Travel Agent - June 23, 2008 - (Page TA-83) Ongoing Talk About TPN TOM OGG, A VETERAN TRAVEL AGENT and educator, wants the recently formed Travel Professionals Network (TPN) (www.travelprofessionalsnet work.com) to make a substantial and meaningful difference to professional travel agents. In an interview with Travel Agent, Ogg responded to a feature in the May 26 edition, and offered details on how he believes TPN will work and why it is important for professional agents to get involved. Formed in response to the lack of professional recognition of agents and the proliferation of multilevel marketing groups, card hard costs to launch TPN were acquired through donations from the founders. There are no ongoing expenses whatsoever to continue TPN’s mission. And, as TPN gains traction, it is logical that many folks will also want to contribute time and effort to achieve TPN’s objective.” Ogg also believes that TPN will acquire the leadership and support it needs to survive. “As an agent initiative, TPN will require the skills of all its designees to succeed. Travel professionals have the power to distinguish themselves from the rest given the opportunity to do so. I suspect that professional travel agents are becoming action-oriented regarding this topic and I also believe that it would be a mistake to underestimate them.” competition with other organizations. “Agents do not want to have their professionalism determined by someone who is also selling them education or memberships. They strongly believe that the travel agent community should control TPN and that no one should benefit financially by doing so.” Travel agents can qualify for three TPN designations: Distinguished Travel Professional (DTP) (gross sales of $300,000); Advanced Travel Professional (ATP) (gross sales of $150,000); and Independent Travel Professional (ITP) (gross sales of $50,000). Each designation has specific requirements, including earned points. Basic requirements include meeting minimum gross sales, passing the TPN test, meeting minimum professional points to qualify, executing the TPN Code of Ethics and Agreement and submitting an 800-word article for TPN’s library and a 2,400word White Paper. Agents can earn points to the designations in many ways. This includes points for CTC, CTIE, CTA and other designations from The Travel Institute. Each has been given a numeric value. CLIA designations (MCC, ECC and ACC) also count, as do ARC Specialists. Miscellaneous training also counts. This includes supplier designations, industry conventions, trade shows and personal travel. Travel agents also earn points for memberships in industry organizations such as ASTA, ARTA, OSSN, SATH, CLIA and NACTA, to name a few. Agents also get credit for tenure in the industry, active participation on Advisory Boards and community services. THE INDUSTRY George Dooley mills and pseudo agents, TPN wants to recognize true professionals, Ogg says. TPN participants must pass a test, show proof of sales and document their expertise while subscribing to a code of professional ethics. They will also pay a nominal one-time processing fee. “Professional agents must be in control of TPN,” Ogg says. Establishing Benchmarks What benchmarks can be used to measure achievements? “The fact that Travel Agent magazine is talking about TPN and questioning the need for industry standards to perfect travel professionals is a good enough benchmark for me,” says Ogg. “TPN would like to see all associations and educational organizations require similar components as TPN does in measuring who is and who is not a travel professional. If that happened, TPN would be wildly successful on behalf of travel professionals everywhere. “TPN recognizes that many different distribution models are likely to evolve. It is TPN’s mission to document professional travel agents as an identifiable distribution channel so that those interested in communicating with revenue-producing travel professionals may do so.” Ogg notes that TPN is not in Purpose One of three founding organizers of TPN, Ogg notes that the new group was set up so that agents pay no fees. “This was a critical element demanded by the agents who formed TPN,” he says. “They did not want to be required to ‘belong’ to an association or other ‘membership’ business that required them to pay ongoing revenues to maintain their professional designation. “The original funding for the They also get points for education, including degrees in travel and tourism. The DTP, ATP and ITP designations have different requirements but give recognition for many industry related programs, including fam trips. TPN can also benefit from new online communities to communicate its goals, Ogg says. “Travel professionals cannot wait around for someone else to promote their value to consumers. They must take charge now to control their own future and TPN may be a viable vehicle for them to do so. A frontline travel professional sells travel. If there are no travel sales, they are something else. It is that simple. “All I know is that someone needs to do something to change the outlook for travel professionals,” Ogg adds. “If TPN sparks this reality for our industry’s associations, media, suppliers and educational organizations, then TPN will have been a huge success.” —GEORGE DOOLEY CONNECTING YOU For details of the new TPN program, visit www.travelprofessionals network.com June 23, 2008 TravelAgent | 83 http://www.travelprofessionalsnetwork.com http://www.travelprofessionalsnetwork.com http://www.travelprofessionalsnetwork.com http://www.travelprofessionalsnetwork.com http://www.travelprofessionalsnetwork.com
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