Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008 - (Page 64)

COVER STORY into a hotel room, and it was a nice room, but I thought, ` My God, it' s not a suite.' Of course, I then thought how much of an idiot I was; I was lucky just to be there.º Fortuitousness, however, did not play a role in helping Rapp cinch his status in the luxury travel industry: Miles of travel and the thirst to seek out and soak in every corner of the world did. Along the way, Rapp has seen trends quicken and dry up, fads come and fads go. Presently, family travel and Gen-X and -Y travel are all the rage. While there has been an upward spike in multi-generational travel, Rapp says he and Altour are witnessing a new wrinkle. ª We are seeing grandparents taking grandkids, even without mom and dadÐt hat' s been a big trend.º These days, some unlucky parents are being cut out of the vacation equation. Altour caters to affluent types, but in today' s market, 20- and 30-somethings, in some cases, have the financial wherewithal to book luxury vacations. ª They are going for the more exotic travel,º Rapp says. One can only imagine that Rapp sees himself in the faces of Altour' s younger clientele, readying themselves to visit a new place, some destination Rapp' s probably been to countless times before. But it' s that same sheer excitement exhibited by his clients that makes Rapp the travel advisor he is today: always putting himself in his travelers' shoes, understanding how they feel and what they want out of a great vacation. He also can' t help but talk about it. ª You know Venice and Rome are great,º he says, ª but I' d like to see younger travelers branch out. Rent a car and drive through the countrysideÐex plore, really get out.º That' s the young Rapp shining through, the one who filled his college years traveling and consulting Let' s Go student travel guides. ª That was a great time, you really could live on five dollars a day in Europe,º he says. ª Travel is now a given; in those days it wasn' t, it was a treat.º ADVISOR INSIGHT: KNOWLEDGE IS KING When you' ve been selling luxury travel as long as Martin Rapp has, you tend to acquire a certain level of knowledge and expertise younger agents long for. One thing is certain: A great luxury travel advisor isn' t created overnight, but is forged over time and after gaining a collection of travel experiences. Such is the case with Rapp, who, one could say, has studied and perfected his craft his whole life. He says that young people looking to break into selling luxury travel should latch onto a mentor with a keen understanding of the business. Above all, he encourages young people to travel. ª We incentivize young agents by sending them on FAM trips to destinations around the globe,º Rapp says. ª These trips are a way to garner the luxury travel experiences they will be expected to arrange for their clients.º In today' s market, luxury clients expect agents to have a wealth of knowledge. ª Clients expect their agents to be well read and completely versed on the latest trends in travel,º explains Rapp, who recommends agents subscribe to travel magazines and newsletters such as The Gallivanter' s Guide and La Belle France. ª Knowledge is power. A close familiarity with the great hotels and destinations of the worldÐ as well as an intimate knowledge of your clients' likes, dislikes, wants and needsÐ helps match clients with ideal vacations. That is what defines an exceptional luxury travel agent.º 62 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | May 2008 MARTIN RAPP OF ALTOUR is flanked here by Sonam Choki on his right and ª Amnathº on his left. Both are on staff at the Amankora Punakha, an Aman Resort in Bhutan. http://www.fourseasons.com http://www.plantersinn.com http://www.miiamo.com http://www.hampdenclothing.com http://www.janepopejewelry.com http://www.janepopejewelry.com http://www.southernbelleyachtcharters.com http://www.southernbelleyachtcharters.com http://www.ragostahotels.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Park City Riviera Maya Italian Castles Rotorua China Villa Retreats The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt Rancho Bernardo Port Ghalib Dead Sea Spas Silversea The Professor The Pulse Jetset Report Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008

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