotels in italy

Out of this world!

12/09/2016

411

Seven unique landscapes across the globe

Ready for something a little bit out of the ordinary?

03/09/2016

467

Six interetsing museums around the world

Anxious. Scared. Terrified — Tales of an adrenaline junkie — Part 3

31/08/2016

970

Safari in Kruger National Park

Anxious. Scared. Terrified — Tales of an adrenaline junkie — Part 2

23/08/2016

681

Bloukrans Gorge bungee jump

Resources List of Blogs

Title

Publish Date

Word count

What the Blog is about

Anxious. Scared. Terrified — Tales of an adrenaline junkie — Part 1

18/08/2016

766

Cage diving with great whites

Are you a tourist or a traveller?

01/08/2016

403

Do you embrace the culture or drink in Irish bars and eat in MacDonalds abroad?

The inherent dangers of booking online!

24/07/2016

494

Another reason to book with a travel agents

Where's the nicest place you've ever been?

05/07/2016

391

French Polynesia

When in Sydney — stay here!

11/06/2016

542

Beautiful accommodation in Sydney

Sheer beauty — and the statistics that sit behind it!

08/05/2016

514

Abu Dhabi

What do you enjoy most about travelling?

08/04/2016

509

Gastronomy

The 'other' Los Angeles

20/03/2016

521

My last trip to Los Angeles

It takes 15,000 casualties to train a major general

02/03/2016

481

WW1 Battlefields with GTI

Where is the best place in the world to live?

25/02/2016

430

The grass isnt always greener on the other side

2016 is not the year to hold off booking your holiday arrangements!

15/02/2016

424

Dont always count on 'last minute deals' for your holidays

Take the hassle out of travel

27/01/2016

323

Dublin Airport Services

If it sounds too good to be true — it most probably is!

10/01/2016

930

Dont be scammed by cheap holidays

Keeping the magic alive!

23/12/2015

372

Lapland

Where to go for next year’s holidays?

30/11/2015

532

Try a cruising holiday

Now that’s big!

08/11/2015

525

MSC Fantasia cruise ship

There’s ‘free’ … and then there’s ‘FREE’!

30/10/2015

343

2 countries for 1 with Wendy Wu Tours

Variety is the Spice of Life

12/10/2015

554

There is more to Spain than just Lanzarote, Malaga and Majorca. Get out and explore a bit more!

Is it just me?

30/09/2015

665

Reconsidering the joys and benefits of travelling by car or train

The thrill that is history

16/09/2015

450

Sicily and it’s amazing historical treasures

All Travel Doesn’t have to be International

30/08/2015

450

Fishing village in the sunny south East called Dunmore East

What, exactly, is value?

17/10/2015

1009

Why you get more value for money choosing a travel agent over booking via the net.

Blogtastic — The rise and rise of the travel blog!

10/08/2015

352

Travel bloggers to follow

'Life is a journey - not a destination'

29/07/2015

687

Why flying with SAS and choosing their "plus" product is worth every penny.

Scandinavia's best kept secret!

23/07/2015

568

Trip to Stockholm

The undiscovered France!

13/07/2015

592

The Midi-Pyrenees area of France and its delights!

If Toulouse is not on your radar — it should be!

05/07/2015

552

Trip to Toulouse

Heaven does exist — and it's located in Tuscany!

23/06/2015

530

The delights of Tuscany

The culinary landscape around the world is changing!

14/06/2015

494

Peruvian Gastronomy

All aboard for all-inclusive!

31/05/2015

677

All inclusive holidays and their value for money

Where should I go on my next holiday?

10/05/2015

418

Top 10 countries to go based on visitors per annum

39

Accommodation Æquora Lanzarote Suites

Let your curiosity get the better of you and explore the beauty of the Canaries most easterly volcanic island from the lap of luxury. It all starts with your stay at Æquora Lanzarote Suites.

The Æquora Lanzarote Suites hotel is ideally situated on the Playa de los Pocillos. Relax on the beautiful and quiet sandy beach just 250 m away from the hotel or take a stroll to the lively centre of Puerto del Carmen, which is only 2 km away from Æquora Lanzarote Suites.

www.slasuites.com T +34 928 092 598

Rooms

Services

Avant-garde designed Junior Suites consist of separate living room, bedroom, bathroom and terrace with pool or garden view. Lodging : 2 SAT-32”LED TV with USB port (one in the bedroom and another one in the living room, safety deposit box (with additional charge), air-conditioning, fully equipped bathroom (with shower, hairdryer and make-up mirror).

Minibar, telephone and caps coffee machine.

• 398 rooms (Double Rooms, Junior Suites, Suites and Master Suites).

• The hotel offers Junior Suite Superior rooms and ACUI Family Junior Suite rooms (Consult extras and conditions of the hotel) • Free Wi-Fi • Gym • 5 freshwater pools: • Chill out zone, heated pool with hidromassage jets. Adults only (18yrs+).

• Nearby Coral bar. 1 heated pool (area for adults and area for children) • Pool for animation activities close to Maris theatre.

• Infant pool and “Bubbles” Pool with children´s games splash (heated) • Outdoor parking (unmonitored).

• Laundry and dry cleaning service (extra charge).

• Two multi-sport courts. (Free tennis court, deposit for equipment) • Polyvalent room, max. 50 people (meetings/conferences).

• 24h medical service.

• Wellness center: massage and beauty treatments.

• Car and bicycle rental service.

• Pool towels (deposit is required).

• Porter and bellboy service.

• Coffee station and kettle in the room (on arrival welcome package included) • Luggage room and shower room for late departures.

• Free cot • Credit cards accepted: Visa/Mastercard • Gift/souvenir shop

Extras Pillow menu, FREE WIFI , welcome drink, coffee and water included on arrival. Æquora Lanzarote Suites hotel gives you plenty of opportunities to relax in style and enjoy fine food and drink.

Available boards Bed & Breakfast, Half board , All inclusive.

Our two buffet restaurants welcome you with delicious meals, day in and day out. Enjoy lavish breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets that will spoil your senses. Themed buffets are offered four times a week including Asian, Spanish/Canarian (local), Mexican and Italian, one of which is for adults only (indoor for 13+) and one for families. Lovers of Spanish food will be delighted with the à la carte restaurant Don Paco.

If you love the sun and sea, the 6 km stretch of golden beaches on which Æquora Lanzarote Suites is located will delight you.

The nearest beach is only 250m away. Relax and soak up the sun at our five pools, four of which are heated. Grab a sun lounger or some shade and simply enjoy!

Two separate kids pools with a small water park including a pirate ship offer great water fun for our youngest guests.

Our small guests can meet other youngsters at the kids’ club (for kids aged 4- 12), providing English, German, French and Spanish speaking staff. A playground and mini disco will keep them busy throughout the rest of the day.

Directions The airport of Lanzarote, Arrecife, lies about 5km away from Æquora Lanzarote Suites and can easily be reached by taxi.

Lanzarote is the Canaries hotspot. Fiery eruptions and lava streams created an island that is quite unique in Europe.

There are 12 nature protection areas and nature parks here, including the world-famous Timanfaya National Park.

Riding a camel through the fields of volcanic ash there is an unforgettable experience. Don’t miss the “Cueva de los Verdes” caves.

41

Welcome

TO BEDSONLINE A PRODUCT PORTFOLIO DESIGNED FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

HELPING YOU COMPETE

SUPPORT FROM AN EXPERT TEAM

SWIFT PROBLEM RESOLUTION

AN UNRIVALLED BOOKING PLATFORM

COMMERCIAL TERMS THAT DRIVE GROWTH

A HUGE SELECTION OF HOTELS, ACTIVITIES, CAR RENTALS AND TRANSFERS.

F O L LO W U S: fb.com/BedsonlineUKIE

Accommodation Bedsonline

Bedsonline is part of Hotelbeds, so both you and your clients can have peace of mind when booking with us. With over 40 years’ experience serving the travel trade, we have combined the leading retail travel brands, following the integration of GTA and Tourico Holidays, to create a partner with the knowledge and industry experience to support your growth.

Bedsonline customers are now able to benefit from an exclusive and enhanced product portfolio of hotels, a significant proportion of which are directly contracted, while offering an unrivalled selection of destination experiences, transfers and car rentals to match our global hotel portfolio.

www.bedsonline.com

Our head office is located on the sunny island of Majorca.

We have over 10,000 staff supporting travel agents worldwide and your local sales manager is Ian Richardson.

Sales Manager Ireland Ian Richardson M 086 020 3753 E irichardson@bedsonline.com

Bedsonline - your 360° partner to help your business grow We know that to excel in the ever-changing travel landscape, you need a partner in business that is much more than just a booking engine. We also realise what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of travel and we are totally committed to helping you shine.

Top 10 reasons to book with Bedsonline 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Our global team of contractors on the ground build strong relationships with our hotels, which means that travel agents get exclusive offers and competitive prices for customers, as well as improved service levels. What’s more, Travel Centres agents will earn 15% commission on most of our hotel product and occasionally 10% on some of the chain hotels like Hilton and Accor.

We have the most powerful and userfriendly booking platform, which has been designed exclusively for travel agents.

We have over 40 years’ travel trade experience which means we have all our industry know-how at your disposal to help your business grow.

We are part of Hotelbeds, the number one global B2B travel service provider. We have local teams on the ground that understand the needs of your market.

Get access to a product portfolio that provides everything your customers are looking for.

We are a one stop shop for travel – activities, transfers and car rentals.

We have regional customer service centres that speak your language, as well as 24hrs a day, 365 days a year on the road support helping customers should any issue arise.

All bookings can be cancelled or amended online via the Bedsonline website. Should you need to contact us then please use the information below:

Call Centre T 01 541 0139 E amendments@bedsonline.com Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am until 6:00pm Saturday 9:00am until 2:00pm 24Hr Emergency in resort number: +34 971 211 630

8. Our commercial terms help you grow quicker and maximise revenues.

9. We have attractive incentives that reward loyalty.

10. We are committed to delivering best-in-class product photos and descriptions in many languages.

What’s more, the NEW enhanced Bedsonline platform now offers a diverse and competitive product portfolio with over 180k hotels globally available (with over 90k of those directly sourced), 24k transfer routes and 18k activities, PLUS 140k cars available for hire allowing you to optimize your revenue with our extensive activities, transfer and car rental portfolio. Combined with attractive offers and discounts, you won’t be short of choice.

We are your 360° travel partner, providing you with a huge range of travel products to cover all your customer’s needs.

What are you waiting for? Join us now on www.bedsonline.com.

43

Accommodation Bookabed.ie

About us: About us: Bookabed is Ireland’s award winning accommodation online wholesaler providing global content exclusively to the travel trade. We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service, which is all backed up by our Irish call centre staff and our Business Development Team who are always on hand to assist you with any of your needs. www.bookabed.ie

What’s new for 2020:

Sales/Marketing

2019 has been a very successful year for Bookabed allowing us to maintain our strong market share in the Irish, Northern Irish and UK sectors. Our low deposit long haul flight+hotel packages proved hugely popular and with new additions made to the site such has our new “Multi Stop” tab has resulted in some fantastic rates at a low deposit of as little as ¤50 per person. The addition of more staff to our dedicated flight and hotel reservation section allows you to dynamic package any number of destinations via the Bookabed website or by phone/email with our hugely experienced team.

As a B2B supplier we only advertise pricing and promotions by the use of banner adverts on our site or email /e-zines to our agency database.

We have enhanced the booking experience by changing the look and feel of our website and adding the “Anywhere” search tab has proved very popular with the agents. If you have not used it yet, it allows all agents to search multiple destinations for European Sun Holiday or European City Break packages (and now USA packages) in just one click.

This excellent tool works brilliantly in conjunction with the various filters on the site and now features lead in prices for each destination via the “Region” filter. This is ideal for advertising specials in your agency window, on your website or social media.

New additions now include our latest “Car Hire” tab. This allows agents to book car hire during the booking process or on its own to a variety of worldwide destinations and is a fantastic addition to the website. Other additions for 2020 include more direct contracts with popular hotel chains resulting in some fantastic prices on accommodation.

Staff Incentives

Reservations: T 01 485 2580 Groups: E groups@bookabed.ie Accounts: E accounts@bookabed.ie Administration: E info@bookabed.ie Customer Service: E complaints@booked.ie F 01 285 0649

Voucher promotions, concerts and fam trips.

Please ensure that you check our site or sign up to our newsletter for more info.

Agent Concessions We offer all Travel Centres members discounted rate on their own bookings.

Training/Fams Bookabed partake in any Travel Centres training programmes where possible. Individual training can be arranged with our Business Development Team when required. We also endeavour to do a number of fam trips each year.

Cancellation Policy As per our agency Terms and Conditions and are stipulated at time of booking and on your confirmation documentation.

We will always do our best to assist in cancellation charges where possible.

Unique Selling points:

Credit Terms:

We support the trade! Our wholesale rates are only offered to travel agents. We do not compete against travel agents in the b2c environment.

Post Departure as per agency terms with Travel Centres based on Sepa Direct Debit Core scheme (Speak to Lee for more details).

Destinations served

General Information:

Global hotel, flight and transfer content.

Bookabed enjoys a long established working relationship with Travel Centres and feel that the value proposition is mutually beneficial for all members. We feel our standards, pricing and best practices are fully in line with Travel Centres ethos. We offer generous commercial terms of which the details can be provided on request or can be accessed through the Travel Centres agent Intranet system. Our commercial terms are strictly private and confidential and we ask that you do not provide any third party any access to its content or access to our password protected booking engine. Failure to adhere to this confidentiality may result in these enhanced commercial terms being withdrawn without notice.

Target Audience We only operate in the b2b environment.

CO-OP Policy Bookabed are happy to work with agents on regional promotions whereby we will co-sponsor targeted destinations or hotel campaigns. Campaigns must be agreed in advance.

Pricing Policy We constantly strive to provide the most competitive pricing policy and offer price-matching where possible.

45

www.expedia.ie/TAAP

taexpediaie@atts.ie

(0)1 517 1525

Accommodation Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Programme (TAAP)

The Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Programme (TAAP) offers agents a wide breadth of quality travel products, competitive rates and impressive availability. The ready-built platform is constantly optimized to drive ease of use and deliver a worldclass booking experience. Expedia TAAP’s industry-leading technology, personalized service and access to unique inventory and planning tools empower agents and agency managers to grow their business.

New features • New UI for Hotel Only Booking search

www.expedia.ie/TAAP

Tips and hints:

Contact details: Sales & Marketing T (01) 517 1525 Option 1 E taexpediaie@atts.ie

• Member Only Deals for Hotel only bookings • For Silver, Gold and Platinum Affiliates, don’t forget to tick Show Me Package Rates to save 15% off on average on hotel bookings

Why Expedia TAAP • Open to all travel agents • Free registration • Book with one of the world’s largest online travel providers • “One stop shop” – multiple travel products available on one website • Over 600,000 hotels, 500+ airlines, 175+ car hire suppliers, 35,000+ activities and • tailor made packages • Offer your clients the same rates they see on Expedia or better • Dedicated local support for ad-hoc queries and/or in-house trainings • Earn incentives • Amazing deals and last minute offers • “Message Hotel” directly on Expedia TAAP • Dedicated call centre to assist with booking amendments, cancellations and after sales service • Save more on accommodation with Package Rates • Added value to your clients by adding activities and ground transfers to the bookings • Dynamic Incentive Model for Hotel Only bookings to maximize your incentives • Global customer operations • Safe partnership with Expedia TAAP • Impressive rates & last-minute availability

Opening hours: Mon - Fri 9:00 - 17:00 Booking assistance: T (01) 517 1525 Option 2 Opening hours: 24/7 For further information about registering or agent commissions please contact our business development partner in Ireland:

ATTS Travel Representation Solutions Tel: (01) 517 1525 Option 1 or taexpediaie@atts.ie

47

Stay Curious

Through thoughtful touches and local experiences, INNSiDE is challenging convention with dynamic hotels that are at the very forefront of modern travel.

Accommodation INNSiDE by Melia

Discover Urban Lifestyle at INNSiDE by Meliá: INNSiDE by Meliá is a collection of urban lifestyle hotels offering the perfect place to stay whether you’re looking for exclusive luxury, a family holiday or a business trip. Combining sleek style with a range of experiences that go far beyond the ordinary, these dynamic lifestyle hotels have been meticulously designed to meet the demands of the modern traveller.

Set in diverse and unique locations, this accessible range of lifestyle hotels are ideal for the curious and savvy traveller. Founded in 1993, INNSiDE began in Germany, with the aim of seamlessly flexing the boundaries between work and play.

When Meliá Hotels International acquired the brand in 2007, new properties were opened across wider Europe and also in New York and Yogyakarta.

With a focus on ‘bleisure’ and an understanding that a work trip isn’t all about work, INNSiDE has always been in tune to how guests think, feel and travel, whether they’re booking for business or a beach break. From poolside lounging in Palma and the cobbled streets of Prague to the soaring skyscrapers of New York, there are so many incredible options to choose from, with plenty more coming soon.

Here are just a few extra touches that await you when you stay at an INNSiDE by Meliá property.

Local and cultural activities Explore the cultural wonders of your destination and prepare to be inspired by events curated by in-the-know experts, together with local music, art and literature.

www.meliapro.com T 01 437 2381 e antia.rivas@melia.com e beja.foretia@melia.com

INFIT Stay fit and healthy in the state-of-the-art fitness spaces, where the digital fitness software, INFIT, lets you work out whenever you choose.

Reimagined meeting spaces INNSiDE by Meliá’s creative and multi-functional meeting rooms are full of smart ideas and sustainable touches that can be arranged to meet your needs.

In-room perks With complimentary organic drinks in every room, you’ll never go thirsty during your stay.

Sustainability Expect plenty of environmentally friendly touches too, including refillable organic toiletries and the use of sustainable bed linens and towels. You can also enjoy handcrafted tipples and treats during your stay, with some available to buy and take home with you.

49

WHY JAMES VILLAS? We have villas to suit 2 to 20 people Choose from 3100 villas across 60 destinations Expert help & support on hand from our Villa Managers Free air conditioning, Wi-Fi, cots and highchairs

THE

LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A

34 ABTA No.W3940

Trapezaki Bay View, Kefalonia

BIG HOLIDAY

JAMESVILLAS.CO.UK

0800 074 0377

Accommodation James Villas

As the UK’s leading villa holiday experts, James Villa Holidays knows a thing or two about creating dream getaways. We focus on the little things, and what they add up to for both you and your customers. Our aim is to design holidays so neither or your customer have to worry about a thing!

Why book with James?

• • • •

3100 villas across 60 destinations Flexible durations & dates 3-28 nights Villa managers in hand in most destinations Majority of pools are heated free of charge in winter sun destinations

Choosing the right villa Whether your customer is looking for a taste of the villa lifestyle without breaking the bank, or the height of luxury for their holiday – finding the perfect home away from home couldn’t be easier. It’s just another little thing we take care of!

We have a wide choice of villas, but finding the one doesn’t have to be a difficult.

With locations to suit everyone ranging from amazing beach side breaks to scenic rural retreats, we offer a huge selection of villas apartments and town-houses that sleep from 2 to 20 people. We are continually expanding our destinations so we have your customer’s favourite or the one soon to be discovered. Family gathering, all out luxury, privacy required, a value getaway in the sun, or just a base to explore – whatever the customer needs, we have a villa to suit.

Need some inspiration to help choose the perfect villa?

Looking for a pool with a view, a villa in the centre of the action, or a property that sleeps a large group? James can recommend villas to suit you. Browse through our villas that have that specific something you’re looking for at: https://www.jamesvillas.ie/our-villa-collection/jamesrecommends

Brochures

jamesvillas.ie/agents Call our friendly Travel Advisers E agentadmin@jamesvillas.co.uk T +44 (0)152 452 97 Monday-Friday 9am-8pm Saturday- 9am-6pm Sunday- 10am-5pm

Top 10 Tips for Selling James Villas 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Brochure requests can be made via RTS. 9.

10.

Our full collection is available to book online today – log onto our Agent Portal for weekly offers, selling tools, help and support.

We offer villas with great pools, amazing views, and fantastic villa living space. Customers can choose 1 – 10 bed villas with no under occupancy supplements.

Properties are hand-picked by villa experts so they’re located in the best spots with different car hire options – car essential, advised and optional.

We work with top car hire suppliers to offer your customers car hire options all with zero excess.

We book the whole package – your customers can choose flight options with the flexibility of regional departures.

Your customers can choose flight options departing from any airport including low cost, scheduled and charter airlines.

Full price parity All villas have portable or built in BBQ’s for al fresco dining in the true villa style All our villas pass our health and safety checks and quality standards.

The website has a fantastic filter system to make searching for that perfect villa easy as 1,2,3

51

Free Call: 1800 939 130 Sales: start@stuba.com Support: help@stuba.com AWARD WINNING ACCOMMODATION WHOLESALER SINCE 1991

WOW, IT’S A GAME CHANGER

GETABED HAVE BECOME STUBA. IT’S GETABED, BUT BETTER.

THIS IS NOT FAKE NEWS

THEY STILL OFFER SAME GREAT SERVICE FROM THEIR UK CALL CENTRE AND PROVIDE ME WITH ALCOHOL… SUPPORT, I MEAN 24x7 SUPPORT

…STILL THE SAME FANTASTIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT TEAM!

ARRRGGGHHHH… I CAN’T GET AWAY FROM THEM STUBA OFFERS FANTASTIC COMMISSIONS AND AWESOME PRICING. FINALLY, RATINGS FROM A TRAVEL AGENT FOR A TRAVEL AGENT!

SMART SEARCH OPTIONS – DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE TO DRESS UP TO SEARCH? IT’S ALL BECOME CLEAR TO ME NOW

HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU KID OUR RETINA FEATURE OFFERS ONE CLICK AND YOUR SCREEN CHANGES TO SHOW YOUR LOGO.

...OUR REVIEWS COME FROM MULTIPLE REVIEW SITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

I’M JUST GOING TO PUT MY FEET UP STUBA ARE DOING ALL MY WORK FOR ME

...STUBA’S HIGH QUALITY IMAGES AND IMPROVED HOTEL INFORMATION ARE SECOND TO NONE. SHARING IS CARING...

THE STUBA Q-PUSH FUNCTION SENDS CUSTOMERS QUOTES WITH IMAGES AND INFORMATION VIA EMAIL.

SO WE’VE GIVEN YOU TOP 10 REASONS TO WORK WITH STUBA… WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? JUST LET US KNOW.

Accommodation Stuba

Stuba is the new brand following the merger of getabed and roomsXML. Stuba.com is an accommodation wholesaler exclusively for the trade, offering over 100,000 properties around the world, at competitive rates available in real time.

Tell me more about Stuba…

www.stuba.com

You will get unrivalled access to the best hotel rates and availability, thanks to our unique mix of static, dynamic, exclusive rates thanks to our direct contracts. In addition we are directly connected with most leading global and regional hotel chains to ensure the best breadth of product.

Contact: Angela Muir Head of Sales UK & Ireland E angelam@getabed.co.uk T +44 (0)7903 035 238

Our smart search function offers filters not only by the usual star ratings, location and price but we go a step further to offer filters by lifestyle; so luxury, business, romance etc… in fact up to 20 different lifestyle filters! Plus our new and latest filter on the back of agent feedback is a board basis filter.

John McKibbin Business Development Manager, Ireland E johnm@getabed.eu T 086 989 5394

Retina is our retail interface; with one click your screen changes to show your logo so you can confidently flip your screen to face your customers.

Our Q Push function helps you to submit quotations with property images and information via email directly from our booking panel.

Stuba reviews are aggregated not only from multiple review websites, but we also trawl social media to get the best overall review. Not only that, we have an agent rating system which then offers you a ‘Preferred by Agents’ Our customer support is unrivalled. We have an online CRM that offers customer support at the click of the button, you can also reach us 24/7 should the unexpected occur through our offices in the UK, India or Romania. We intend to set industry standards on our query turnaround time!

This sounds great, how do I sign up?

If you are not already working with us, what are you waiting for? Our platform offers the latest next generation features and enhancements that we feel confident will help agents become more successful. If you should have any queries, John McKibbin will assist you with any queries you may have, large or small.

To sign up, email start@stuba.com and we’ll take you through the next steps.

There are so many more benefits to using Stuba than we can list here. As they say, the proof is in the pudding so have a chat with your Account Manager, John McKibbin and make the move! For the latest updates you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

At Stuba, we remain 100% trade only, ensuring that you have our total commitment and focus, so we can provide you with the right tools to win more business. Our travel partners will remain at the heart of everything we do; we are still small enough to remain personal and reactive to your demands.

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TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS

Accommodation Teldar Travel

Teldar Travel is a B2B booking platform dedicated to travel professionals. Thanks to its expertise and in-house cuttingedge technology, the platform offers the widest range of accommodations in the market. With a direct connection to the Accor Group’s inventory, Teldar Travel offers more than 1,000,000 accommodations including alternative types, and a wide range of products and services activities, transfers and car rental. www.milesattack.com www.teldartravel.com Teldar Travel Offer • Teldar Travel works exclusively with travel professionals: the group today already serves more than 500 corporate customers and 20,000 leisure travel businesses.

• An intuitive and easy booking experience with the most advanced filters in the market.

• A global offering in real time: complete your reservation in only a few clicks and get the possibility to add services or products even when your reservation is already completed • Direct connection to Accor • 100% traveller satisfaction • An exclusive service control with reconfirmation of hotel reservations 48 hours before check-in • Traveller’s assistance is available 24/7 to support you and your customer in every situation • The most advanced technology in the market: Teldar Travel owns its technology and has its own IT department • Easy additional revenue with ancillary sales with Teldar Activity, Teldar Car and Teldar Transfer • A dedicated and experienced local field sales team supporting your local growth

Head of Region Miya Gilritchie E miya.gilritchie@teldartravel.com T +44 (0)7553 676 106 Customer Service E info.ie@teldartravel.com T 076 670 5806 Traveller Emergency 24/7 T 076 670 5807 After Sales E aftersales.ie@teldartravel.com T 076 670 5808

Teldar Travel products Accommodations: The largest and most diverse portfolio with 1,000,000 accommodations available in real time, including 200,000 alternative types.

Teldar Activity: Book over 8,800+ activities in more than 1,000 destinations.

Teldar Transfer: Private and shuttle transfers in more than 1,000 destinations.

Teldar Car: Access to 5,000,000 vehicles available to rent around the world.

Miles Attack: Europe’s leading loyalty program offering rewards to travel professionals for every single booking year round!

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Airlines Aegean

Greek passion and culture pervade everything that we do at AEGEAN and as member of Star Alliance, it’s this unique service offering that is now recognised by more than 14 million passengers across 44 countries, flying to 120 international destinations. Welcome to our world.

Your Greek story starts with AEGEAN AIRLINES Think of Greece and images of mysterious ruins, welcoming culture, beautiful islands, the deep blue sea and the jewel in the crown, Athens – a capital city buzzing with energy day and night will jump into your mind’s eye. What better way to get to this incredible country than with the airline that knows Greece best?

AEGEAN understands Greece better than any other airline.

Operating under a promise of “Greek hospitality in the skies,” everything we do, from the welcome customers receive when they walk on board the aircraft to the complimentary inflight Greek cuisine and beverages served with a smile; is tailored to ensure people arrive relaxed and ready to create stories and memories to last a lifetime.

As AEGEAN reflects on the past 20 years, we also look forward to a new era that will see the arrival of 46 stateof-the-art Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. An investment not only in the success and continued growth of AEGEAN, but a pledge to always deliver the very best to our passengers.

AEGEAN voted Best Regional Airline in Europe by Skytrax For the ninth consecutive year, and the tenth time in eleven years, AEGEAN has been voted Best Regional Airline in Europe for the quality of its services according to a worldwide passenger survey We are thrilled that our commitment to unrivalled Greek hospitality in the skies and impeccable service is being recognised by passengers at the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards. The World Airline Awards are the most coveted Quality accolades for the airline industry, often referred to as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, and are a global benchmark of airline excellence.

This Skytrax award is a badge of excellence and in winning it 9 times in a row AEGEAN has made it proof of consistency and a guarantee that your clients will always be looked after to the highest of standards.

Fly Dublin to Athens direct with AEGEAN When you’re flying to Greece, it’s not enough to just get you there. It all starts the moment you step onboard your AEGEAN flight and immerse yourself in the truly unique Greek ambience and high-quality service.

Lynda Betsch, Victoria Bray, Caroline Cairns, Zoe Zafeiriou and Dimitrios Baloutsas are your AEGEAN contacts. We are based in London and Athens and can be contacted by email 24/7.

Sales Team E SalesUK@aegeanair.com Sales Support and Group Desk E UKSalesSupport@aegeanair.com T +44 (0)208 759 3800 Travel Trade information pages: https://en.about.aegeanair.com/travel-agents/ E-learning site: www.aegeanexperts.com Sit back, relax and welcome to the world of AEGEAN where complimentary and authentic Greek inspired cuisine is served on all international flights. Indulge in a selection of complimentary sommelier-selected Greek wines, beer, non-alcoholic beverages or a comforting tea or coffee. The AEGEAN Cabin Crew are not only highly skilled and trained, they represent the warmth, generosity and hospitality that Greece is so famous for.

AEGEAN has been connecting Dublin to Greece since 2016 and frequencies have been increasing year on year.

AEGEAN operates up to 4 direct AEGEAN flights weekly between Dublin and Athens.

Twice weekly flights operate through to 17th January 2020 and then continue from 2nd March 2020, making Athens a great new alternative as a shoulder season city break destination.

But why believe everything you read? Contact our sales team and ask about our great Winter travel agent fares and try out our award-winning service for yourself!

Athens and beyond with AEGEAN AEGEAN is a full-service scheduled airline offering seamless connections to over 30 domestic destinations in Greece.Bags are checked through to the final destination, connections through Athens International airport are easy and efficient, the minimum connecting time is just 40 minutes.So, whether it be Santorini or Naxos, Corfu or Milos, Rhodes or Samos, AEGEAN will take care of your customers all the way. Since joining AEGEAN in 2013, OLYMPIC AIR operates all of our domestic routes including Athens-Larnaca.

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Flying direct to 14 destinations across North America Tel 01 886 6686 Email traveltrade@aerlingus.com Facebook Aer Lingus Travel Trade

Airlines Aer Lingus

Our short-haul network

Our North American network

• Five flexible fare options and four easy ways to check-in.

• Our Economy Class includes free meals, inflight entertainment and flexible luggage allowance.

• Award-winning inflight service and pre-assigned seating.

• Direct flights to central airports.

• Best choice for flights between Ireland and Great Britain.

• AerClub is our loyalty programme – collect Avios on every flight.

• AerSpace is our new premium travel experience. The middle seat is always free, plus guests get private overhead storage, lounge access, priority boarding and more.

Boston Chicago Hartford Los Angeles, Miami Minneapolis–St. Paul Newark New York (JFK) Orlando Philadelphia San Francisco Seattle Washington D.C. Toronto

• When guests fly to North America, they preclear U.S. Immigration before they board their flight across the Atlantic – saving them time upon landing stateside.

• Business Class guests are invited to use 51st&Green, the U.S. Preclearance lounge in Dublin Airport, after clearing U.S. Customs and Immigration.

• Our award-winning Business Class cabin offers lie-flat beds, 16” HD TV screens, top quality inflight entertainment, complimentary Wi-Fi* and luxury dining.

• On arrival from North America, Business Class guests can freshen up with a hot shower in the Revival Lounge at Dublin Airport.

*A330 and A321NeoLR aircraft only

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ACHIEVING NEW HEIGHTS At Air Canada, we take great pride in bringing Canada to the world.

Our airline is aiming higher and reaching further to represent the spirit of our great nation known for its caring people. Our objective is to make you proud of us through our commitment to enhanced service and rigorous attention to detail. It’s at the core of our pursuit of a great flight experience. Our customers and the world need more Canada and we are honoured to bring it to them. We look forward to you joining us above the clouds again soon! #FlyTheFlag

Airlines Air Canada

Air Canada is proud to be a preferred supplier to Travel Centres in Ireland.

Experience true Canadian hospitality the moment you step onboard our nonstop year round service from DublinToronto and seasonal services from Dublin-Montreal, Dublin-Vancouver and Shannon-Toronto. Connecting flights are also available right across the Americas. All flights from Ireland have seat back TVs and complimentary meal and beverage service. Signature Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class cabins are available on all Dublin flights and Premium Economy and Economy class on our Shannon-Toronto service. Air Canada is a 4 star Skytrax airline and has won the Skytrax Best Airline North America for 2019,2018 and 2017.

2020 Routes and Aircraft From 29th March 2020 Air Canada’s year-round DublinToronto will feature the Dreamliner Boeing 787 product.

Dublin-Montreal and Dublin-Vancouver return in May 2020 until mid-October 2020 with both on A330 aircraft in 3 cabins with Montreal switching from July-September 2020 to a Dreamliner Boeing 787 aircraft. Shannon-Toronto returns on 29th May until October 2020 featuring 2 cabins Premium Economy and Economy class.

Fare types Air Canada flights have a range of fares designed to suit your clients’ needs and budget. Basic fares are non-changeable and non-refundable and do not include a checked baggage allowance. The fare basis code for a basic fare ends in LGT. If your client does want to bring checked baggage they are better opting for a Standard, Flex or Latitude fare which all include one 23kg checked bag.

Family benefits Travelling with the family on Air Canada need not be painful.

Children’s meals can be pre ordered and free advance seating is provided automatically through your GDS 48 hours after ticketing once the standard child formats including date of birth are appended to the booking. Kids travel packs are available on board and families with children under 6 can pre board the aircraft.

Signature Class Signature Class, Air Canada’s International Business Class product is available on all Dublin-Canada services.

Featuring lie flat pod style beds, a premium meal service from chef David Hawksworth and selected wines from our sommelier Veronique Rivest, Signature Class is designed to ensure your clients arrive refreshed. In addition to our onboard service Signature Class, guests can avail of a generous checked luggage allowance of 2 x 32kg bags, priority checkin, priority baggage and priority boarding.

Our team of Concierges in Dublin and Canada are on hand to ensure that your clients’ airport travel journey is smooth and our Signature Suite in Toronto provides an exclusive haven with Cocktail bar, a la carte dining and premium amenities prior to your flight to Dublin.

www.aircanada.com Reservations (published fare assistance, seating, special assistance etc): T 00 800 669 922 22 Sales support: T 01.9446170 E salessupport.ie@aircanada.ca Groups E groups.ie@aircanada.ca Sales Manager Ireland Blaithin O’Donnell E blaithin.odonnell@aircanada.ca

Premium Economy Class Premium Economy class is available on all flights from Ireland to Canada. Featuring a separate cabin, spacious seats, enhanced dining and bar options, priority airport services and a 2 x 23kg checked baggage allowance Premium Economy is an ideal choice for leisure travellers who want an extra level of comfort or budget conscious corporate travellers.

Economy Class International Air Canada offers complimentary hot meals and bar service on board all flights from Ireland to Canada. In addition, all flights have seat back TVs and complimentary headsets.

Standard fares include one 23kg checked bag and a 10kg cabin baggage item.

Group bookings Air Canada offers group fares for over 10 passengers travelling together. No deposit is necessary and cancellations are permitted within the cancellation windows. For full details contact our groups department on groups.ie@aircanada.ca

Cuba Air Canada with our leisure airline Air Canada Rouge flies to several Cuban airports from Canada. All our fares include the Cuban Tourist card which is handed out on board and the traveller fills in themselves.

Flying to the US via Canada When flying to the US via Canada all travellers complete US Customs and Border protection screening at the Canadian airport (eg: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal) so your passengers will arrive domestically in the US.

ETA for Canada Eligible passengers should apply for a Canadian ETA. www. canada.ca/eta. The fee is currently CAD$7 and lasts 5 years or to the expiry of your passport. Canadian citizens (even those with dual nationality) or those who have been resident in Canada and who have not revoked their PR status must travel with their Canadian passport, a PR card or a PR travel document. Full information at canada.ca under immigration and citizenship.

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Club Club Suite.

Suite. A A new new class class of of business business class. class.

From luxurious new bedding to the privacy of your own From luxurious new bedding to the privacy of your own door, Club Suite redefines business class. Passengers can door, Club Suite redefines business class. Passengers can experience it for themselves on selected flights. experience it for themselves on selected flights.

Club Suite. A new class of business class.

Discover more at ba.com Discover more at ba.com

From luxurious new bedding to the privacy of your own door, Club Suite redefines business class. Passengers can experience it for themselves on selected flights. * Available only on certain destinations * Available only on certain destinations

Discover more at ba.com

Airlines British Airways

British Airways connecting Ireland to the world

batraveltrade.com t 1890 709 999

The latest addition - We are proud to welcome the Airbus 350-1000 into our fleet. Our newest aircraft will be more environmentally friendly and the first to premiere our new Club World cabin - Club Suite.

Key Partnership Manager, Ireland Tara Magee, E tara.a.magee@ba.com

The suite life - We’ve completely reimagined our Club World cabin - the new Club Suite will premier on the A3501000. Unwind in your own personal space to sit, sleep, work, or relax. Take advantage of luxurious bedding by The White Company, a new personalised service, and a restaurant style dining experience.

BA Travel Trade Factsheet

Sit back and relax - British Airways customers can enjoy access to new partner lounges across a number of European destinations. The use of the third-party owned partner lounges is part of British Airways’ multi-million pound investment, with the aim of offering access to more lounges across the globe.

What to Expect on Board?

Premium economy (World Traveller Plus) offers greater choice and quality, with seasonal menus created using the finest locally-sourced ingredients.

• A complimentary drink before you fly • Newly crafted menus, with high quality seasonal ingredients • Choice of three delicious main meals • A second delicious hot snack or light meal before you land • Complimentary bar service with a choice of signature cocktails (or mocktail), hot drinks, juices and water served throughout the flight Personal flat screen and noise-cancelling headphones for every customer, so lose yourself in our huge library of new releases.

• Hundreds of the latest films, programmes, music, audio books and games • Noise-cancelling headphones • An on-demand service on most flights letting you choose what you want, when you want it

Executive Club The customer name on the booking must match their Executive Club Member’s profile for Avios/Tier Points to be awarded correctly. If you receive a message in your GDS advising that the booking name does not match the membership card name, you will need to update these to match the Executive Club account. If your customer has an issue with missing Avios, they will need to log in to their account and follow the process advised. Due to data protection laws you will not be able to action any membership issues on their behalf unless they have opted to nominate you on the account. https://www. britishairways.com/traveltrade/loyalty/executive-club/ enrol-your-customers Groups Groups are 10 or more people* travelling in economy, seven or more people* travelling in premium economy or business or four or more people* travelling in First with us or our partners. *Excluding infants under 2 years of age at time of travel AGM (Amadeus Groups Manager) is our Groups tool which handles all existing and new British Airways Group bookings for our trade partners. It has improved the way we manage our Groups inventory and booking processes and enables you to obtain Group quotes via your own GDS rather than queue for quotation.

On Business On Business is a unique loyalty programme designed to help you and your customers’ companies make the most of their travel budget. Every time a customer travels they can accumulate On Business points which can be redeemed for valuable travel benefits. If they are member of the Executive Club or of any oneworld® partner’s frequent flyer programme, they will also personally benefit.

Ticketing Authority To be eligible for ticketing authority, you must be an IATA accredited travel agent appointed to act as a British Airways’ agent for the sale of air passenger transportation.

The application webform and further details can be found on batraveltrade.com

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3

DUBLIN - ZAGREB Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday

Ireland and UK agents’ Group requests: groups.uk@croatiaairlines.hr Ireland and UK agents' Sales support: irma.mchardy@croatiaairlines.hr +44 7767 685400

Airlines Croatia Airlines

Croatia Airlines, the Croatian national carrier, takes great pride in the fact that this year is marking the company’s 30th anniversary.

Over the last three decades, offering services in the transport of passengers and cargo in scheduled and charter transport, Croatia Airlines has grown into a European airline that is recognized for its safety, professional staff and service.

The moment our passsengers step on board of Croatia Airlines aircraft their love affair with Croatia will begin.

Helsinki Oslo

Stockholm

St. Petersburg

Dublin Copenhagen

Amsterdam

London

Berlin Dusseldorf

Brussels Paris

Frankfurt

Prague

Munich

Vienna

ZĂźrich Lyon

Milan Venice

Zagreb

Pula

Lisbon

Barcelona

Osijek Belgrade Sarajevo

Bucharest

Rijeka

Zadar Split Bol Mostar Dubrovnik

Rome

Skopje

Athens

Tel Aviv

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T H E N O R D I C WAY

FLY THE SHORT NORTHERN ROUTE SHORT ROUTES AND SMOOTH CONNECTIONS ON YOUR WAY BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA.

Our Northern heritage has shaped the way we think.

We know the value of personal space, privacy and simplicity. Feel it yourself and book your flights at finnair.com or contact your local travel agent

Airlines Finnair

About Us: Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than twelve million passengers annually. Finnair’s extensive network connects 20 cities in Asia and 8 cities in North America with over 100 destinations in Europe. www.finnair.ie The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, was the first European airline to fly the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and it is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past ten years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world’s leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.

Trade support T + 353 (0) 1 882 8680 E Finnair@atts.ie Reservations T +353 (0)1 695 0015 (local network charge) Open Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sat-Sun and public holidays 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

What’s new for 2019

Why book with Finnair

• Double daily flights to Hong Kong with A350 year-round service • Add capacity on the Nagoya route by flying with A350 • Increase capacity to Guangzhou by flying with A350 and make it as year-round service • Launch the 5th destination in Japan – Sapporo from 2019/2020 winter • New codeshare agreement with Juneyao Airline • New codeshare agreement with China Southern Airline • Operate new flights to Beijing’s new airport – Daxing Airport from 03rd Nov 2019, which makes Finnair fly to Beijing with up to 10 flights weekly • Launch the 2nd destination in South Korea – Busan from March 2020

• Finnair offers the short northern route between Europe and Asia • Helsinki Airport is one of the most efficient airports in the world with minimum 40mins connection time • Best Airline in Northern European for the 10th year in a row by Skytrax • Eco-smart airline • Oneworld partne • Finnair offers a hand baggage only ticket type on selected North Atlantic routes • Finnair launches a new digital service to attract international travellers to Finland and the Nordics • Finnair introduces new Business Class amenities by Marimekko • Finnair introduces CO2 offsetting and biofuel service for customers

For any additional information, please contact our GSA in Ireland ATTS Travel Representation Solutions

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Airlines KLM

As the world’s oldest airline and the global leader when it comes to sustainability (we recently ranked number 1 in the 2019 Dow Jones Sustainability Index) we are working hard to make every aspect of our business as environmentally friendly as possible. But we need to do more. And we cannot do it alone. Which is why we kindly invite all parties to join us, and the many KLM passengers who have already supported us in our pursuit, by compensating their CO2 footprint with our CO2ZERO service. Let’s join forces for creating a sustainable future.

The most impactful solution: sustainable fuel Currently, the most impactful change on behalf of the environment is using sustainable fuel, which reduces the CO2 emissions from each flight by up to 85%. In 2009 we started with the development of sustainable fuel, in 2011 we did the first commercial flight on biofuel, and in 2012 we launched the Corporate Biofuel Programme for corporations.

Today we use 57 times more sustainable fuel than we used in 2011. However, the production of sustainable fuel is still far below what is needed.

We will soon be realising the first sustainable fuel plant in the Netherlands with SkyNRG. The plant will run on regional, organic waste streams such as used cooking oil and residue from other industries in the Benelux region.

Together we can make your business trip more sustainable KLM is not alone in its desire to do business in a more sustainable way – many companies do, in all kinds of industries. We partner with these companies to stimulate the availability of sustainable aviation fuel on a larger scale and to help make it economically more competitive to fossil kerosene. By partnering in the KLM Corporate BioFuel Programme, they pay a fee that covers the difference in costs between kerosene and sustainable fuel. Our current partners include ABN AMRO, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Arcadis.

Smaller carbon footprint, more forests For almost ten years, we’ve been offering a simple service to compensate for your personal share of the CO2 emissions of your flight. Our CO2ZERO service makes it possible to travel in a CO2-neutral

For more information visit:

www.flyresponsibly.com way and is available as you book or before the flight via MyTrip on the KLM website or in the KLM app. Since 2017, KLM has invested in growing 500 hectares of tropical forest with contributions from passengers.

The CO2 reduction projects are sustainably certified by Gold Standard and they also promote the local workforce.

To a more sustainable future, step by step Every day, we look for new ways to make just about every aspect of our business more sustainable.

Here are some examples of our progress: • 14 kinds of waste are recycled on each flight • The main ingredients in our catering are responsibly sourced • Old uniforms are upcycled as aircraft cabin carpets • Paper-free cockpits save 15,000 sheets of paper every day • Our CO2ZERO service allows passengers to compensate for their personal share of CO2 emissions of their flight. Resulting in the reforestation of 500 hectares since 2017.

Fly Responsibly is KLM’s commitment to taking a leading role in creating a more sustainable future for aviation. With the introduction of Fly Responsibly, we’re making the world aware of our shared responsibility. We can only succeed if we work together, so join us today for a more sustainable tomorrow.

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Travel professionals, prepare for takeoff Welcome to United’s business portal Self-Service Travel Management

The complete control you’ve always wanted.

Access customer travel logs, manage transactions, and make all the changes you need, directly from your computer or tablet Customise security levels to your liking with robust user management and permissions.

Access traveller services with a few easy clicks.

Issue United Club Memberships and Passes, assign upgrades including Economy Plus and MileagePlus seating or waive penalty fees.

Traveller Amenity Funds put you in control of your contractual funds.

Register today at: jetstream.united.com

Airlines United

This year United Airlines is marking 20 years of its nonstop service from Dublin and Shannon to New York/Newark.

Since 1998, our service has allowed our customers to take advantage of our extensive route network from our New York/Newark hub that today offers over 75 nonstop connections across the US, Canada and Mexico. In addition United offers its customers from Ireland nonstop flights on a seasonal basis from Dublin to Washington/ Dulles and Chicago.

What’s new at United?

Introducing United® Premium Plus Throughout 2019 and 2020, United will continue to roll out more of United’s Premium Plus seats. The full United® Premium Plus experience will be offered on select international flights, and will give you more space, comfort and amenities. You’ll enjoy upgraded dining on china dinnerware, free alcoholic beverages, a Saks Fifth Avenue blanket and pillow, an amenity kit and more.

Latest United Polaris Lounge openings Customers traveling in United Polaris® business and first class will be able to relax and dine before their travels in the new United Polaris lounge at New York/Newark (EWR) situated between Gates C102 and C120. At over 27,000 square feet, the lounge boasts 15 different types of seating for up to 455 travelers, and comes equipped with 570 power outlets, 450 USB ports, 10 private daybeds and 10 luxurious shower suites.

The opening of the United Polaris lounge at EWR closely follows the debut of the United Polaris lounge at San Francisco (SFO) in April. Our latest United Polaris lounge opened this July in Houston (IAH) and will be soon followed by the lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) this autumn.

Boosting hub connectivity to domestic and international destinations In the last four months, United has launched service to 33 destinations in 18 states from its domestic hubs. From each hub, the new flights offer customers hundreds of connection opportunities to destinations throughout the United States and to more than 110 international destinations in more than 50 countries around the world.

Star Alliance flight status available on the United app Customers now have the ability to check flight status for all 28 Star Alliance partners (including codeshare flights) on the United mobile app. Inside the app, is a drop-down menu with all Star Alliance carriers that now appears when you are searching for a flight. While onboard United flights, customers can also check the status of their connecting Star Alliance member flight, utilizing our complimentary access to the United app through United Wi-Fi, available on all mainline and two-cabin regional aircraft.

Meet the United Team Martina Coogan, Country Sales Manager Ireland and Northern Ireland E martina.coogan@united.com Aoife Gregg, Account Manager Leisure E aoife.gregg@united.com Brian Hughes, Account Manager Corporate E brian.hughes@united.com Republic of Ireland Sales Support: 01 6727070 option 4 Reservations & Customer Services: 1890 925252 Northern Ireland Sales Support: 020 8276 6333 Reservations & Customer Services: 0845 6076760 Groups: E groups.uk-ie@united.com United.com Why book with United Airlines?

• United offers nonstop daily flights from Dublin to New York/Newark and seasonal services from Dublin to Chicago, Washington/Dulles and Shannon to New York/Newark.

• Discover our vast network with onward connections to over 280 destinations across the Americas via our 7 US hubs.

• U.S. pre-clearance facilities at Dublin and Shannon airports.

• Choose from adjustable seats in United Economy® or up to 37 inches of legroom in Economy Plus®.

• Enjoy complimentary beer and wine and a hearty three-course meal featuring appetizers, salads and desserts in Economy.

• Stay connected with Wi-Fi available on all mainline flights • As a Star Alliance member we offer smooth connections across a vast global network and extra benefits to your clients including upgrades, flight rewards and many more.

Doing business with United is now easier than ever with United Jetstream United’s business online portal Jetstream, is designed exclusively for our corporate customers and agency partners. Enjoy easy access to relevant news, operational waivers and customer travel logs, manage transactions and make all the changes you need. For more information visit Jetstream.united.com.

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Book with the award winning team

Great Incentives

UK call centre open 7 days a week with 24 hour assistance Competitive prices with ‘no hidden extras’ Dedicated sales team Why choose Affordable Car Hire?

3 Easy Step Booking Process

Award Winning Car Hire Company

30,000+ Locations 500+ Suppliers

Review Centre

visit affordablecarhire.com or call 0345 9000 420

Car Rental Services Affordable Car Hire

We are the largest UK independent leisure car rental company working with over 500 car rental partners that offer you the flexibility and choice through a network of 192 countries in over 30,000 worldwide locations.

Affordable Motorhomes was launched in February 2019 and offers over 166 suppliers in 120 countries worldwide. We aim to provide competitive pricing, great offers and a wide range of touring experiences via our Motorhome & Campervan partners around the globe.

Affordable Car Hire and Motorhome rentals supporting the trade.

Our focus and loyalty lies with the travel agent and our Affiliate Partners. Our concept is simple; ‘quality product and quality service at an affordable Price’. As well as providing high commission levels, we aim to ensure that our prices remain competitive within the marketplace and as a result have introduced a price watch facility. Our national sales team regularly visit our clients throughout Ireland and the UK as we realise the value of maintaining strong relationships.

www.affordablecarhire.com Contact Details Reservations: T +44 345 9000 420 E reservations@affordablecarhire.com E agencysales@affordablecarhire.com E info@affordablemotorhomerentals.com

What’s New For 2019:

Agent Concessions:

• • • • • • •

Affordable Car Hire and Motorhome rentals will offer concessions on a case by case basis dependent on travel dates, car types and requirements. Please contact: vip@affordablecarhire.com

The new fully integrated motorhome platform Updated website showing more useful tips Over 30,000 car hire locations Over 166 motorhome suppliers in 120 countries New Car Hire Clinic training program for agents Most competitive USA rates More suppliers offering Value added extras to include free additional drivers • 24/7 out of hours service for you and your customers • Motorbike hire • Pre registration with certain suppliers

Training / Fams:

Destinations Served:

We offer a comprehensive online training academy on our agent’s website to include training modules that include the introduction of car hire into your sales process and overcoming customer objections. We also now have downloadable reference guides that include FAQ’s on Supermax and Maxi Top Up Insurance Policies and fleet guides.

30,000 locations in over 192 countries for car hire and 166 suppliers for motorhomes in 120 countries.

Cancellation Policy:

Target Audience: All markets suited.

Pricing Policy: We provide a fast and efficient search of all worldwide and local suppliers to offer the best possible price and value for money for your clients. Our comprehensive results page is sure to help you book the best option available.

Sales / Marketing: We can offer in store merchandise including window posters and Brochures please contact us to place and order or discuss bespoke options further.

Free cancellation up to 48 hours prior to pick up for car hire only. *Excludes some suppliers, check at the time of booking. For Motorhomes cancellations within 49 days of departure – 100% cancellation fee

Credit Terms: Unless otherwise stated, Affordable Car Hire will issue a statement six weeks prior to departure and all outstanding balances must be paid in full and cleared, at least four weeks prior to departure. With all motorhomes rentals, 30% of the total invoice to be paid at the time of booking and the balance payment is due 8 weeks before departure.

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Car Rental Services Flexible Autos

What can Flexible Autos offer?

Low cost, high value, fully inclusive worldwide car rental across global source markets. Access to a wide range of suppliers including brand leaders such as Enterprise, Alamo and Sixt, through to smaller localised companies offering a product to cover all clients needs and requirements.

Efficient offline experience through a UK based call centre. Dedicated and experienced trade account managers. Comprehensive and regular training for trade staff. www.flexibleautos.com

What’s new for 2020?

• Premium product available in more locations • Location details and maps • Online check in

Unique Selling Points • Trade only – we only work with the trade • Competitive prices • Supplier transparency – choose which supplier you want to book • Fuel icons – displays suppliers fuel policy • On/Off airport icons – displays if supplier has a desk in terminal or a courtesy bus • Quality reputable suppliers – Alamo, National, Enterprise, Europcar, Sixt, Hertz • Premium product – Zero or reduced excess

USA & Canada • One way rentals bookable online • Choice product – clients can choose their car from the group they have booked • Gold product – includes fuel and additional drivers • Young driver product – bookable for drivers between the ages 21-24 yrs.

• 24 hour customer satisfaction guarantee • Exclusive on-site locations at Disney • New and low mileage fleet

Destinations Served Flexible Autos offer a worldwide product in over 120 countries.

Target Audience All markets suited

Pricing Policy We provide low cost, high value, fully inclusive car rental across the globe.

Sales: T +44 161 667 5100 E sales@flexibleautos.com Reservations: T 021 601 9067 E reservations@flexibleautos.com

Sales/Marketing We are happy to provide marketing support to all Travel Centres members on an ad-hoc basis. Please contact us directly for further information.

Staff Incentives In addition to our commercial terms with Travel Centres we also offer various incentives/promotions on a tactical basis from time to time.

Training/Fams Look out for our webinar training sessions plus you will also see us at the Travel Centres conference. If you require inhouse training, please contact your sales manager.

Cancellation Policy Free cancellations on all bookings up until 48 hrs before collection date unless otherwise stipulated in the supplier’s terms and conditions.

Credit Terms Full payment is required 14 days prior to the collection date. For further information please contact our accounts department.

General Information Why Choose Us: • Trade only • Dedicated account manager • Emergency helpline • Quality suppliers • Free cancellation & amendments • Excess Refund Product • Open 6 days a week

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Car Rental Services Hertz

Hertz operates the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty car rental brands in more than 11,000 locations throughout 140 countries in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand.

Travel Agent Rates We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer unique rates to Travel Centres. These rates provide the customer with great benefits when booking through the travel agent while rewarding the agencies with fantastic commission levels. Our rates offer some appealing inclusions such as an excess waiver, GPS systems, car seats, additional drivers & insurances while covering a wide range of destinations including Europe, North America & Australia.

The hertz-gsa.ie website will help you up sell car hire with rates the consumer can only get with the travel agent.

We are the largest worldwide airport general use car rental company with more than 1,700 airport locations in the U.S. and more than 1,300 airport locations internationally.

Product and service initiatives such as NeverLost®, Carfirmation, Ultimate Choice, Mobile Wi-Fi and unique vehicles offered through the Adrenaline, Family, Fun and Prestige Collections set Hertz apart from the competition.

Primary Supplier With over 100 years in the car hire industry, Hertz has the experience and dependability that your customers look for when travelling overseas. As Hertz is a primary supplier, you can book with confidence and should any questions arise you know that a quick and easy solution is only a matter of a phone call away. We are proud to be preferred suppliers to Travel Centres and we aim to work together with members to ensure that your clients, both corporate and leisure, enjoy the best car hire experience.

Local Support, Global Service Our Travel Trade team are based in Wexford, as is our Customer Services Team who together will work hard to provide you with precise and efficient answers and solutions to your queries. If you require training on how to use hertz-gsa.ie or if you need a Travel Agent login please contact a member of our team who will have you set up in a matter minutes. Throughout Ireland, Hertz employs over 1,200 people through the Hertz Ireland rental network and the Hertz European Services Centre located in Swords, Co. Dublin providing you with local support for a global service.

www.hertz-gsa.ie Travel Trade Team Emma McHale Leisure Sales Executive T 053 91 52505 M 087 968 3953 E emchale@hertz.ie

Sinéad Murphy Senior Sales Administrator T 053 915 2576 E smurphy@hertz.ie

Customer Service www.hertz-gsa.ie T 053 915 2500 T 053 915 2505 E customerservices@hertz.ie E traveltrade@hertz.ie

Unique Selling Points • • • • • • •

On Airport locations for your customers convenience Most up to date fleet, with the best cars Instant reservation confirmation Zero excess rates such as Hertz Business Plus No upward age limited Transparent pricing with no hidden extras Local support

Cancellation Policy Bookings made on the hertz-gsa.ie booking tool will avail of free cancellations and amendments up to 24 hours before the car is due to be picked up.

Credit Terms All reservations made through the hertz-gsa.ie booking tool are reserved on a book now pay later basis. The agency will be invoiced less commission when the car has returned.

Staff Incentives We will run various Staff Incentives throughout the year.

77

CELEBRITY NEWS

CELEBRITY NEWS

CELEBRITY CELEBRITY AT YOUR AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. FINGERTIPS. Celebrity Central – everything Celebrity Central – everything Celebrity, all in one place.

Celebrity, all in one place.

If you haven’t signed up for Celebrity If you haven’t Centralsigned yet, now upisfor theCelebrity time! With Central just one yet,log-in, now is the time! With ® you can access everything youyou need can to access know about everything Celebrity youCruises need to know with ease. about Celebrity Cruises® Plus, you’ll be treated to fabulous Plus, Celebrity you’ll beMoments treated tocampaigns, fabulous Celebrity and more.

Moments campaigns, and

It’s never been quicker or easier to find information about our latest campaigns and offers

Earn It’s never even more been quicker rewardsor with easier the to find launch information of our new about Celebrity our Moments latest campaigns campaign. and offers

It’s easy to le need to know

• •Win Download exclusive ouraccess sellingto guides the cruise and offer of a grids lifetime – a place on the Celebrity ApexSM debut sailing event in 2020 • Earn up to €24 in Rewards points between 1 August and 18 November

It’s Earn easy even to learn moreeverything rewards with you the launch our new Celebrity need to knowof about Celebrity Cruises.

Moments campaign.

• Our bite-size courses last under •ten Win exclusive access to the minutes cruise of a lifetime – a place • Get recognition with stamps – SM on the Celebrity Apex earn the coveted ‘Ready to Sell’ debutby sailing in 2020 stamp takingevent five quick •courses Earn upincluding to €24 in Rewards our new points between 1 August ‘Pre-paid Gratuities’ course and 18 November

• Download our selling guides and offer grids

With our single sign-in, you get instant access to AirWaves: 30 airports, over 1,800 hotels worldwide and a host of transfer options too. All you have to do is select your ABTA number, and you’re good to go.

However With our you single work, sign-in, ouryou toolkit get instant makes accessit to easy AirWaves: to share30 Celebrity airports, Cruises over 1,800 marketing hotels worldwide materials –and likea videos, host offlyers transfer andoptions imagestoo.

– with All you your havecustomers. to do is select Plus,your youABTA can submit number, your andown you’re artwork goodfor to go. approval and feedback.

From However unveiling you work, renovations our toolkit and announcing makes it easy new tosailings, share Celebrity to unmissable Cruises marketing luxurious materials updates–and like news videos, that’ll flyers delight and images and excite – with – it’s easy yourto customers. stay up to Plus, date on youallcan things Celebrity submit your Cruises. own artwork for approval and feedback.

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• Our bite-siz ten minutes

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GET ON BOARD GET AT CELEBRITYCENTRAL.IE ON BOARD AT CELEBRITYCENTR

Cruising Celebrity Cruises

GOOD TIMES ON THE HORIZON Celebrity Edge® isn’t the only revolutionary ship set to change the way your customers holiday. We’re counting down the days until Celebrity ApexSM - the second ship from our hotly anticipated Edge Class - sails out of Southampton next Spring.

Make sure your customers get in early!

EDGE CLASS. A NEW VISION. A break-through in modern luxury travel, Celebrity Cruises’ revolutionary new ship class overturns convention with a unique outward-facing layout which makes the seas and destination the focus of your attention.

By challenging accepting thinking, Celebrity has created innovative spaces like the Infinity BalconySM staterooms where indoor and outdoor areas combine at the touch of a button. Another world-first is the Magic Carpet, a tennis-court sized structure overhanging the ship’s side that transforms into a different venue at 4 decks as it rises from sea level to Dinner on the Edge atop the ship. Then there’s the surreal Rooftop Garden, followed by Eden – a multilevel glassencased wonderland where nature is ever-present.

Visionary at every turn, Edge Class leaves the future far behind.

A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF TRANQUILITY. The Spa on Celebrity Edge® elevates relaxation to a fine art, with world-class design and a natureinspired approach to wellness. At the heart of The Spa is the SEA Thermal Suite. A playground for the senses, it’s where your customers embark on a natural wellness journey; soaking in the sleek marble Hamman or bathing in the healing energy of the Crystalarium. It’s a revolution in relaxation – the unparalleled escape your customers deserve.

And, from April 2020, guests can enjoy The Spa on Celebrity ApexSM, as the second of our incredible Edge Class ships sails for the first time from Southampton.

LIVING SPACES WITH THE EDGE Celebrity Cruises’ new Edge Class has introduced a brand new concept of spacious staterooms that allow guests to merge the living and balcony areas – a first at sea. Led by a multi-award-winning design team, including Kelly Hoppen MBE, every detail has

CELEBRITYCENTRAL.CO.UK Call Centre T 1800 932 611 Trade Support: T +44 (0) 1932 834 379 (Option 2) Account Manager Valerie Murphy Strategic Account Manager – Ireland M +353 (0)87 340 1299 E valeriemurphy@celebritycruises.com Celebrity Cruises Building Three, The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0NY

been fine-tuned to perfection. And when it comes to suites, these are the fleet’s most luxurious. Only here will you find 2-story Edge Villas with a private plunge pool, while a duo of Iconic Suites with huge outdoor patios at the top of the ship feature two bedrooms and bathrooms each. Here’s your opportunity to help your customers discover the ultimate address at sea – one that opens up the world from the inside out.

OLD WORLD EXTRAVAGANZA 2020 is set to be Celebrity Cruises’ most exciting season yet in these waters. From Santorini to Reykjavik, Celebrity will call on 25 countries and more than 95 ports – including Trieste in Italy for the first time. Following a four-night Preview Sailing departing Southampton on 1 April 2020, the highlyanticipated Celebrity ApexSM will offer a European mini-season with five cruises to the Mediterranean and northern Europe in Spring 2020, before homeporting in Rome and Barcelona for the rest of the summer.

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ALL

INCLUSIVE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN FOOD & DRINK* It’s enjoying West End quality entertainment every single night.

Sipping hand-crafted piña coladas, served by a waiter who knows your name.

Unwinding in one of our whirlpools. It’s more to explore, so you’ll never be bored, onboard.

MARELLA CRUISES. SAIL WITH A SMILE.

*All Inclusive applies across all ships sailing from 1st May 2019. Marella Cruises is a trading name of TUI Ireland Limited, a member of the TUI AG group of companies.

TUI is a trading name of TUI Ireland Limited and is fully licensed and bonded by CAR T.O.021.

Cruising Marella Cruises

The shining sea is where we call home – a magnificent place to come back to again and again. At Marella Cruises, we’ll take you across it, on unforgettable voyages to amazing destinations over every horizon.

With Marella Cruises, you can sail to dozens of destinations in comfort, exploring ancient cities, setting foot on tropical islands and marvelling at breathtaking fjords. Although our name has changed, the exceptional, friendly service you know and love will stay the same as always. You’ll really notice the way our crew makes you feel at home, helping you relax knowing everything’s taken care of.

What does tomorrow have in store at Marella Cruises?

More ships, new journeys and more inspiring places to experience. So when you cruise with us, we’ll bring you the best destinations, a world of choice and more amazing memories to share.

What’s Included?

• • • • • • •

Return flights All tips and service charges Onboard accommodation 30kg luggage allowance including hand luggage All Inclusive board basis Entertainment Coach transfers & port taxes

Why book a Marella Cruise?

We’re part of TUI – the world’s biggest travel group. This means we can sort every step of your cruise, including flights, transfers, excursions and hotels. Plus, we offer flights from Dublin, Belfast, Cork & Shannon, so customers can jet off from their nearest airport.

Our crew give the warmest of welcomes, always going the extra mile to make customers feel at home. It’s probably why our customers rave about the great atmosphere onboard. You’ll never just be a face in the crowd, especially on our smaller, more intimate ships.

Almost all our cruises set sail at night, meaning fewer days are spent at sea, giving customers more time ashore. Unlike most cruise lines, we include tips and service charges in our prices. So our customers don’t have to worry about lugging around extra cash.

We offer a big selection of Cruise & Stay holidays, which let customers pair some time onboard with a spell at a hotel – whichever way round they desire. Choose from dozens of properties in home-port destinations, ranging from luxurious TUI SENSATORI resorts to budget-friendly hotels. Some destinations allow for a three, four or sevennight stay.

Useful Contacts Trade Relations Manager Leila McCabe E Leila.mccabe@tui.co.uk Trade Bookings T +1850 812 109 e TUIHelpdeskIreland@tui.co.uk

Award winning value We picked up the prize for Best Value for Money Cruise Line at the 2018 British Cruise Awards. We’ve also picked up numerous awards at the Cruise Critic 2019 Cruisers Choice Awards, including Best Entertainment on Marella Discovery and Best Service on Marella Celebration.

All Inclusive as standard We offer great value for money with All Inclusive as standard on all ships, so customers won’t have to worry about budgeting onboard. Flights, transfers, luggage, food, drinks, tips and service charges are all part of the package. Plus, there’s a huge choice of dining options, from buffet places and grab-and-go spots to waiter service restaurants. And, there’s a range of activities, from early morning exercises to late night West End-style entertainment, there’s something to keep everybody smiling.

For Summer 2020, three ships from the Marella Cruises fleet are available with TUI flights from Ireland.

• Marella Discovery – Sails from Palma with flights from Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Belfast (Sat) • Marella Explorer – Sails from Corfu with flights from Dublin and Belfast (Fri) • Marella Dream – Sails from Palma with flights from Dublin, Cork and Belfast (Tues)

Agent bookings Marella Cruises are not available to book via a customer website in Ireland. Agents can book a Marella Cruise via Hybris.

Brochure distribution Brochure distribution is via RTS. To order please contact: rtsbrochure@rtsbrochure.ie

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Cruising MSC Cruises

83

THE NEWLY AMPLIFIED

TOTAL TEMPTATION

Cruising Royal Caribbean

Our ships are a playground filled with wow-induced thrills and luxurious laid back chills. From the ultimate AbyssSM – an epic 10 storey slide and The Blaster aqua coaster, the longest water slide at sea, to West-End style entertainment and indulgent spas, the unrivalled features on board our ships amaze guests of every age. Book your customers next holiday with us and they’re guaranteed a holiday like no other.

A World of Adventure Whether they’re seeking an adventure or their in need of pure relaxation, we’ve got everything they could ever want onboard our incredible ships.

Couple, families, young and old – there’s something for everyone, from unimaginable activities, to total indulgence in our spas and fine dining restaurants, the fun doesn’t end on our ships, letting them experience the world like never before.

Trade Reservations: T 1800 932 606 Jennifer Callister, Head of Ireland T +353 (0)86 822 7010 Holly Rice, Account Executive, Ireland T +44 (0)1932 834 379

What’s New? Allure Of The Seas® The best just keeps getting better! Discover the reamplified Allure of the Seas® from May 2020 and give in to total temptation. Back in Barcelona after an irresistible makeover and ready to whisk your customers away on the ultimate European family holiday. Brave the tallest slide at sea, the Ultimate AbyssSM, or slip down the wildest waterslide trio, The Perfect StormSM. Enjoy some welldeserved ‘ustime’ as kids revel in unlimited fun and games at the Adventure Ocean®.

This is Your Perfect Day

Useful Contacts

SM

Conquer the tallest waterslide in North America and snap a shot from 450 feet up in a helium balloon. Grab a drink at the swim-up bar and soak up the scene in the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas. Or get a taste of Bora Bora with an overwater cabana. This is perfection created for your customers. This is Perfect DaySM at CocoCay® — only on Royal Caribbean.

Our Revolutionary Booking System AirWaves is here to make booking easier than ever. You can personalise your customer’s holiday; booking flights, hotels cruises and transfers all in one place and better still it’s all ATOL protected and ABTA bonded.

Michelle Ryan Regional Sales Manager, Ireland T +353 (0)86 189 5339  Royal Caribbean Ireland Trade  RoyalCaribbean_IRL

Club Rewards Club Rewards is the best loyalty programme ever.

Sign up now and get real cash (at least £5!) for every Royal Caribbean booking you make. You’ll also be in the running for money-can’t buy prizes and events, exclusive discounts and £100 holiday spending money. When you love Royal, we love you right back!

How To Become A Club Rewards Member 1.

Complete the essential modules of Club Learning at MyClubRoyal 2. You’ll then gain access to Club Rewards

Visit MyClubRoyal or call 1800 932 606

85

Djenne, Mali by Steve McCurry

Dominican Republic by Steve McCurry

Zhengzhou, China by Steve McCurry

WHERE ON EARTH DO YOUR CLIENTS WANT TO GO? 7 CONTINENTS, 140+ COUNTRIES, 900+ DESTINATIONS When it comes to your clients’ must–experience list, Silversea can take them to some of the most iconic destinations on the planet, with our portfolio of voyages spanning further than ever before.

With well over 900 destinations covering both iconic destinations and places so far off the beaten track even the most sophisticated mapping service would have difficulty finding it, we are certain there’s no better way to explore this beautiful planet other than doing so in Silversea all-inclusive luxury.

We believe the world is full of unseen treasures, never stopping our search for the unique, the bold, the bizarre and the beautiful. You can be secure in the knowledge that the flame of our explorer’s spirit will never go out. Because at the end of the day we believe our planet is simply amazing, with many places still to be discovered.

For more information or for reservations please call (01) 611 0560, visit silversea.com or email salesuk@silversea.com

Cruising Silversea

Silversea is an ultra-luxury, all-inclusive cruise line renowned for extraordinary worldwide voyages aboard intimate ships. Sailing to over 900 destinations spanning all seven continents, Silversea offers more destinations than any other cruise line. Butler service; fine dining; beverages including wines, beers and spirits; and onboard gratuities are always included.

For the curious traveller, Silversea Expeditions offer unique, awe-inspiring journeys to some of the world’s most exotic destinations, including Antarctica and the Galápagos Islands, aboard our fleet of expedition vessels.

What’s New? • In 2019, Silversea passed a momentous milestone: 25 years as the industry’s leading ultra-luxury cruise line.

Since first setting sail in 1994, Silversea has unlocked the authentic beauty of the world for almost half a million guests on approximately 4,100 voyages.

• In 2020, Silver Origin - the most elegant ship to ever sail the Galapagos - and Silver Moon - sister ship to Silver Muse - will join the fleet, followed by Silver Dawn in 2021 and the first of two Evolution-class ships in 2022.

• A pioneering new culinary concept, S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste), launches with new ship Silver Moon in August 2020 and will adapt according to the visited destination to unlock immersive culinary experiences for guests.

• Silversea’s 2021 Expedition World Cruise will be the world’s first ever Expedition World Cruise. From Ushuaia to Tromsø, the 167-day voyage will call at 107 of the planet’s most amazing destinations, in 30 must-visit countries.

Customer Profile • Most represented age group: 55-75 years old (average age: 65) • Both singles & married couples • Business owners and professionals, still professionally active or retired • Living in highly desirable areas with a high disposable income • Affluent, well educated • Well-travelled • Interested in gourmet foods and fine wines, Opera, Theatre and Art.

Travel Agent Resources Silversea Academy Silversea Academy is an interactive training academy that gives you all of the information you need to sell Silversea.

Complete with training modules, news and exclusive resources, it has been developed with you, our loyal travel agents, in mind. The training academy has multiple badges to choose from, designed to help build knowledge and skills, and you can select which badges to complete based on your individual needs and interests. More badges will be released as Silversea’s products grow and evolve. Become a Silversea expert at www.silverseaacademy.com

www.silversea.com Contact Details  @SilverseaCruises  @Silversea Reservations (01) 611 0560

Regional Sales Manager Amanda Middler T +44 (0)7961 997 561 E AmandaM@silversea.com Inside Sales Support Cathy Bradley T +44 (0)20 7340 0770 E CatherineB@silversea.com

Marketing Central This state-of-the-art tool gives you the ability to customise Silversea’s brand-approved marketing materials with your own contact information and logos. You can then either download these materials to print or email, or use the platform to order printed supplies, which can be sent straight to you. my.silversea.com Silversea Agent Rewards This is a new specially designed Travel Agent loyalty programme that rewards and thanks you for your Silversea bookings. With Silversea Agent Rewards, you can claim points when you book an eligible cruise and redeem these points for either Amazon, Love2Shop or Virgin Wines vouchers. Each point equates to ¤1 of gift voucher and so the reward potential is huge. You will also be able to access the website via a specially designed app, therefore making it easy to claim and redeem. silverseaagentrewards.com Webinar Wednesdays Webinar Wednesdays will be held on the first Wednesday of each month and will inform you on each area of the product, from destinations and life on board, to how best to sell and what’s selling well.

Brochure distribution Automatic file copies of brochures will be sent on launches.

At all other times, please order brochures through www.trade-gate.co.uk or email salesuk@silversea.com.

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DOCK IN THE CITY CENTER

Our perfectly sized ships can often dock in the center of cities both large and small, putting guests right in the middle of the action from the moment they step ashore.

Less time getting to and from means there’s more time for exploring.

TRAVEL ALL OVER, UNPACK ONCE.

Cruising with U is the easiest and most convenient way to get to and from places like Amsterdam, Budapest, Regensburg, Frankfurt and many more. There’s a whole lot of travel in store when you’re aboard a floating boutique hotel.

UNMATCHED VALUE

A cruise with U is an incredible value compared to traditional ways of traveling through Europe. You book and we take care of the planning, accommodations, meals and activities.

Cruising U River Cruises

U River Cruises is the first river cruise line of its kind dedicated to travel enthusiasts of all ages. U is a new take on experiential travel, with active cruises designed for those with a passion for exploring and a taste for authentic adventures. With sexy ships, lush accommodations, delicious locally-inspired food and U Hosts to help you discover your fun in Europe’s hottest cities – it’s river cruising reimagined.

Unique Selling Point U River Cruises delivers the same authenticity and personalisation that its sister brand Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is celebrated for, while offering a new way for travellers to go from city to city or even country to country. Experiential itineraries focus on longer stays in destinations and connect explorers to local experiences and vibrant nightlife scenes.

The A and The B ships feature contemporary look and feel in all public spaces and guest areas. Communal dining tables will complement a local street food-inspired culinary program, with creative mixologists and international DJs onboard.

Target Audience U River Cruises’ target audience is adult travellers 30+, such as couples, honeymooners and groups of friends. Our primary cruise demographic is adventurous holidaymakers that are young and young at heart, drawn to exhilarating experiences and seeking a relaxing and effortless way to travel across Europe.

Our all-Inclusive concept includes In the traditional sense, U River Cruises is not all-inclusive.

However, there are many great things included like: • Three meals onboard per day and select non-alcoholic drinks such as complimentary water, coffee and tea all day long, as well as complimentary juice during breakfast.

• Select shore excursions – We offer one included shore excursion per day, specially tailored for U guests.

• Gratuities – All gratuities for onboard and shore excursions are included.

• Onboard entertainment and select activities – Including activities like our Local DJ Night and Welcome Party.

Guests can purchase an onboard drinks package for ¤299 pp.

Sales & Marketing The Travel Corporation (TTC) provides strong commercial terms and override commission possibilities. We are also delighted to work with any travel agency on the individual basis for any in-house marketing strategy. We offer a full and dedicated sales support team based in Dublin and on the road.

Agent Concessions We offer ongoing promotions and incentives for all agents. Any personal holiday requests should be emailed to Sharon Jordan at Sharon.jordan@ttc.com and discounts will be offered on an individual basis. We strongly encourage agents to experience our holidays first-hand.

www.ttc.com www.ubyuniworld.com The Travel Corporation Travel House, 27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Country Manager Sharon Jordan T 086 782 3911 E sharon.jordan@ttc.com Sales & Account Management Brian Hynes T 086 029 4168 E brian.hynes@ttc.com Adam Goddard T 086 796 1997 E adam.goddard@ttc.com

Sales, Social & Events Alison Sheehan T 01 775 3803 E alison.sheehan@ttc.com Marketing & PR Shannon Stegall T 01 775 3805 E shannon.stegall@ttc.com Reservations T Call us free phone at 1800 98 98 98 and press option 2.

E reservations@uniworld.ie

Payment Terms A deposit of at least 10% of the cruise/tour fare per person is required within 3 days of booking or the reservation will be automatically cancelled. The balance of the price of the travel arrangements must be paid at least 120 days before the departure date, or as advised at the time of booking and stated on the confirmation invoice.

Brochure Distribution Brochure distribution is via RTS. To order any of our brochures, please email Alison.sheehan@ttc.com.

General Information TTC agrees to partner with the Travel Centres in respect of its annual conference and supplier workshop.

The company also agrees to maintain a dedicated phone line 1800 98 98 98 for reservations and 01 775 3803 for internal sales and support. Members are reminded that our negotiated commercial terms are strictly private and confidential and their contents may not be revealed to any third party under any circumstances. Failure to adhere to this confidentiality may result in these enhanced commercial terms being summarily withdrawn without notice. Please make all cheques and payments out to The Travel Corporation Ireland Limited.

Training & Familiarisation Trips Travel Centre’s agents will be offered places on all fam trips and training sessions.

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LUXURY RIVER CRUISE EXPERIENCE. EVER.

Cruising Uniworld

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is the world’s most luxurious five-star all-inclusive river cruise line, offering one-of-a-kind, award-winning ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, the most all-inclusive amenities, delicious 5-star farmto-table cuisine, a choice of carefully curated excursions, and one of the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry. Uniworld offers truly all-inclusive itineraries in Europe, as well as voyages in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia, India, and Egypt—a total of 23 rivers in 24 countries worldwide.

Unique Selling Point We are the only truly all-inclusive river cruise company on sale within Ireland, even including gratuities in the overall price. As the world’s only authentic boutique river cruise line, Uniworld is renowned for its one-of-a-kind ships, stylish décor, thoughtful personal touches, welcoming ambiance, superb cuisine and gracious service.

Target Audience Our target audience is primarily 50+. However, we have a number of departures included in our Generations collection for families.

Our all-Inclusive concept includes One you are on the ship you do not need to worry about anything. The river cruises are all-inclusive and include everything from the gratuities onboard and onshore, all meals onboard, unlimited beverages onboard, carefully crafted daily shore excursions, all scheduled airport transfers, entertainment and cultural enrichment programs onboard, as well as the Internet and Wi-Fi access onboard.

www.ttc.com www.uniworld.com The Travel Corporation Travel House, 27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Country Manager Sharon Jordan T 086 782 3911 E sharon.jordan@ttc.com Sales & Account Management Brian Hynes T 086 029 4168 E brian.hynes@ttc.com Adam Goddard T 086 796 1997 E adam.goddard@ttc.com

Sales, Social & Events Alison Sheehan T 01 775 3803 E alison.sheehan@ttc.com Marketing & PR Shannon Stegall T 01 775 3805 E shannon.stegall@ttc.com Reservations T Call us free phone at 1800 98 98 98 and press option 2.

E reservations@uniworld.ie

Sales and marketing

Payment terms

The Travel Corporation (TTC) provides strong commercial terms and override commission possibilities. We are also delighted to work with any travel agency on the individual basis for any in-house marketing strategy. We offer a full and dedicated sales support team based in Dublin and on the road.

A deposit of at least 10% of the cruise/tour fare per person is required within 3 days of booking or the reservation will be automatically cancelled. The balance of the price of the travel arrangements must be paid at least 120 days before the departure date, or as advised at the time of booking and stated on the confirmation invoice.

Agent Concessions

Brochure distribution

We offer ongoing promotions and incentives for all agents.

Any personal holiday requests should be emailed to Sharon Jordan at Sharon.jordan@ttc.com and discounts will be offered on an individual basis. We strongly encourage agents to experience our holidays first-hand.

Brochure distribution is via RTS. To order any of our brochures, please email Alison.sheehan@ttc.com.

Training & Familiarisation trips Travel Centre’s agents will be offered places on all fam trips and training sessions.

Video library: http://uniworld.ie/media-center/videocenter

General Information TTC agrees to partner with the Travel Centres in respect of its annual conference and supplier workshop. The company also agrees to maintain a dedicated phone line 1800 98 98 98 for reservations and 01 775 3803 for internal sales and support. Members are reminded that our negotiated commercial terms are strictly private and confidential and their contents may not be revealed to any third party under any circumstances. Failure to adhere to this confidentiality may result in these enhanced commercial terms being summarily withdrawn without notice. Please make all cheques and payments out to The Travel Corporation Ireland Limited.

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N000

BEST FERRY COMPANY

Ferries Irish Ferries

Dermot Merrigan Head of Passenger Sales

David O’Connor E-Business Coordinator Marie McCarthy Passenger Sales Manager Ireland & UK Ann Pye Holidays Manager

Caitriona Butler International Markets Manager

Ground Arrangements

Ground Arrangements

Do Something Different

Do Something Different

How we make selling tickets

EASY & FUN...

REWARD We’re hosting more FAMs than ever! We’ve taken you to play at Walt Disney World’s new Toy Story Land, to swim nose to bottlenose with dolphins at Discovery Cove, and in October, we’ll be taking you to Universal Orlando Resort to experience the epic new roller coaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™.

PLAY We host entertaining and informative VIP training events with a difference! You’ll get to meet the experts, improve your selling skills, learn about what’s new in the exciting developing world of attractions, WIN prizes and have some FUN with DSD!

PARTY Not ones to shy from the limelight, we’ve partied with the best of them at the Travel Centres conferences in Ireland - all while fighting off the demands for our flashing pens & DSD swim bags.

HIGH-FIVE With a full team in the UK and Graham storming the road to support Ireland from Blarney Stone to Giants Causeway, we’ve met and high-fived around 4 thousand travel agents, partners and friends this year! But if we’ve missed you or your flashing pen has stopped flashing, call us now and we’ll be round - in a flash!

Book-Something-Different today!

(Republic of Ireland) 1 800 80 40 44 | (Northern Ireland) 0044 (0)20 8090 3890

DoSomethingDifferent.com

Ground Arrangements ThemeParkBeds.com

Your

BED BANK Book from over 25 Disney Resorts in Florida, add tickets & dining in just 3 clicks!

Jump into bed with us!

No deposits Live availability No amendment fees* No cancellation fees* We’re ABTA members Experience-led fam trips Fun and rewarding incentives Great agent concessions

©Disney

We’re Disney experts!

Call our Disney experts today!

(Republic of Ireland) 01 697 1108 | (Northern Ireland) 0044 (0)20 3195 1195

ThemeParkBeds.com *Outside of 5 days of departures

Specialists in B2B ground transportation service solutions

www.hoppago.com

Ground Arrangements hoppaGo

hoppaGo are the specialists in B2B ground transportation, and in response to the digital challenges that travel organisations are facing, we are offering a solution – one platform comparing a network of thousands of ground transport suppliers across hundreds of countries, allowing you to select the right transport supplier for the leisure or business traveller based on price, service, or vehicle type.

The hoppaGo proposition provides access to a network of ground transport suppliers and, through easy to use technology and market leading service, we make it easy to generate increased revenues from ground transportation services.

Originally, providing transfers for leisure travellers from the airport to resort or hotel – the hoppaGo proposition now offers the travel market much more comprehensive and tailored solutions to suit the demands of the leisure and business traveller.

hoppaGo offers choice Travellers are continuously demanding a personalised experience, and every travel organisation is trying their best to achieve this. hoppaGo is offering to help deliver this personalisation to your clients by providing an extensive network of ground transport solutions.

hoppaGo makes it easy The digital world is growing rapidly and the effects on travel organisations creates continuous challenges that not everyone is quite ready to truly capitalise on. With hoppaGo’s extremely accurate technology solutions offering, we make it easy and simple for travel organisations to benefit from new and growing revenues from ground-based transport services.

hoppaGo is simple to use There is nothing worse than having access to incredible technology that you know could benefit your business, but no one can figure out how to use it. With hoppaGo, we are offering a single platform that is created with the user in mind.

With easy-access and intuitive-use we offer travel organisations the ability to search journeys and select suppliers based on transport type, price, and service.

www.hoppago.com Sales Email: sales@hoppa.com

hoppaGo creates connections No more searching back-and-forth between service providers. hoppaGo’s single platform will help you connect, search, and compare global anywhere-to-anywhere ground-based transport suppliers.

Our technology offerings are the best in the business through offering Trade Accounts, White Label branding, and API integration. This technology will not only save you time and money and generate additional revenue quicker, but it will also help you to focus on your business priorities.

Our network offerings save you the time of having to find the best suppliers for your ground-based services, we have done it all for you. Through our tried and tested global coverage of 1000’s of suppliers and extended choices of vehicles for business and leisure, you need not worry about your customers getting to their destination of choice.

Our service offerings have been created to suit whichever type you may be looking for. From selfservice, to assisted service, to full service, you have your choice.

Search, compare, book and manage all your ground transport requirements on one platform with hoppaGo.

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Ground Arrangements Incentive Connections

Incentive Connections is a leading, multiple award-winning Inbound Tour Operator (ITO) and Destination Management Company (DMC) for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Oman and Qatar. The finest holidays are those that encapsulate not only the publicised attractions but those that go beyond into the very heart of what the destination offers. This is what we strive to deliver.

Incentive Connections is a creative, innovative and dynamic ITO Discerning travellers visiting Arabia increasingly expect to discover, not only the plush luxury, adrenaline-soaring thrills, shopping extravagance and gastronomical delights across our region of expertise, but often yearn for an off the beaten track adventure. Incentive Connections whilst a master at providing clients with extraordinary experiences of the more commonly popular attractions and activities, also takes delight in creating captivating discovery tours, not commonly offered by other providers. Our company has been creating adventures and travel experiences for tourists from all over the world, for almost 10 years. We pride ourselves on our extensive knowledge, creativity and passion. We continuously grow and update our already comprehensive product range with a greater focus on ‘niche’ holidays. We offer sustainably-led and natureimmersed glamping experiences; information-rich and distinctly-insightful industry- specific educational tours (architectural, retail, healthcare etc) and youth-centric and eye-catching instagramable itineraries to mention a few of our recent product offerings.

Incentive Connections a Guinness Record holding DMC With the ability to design and deliver exceptional programmes across Arabia, Incentive Connections can generate a creative edge and deliver a bespoke experience to your next meeting, incentive or event. Our robust supplier relationships, excellent stakeholder management, prompt and clear responses and extensive experience in operations and complex logistics management ensures seamless delivery. We are your one-stop shop offering you total program solutions and a truly unique Arabian experience.

We are in constant pursuit for excellence and passionate about what we do. Providing a truly personalised service to our clients is what sets us apart.

Ancillary businesses and in-house products – unbeatable pricing, tightly-monitored quality Our holding company has ownership and interests in other ancillary businesses – tourist transportation company with 20 luxury coaches and 6 cars, dhow cruises with 2 traditional boats sailing across the gorgeous Dubai Creek and the fascinating Dubai Marina. Additionally, we have

www.incentiveconnections.com Contact Details Mr. Porus Pesi Guzder T +971 55 4407959 E porus@incentiveconnections.com Mr. Melwyn Carvalho T +971 55 5792783 E melwyn@incentiveconnections.com Incentive Connections T +971 4 3869914 E info@incentiveconnections.com ATTS T +353 1 882 8679 E sales@atts.ie

well-groomed and well-informed licensed guides on our payroll. These aspects lend us an unparalleled advantage – not only can we offer services at unmatchable pricing, but we can exercise tighter control on the quality of the service delivered.

A team of experienced travel professionals At the core of Incentive Connections is it’s highly professional and motivated team of experienced travel professionals.

We provide expertise in various fields and speak in most languages to support the extensive international customer base. You know what your clients are looking for and we know Arabia. When we team up, it’s a winning combination.

International Representation In Ireland, Incentive Connections is represented by ATTS - Travel Representation Solutions, owned and managed by Catherine and her fabulous team. The ATTS team is located in Dublin and maintains regular contact with our existing and prospective customers.To add to ATTS’ efforts, Porus, the owner and Managing Director of Incentive Connections travels to the Emerald Isle two times annually to join a senior member of the ATTS team in personally meeting existing and prospective clients. We would love to connect with you now and meet you when we are next in Ireland.

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Ground Arrangements Privatetour.com

Privatetour.com is a global booking platform for tours, attractions, activities and transfers in over 90 destinations worldwide. We can create bespoke packages of land tours and transfers for every request and budget to bring you a totally unique experience for your customers. Privatetour.com offers Travel Centre members a special rate commission on each booking made via their account on our platform. privatetour.com Why choose us?

• Commission earned on each booking made including transfers • Bespoke and custom packages available on request • Customer & Agent support • Professional & Diligent team • Over 4,000 trusted and certified global suppliers • Customer correspondence

About Us Privatetour.com was created by our well traveled CEO Kadir Tasci who’s passion for travel and business are the strong foundation on which the company is based. Our C.O.O Gwen Browne, who is a Cork native, possesses immense focus and drive which is the back bone of our committed team made up of Irish, English, Dutch, Belgian and Australian expats. Based in Kusadasi Turkey. Privatetour. com has a dedicated team specifically working for Travel Centres members.

Sample of our Global Products • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Private Tour of The Vatican With Early Access Northern Lights Mystery Tour in Iceland Murano, Burano and Torcello Island Tour in Venice Day Tours from London via Eurostar Guided Tour of Versailles and Audioguide in Paris Bachelor/Bachelorette party club crawls and boat parties in Amsterdam Zugspitze and Innsbruck Private tour from Munich Leading provider for balloon tours in Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus in Turkey Multi-Day Safaris in Tanzania, Nairobi and Zambia Private Day Tour of Badaling Great Wall and Ming Tombs in Beijing Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from New Delhi Mekong Delta & Cai Be Floating Markets Tour in Vietnam Private Ubud Waterfalls and Temples Tour Bali Full Day Rainbow Mountain Trek from Cusco 15 Day Exploration Tour in Iran Private Day Tour to Jerusalem and Bethlehem from Tel Aviv Full Day Petra Tour from Amman

Kadir Tasci - C.E.O. Gwen Browne - C.O.O Lauren Beevers - Operations Manager e lauren@privatetour.com James Blades - SEO & Marketing Manager e james@privatetour.com Sarah Dumpich - Turkey Tour Specialist e sarah@privatetour.com t 01 5252 893 Sales Support & General Enquiries e email@privatetour.com t 01 5240 706 WhatsApp e 087 673 1222

Testimonials “It’s rare to find a company that is as easy to deal with and as enthusiastic as privatetour.com. We have booked several tours and ground arrangements with privatetour.com and find them exceptional deal with. Absolutely nothing is too much for Gwen and her team. They are extremely knowledgeable and truly understand the concept of having trade PARTNERS. The suppliers they use are of the highest standard, the rates are super, the locations and events they cover are unrivalled and the whole team is so easy to deal with.

My advice to any agent looking for tours in any worldwide location is to give Gwen a call. If it’s not on the website she’ll find it for you.”

Elaine OBrien TheTravelShop.ie “Over the past few months, we have started to work with Gwen & her team in privatetour.com. Their service & attention to detail has been absolutely exceptional. The booking process is fantastic, it is either via the website for any ready-made tours/shows/transfers etc, or they can do everything tailor-made by phone and email with the team in the office. No booking is too big or small. No stone is left unturned and they even ring clients in resort to ensure they are getting on ok and if they need anything. They are extremely professional but also very friendly at the same time. I would have no hesitation in recommending privatetour.com to agents in Ireland” Ciara Foley - Platinum Travel

Signing up to our Platform The signing up process and account management have been created with our OTAs and TAs in mind. The dashboard features an easy and simplified search engine of each and every product and service available with helpful information regarding commissionable earnings based on each Product and service. The booking process is easy and members also have the opportunity to hold bookings and reservations with our Pre-pay service.

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Rail travel allows you to truly experience a place while avoiding baggage allowances, airport security and long waits in departure lounges. Book with Railshop.ie today and enjoy the journey.

t 01 882 8679

| e railshop@atts.ie | w www.railshop.ie

Ground Arrangements RailShop.ie

Rail travel allows you to truly experience a place while avoiding baggage allowances, airport security and long waits in departure lounges. Book with Railshop.ie today and enjoy the journey.

About Us: RailShop is Ireland’s leading Award winning International Rail provider. An Irish company (a division of ATTS Travel Representation Solutions Ltd). We specialise in the sale of International Rail tickets, Rail Passes and Luxury Trains for travel worldwide.

Why book with RailShop • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The only International Rail Reservations company in Ireland Amtrak, DB Bahn, Eurostar, SBB, SNCB Europe, SNCF Voyage, Thalys, Trenitalia, Renfe, UK Rail, Heathrow Express, CP Portugal, Via Rail and many more Rail Operators.

Luxury train market – Venice Simplon-Orient Express, Rocky Mountaineer, EL Transcantabrico & Al Andalus Luxury Trains in Spain, PeruRail Titicaca & Machu Picchu, Imperial Russia & Golden Eagle Luxury Trains Scenic rail journeys throughout Canada, USA, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Norway and other European countries Special Group rates eticketing and TODs (paper tickets for some destinations) InterRail Global and one Country passes in Europe, Rail passes for the UK, Scandinavia, East Japan, China, Australia, the USA and Canada Competitive prices InterRail Pass, itinerary planning and reservations all in one Travel Agents nationwide use our service Voted best Rail Company for four consecutive years: ITTN Awards 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Fast turnaround, response same business day for enquiries

www.railshop.ie Contact : RailShop 93b Lagan Road Dublin Industrial Estate Glasnevin Dublin 11 T 01 882 8680 E railshop@atts.ie W www.railshop.ie

Destinations Covered: Our experienced staff can offer customers point to point rail tickets for extensive destinations in the USA, Canada, Russia, UK and Mainland Europe and a comprehensive range of rail passes. In addition to InterRail Global and one Country passes in Europe we can provide rail passes for the UK, Scandinavia, Japan East, Australia and the USA, all at competitive prices. Whether you are booking your clients for business or pleasure RailShop can provide you with the rail product you need. If your tickets cannot be issued as e-tickets or tickets on departure we will issue and post your tickets to you.

If you have a specific product or journey that you cannot easily book on our website fill in our Journey request form and we will come back to you within one working day or email railshop@atts.ie or call us directly and a member of our Rail Team will be happy to assist you.

Let’s build business together in 2020

Agents Training:

We are passionate about International Rail! Our expert team can take the pain out of finding the best train options for your clients. Time is money, within a month, savvy travel agents can save 10 times more of their time by using RailShop for all their International train journey enquiries.

Don’t shy away from selling International Rail, RailShop can partner you to success in 2020.

• Join our Breakfast Club • Request a webinar “Time is money, let RailShop save it for you”

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AGIAdvert_27082019_.indd 2

27/08/2019 17:57:03

Insurance Accident & General

Another great year with Travel Centres. We are the sole Trade Only Travel Insurance provider in Ireland and offer unique and specialist cover that you quite simply cannot get elsewhere. In the last year we have introduced lounge access cover, a unique, cruise cover option and extended our hazardous activities cover. We are proud of our personal service and policy coverage and would like to thank everyone in the Travel Centres family for your continued support.

What makes us special?

• Lounge Access!

• Announced flight delay of 2+ hours leaving Ireland?

• We book your clients into the airport lounge!

• Included in all levels of cover • Feedback from agents suggest this really helps conversion rates • Specialist Cruise Cover !

• Much more than just connection!

• Missed Port Cover • Cabin Confinement • Itinerary Change Benefit • Unused Excursions • Cruise Interruption • (If client falls ill on dry land and has to re-join the cruise) • No Upper Age Limit • Cancellation and curtailment cover for relatives pre-existing medical conditions • Feedback from agents suggest this also helps sell a high value holiday • Gadget cover included in all levels of cover • European Motor Breakdown Cover • We get your clients car fixed or brought back home • (Necessity for those European Camping holidays) We fully understand that your reputation is of the utmost importance. That is why Platinum has Gadget, Winter Sports, Hazardous Activities, Golf & Business and of course zero excess all in our core Platinum policy. Upgrade to our Platinum Plus policy, and you get the same fantastic cover, with higher levels and the added advantage of cancellation and curtailment cover due to a relatives Pre-Existing Medical Condition. Feedback from agents has suggested that this policy actually helps to sell the holiday!

All Travel Insurance is the same – isn’t it?

Quite simply – No. A comparison of benefits tables gives an incomplete picture. The true worth of a travel insurance policy is found within the policy wording and at the time of a claim. A&G are 50 years old this year ! We have learned a lot about service and what the travel industry needs since we started selling travel insurance in 1969. We believe our extensive coverage provides superior protection in an inclusive style policy. Our customers agree as we have received zero ombudsman complaints in the last number of years.

www.accidentgeneral.ie Accident & General Burton Hall Avenue Sandyford Dublin 18 Telephone: T 01 874 8458 E sales@accidentgeneral.ie

Business Development: Craig Donnelly cdonnelly@accidentgeneral.ie (Mobile 087 667 0016) Noel Kavanagh nkavanagh@accidentgeneral.ie Agent Support Manager Adrienne Cullen acullen@accidentgeneral.ie

Why is an inclusive policy important to you?

It means that at point of sale you are confident in the cover you are providing to your client and that the policy you are selling contains the necessary cover they require. It also minimises the amount of questions that need to be asked of the client at point of sale to ensure adequate coverage. This is the hallmark of A&G- making sure your client is covered, with a straightforward sales journey supported by excellent after sales service.

Did you know?

Accident & General innovate by constantly analysing claims and sales data while recognising the changing needs of Travel Agents and their clients. This helps us to tailor our policies to suit those needs. For example, this year we’ve included a new cruise cover product that provides real cover and benefits to those going on a cruise. It is so much more than simply cruise connection.

Technology A&G’s issuing system is straight forward and easy to use.

The sale price can be easily amended, you can toggle between single trip and multi trip options and it protects both you and your clients by including a clear medical warranty questionnaire on the insurance certificate and sending full policy documentation at the time of sale.

Regular Training A&G commit to at least 2 training sessions per shop per year alongside one on one / group webinars on any travel insurance related subject upon request.

Interested and would like further information?

Simply contact Craig – 01 874 8458 or email cdonnelly@accidentgeneral.ie 105

Travel Disruption & Excess Waiver included on Premier Plus policies!

Travel Insurance COVER DETAILS INCLUDE:

• Cancellation up to €10k • Medical Expenses up to €10m • Personal Money and Documents

01 485 4122

|

• Third Party Supplier Insolvency • Strike Cover • & More

BlueInsurance.ie

Insurance Blue Insurance

About Us: Blue Insurance Ltd is the industry’s leading supplier of Travel Insurance and also the preferred supplier of Travel Centres. We were once again voted Best Travel Insurance Supplier in 2019 with thanks to the support from all of our agents.

Staff Incentives:

www.blueinsurance.ie

We offer a 25% discount on all Travel Insurance policies.

We will also offer Travel Centres members a discount on our other insurance products including Home and Motor Insurance. A full list of our insurance products can be seen on our website.

Address: Plaza 255, Blanchardstown Corporate Park 2, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

Key Selling Points: • Be sure to enter clients full details when booking a policy including mobile number and email so that they will receive their confirmation by text and email. Top Tip: The email record will give you proof the client received full documentation.

• Always ensure that the policy is issued at the time of the booking or deposit being paid.

• Always advise clients of the terms and conditions relating to health check and ensure you keep a copy of the signed health check form on file for each client.

• Capture clients private health insurance details where possible to ensure a cheaper quote for clients and remove the need to phone health check.

• Offer all clients the option to add all the additional covers.

Policy Age Limits: • • • •

Single Trip – 86 Years Annual Multi Trip – 75 Years Backpacker – 49 Years Winter Sports – 65 Years

Key Additional Covers: Travel Disruption Summary (Now free on our Premier Plus policy) • If a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 12 hours it covers additional accommodation and travel costs up to ¤1,000. (Do not have to be checked in).

• If a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 12 hours then you can claim back up to ¤1,000 for irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation costs should you cancel. (Do not have to be checked in) • Claim back up to ¤1,000 for accommodation if you have to be moved from your current location or cut your trip short because of Flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption etc.

• Covers cancellation or curtailment charges should the Foreign & Commonwealth Office or World Health Organisation advise against all but essential travel to the country or specific area you are travelling to.

• Gives control of the situation and the added security should an airline cancel, delay or redirect a flight after take-off.

Telephone: T 01 485 4122 F 0818 484 485 E info@blueinsurance.ie

Head of Commercial Jason Whelan E Jason@blueinsurance.ie Admin Support: Amy E amy@blueinsurance.ie Eoghan E eoghan.doody@blueinsurance.ie

N.B. 1. There is a 7 day moratorium period. The Travel Disruption extension is not valid until 7 days after the additional premium is paid.

2. Cannot claim for anything existing or being publicly announced on the date you purchase the cover or book the trip. (e.g. Strike, Closure of Airports etc.)

Cruise Connection Summary Covers additional onward travel and accommodation expenses in reaching the next available embarkation point of the cruise itinerary if you fail to arrive at the original embarkation point in time due to failure of any scheduled public transport, the failure of your booked cruise ship, strike, industrial action or adverse weather conditions.

N.B. You must allow sufficient time between schedule transports.

Training: Throughout the year if you require any additional training on our products or if you have new members of staff that require training then please contact Jason on 01 485 4122 and he will be happy to arrange training for a time that suits you. Blue Insurance Limited is also happy to provide sales training on how to sell the insurance product and how to maximise your sales.

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How to increase revenue by

unlocking the potential of your GDS

The experience is everything travelport.com

To learn more, visit us at travelport.com or get in touch at sales.ie@travelport.com, tel: 01-6020444

Technology Travelport

Travel industry technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Travelport intends to remain at the forefront, meeting the demands for speed, flexibility and convergence that will enable our customers to compete and prosper.

Our aim is to be the world’s leading provider of informed travel choice by offering richer, deeper content through more accessible distribution. To achieve this we continue to create and embrace new technologies, platforms and ideas that deliver expansive content and improve customer service.

No matter how big or small the travel operation, be it online or offline, retail or corporate, our scalable best-in-class platform, leading set of application program interfaces, agency desktop points of sale, award winning travel apps and B2B international payment solutions are available to all our agency customers.

www.travelport.com/ie Travelport Ireland Sales: E sales.ie@travelport.com Sales Team: T 01 602 0444 Riona McGrath – Country Manager Catherine Brennan Joanne Madden Tara Hynes Sharon Lyons Rhona Winchester

We have transformed the traditional GDS concept into an open platform enabling customers to access a graphically rich single user interface, to enable marketing and sales of full air content and full ancillary content. We focus our investment, innovation and effort on enabling travel providers and agents to sell how they want to sell and users to buy how they want to buy.

Agents can quickly target customers with branded and tailored offers that better matches their needs, provide strong imagery so they can visualize their travel experience and therefore increase conversion.

Travelport Ireland

Hotel and Car Rental Content

Travelport has over 220 employees based in its central Dublin office. This includes our Account Management teams focused on supporting our customers in Ireland and the Digital teams who are focused on developing the most sophisticated mobile travel technology solutions for agencies and airlines across the globe. Travelport continues to invest heavily in providing agencies with fast and easy access to the broadest possible choice in travel content, and content that is right for them and their customers. We make the process of selling, buying and managing travel –better for everyone - with easier, more efficient access to a greater choice of travel content and personalized, tailored itineraries supported by great customer experiences for the endtraveler. Strong and close partnerships with our customers is central to how we work with agencies here in Ireland. We have a unique approach to our partnerships, ensuring pour customers are the core of our decision making.

In our Beyond Air category, we offer a wide range of different rate types for an industry leading portfolio of individual hotel properties (650,000) that are all fully bookable in real time. Our car rental content is second to none (over 37,000 car rental locations), and continues to grow. As a result of all of this, we believe we attach more hotel and car bookings per airline tickets than any other player in the industry.

Rich Content and Branding

Sophisticated Mobile Solutions Our relentless focus on using technology to enhance the entire travel value chain is also why, today, we operate – what we believe to be – a very successful division focused on delivering sophisticated mobile services and apps to the travel industry. In a time where the industry will be heading into a new era of distribution, including multi-source, NDC and more, the skills and expertise we provide are more necessary than ever to help Irish agents and customers navigate through the complexity of travel.

We also have over 260 airlines live on Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding solution. With Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding, travel agents can grow revenues by providing compelling itineraries with rich imagery and detail, giving a true feel for the travel experience on offer, and this approach really resonates with travelers.

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Tour Operators Al Fresco

It’s the start of a different kind of holiday…

At Al Fresco, we want to set your customers free from the daily grind and discover a different kind of holiday. We’ve spent years helping families and couples find their ideal active, cultural or relaxing holiday – this all begins with our choice of locations…

Location, location, location Your customers can choose from over 72 specially selected parcs across Europe. You’ll find our parcs directly on the beach, at the foot of the mountains or close to capital cities –from the Costa Brava, French Riviera and the Italian Lakes, to Holland and Croatia.

Parc life We offer a wide range of locations – from traditional campsites to large holiday villages or resorts – which we call our parcs. Lots of parcs are packed with a variety of topnotch facilities including huge pool complexes, free kids’ clubs, sporting activities and even spas!

Camping, reinvented We offer a range of accommodation you won’t find anywhere else, including holiday homes such as Verdi, Vivaldi, Rossini mobile homes. All customers will have their own outdoor space or decking and enjoy the feeling of stepping out onto grass, not concrete.

Flexible travel and timings We want customers to enjoy their holiday, their way. That’s why we we’re happy for them to arrive any day of the week, stay as little or as long as they like, and even stay at more than one parc. We can help with the getaway, too and will organise flights, ferry crossings and car hire to any of our parcs.

Designed for every stage of life • Preschool families – Guide your younger families towards our Little Eurocampers Paradise Parcs. These parcs have been designed for families with little ones; offering free baby and toddler clubs, safe accommodation and lots of toddler-friendly extras like safety gates and toilet steps.

• Families with school & teenage kids – Let them know about our parcs that are great for Full on Fun or Explore and Adventure. Each is packed with activities and nearby locations that offer customers the chance to experience one or both of those kinds of holidays.

Think vibrant resorts and beaches on the doorstep, or new water sports and stunning natural spots.

• Adults –Show adults of all ages the top cultural locations we offer – we like to call these our Authentic Europe experiences. Here, they’ll find lots of local culture, wonderful flavours and chances to discover famous or even undiscovered sights.

• Not forgetting Rover – Dogs aren’t just pets, they’re part of the family too. That’s why four-legged friends are welcome on all of our parcs from as little as €6 per night.

www.alfresco-holidays.ie/agents/login Address: Al Fresco Holidays, 78-80 South Mall, Cork Reservations: T 021 206 3010

Savings just for you Sound like your kind of thing? You can save on your holiday with our special concessions for travel agents. Call us on 021 206 3010 to find out more.

Al Fresco training We’re happy to come in and arrange in-house training for you and your team. Just give us a call: (021) 206 3010

Need more brochures?

We’ll drop brochures off with you regularly, but if you need anymore, call: (021) 206 3010

Tickets Travel Agents can now download your customers tickets from your website www.alfresco-holidays.ie/agents/login 2 weeks prior to your customers departure.

What to do if there’s a cancellation You’ll find our cancellation policy in our booking conditions, listed in our brochure and on our website: www.alfresco.ie/information/booking-terms-conditions

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E: admi n@br eakaway . i e T: 016079999

Tour Operators Breakaway

About Us: Breakaway are an Irish owned family business, serving Irish Travel Agents since 1968. We are the Official Irish distributor for Disneyland® Paris and have been since it’s opening in 1992. All of our staff visit the resort regularly and receive expert Disney training, so we know everything about the resort including those important insider tips, we use this information to help agents every day with questions and enquiries and to make sure they get their bookings over the line.

Disneyland® Paris • Two parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios • Over 50 world class attractions • It’s not just for kids! You’re never too old to experience the magic • 6 Disney owned themed hotels • 2 Disney Nature Resorts • 8 Partner Hotels • Over 50 restaurants in the hotels, the parks and in Disney Village • Pre-purchase meal plans, character lunches, shows • Disney Village – shopping, bars, and restaurants

Seasons and Events • Disney’s Enchanted Christmas Season: 9th Nov 2019 – 6th Jan 2020 • Frozen Celebration: 11th Jan – 3rd May 2020 • Legends of the Force: A Celebration of Star Wars: 11th Jan - 15th Mar 2020 • Magic Run Weekend – Half Marathon, 10k, 5k and kid’s races: 24th- 27th Sept 2020.

• Marvel Season of Super Heroes: 24th March – 7th June 2020 • Princess Run: 8th – 10th May 2020 • The Lion King and Jungle Festival: Summer 2020 • Electroland: Weekend of 4th July 2020 • Halloween Festival: October 2020

Targeting Audience: Disneyland Paris - Families, Teenagers, Couples

www.breakaway.ie E admin@breakaway.ie Dedicated travel agents line: T 01 607 9999

Unique Selling Points: • Breakaway’s Disneyland® Paris Online booking tool with a fast and easy to use agent’s portal • Live availability and easy to view discounts • Ability to view prices of each arrival date • Aer Lingus flights on the booking tool • Dedicated trade support by our Disney experts • Renowned for our service of excellence • White label and API options available for your websites

Sales/Marketing: Breakaway send out offers and pricing every week for you to put up on your social media and in your windows. They are also happy and eager to work with agents directly by supplying social media material, sales material, brochures, posters, flyers and assistance with advertising.

Brochure Distribution Brochures are distributed 3 times during the year.

Stocks of our brochures are held by RTS, please contact us if you wish to order more brochures.

Training Online: www.disneystars.com Or on-site training for your staff

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Tour Operators Caribtours

Caribtours has been arranging luxury holidays for over 40 years, and we like to think that no one does it better. We craft holidays bespoke to the individual, so whether your clients are dreaming of a multi-centre islandhopping holiday, or they’re simply looking for a week-long all-inclusive beach break, you can trust us to create something perfectly suited to their needs.

What’s Included?

Holidays with Caribtours all include accommodation, flights, private transfers and departure airport lounge access as standard, but we do much more than book generic offthe-shelf holidays. We’ve selected every hotel in the Caribtours collection with great care. We only feature properties that live up to the highest standards of hospitality. Plus, we provide 24-hour support and assistance; your dedicated Travel Adviser will ensure everything runs smoothly, from flights and transfers to in-resort experience.

Destinations Worldwide We arrange holidays to destinations spanning the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Arabia, Europe and more. And we’ve travelled to every destination we cover, so whether you’re looking for a hotel, restaurant or daytrip recommendation, at least one of us has been there and done it. We can even arrange multi-centre holidays, with island hopping in the Caribbean or Greece popular options, or even an ocean cruise combined with a luxury hotel stay.

Luxury Holidays Our brand new 2020 brochure, Our Beautiful World, has just launched, and in it, you’ll find hotels and resorts perfect for all types of holiday.

From blissful honeymoons in the Caribbean or the Maldives, to fun-filled family holidays at resorts bursting with facilities and activities in Mexico or Mauritius, there’s an option for everyone in our new brochure.

As well as booking holidays, we can make sure all the little extras are organised, too. Our complete Caribtours Concierge service comes as standard; from the simple things, such as booking a great restaurant or organising an excursion or candlelit dinner on the beach, to the grand gestures such as planning a wedding or chartering a private helicopter, our team will ensure your client’s holiday is absolutely perfect.

www.caribtours.ie E escapes@caribtours.ie T 01 431 9700 Represented by Alan Sparling, ASM – Ireland

Ocean Cruises We work with cruise lines including Silversea, Seabourn and Star Clippers, and can organise everything from an extended cruise taking in multiple continents, to a week-long cruise around the Mediterranean or Caribbean. With delicious cuisine, fabulous facilities and absorbing ports of call, an ocean cruise is a magnificent and relaxing way to take in our beautiful world.

Villa Holidays If your clients prefer privacy, tranquillity and that home-away-from-home feeling, villas and private homes are a great alternative to a hotel. Some villas are completely independent, while others are based in-resort, offering guests the luxury of having facilities and restaurants close at hand alongside the freedom this type of accommodation offers. Whatever your clients are looking for from a villa holiday, we have something for them.

Reasons to Book With Us...

• • • • • • • • •

We’re independent and privately owned We pay top commission on everything You can rely on us 24/7 We like to spoil you with incentives We will never undercut or offer direct discounts You can use our Caribtours Concierge service We will work with you to secure a booking We offer total flexibility We will give you and your clients specialist advice

Our experience, knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and willingness to always go that extra mile combine to ensure you get the best service available at all times. Please contact us if you wish to order more brochures.

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Tour Operators Classic Collection

We’ve been selling tailor-made holidays through the UK travel trade for more than 25 years and have won more than 50 travel industry accolades including Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards, AITO, SPAA, Elite, Advantage, The Travel Network Group and Travel Bulletin Stars, a coveted Travel Weekly Globe, Travel Trade Gazette and prestigious British Travel Awards. We’re proud of these awards. They endorse our brand and our high levels of service. Our award-winning luxury hotel holidays are now available with flights from Dublin, Cork, Shannon , Knock and Kerry.

Our Destinations Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Costa Del Sol, Costa Blanca, La Manga, The Algarve, Lisbon and Estoril Coast, Porto and Douro Valley, Madeira, Sorrento and Amalfi, Naples Capri and Ischia, Sicily, Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda, Malta, Gozo, Croatia,Corfu, Rhodes, Crete and Turkey

Our service We’re open until 10pm 7 days a week and even when our phones are busy we usually answer within sixty seconds. Our website www.classic-collection.ie provides comprehensive hotel and resort information and photographs and links to a brochure ordering and booking enquiry service.

Discussing your clients holiday requirements in detail with our experienced call centre staff insures we can provide you with our award winning level of service.

We get very positive comments about our reservations team, overseas staff, and all our support staff. We’re not perfect, but we’re not afraid to apologise and to fix things should they go wrong. We like to be the operator that says YES.

Our holidays All our hotels are hand- picked and contracted directly by us, we don’t use any third party providers. We’ll fly your clients from any airport with any airline for any duration.

We include private transfers, unless car hire offers better value. We’ll guarantee interconnecting rooms when and where necessary, and include complimentary Bubblebums (inflatable booster seats) for youngsters. Single centre, twin centre, multi centres, city breaks…we’re happy to discuss any combination of our featured hotels.

www.classic-collection.ie Classic Collection Holidays 3-4 Merrion Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Niall McDonnell t 01 541 3004 e niall.mcdonnell@classic-collection.ie Reservations 01 541 3000 Administration 01 541 3001 Accounts 01 541 3002 Office & press enquiries 01 541 3004 sales@classic-collection.ie

Our affordable luxury and what it means for you.

We offer 100% financially protected, luxurious hotel holidays. We pay full commission on all elements of every booking. Incentives are available with the agreement of your manager/head office. Our price promise guarantees that our holidays are competitively priced. Many Classic Collection Holidays’ guests are repeat bookers and so it’s lucrative for you to nurture them. We’re pleased to work with you on joint promotions, and if you’d like additional copies of our brochures you can order as many as you want directly from us. We are happy to provide staff training at any time that is convenient for you.

Each holiday is individually tailor-made and private airport transfers in resort are automatically included so your clients arrive feeling refreshed and relaxed.

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Expert service every step of the way Flights

Transfers

Accommodation

WINTER YOUR WAY Skier, snowboarder or sit-back-and-socialiser, choose from over 90 resorts and find the ski holiday that’s right for you

ONLINE

agent.crystalski.ie

Crystal Ski is fully bonded and licensed by CAR (TO 021).

CALL US

01 653 3503

Tour Operators Crystal

Crystal Ski are an award winning Ski Operator and for us, the mountain is everything. We love it as much as you do. We find the best places to ski and the most exciting mountains to spend time in.

Unique Selling Points: We have a holiday to suit every pocket.

Destinations: Crystal Ski offer holidays to Austria, Andorra, Italy, France, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Target Audience: Singles, Groups, Families,

Co-Op Policy: Crystal Ski will match any price that you or your clients come across from time to time as long as the comparison is on a like-for-like basis.

https://agent.crystalski.ie Address: Victoria House 4-6 Haddington Road Dublin D04 K7H2 Dedicated Reservations Line: T 01 6533 503 Operations: T 01 6533 510

Co-Op Policy:

Brochure Distribution:

Contact your local Travel Agent is featured on all our Press Advertising.

Brochure drops will be made at regular intervals and will be outsourced to a third party. Brochure supplies will be proportionate to previous years’ sales.

Sales/Marketing: In addition to the enhanced commercial terms that Travel Centre members enjoy with Crystal Ski. Crystal Ski will also provide an additional 10% discount for Travel Centre agents and partner on our Ski Products.

Agent Concessions: Voucher promotions run on all products throughout the year.

Training/Fams: We participate in Travel Centres Webinar programme but can also provide one-to-one and one-to-many training on site with specific agents, subject to availability/eligibility. Crystal Ski may operate small escorted fam tours from time to time and invitations to participate will be based on agent sales for the current season.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation penalties and procedures are as per our published booking conditions.

General Information: Crystal Ski agrees to partner with Travel Centres in respect of its annual conference and supplier workshop. The company also agrees to maintain a dedicated telephone line 01 6533 503 for reservations in order to streamline the services levels provided, particularly during the busiest booking periods.

Full details of our commercial terms with Travel Centres are contained within a separate document that can be accessed through Travel Centres agent intranet, the link to which can be found on the Travel Bug web site. Members are reminded that these negotiated commercial terms are strictly private and confidential and their contents may not be revealed to any third party under any circumstances. Failure to adhere to this confidentiality may result in these enhanced commercial terms being summarily withdrawn without notice.

Credit Terms: Unless otherwise stated, all outstanding balances must be paid in full and cleared, at least ten weeks prior to departure. Crystal Ski reserves the right to cancel any bookings for whom a balance remains outstanding beyond the recommended time deadline.

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Call our friendly team in Cork on (021) 425 2300 Visit www.eurocamp4agents.ie

Follow us

Tour Operators Eurocamp

It’s the start of a different kind of holiday…

At Eurocamp, we want to set your customers free from the daily grind and discover a different kind of holiday. We’ve spent over 40 years helping families and couples find their ideal active, cultural or relaxing holiday – this all begins with our choice of locations…

Location, location, location Your customers can choose from over 180 specially selected parcs across Europe. You’ll find our parcs directly on the beach, at the foot of the mountains or close to capital cities –from the Costa Brava, French Riviera and the Italian Lakes, to Holland, Germany and Croatia.

Parc life We offer a wide range of locations – from traditional campsites to large holiday villages or resorts – which we call our parcs. Lots of parcs are packed with a variety of topnotch facilities including huge pool complexes, free kids’ clubs, sporting activities and even spas!

Camping, reinvented We offer a range of accommodation you won’t find anywhere else, including holiday homes such as Aspect, Azure and Azure Plus mobile homes. All customers will have their own outdoor space or decking and enjoy the feeling of stepping out onto grass, not concrete.

Flexible travel and timings We want customers to enjoy their holiday, their way. That’s why we we’re happy for them to arrive any day of the week, stay as little or as long as they like, and even stay at more than one parc. We can help with the getaway, too and will organise flights, ferry crossings and car hire to any of our parcs.

Designed for every stage of life • Preschool families – Guide your younger families towards our Little Eurocampers Paradise Parcs. These parcs have been designed for families with little ones; offering free baby and toddler clubs, safe accommodation and lots of toddler-friendly extras like safety gates and toilet steps.

• Families with school & teenage kids – Let them know about our parcs that are great for Full on Fun or Explore and Adventure. Each is packed with activities and nearby locations that offer customers the chance to experience one or both of those kinds of holidays.

Think vibrant resorts and beaches on the doorstep, or new water sports and stunning natural spots.

• Adults –Show adults of all ages the top cultural locations we offer – we like to call these our Authentic Europe experiences. Here, they’ll find lots of local culture, wonderful flavours and chances to discover famous or even undiscovered sights.

• Not forgetting Rover – Dogs aren’t just pets, they’re part of the family too. That’s why four-legged friends are welcome on all of our parcs from as little as €6 per night.

www.eurocamp.ie Address: Eurocamp, 78-80 South Mall, Cork

Agent Website: W www.eurocamp4agents.ie

Reservations: T 021 425 2300

Savings just for you Sound like your kind of thing? You can save on your holiday with our special concessions for travel agents. Call us on (021) 425 2300 to find out more.

Eurocamp training We’re happy to come in and arrange in-house training for you and your team. Just give us a call: (021) 425 2300

Need more brochures?

We’ll drop brochures off with you regularly, but if you need anymore, call: (021) 425 2300

Tickets Travel Agents can now download your customers tickets from your website www.eurocamp4agents.ie 2 weeks prior to your customers departure.

What to do if there’s a cancellation You’ll find our cancellation policy in our booking conditions, listed in our brochure and on our website: www.eurocamp.ie/information/booking-terms-conditions

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INSIGHT EXPERIENCES

DELICIOUSLY AUTHENTIC DINING

TRAVEL AND STAY IN STYLE

THE MAGIC OF AN

SMALLER GROUP CAMARADERIE

SEAMLESS, STRESS-FREE TRAVEL

INSIGHT EXPERIENCE

Tour Operators Insight Vacations Insight Vacations is ‘in a class of its own’, providing premium escorted journeys that embody ‘The Art of Travelling in Style’. We’ll introduce your clients to all the sights and the insights, up close and personal, in comfort and in style. With over 100 premium journeys to choose from, your clients can explore the world safely and securely, in good company and at exceptional value for money.

Unique Selling Points At Insight Vacations, we’ve been creating magical travel experiences for over 40 years that specialise in: Insight Experiences We’ll show your clients a range of fascinating and unique experiences, connecting them with local people to really bring each destination to life.

Deliciously Authentic Dining Enjoy a mouth-watering variety of dining experiences designed to give guests an authentic flavour of each destination, sampling great restaurants and local specialties.

Travelling and Staying in Style Guests will enjoy the journey to their hand-picked hotels, in the best locations, in utmost style, on our exclusive customised coaches, with extra leg room.

Smaller Group Camaraderie Guests will share their travel moments with like-minded guests from around the English-speaking world. With never more than 40 people on a journey and an average of 33, our groups are just the right size.

Seamless, Stress-free Travel From hotel check-ins to restaurant reservations, our experienced and knowledgeable Travel Director will be onhand to take care of everything.

Target Audience

www.ttc.com www.insightvacations.com The Travel Corporation Travel House, 27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Country Manager Sharon Jordan T 086 782 3911 E sharon.jordan@ttc.com Sales & Account Management Brian Hynes T 086 029 4168 E brian.hynes@ttc.com Adam Goddard T 086 796 1997 E adam.goddard@ttc.com

Sales, Social & Events Alison Sheehan T 01 775 3803 E alison.sheehan@ttc.com Marketing & PR Shannon Stegall T 01 775 3805 E shannon.stegall@ttc.com Reservations T Call us free phone at 1800 98 98 98 and press option 2.

E reservations@uniworld.ie

Agent Concessions We offer ongoing promotions and incentives for all agents.

Any personal holiday requests should be emailed to Sharon Jordan at Sharon.jordan@ttc.com and discounts will be offered on an individual basis. We strongly encourage agents to experience our holidays first-hand.

The majority of Insight Vacations guests are 50+ with interests such as engaging in the destinations they visit, relaxing and hassle-free travel, interacting with local people and understanding destinations from their perspective and free time and leisure opportunities. We have a high repeat guest rate and our journeys are also very popular with solo travellers.

Training & Familiarisation Trips

Our All-Inclusive Concept Includes

Payment Terms

Insight Vacations escorted journeys include select meals, excursions and entrance fees (as detailed in itineraries), all airport transfers and complementary Wi-Fi onboard most coaches.

Deposit of ¤100 must be paid within 7 days of booking. The final payment must be made 45 days prior to departure.

Sales & Marketing The Travel Corporation (TTC) provides strong commercial terms and override commission possibilities. We are also delighted to work with any travel agency on the individual basis for any in-house marketing strategy. We offer a full and dedicated sales support team based in Dublin and on the road.

Travel Centre’s agents will be offered places on all fam trips and training sessions.

Video Library https://www.insightvacations.com/eu/community/videogallery

Brochure Distribution Brochure distribution is via RTS. To order any of our brochures, please email Alison.sheehan@ttc.com.

General Information Members are reminded that our negotiated commercial terms are strictly private and confidential and their contents may not be revealed to any third party under any circumstances. Failure to adhere to this confidentiality may result in these enhanced commercial terms being summarily withdrawn without notice. Please make all cheques and payments out to The Travel Corporation Ireland Limited.

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D I S C OV E R

ICELANAMIBIA

Iceland

Your local expert DMC

Namibia

Your local expert DMC

Tour Operators Obeo

Obeo Travel is your expert DMC in destinations Iceland & Namibia. We have been present in the Irish market since early 2016, proudly represented

by ASM as our local GSA in the market. www.obeo-travel.com We pride ourselves in the high quality service, competitive pricing and tremendous expertise in our two destinations.

Both destinations can be tricky in operation where expert support can make the difference from a standard holiday to an unforgettable experience. You can rest assured that your clients are in good hands with our personal touch, experience and expertise.

We are so grateful to the Travel Centres agents for your tremendous support over the years and are excited for our continued partnership.

Destinations Iceland & Namibia Iceland has been an increasingly popular destination over the past few years for good reason. This year round destination offers unforgettable holidays whether you may be in search for the Northern Lights in the winter or self driving in 24 hour daylight in the summer. Embark on adventures like the Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Whale Watching, Lava Tunnels, Glaciers and so much more! Tell us what your customer is interested in and we tailor make every holiday, ensuring each customer‘s full enjoyment.

Namibia has been Africa‘s hidden gem. Thanks to increased schedule flights and airlines flying into Windhoek the destination is certainly up-and-coming. Namibia is a unique destination with its interesting history, rich culture, breathtaking scenery and wildlife that you‘ll never forget.

Namibia‘s iconic attractions include the highest sand dunes in the world in Sossusvlei, the valley of Deadvlei, Damaraland‘s geological wonder, the elusive Desert adapted Elephant, the world‘s highest Cheetah population, Etosha National Park and so much more!

Iceland Breaks Iceland is not a typical city break destination, while Reykjavik is a charming city it is relatively small and easily explored in a day or even half a day. A holiday to Iceland is not complete unless you explore our natural wonders. With Obeo Travel you can choose from a variety of guided excursions suiting every guest‘s interests. We service every type of holiday, be it budgeted short breaks, high end tours, incentives & special interest groups or honeymoons. Be sure to keep in touch as we offer great marketing support with images, videos and example itineraries

GSA Ireland Alan Sparling e alan@asm-ireland.ie t 087 253 3141 Bookings e info@obeo-travel.com t +47 9415 7414

Incentive Groups in Iceland Feel at ease planning your important incentive trip in Iceland. Obeo Travel has tremendous knowledge and contracts in Iceland. We understand the special attention to detail required for incentives and no request is too hard for us to handle. Whether it be a budgeted incentive or a top luxurious one – we tailor make every request. Offer your incentive an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience in Iceland with us, we are very creative!

• • • • •

Snowmobile on a glacier Buggy adventure Glacier Buffet Private Northern Lights Cruise Transport by helicopter to unique places.

Namibia Obeo Travel has recently launched a Namibia brochure which ASM are delivering around the country. Be sure to get a copy from Alan or Jo-Ann to learn more about this fascinating destination Located in southwestern Africa, Namibia boasts a welldeveloped infrastructure, some of the best tourist facilities in Africa, and an impressive list of breathtaking natural wonders. Visitors can explore the capital of Windhoek and discover the lovely coastal town of Swakopmund boasting remnants of the country’s German influence, reflected in the architecture, culture, cuisine and the annual Oktoberfest celebrations. To properly appreciate this extraordinary country, you will have to venture out of the cities to explore the remarkable natural landscapes Namibia has to offer.

These include: the impressive Fish River Canyon; the vast Etosha National Park teeming with abundant wildlife, such as lions, desert-adapted elephants and the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra; the hauntingly beautiful Kalahari Desert; and of course the Namib Desert stretching for over 2000 km along the magnificent Atlantic Coast. Namibia is an ideal destination for travellers seeking an unforgettable African experience in a uniquely beautiful untamed wilderness.

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Incredible holidays with a difference...

Discover the Danube’s marvellous sights on a relaxing five-star river cruise. Or explore a side of Paris loved by locals, along with its many highlights, of course. With Riviera Travel, the journey is every bit as enjoyable as the destination – and we have over 30 of them with departures from Ireland.

Award-winning reputation Since our inception in 1984, we have been consistently recognised for outstanding service, value and quality. For six years, Which? has awarded us the highly coveted Recommended Provider status.

For reservations contact our Dublin Office on 01-9056300 E-mail enquieries: help@rivieratravel.ie Tel: 01 905 6300 Fax: 01 905 6301 Visit: www.rivieratravel.ie

Every tour includes:

Tour Operators

• Visits and guided tours covering a destination’s must-see highlights and lesser-known gems Riviera Travel • Return flights plus hotel transfers • Hand-picked accommodation • Included meals vary by tour – generally daily breakfast is included on our European tours • The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager

Every luxury river cruise includes: • Visits and guided tours covering a destination’s must-see highlights and lesser-known gems • Return flights plus ship transfers • Luxury accommodation on the finest river cruise ships with river views • All meals on board including welcome cocktails and the Captain’s Dinner • Complimentary on-board tea and coffee • Complimentary on-board Wi-Fi – connection speeds may vary • The services of our experienced cruise director and concierge

A carefully curated collection Every detail is carefully considered by our experts – we may recommend a route less travelled for a closer look at local life, or select a lesser-known boutique hotel for its charming hospitality.

Enjoy unrivalled personal service from our friendly team, who can be easily reached at any time. Our experienced tour managers are with you all the way, and our expert guides offer a depth of understanding and passion no guide book could match.

We are the UK’s leader in river cruising, offering 14 itineraries along Europe’s most iconic waterways, from the Douro to the Danube.

Our river-cruise ships are Swiss-built and operated, and primarily five-star rated.

We also offer: yacht cruises along the Dalmatian Coast, Mediterranean small-ship and tall-ship cruises, transatlantic crossings on board Queen Mary 2 with North American tours, river cruises in Asia, and luxury train journeys through the heart of India.

Our price promise Call us old fashioned, but we believe your holiday should be fairly priced without any compromise on quality. That’s why we don’t discount our prices, why there are no seasonal sales and why there are no deals for booking early or late. This means you can book with confidence knowing that you’re always getting the very best value with honest and straightforward prices all year round.

Excellent trade partnerships

Brochure distribution

We offer our trade partners: • Competitive commission levels • No direct discounting • Dedicated agency support

Our brochures are updated regularly during the year and distributed by RTS To order additional brochures, please email your request to travelagents@rivieratravel.ie

• Bulk brochure distribution • Agents online booking facility • Online training module

Riviera Travel Chase House City Junction Business Park Malahide Road Northern Cross, Dublin, D17 AK63 Holidays organised by and subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel, Chase House, City Junction Business Park, Malahide Road, Northern Cross, Dublin D17 AK63. Fully licensed and bonded

by CAR (T.O. 257). Per person prices based on two sharing a twin cabin. Single cabins available at a supplement. Additional entrance costs may apply. Images used in conjunction with Riviera Travel.

MAKING HOLIDAYS HAPPEN

Sun Package Holidays

Worldwide Holidays

Cruise Holidays

USA & Canada Holidays

Club Med Holidays

Tailormade Holidays

Lapland Holidays

Adventure Holidays

Escorted Holidays

Tour Operators Sunway

We value our trade partners. We’ve been selling holidays for the past 53 years. Our award winning holidays are available 24/7 for you to book. We are very proud of our product and stand over everything we sell. We sincerely appreciate all the support Travel Centres give Sunway.

Why book with Sunway?

• • • •

• • • •

100% Irish owned and managed Fully Licensed and bonded We offer full indemnities to agents Dedicated agent portal - One stop shop to book Packages – Hotel Only – Flight Only & New Longhaul coming soon!

Complete Price Parity – One Price for all Commission offered on all holidays Available 24/7 when things go wrong!

Incentives throughout the year

The most important reason though, is we value our trade partners!

www.sunway.ie SUNWAY Head office: Sunway Travel Limited, Marina House, Clarence Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin E info@sunway.ie European Reservations: (01) 2311 800 Longhaul: (01) 2311 856 Agency Sales: e jeanette.taylor@sunway.ie t 086 236 8583

How we help you • Meet Jeanette – Our dedicated Agency Sales Rep, who is there for you!

• We run fam trips throughout the year – so you get to know our products • We hold webinars • Travel Centres members will always be offered a place on our fam trips • We provide you with marketing material to help you sell our holidays • We are constantly working on improving our agents platform – to make things easier for you.

• We give you a huge variety of product to promote and sell

Brochure requests Simply email brochures@sunway.ie for whatever you need

Making Holidays Happen- We pretty much cover every destination & product your client could want!

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Charter Package Holidays Tailormade holidays Hotel Only Flight only Lapland holidays Cruise Holidays River cruise Club Med Sunsail , Neilson & Mark Warner Gadventures & Intrepid Longhaul USA Trafalgar - Escorted tours

Award winning We don’t take our accolades for granted. We know we wouldn’t have them without your help and support, so we will always work with you and not against you!

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SKI HOLIDAYS FLY DIRECT FROM DUBLIN & BELFAST BULGARIA | ROMANIA | SIERRA NEVADA

WHY CHOOSE TRAVEL SOLUTIONS...  Ireland’s only tour operator offering skiing holidays to Bulgaria & Romania  Now offering Sierra Nevada Ski Holidays  Over thirty years of experience  10% Commission paid on full amount including ski packs & taxes

YOUR LOCAL REP...

 Direct flights from Dublin & Belfast  We offer you the best holiday experience at the most affordable prices  Hotels featured have been inspected by a senior member of our team & offer great value & a full range of facili�es  Includes full ski pack & ski lessons & half board basis

Don Clarke

 Bookable online - www.balkanski.ie

Direct Tel: 048 9073 6522

 Short break op�ons available

Email: don@travel-solu�ons.co.uk

QUICK CALL BOOKING LINE Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm

Saturdays 10.00am to 4.00pm

T: 048 9045 5030 www.balkanski.ie

Tour Operators Travel Solutions

Travel Solutions – Balkan Ski your only tour operator to operate from Dublin and Belfast to the top ski resorts in Bulgaria and Romania during the winter months. We are now delighted to offer Sierra Nevada direct from Dublin, offering the more experienced skier a new destination.

We also offer various Formula One tours from Dublin to UK, Europe and Abu Dhabi. www.balkanski.ie

Unique Selling Points: • 10% commission on every part of every holiday • Balkan Ski is the only tour operator to operate from Dublin and Belfast to Bulgaria.

• We make winter ski holidays more affordable!

Destinations: • Balkan Ski - the ski division of Travel Solutions - is Ireland’s only tour operator offering skiing holidays to Bulgaria from Dublin and Belfast • Romania ski – the ski division of Travel Solutions – offering ski holidays to Transylvania direct from Dublin • Sierra Nevada – Spain ski destination direct from Dublin • Travel Solutions offer holidays to Jersey, UK, Europe and UEA • Travel Solutions offer various Formula One escorted sport tours from Dublin

3 Hillsborough Business Park 2a Hillsborough Gardens Belfast, BT6 9DT. Ireland Sales Manager: Don Clarke t 048 90 736 522 E don@travel-solutions.co.uk Agent Support: t 048 90 736 518 E marketing@travel-solutions.co.uk

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation penalties and procedures are as per our current published booking conditions.

Target Audience:

Credit Terms:

• Balkan Ski – Singles, Groups, Families, Couples • Romania Ski - Singles, Groups, Families, Couples • Sierra Nevada – Singles, Groups, Families, Couples and Advanced skiers • Formula One – Sports fans

We can only confirm your holiday on receipt of a nonrefundable deposit. This deposit will secure your holiday and guarantee your price. The balance will be due no later than 8 weeks before you travel - the date will be shown on your holiday confirmation.

Travel Solutions Policy

Brochure Distribution:

Contact your local Travel Agent is featured on all our printed material

Brochures will be delivered on regular intervals, but they can be ordered by emailing marketing@travel-solutions.co.uk or call marketing support on 048 9073 6518.

10% Commission We offer excellent rates of commission, and every part of every holiday sold is commissionable – meaning great value for you as well as your customers.

Sales/Marketing In addition to the commercial terms that Travel Centre members enjoy with Travel Solutions, we are also happy to work with travel agencies on an individual basis for marketing and promotional support. Call 048 9073 6518 for further assistance.

Agents Concessions Email agent promotions run on all products throughout the year

Training & Support We participate in Travel Centres Webinar programme but can also provide individual training, onsite training, agent support or marketing materials. Travel Solutions may operate escorted educational visits from time to time and invitations will be based on agent’s sales for the current season.

General Information: Travel Solutions agree to partner with Travel Centres in respect of its annual conference and supplier workshop. The company also agrees to maintain a booking phone line 048 90 455030 for reservations and 048 9073 6518 for internal sales support. Members are reminded that our negotiated commercial terms are strictly private and confidential and their contents may not be revealed to any third party. Please make all cheques and payments out to Travel Solutions.

Financial Protection It is important that you feel confident your money is safe.

We offer our customers flying from Dublin 100% financial protection, and in the unlikely event that we cease to trade, arrangements are in place for you to either continue your holiday or receive a full refund of monies paid to us.

For all our flights from Dublin and Belfast you have 100% financial protection with our ATOL licence covered by the UK Government, so rest assured - your money is safe with Travel Solutions.

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Small Group & Tailormade Tours

14%

Agent commission

Asia • Middle East • Latin America • Africa • Europe www.traveltheunknown.com

Tour Operators Travel the Unknown

Travel The Unknown is a 50% Irish-owned award-winning tour operator offering unique small group (maximum 12 travellers) and tailormade tours to off-the-beaten-track destinations from India to Ethiopia, the Silk Road to the Sahara, Georgia to Colombia. From culture to cuisine, wildlife to festivals, archaeology to tribes, our themed tours get straight to your clients’ interests. Full agent support, flight booking and flexibility built-in.

Small Group Tours With a maximum group size of 12 people, our friendly small group tours allow your clients to travel with like-minded people as well as having some of the flexibility of independent exploration.

They will get to know their guides and locals better and so really get under the skin of the destination.

Tailormade Tours If your client prefers more independent travel, our website offers plenty of inspiration. Let us know their preferred accommodation and any special interests or requirements. Our travel specialists will then work with you on designing the perfect tailormade trip. All of our group tours can also be run on a private basis.

Who joins our trips?

Our clientele is made up of discerning travellers from around the world (mostly from Englishspeaking countries), friends, couples and solo travellers, the majority of whom are over 40.

Why Travel The Unknown?

• Travel specialists with intimate personal knowledge of destinations • Passionate & experienced local guides • Diverse range of boutique accommodation • Award winning tour company with fantastic rebooking rates • No local payments • Recommended by major guide books

Responsible Travel We have always had responsible travel as a core tenet of our ethos. This means we ensure that locals always benefit from our tours and that we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and sought to instill an eco-friendly culture from the beginning.

www.traveltheunknown.com t 01 254 8657 (IRL)

+44 20 7183 6371 (UK) Sales: sales@traveltheunknown.com Operations: operations@traveltheunknown.com

Destinations We offer a wide range of exciting destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Check our website for the full list of our destinations.

Themes For your clients who have a specific passion we offer a range of themed tours including Activity, Wildlife, Archaeology, Culinary, Festivals, Luxury and Tribes.

Brochures, sales & marketing Our brochures are distributed to all Travel Centres agents as part of the brochure drop but do get in touch if you would like any more. We also arrange ad hoc webinar training and arrange FAM trips to agents to discover some of our exciting destinations first-hand. Sign up to our newsletter on our website for all the latest news and offers.

Commission & terms of sale We offer a superb 14% commission rate to all Travel Centres agents. This covers group tours and private tours (but not flights, supplements and tour extras). Please see www.traveltheunknown.com/ conditions for booking and cancellation conditions - and ask us if you have any questions.

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Tour Operators Wendy Wu Tours

Wendy Wu Tours is the UK and Ireland’s leading award-winning tour operator specialist to China, Japan & Southeast Asia. The company, now in its 20th year of business, launched a new South America holidays collection in 2018 and now operates escorted tours in 35 countries across Asia and Latin America.

Bringing together extraordinary experiences and incredible destinations, our comprehensive range of tours are designed to capture the very essence of the destinations. We offer tour styles for all travellers including Classic, Active, Go Beyond, Exclusive, Private and Solo collections as well as Tailormade and Special Group Tours. Extensions and stopovers are also available. Today, we’re proud to call ourselves the ‘awardwinning tour specialists. Much of this is thanks to our awardwinning guides. It is their unrivalled knowledge, passion and expertise that really makes a Wendy Wu tour special, so you can be safe in the knowledge that, wherever you travel with us, you’ll be in good hands.

2020 /2021 – Victoria Mekong 2020 will see the the launch of our brand new 4-star river cruise vessel, the Victoria Mekong.

The new 4-star ship will be one of the first to cruise out of Can Tho, Vietnam and will be sailing through a much quieter route to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. While offering an exclusive new route and incredible facilities, the Victoria Mekong promises to engage passengers with authentic local experiences both on and off the ship. This includes bringing artists on board for spectacular performances, visiting local cottage industries and meeting local people for a unique understanding of the Mekong Delta’s recent history. To complete the customer’s exciting experiences aboard the Victoria Mekong, we have taken the vessel’s innovative 3-night or 4-night itineraries and built them into four new group tours, and two new private tours.

The ship includes: • Sundeck • Bar and restaurant with outdoor seating area • Cocktail pool and pool bar • Spa with massage service • Lounge area with bar • Games room The tours: • International flights from the UK • All accommodation • 3-night or 4-night cruise on the Victoria Mekong • All meals (group tours only) • Transportation • Touring with guide and entrance fee

www.wendywutours.ie Contact us: T 01 485 4159 Reservation Opening Hours Mon - Fri: 9.00am - 5.30pm Saturday: 9.00am - 5.00pm Sunday: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Discover Latin America We understand what it takes to create the most memorable tours ever and our 2020/2021 Latin America collection has the perfect formula to create incredible memories of this extraordinary continent begging to be explored. This new collection includes 6 group tours, 3 of which are part of our classic tour collections offering the fully inclusive package.

We have added 14 extensions, giving travellers the chance to explore each destination deeper.

What do we offer?

• Fully inclusive escorted tours to Asia and Latin America • International Flights from Ireland • All domestic transportation, departure taxes and current fuel surcharges • All accommodation in 3/4 * hotels which have been handpicked.

• 3 meals every day – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Classic Tours) • Entrance fees, guides and daily tours • Visa fees for EU passport holders are included and taken care of.

• Tailor Made Tours for individual clients and Private Groups.

Our tailor-made department offers bespoke itineraries to all our destinations. With individual itineraries, local expertise and exceptional service you can be sure that we create the perfect holiday designed to suit customer’s needs offering both freedom and flexibility.

Booking Terms and Conditions To book simply contact the team on 01 485 4159. Deposit is ¤350pp with the balance due 75 days before travel

Sales & Marketing Opportunities We are very happy to assist, please contact John Booty, Sales Manager Ireland on 0831 701 860 or e-mail john.booty@wendywutours.ie 135

All our services At your service

Airport Club at Dublin Airport is the only annual club membership that puts you fully in control of your journey with unlimited parking, Fast Track and many other services - depending on the card you choose.

Order yours today – visit airportclub.ie

Travel Services Dublin Airport Travel Services

Unlimited Access to Dublin Airport Club Services. With one purchase, Airport Club members can enjoy the convenience of unlimited access to our exclusive services in T1 & 2 As a parking member you NEVER have to pre-book your parking again as the barrier will recognise your registration on entrance. Check out our Memberships with a 6 and 12-month option

Red • Fast Track • 10% discount in The Loop 12 Months ¤230/ 6Months ¤150

Blue • Access to our lounges, • Fast Track • 10% discount in The Loop 12 Months ¤750/6 Months ¤495

Green • Express Red parking • Fast Track • 10% discount in The Loop 12 Months ¤1000 / 6 Months ¤650

Silver • Short Term Parking • Fast Track • 10% discount in The Loop 12 Months ¤2000

Gold • Executive Parking • Fast Track • All lounges • One Platinum Services within the year • 10% discount in The Loop.

12 Months ¤3000

www.airportclub.ie

Welcome to Platinum Services A 24 hour private Terminal at Dublin Airport, with on-demand services to meet your individual needs before and after your flight. Our luxury private Terminal is open 24/7 with a dedicated team on hand to ensure you receive the VIP treatment from the moment you arrive at Dublin Airport.

• Dedicated car park and private Terminal entrance • Personal meet and greet on arrival • Private Security area • Private check-in and luggage handling • Luxury private suites • Complimentary menu • Chauffeur service to your aircraft We plan on continuing to build our relationships with all our Travel Agents for 2020 and will continue with our current 2019 incentive.

We will pay you ¤20 for every booking you make from 1st January 2020 on our online booking portal.

Payments will be made every 3 months as credit to your account. We will credit you ¤20 per booking regardless of party size. Exceed a 5K spend from Jan 2020 to December 2020 and receive a bonus credit payment of ¤250 to your account.

Please contact the Platinum sales & booking Team om +352(0)814 4895.

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General Conference 2018

General Conference 2018

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General Conference 2018

General Conference 2018

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General Conference 2018

Technology Zenotec

• IT Support • Cloud Services • Hardware & Software • Disaster Recovery

Your IT Business Partner

(091) 397 488 WWW.ZENOTEC.IE

PL ACES TO SEE

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MEMORIES TO CHERISH

Issue 2 coming soon!

Designers instructed to buy coffee and cancel social lives

New companion website New agent finder, travel resources and serious SEO for our members

Don’t miss the second issue of TravelBug! With a range of great value print and digital options available, your agency can boast its own branded, beautifully designed magazine.

As a complimentary hand-out to your customers, full of great content and highmargin holiday ideas, TravelBug is a powerful and creative sales tool. Enhance your brand, increase customer retention and improve your bottom line with TravelBug!

Don’t get left in the shade, order your personalised, branded copies today! Simply email bernie@travelcentres.ie