Travel Agent - November 12, 2007 - (Page 10)

FROM THE EDITOR Site Inspections: A Good or Bad Thing? SITE INSPECTIONS BECAME A HOT TOPIC FOR ME AFTER I EXPERIENCED TWO IN TWO DAYS AND HEARD ABOUT TWO OTHERS WITHIN THE SAME WEEK. In the first situation, I was with a large group of agents en route to a reception at a hotel. We were gaily greeted at the door and told to walk through the hotel. Every once in a while, we were pointed in a different direction; at one point, we even ended up outside. After a long flight of stairs, we found ourselves back inside, where a series of open guest rooms awaited us. “I guess we’re supposed to look at them,” I said to no one in particular, fairly put off that we hadn’t been told we were doing a site inspection and that for some reason we’d been forced to go through the back end of the hotel to get to it. The next day, I took an individual tour of another property, during which I saw every corner of the resort you could possibly imagine; I was exhausted and dehydrated by the end. In between these two experiences, an executive at a tour company explained to me why he had selected a particular hotel to host its annual awards meeting. During the site inspection process earlier that year, he said, the hotel had closed down an entire floor for his employees, who were scouting out properties for the event. All of the accommodations on the floor were opened up to them. Presentations were made so the inspectors could see how room service would be delivered, and all of the amenities were on display. By the end of the presentation, his staff was not only wowed, they knew exactly what they could expect when they brought in their group. How easy was it for the hotel to set all of that up? Very—especially when you consider that their reward is a lucrative piece of business. Making a Site Inspection Memorable Finally, a few weeks ago, I attended the Island Destinations’ annual launch of its Travelers Collection catalog in New York City, an event I always try to get to in order to visit with the exemplary caliber of travel agents in attendance and to meet top hoteliers who have flown in from all over the world just to be there. Laurie Palumbo, who joined the company as COO earlier this year, told me that one of this year’s new awards was for the “Ultimate Site Inspection,” a topic that was by now near and dear to my heart. Later, I asked Laurie to recount to me exactly what was so special about the site inspection that the winner, Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos, had provided. “We were greeted by the general manager, Nikheel Advani, with a welcome cocktail. He introduced the team and spoke proudly of everyone’s role and of plans and updates for the property. A group picture was taken and sent to all, framed,” Laurie said. “We then began the inspection. At every suite, we were greeted with champagne and hors d’oeuvres served by the staff, including chefs, food-and-beverage managers and just about every department. It was evening, but the spa and boutique were kept open for our arrival and we met that staff as well—and we even had time to shop! We ended with dinner in the Grace Bay Club penthouse suite, which included music, wine pairings [and] dinner prepared by the chef and team in the suite. Each place setting had a hand-painted shell as a place card with each agent’s name on it. The attention to detail was incredible; agents left with complete confidence that their clients’ expectations would not only be met but exceeded at every level.” So there’s the good and the bad—and the difference is being jazzed to sell a property or being annoyed that you ever set foot in it. Hoteliers reading this article, please heed: It’s so easy to make a site inspection a memorable event for travel agents. Don’t look at the process as a necessary evil, or the agents in attendance will look at it the same way. As for the travel agents reading this: Do you have an outstanding site inspection experience to share with your colleagues? If so, e-mail me at rterrero@questex.com, and watch for the comments in a future issue! Editorial Director Ruthanne Terrero on location at Ensemble Travel Group’s international conference with Kitt Garrett (left) of Discover New York and Heinke and Neil McDade of McDade Travel. For other photos from the conference, see page 88. BELOW: Nikheel Advani of Grace Bay Club accepts the Ulimate Site Inspection award from Island Destinations’ Donna Aurigemma. RUTHANNE TERRERO, CTC EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 10 | TravelAgent November 12, 2007 CONNECTING YOU For more from Ruthanne Terrero, visit www.travelagent central.com/edletter http://www.travelagentcentral.com/edletter http://www.travelagentcentral.com/edletter

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - November 12, 2007

Travel Agent - November 12, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe: Berlin Has a Vibrant Arts Scene Central & South America: Iberostar Grand Amazon: Adventure, but with Upscale Cruise Comforts Culinary Tours in Argentina and Peru Belize Eco-Lodge Packages Pacific/Asia: Bali Awaits Discovery by U.S. Tourists Las Vegas: Three Days in Vegas for Baby Boomers Caribbean & Bahamas: CTO’s Chairman Sees Growth in the Market Dominica’s New Tourism Director Discusses Challenges and Opportunities for His Island St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Where Less is More St. Maarten as a Destination for Foodies Tours: Sunshine and Disney are Just Two of Florida’s Options Cruises: Theme Cruises Generate Demand and Revenue Oceania’s Sales and Fleet are Growing Cruise Deals Cover Story: The New Wave Supplier Profile: Viking River Cruises Launches Land-Only Tour Operation Air Lift: Sabre Takes UpSell to the Skies A Tough Season Ahead: Rising Rates and Demand Give Hotels Edge in Price Negotiating Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Caribbean Tourism Conference Cruise and Hotel News Trends In U.S. Travel to France Disneyland Upgrade Travel Week In the Spotlight Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - November 12, 2007

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