Hyatt Inclusive Collection hosted the four-day intensive training at Secrets/Dreams Playa Mujeres.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Land and resort vacation business is booming for travel advisors with Dream Vacations and CruiseOne, with land sales up 20 percent year over year. The need for travel agent training in this niche is more important than ever. Hyatt Inclusive Collection co-hosted the annual Dream Vacations and CruiseOne Land Summit at the Secrets/Dreams Playa Mujeres in Cancun, Mexico. During the four-day training, more than 140 travel advisors participated in interactive workshops, agent panels, round-table discussions, hotel events, and site inspections.
“We were honored to have hosted the 2023 Dream Vacations and CruiseOne Land Summit at the beautiful Secrets and Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf and Spa Resort,” said Mary Ellen Burke, national director of sales for Hyatt Inclusive Collection. “Spending time with these key travel advisors and the leadership team at this impressive event is a privilege and wonderful opportunity to network and collaborate. Inclusive Collection is proud and grateful for the strong partnership with Dream Vacations and CruiseOne. We look forward to our continued partnership and growing successfully together.”
The booming year for land vacations also highlighted some shifts in consumer habits:
- Dream Vacations and CruiseOne have seen an increase in the average booking window.
- Luxury is in high demand.
- The Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe remain extremely popular, and bookings are significantly up.
Dream Vacations and CruiseOne travel advisors grew their businesses due to the marketing programs provided. The marketing team unveiled a new initiative called “Destination Spotlight.” The first edition of the Destination Spotlight features the Dominican Republic. The goal is for agents to be able to showcase the highlighted destination and provide travel inspiration to their customers. An agent’s toolkit includes:
- A dedicated landing page.
- Email template.
- Customizable assets.
- Social media content.
Marketing also announced a land-exclusive promotion, funded by the franchise, which runs from September 19th through October 3rd to commemorate the 2023 Land Summit.
“The small training groups enable our advisors to engage with suppliers and each other, ultimately gaining a deeper understanding of the product,” said Sean Tolkin, vice president of land strategy and network performance for Dream Vacations and CruiseOne. “Small businesses must create a unique brand, customize their products, and think about their customers’ needs to succeed. To ensure that our travel advisors are successful, our Land Summit covered relevant best practices and provided them with the latest tools, resources, and content. These insights will help them generate new leads and keep loyal customers.”
Dream Vacations and CruiseOne also announced the official endorsement of the TAToolkit. Dream Vacations franchise owner Debby Corwin developed this robust resource. The TAToolkit provides first-hand accounts of various resorts that can allow travel advisors to be comfortable selling and recommending packages for their customers. The Land Summit concluded the 2023 Immersive Education Series, which featured intimate training opportunities on niche topics such as groups, luxury, and river cruising.
“We try to attend the Land Summit every year. The relationships we cultivate with suppliers are so important,” said Jeff Leach, a Dream Vacations franchise owner based in Omaha, Neb. “This year, it was wonderful to meet with new contacts and reacquaint with those connections already established. We saw some beautiful resorts and can provide our guests with first-hand recommendations and information. The Dream Vacations/CruiseOne staff did an amazing job putting this together.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
