Travel Agent - June 9, 2008 - (Page 74)

BUSINESS OPER ATIONS TECHNOLOGY Passport Online This web tool helps agents excel BY GEORGE DOOLEY LED BY GREG KOTT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AND RANDY GOODRICH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND COFOUNDER, PASSPORT ONLINE (www.passportonlineinc.com) and its Passport Network, based in Beaverton, OR, today serve thousands of travel agents, 14 consortia, 70 cruise lines and suppliers as well as many host agencies. Passport Online' s key products are VacationPort and NexCite. Each month close to 2 million consumers shop for vacations on travel agency websites powered by Passport Online. And more are coming. One consortium reported a 102 percent gain in use of its customer website due to Passport Online. In the Works In the year ahead, Kott expects to announce additional products designed to help agents compete and expand their consumer reach and to reinforce Passport Online' s leadership in technology. It has strong strategic relations with other technology firms, such as TRAMS. In one sense, Passport Online' s success has been a result of individual agents and agencies effectively applying Passport Online' s tools, supported by Passport Online' s staff expertise and training. Another dimension is the industry' s drive to adopt technology solutions to compete. One example is the use of a website fueled by Passport Online that serves an agency that reported $28 million in vacation sales. The website and electronic newsletter target the agency' s vacation client base with content that is customized, prioritized and highlights key products. It' s also a proven time saver and puts the agency in control of content without getting involved in the problems of learning complex HTML systems. In short, Passport Online makes it simple to implement and manage programs. Another example is of a small agency owned by a veteran agent who applauds not only Passport Online' s products, but staff support in 74 | TravelAgent June 9, 2008 Agents, suppliers and consortia can discover useful tools and programs on how to improve their business on Passport Online' s website Still another satisfied Passport Online client is a large branded multidivisional agency that cites the extraordinary savings that agencies gain from using Passport Online. In this case, the company reported savings of $350,000 in development costs and labor. Customized sites to serve specific market segments and customer needs also proved a powerful tool to build sales. As the client learned, agencies that create customized sites that suit client needs attract interest and drive business. While Kott invites inquiries from agents and suppliers, he also urges agents to explore all the options Passport Online offers. Today' s integration of technology and marketing, as well as the growing power of the web to build business, is simply too important to ignore for any agency that wants to compete. On the Supplier Front The same holds true for suppliers. Passport Online recently introduced Resort Connection, which allows individual hotels and chains to connect their sales and marketing content to millions of consumers who shop online at agency websites powered by Passport Online. Suppliers and agents, as well as consortia, can leverage the power of the Internet to build sales and profitability. As Kott views it, travel agents must incorporate their websites into their consumer marketing. Agents can compete with an effective online presence, e-mail promotion and database marketingÐ all vital elements to complement personalized service quality. I customizing the website for the agent' s needs. In this case, the focus was on reaching existing clients, giving the agency a competitive tool. NexCite allowed the agent to develop Focus Pages, for example. The site gets 250,000 impressions and offers the agency traction in the market. Tech-Oriented Communication Another case cited by Passport Online is of an agency that has about $20 million in leisure sales that originate from electronic communications and website e-mails that effectively market the agency. Again, the agent believes that the website is designed to serve existing clients. An early adapter of Passport Online, the agent stresses the critical importance of fresh content for the siteÐc ontent that Passport Online can update and expand. Also notable is the use of e-mails that push clients to the website. CONNECTING YOU For more ideas on how technology can help your business, visit www.travelagentcentral.com/tech http://www.passportonlineinc.com http://www.travelagentcentral.com/tech

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - June 9, 2008

Travel Agent - June 9, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor From the Publisher Pacific/Asia: Hong Kong’s Kowloon District Honors Chinese Traditions while Brandishing Cutting-Edge Style Hawaii: Nature Lovers with an Urge to Get Out and Move Flock to Kauai - Hawaii's Garden Isle Pacific Northwest: Washington State has Become the Hot New Destination for Wine Lovers New Zealand: Two New Hotels Make Queenstown Even More Enticing Las Vegas: The Coolest Places to Beat the Heat are the Exclusive Pools at Las Vegas Hotels Central & South America: A Restored Railway Line Offers a New Way to Enjoy Quito Caribbean & Bahamas: Nikki Beach Hotels' Aggressive Expansion Continues Europe: Reporting Back from the German Travel Mart in Munich Cruises: Princess Cruises Introduces a Group Amenity Feature Cover Story: Costa Cruises Delta/Northwest: The Airline Merger that Could Change the Industry Hotels: Historic Hotels are Going Green Spas: Indulging Guests, with an Environmental Focus Agent Profile: Montrose Travel Shares its Secrets Passport Online: The New Website Supports Agents, Supplies and Consortia Agenda: From Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar China Continues to Welcome Visitors Alternative Fuel for Cruise Ships News from the Caribbean ARC Launches Accreditation Program In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - June 9, 2008

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