North America-based Travel Alliance Partners, LLC (TAP) reports that the travel market is on the rise this year, with the first two months of 2011 exceeding the 2010 revenues from their Guaranteed Departures by TAP program. “The significant uptick in our numbers shows increasingly promising growth for TAP travel products, and for the travel industry as a whole,” says TAP Executive Director Stefanie Gorder, ctp, ds.

TAP’s call center, which supports the Guaranteed Departures program and website GuaranteedDepartures.com, states that the call volume for January and February 2011 has nearly doubled in comparison to 2010, with actual tour sales up 500% in 2011 for the same months. “The busier call center equates to more sales,” Gorder says, “and, already in 2011, we’re showing a 33% increase in tour sales over all of 2010. This is proof that the Guaranteed Departures program concept is working… for consumers, travel professionals and TAP Partners.”

Guaranteed Departures by TAP offers more than 250 tours to destinations around the world – guaranteed to go – including motorcoach tours, cruises, guided RV tours and rallies, as well as tours highlighting various holidays and special events. “We’re seeing a growing consumer confidence, that we attribute in part to our travelers knowing that their trips will never be cancelled due to a lack of guest participation,” says Gorder.

TAP’s Guaranteed Departures are operated by its 38 U.S. and Canada-based tour operators, who also own TAP. All tours are commissionable to travel professionals and include nightly accommodations, tour transportation, full-time services of an experienced tour director, meals, admissions for sightseeing and entertainment, and gratuities for handling one large suitcase per guest during the trip, as indicated on each itinerary. Tour prices are land- or cruise-only, but airfare and comprehensive travel insurance can also be purchased through TAP members when booking a tour.