Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 - (Page 62)

COVER STORY Wendy Goodenow and her husband Steve (right) pose with a local in Giza CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61 gives me the power to create these added-value experiences,” says Goodenow. “You’re not going to find relationships like these on the Internet.” Goodenow’s relationships with her clients kept her agency above water even during troublesome times. When the travel agency world was set on its heels in 1995 by the loss of airlines’ commissions, HNL Travel didn’t waste any time in making the transition into charging fees. “The early days of charging fees was all about educating your clients,” says Goodenow. “We sent out a letter explaining the situation.” HNL Travel’s proactive response ensured the company was relatively unruffled by the major changes in the travel agency business climate. The People Factor From her early days in the restaurant business, Goodenow learned that you never give a new customer their first drink for free. “If you do, they’ll expect a free drink the next time they come in,” she reveals. “I feel the same way about fams—my employees have to earn the privilege to go on a fam.” Although Goodenow doesn’t hand out fams like pretzels, she’s is a big believer in fams for herself and her employees. “If I don’t see it myself, I can’t sell it,” she says. The HNL Travel Associates office gives employees vacation time, sick time and fam time. If an employee is going on vacation to a new destination, Goodenow will allow them to allot some of that time for a fam. For example, if an employee is going away for five days, Goodenow will give them credit for two of the days as fam days instead of vacation time. “I believe in that kind of flexibility,” she says. “This industry is one of the poorestpaying industries, so I’ll look for things that can benefit my employees.” Goodenow observes that the travel agent profession is not one to attract today’s young people. “Most of my employees are older than me, which is a sad comment on the travel agency business,” says Goodenow. “When I visit Virtuoso, I’m thrilled to see young people working there.” Goodenow has some advice to young people who buck the trend and decide to become travel agents: “Selling travel isn’t a business you can just pick up and learn overnight,” she says. “In order to put yourself in your clients’ shoes, you need travel experience. You need the passion for travel. You have to communicate. You 62 | TravelAgent July 7, 2008 have to feel. You can’t just be an order-taker. I’m selling you an experience, a lifestyle. Being a travel agent is more than just selling online.” Goodenow clearly has that passion for travel. “I travel a lot for business, and going to London and New York is wonderful, but I like to go to exotic places and experience something totally different,” she says. “I’ve been to Borneo, Russia, Egypt and China.” Goodenow and her husband, Steve, have some very different ideas of what their dream trip should be. “My husband wants to go to the Amazon and I want to go to Antarctica,” says Goodenow. The solution? “We’ll do both,” she says, laughing. Goodenow is also a believer in giving back to the community you live in. “I’ve been on several boards in the past, most recently MADD and the American Cancer Society,” she says. Goodenow also participates in Coaches vs. Cancer, and The Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunrise. Wendy Goodenow OWNER OF HNL TRAVEL ASSOCIATES Headquarters: 1245 Young St., Suite 20, Honolulu, HI 96814 Phone: 808-591-2011 Website: www.hnltravel.com Affiliation: Virtuoso In Praise of Virtuoso Reps from the bigger tour companies and cruise companies regularly call on HNL Travel Associates. But in Goodenow’s opinion, not enough companies realize the value of having their sales manager call on travel agencies. Goodenow is a big fan of the annual Virtuoso Travel Mart, having attended 13 of them. “I really recommend them, although they’re http://www.hnltravel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - July 7, 2008

Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor Europe: History and a Scenic Landscape Define Normandy Pacific/Asia: Kuala Lumpur Offers Luxury Shopping and Hotels Hawaii: Honolulu’s Nightlife is as Dazzling as its Sunshine Canada: VIA Rail Offers a New Way to Enjoy the Great North Las Vegas: Hotels and Casinos Away From the Strip Florida: Hilton Daytona Beach Offers Budget-Friendly Packages Central & South America: Panama is Poised to Become a Hot Destination Mexico: The ME Cancún Targets an Upscale Clientele Caribbean: Maxim Opens a New Resort in Puerto Plata The Latest News and Notes from Dominica Cruises: A CLIA Study Offers Good News About Cruising Cartagena and Santa Marta Offer Two Different Sides of Columbia Cover Story: Wendy Goodenow Industry In Crisis: A New Report Offers a Gloomy Forecast for the Airline Industry Hotels: Prince Edward Island Celebrates Anne of Green Gables EZGuider: Vacation.com Launches a New Platform Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Opinion Consortia Can Be An Agent’s Best Friend MLT Expands Roles and Offerings Malaysia Continues Agent Push In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - July 7, 2008

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