Travel Agent - August 6, 2007 - (Page 20)

Cover Story Continued from page 18 East can be more difficult.” United including Mexico, Canada, most States citizens are not permitted countries in South America and to travel to Cuba, Iran, or North Europe, Japan, Korea and the Korea. United Arab Emirates. Briggs also says to remind Briggs says that the most popuclients that the photographs they lar country to which Americans submit have to be passport photos. travel that does require a visa is “You can’t submit your own photo; China, followed closely by Brazil, they are frequently rejected,” he Russia and India. The next most says. “Go to a passport photogracommon group is Tanzania, Kenya pher,” he suggests, and remember and Ghana; these are extremely that immigration photos have difpopular study abroad destinations ferent requirements than passport for African American college stuphotos. dents, according to Briggs. “Africa Some countries, such as Brazil, about half and half,” he says, represent their own unique chalPorter Briggs, A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors ferring to the percentage of counlenges. “Each Brazilian tries that require visas. Vietnam, travel agents and corporate accounts,” consulate has a different application, Cambodia and Laos are other popular he says. “Many agents ask, ‘What does and they can’t be interchanged,” Briggs destinations that require visas, as do my customer have to do?’ Sometimes says. “Payment has to be in U.S. many countries in the they’ll have a customer traveling on currency equivalent, and it must be a Middle East and former members of the business and ask, ‘Can my client just money order from the U.S. Post Office, U.S.S.R., such as Kazahkstan, Belarus, get a tourist visa?’ The answer is no,” not from a bank.” Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Briggs says in no uncertain terms. “If “We have hundreds of travel agents An interesting note: Georgia and you get a tourist visa to China, and you who send customers that need a passUkraine no longer require visas. “Those rent a car and you get into an accident, port or visa to us,” Briggs says. “We two newly independent countries are even a fender bender, the police will send them a text link and they put it on very interested in attracting American show up to do a report,” he continues. their homepage; the travel agent will visitors,” says Briggs. “They want to do “Then you find yourself dealing with the tell their customer to go to their web everything they can to encourage good domestic police force, and no one wants site, click on the passport and visa link, close relations with the U.S., and it to be in that situation.” The bottom and it takes them to our site,” he continmakes good business sense.” line? “You need to get the right kind of ues. “There’s a code so we know how There are several types of visas other visa,” Briggs says. “You don’t want to they were directed to our site, we know than the standard tourist visa, such as try to circumvent the rules just because whose customer it is and we will pay a student, journalist and business visas, tourist visas are easier to get.” commission to [each agent or agency] and Briggs says that it’s important to Briggs says that his company can automatically; we will send them a rekeep them straight and make sure your usually secure same-day tourist visas to port detailing each customer’s informaclients get the proper type. Journalists China and Russia, while Brazil and tion and the amount of commission usually have to go through each counIndia vary. These latter two are exampaid.” The coded link on their web site try’s interior ministry to get approval, ples of jurisdictional visas, meaning that makes everyone’s job easier. “It doesn’t he says. Briggs also gets many requests “if you live in Arkansas, you must apply take any of the travel agents’ time, and for missionary visas, not just from in Houston; if you live in Iowa, you must they still get a commission on it,” he missionaries wanting to proselytize, apply in Chicago,” Briggs says, adding says. “It’s real easy that way.” but also many lay members of various that he can sometimes secure same-day “A lot of agents will call us with queschurches who go to third world India visas in New York City, but Brazil tions, and we’ll put a visa specialist on countries to build schools and homes. usually takes three days. He can somethe phone to speak with them,” Briggs “This [voluntourism] is very big,” says times get your clients visas to Saudi says. “Others prefer to fill out an order Briggs. “A lot of Americans from all Arabia in one or two days under special form long hand and send it to us, online denominations to do public service circumstances, “but sometimes it takes or in a PDF; some don’t like filling activities abroad.” He also gets a lot a lot longer.” He can get a Ghana visa anything out online, so we’ll print up of business from secular organizations in a couple of days, and two days for a special order form to an agency,” he such as Habitat for Humanity. Uganda. “[Countries in Africa] tend to continues. “We deal with agents Briggs stresses the importance of folturn around pretty quickly,” Briggs says, however they want to deal with us; lowing the rules exactly. “We work with although “the countries in the Middle different ones have different needs.” 20. TravelAgent August 6, 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - August 6, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Cover Story - Passports and Visas: What Clients Should Know About Them EUROPE: Capella Debuts Two Properties This Year LAS VEGAS: The De-Theming of Luxor HAWAII: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea Renovates CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA: Cruising the Panama Canal Lavishly CARIBBEAN & BAHAMAS: Bahamas’ Grand Isle Resort & Spa News and Notes Meet the U.S.V.I.’s Tourism Commissioner CRUISES: Defining Regent Seven Seas HOTELS: InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore Agent Exchange Luxury Travel Expo Update Ad and Edit Index Classified Marketplace People & Places

Travel Agent - August 6, 2007

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