Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 - (Page 63)

grueling,” says Goodenow. “For 4½ days, I have a different vendor in front of me, one after another.” She describes these vendors as being a blur of cruise line presidents, tour company reps and general managers and concierges from hotels and resorts. “Over the years, I’ve gotten to know most of them,” she says. “The value of these face-to-face meetings is priceless.” Goodenow has also gotten mileage out of a pair of Virtuoso’s magazines, Virtuoso Life and Virtuoso Insights. “These come out on alternate months and they have articles that really make you want to travel—they kick-start travelers into making a decision,” she says. “We have clients who actually come through the door with these magazines in their hands, intent on booking travel they’ve read about.” Goodenow observes that agents today have to be one step ahead of their clients. “If we don’t have an answer right away, we have to know where to find it,” she says. “We have to be smarter than the client who comes in armed with research and knowledge. Sometimes these clients have been falsely informed by books and websites, and we have to be able to set them straight.” She draws an interesting parallel between the Internet and direct bookings of yesteryear. “The people who now book over the Internet are the same types of people who used to call the airlines direct,” says Goodenow. “It’s a personality thing.” Today, HNL Travel Associates sells a lot of cruise vacations and FIT travel. “We handle all levels of business, not just high-end,” says Goodenow. “There’s a cruise ship for everyone out there. It’s our job to figure out what’s best for each client.” But Goodenow isn’t adverse to moving guests out of a rut. “If you’re booking Celebrity, and only suites on Celebrity, why not try Regent or Crystal?” she asks. “It comes down to how well you know your clients. I have clients who have been booking travel with me for over 20 years.” I RIGHT: Goodenow poses in a British phone booth in Dover the day she boarded a Crystal Cruise CONNECTING YOU For more agent profiles, visit www.travelagent central.com/industry-profiles July 7, 2008 TravelAgent | 63 http://www.travelagentcentral.com/industry-profiles http://www.travelagentcentral.com/industry-profiles http://www.amta.com http://www.amta.com http://www.lot.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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