Recommend October 2013 - (Page 8)
editor’s
notes
Guadeloupe Islands Specialist
and Incentive Program
In this issue, you’ll find the Guadeloupe
Islands Travel Planner, an introduction to
the more comprehensive Guadeloupe
Islands Specialist Program, available
As I’m writing this column, the Recommend editorial staff and I
are busy making the rounds at the ASTA Global Convention, taking place in Miami, our home base. Among the important news to
come out of the convention is the results of a recent survey whose
data was collected through the 2013 ASTA Research Family and
which shows that agencies are reporting stronger revenue and
sales for the first half of 2013 when compared to the first half of
2012. In fact, 52 percent of leisure agencies reported an increase
in revenues, and agencies also saw an increase in the number of
clients. In terms of sales per travel segment, agencies reported
that the largest increases in sales were for insurance, cruise and
tour/group. According to the survey, 50 percent of retail leisure
agencies, in fact, saw an increase in sales for cruise and insurance, and 47 percent saw an increase in tour/group bookings. Despite that growth, however, agencies project 2013 profits to be on
par with 2012, while stronger profits are projected in 2014.
that’s me in Vegas!
Zane Kerby, ASTA’s president and CEO, says, “Consumer studies have shown that Americans say travel makes them happier. Leveraging the experience and
expertise of an ASTA travel agent can maximize one’s travel experience.” Adding that, “ASTA
members are benefitting from the appetite consumers have for travel.”
And that appetite for travel, especially in the luxury segment, is backed up by a study conducted last year by the Spectrum Group, a Lake Forest, IL-based research group, that shows
that people with a net worth of $25 million spend far more on vacations (and home renovations)
than they do on clothing, cars and jewelry. The survey shows that nearly half of the respondents
spend more than $25,000 a year on vacations or leisure travel.
That brings us to our bi-annual Luxury & Spa issue, in which we showcase some of the world’s
most sumptuous resorts, vacation experiences and spa getaways. When you look through this
issue, though, you’ll notice that not all the experiences are over-the-top in terms of monetary
value. Yes, we’ve thrown in a Taj Palace hotel in the Morocco feature (page 70) and the Regent
Palms Turks & Caicos (page 74)—whose spa had our Associate Editor, Deserae del Campo,
swooning—but what well-heeled clients are really looking for is the luxury that comes with having a unique experience that will, in turn, give them bragging rights. For instance, recommend
clients opt for expedited check-in away from the usual casino clamor at The Laurel Collection
by Caesars Palace in Vegas (page 14); book a room in a 17th century palace in Mexico (page
26); have dinner on a secluded bay while staying at The Peninsula Hong Kong (page 34); or
get pampered with the services of a private cook while vacationing in a private villa in Spain
(page 82). It’s all those small details that you, the travel agent, are such an expert at arranging
and which truly make or break a trip. So it’s no surprise that, according ASTA statistics, travel
agencies arrange over 144 million trips annually and process $141 billion in annual travel sales.
—Paloma Villaverde de Rico
E-mail me at paloma@recommend.com
online at edu.recommend.com/
guadeloupe. The planner focuses on the
country’s diverse islands; essential things
to see and do; celebrations; and how to
LET’S GET SOCIAL Hang out with us @Recommendmag and facebook.com/
recommendmag. And if you want to see what our editors are up to away from the office,
follow them @Paloma_RecMag, @EdWetschler, & @LaneMN.
sell these stunning islands. The Guadeloupe Islands Specialist Program offers
more comprehensive information, including detailed information on accommodations and special interest travel. Once
you’ve read through the program and
answered the 20-question exam, you’ll be
a Guadeloupe Islands Specialist Program
graduate and be eligible to win $1,000.
All of the information is on page 8 of the
Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner in this
issue. To become a specialist, visit edu.
recommend.com/guadeloupe.
8 october 2013
8-9 Editors.indd 8
edu.recommend.com/guatemala
The new Guatemala Specialist Program, available online at edu.recommend.com/
guatemala, focuses on the country’s main tourism destinations as well as special interest
vacation options. Once you’ve read through the program and answered the 20-question
exam, you’ll be eligible to win one of three 4-day FAM trips for two persons (land only)
courtesy of Clark Tours. Visit edu.recommend.com/guatemala.
Also, if you missed the Guatemala webinar, you can view it at recommend.com/
guatemala-webinar. One of the webinar participants, Lizzie Collazo, a corporate/leisure
travel planner with All Seasons Travel, won a FAM giveaway and is thrilled to be visiting
this country in Central America. “Thank you very much for this opportunity to visit
Guatemala! This has been a dream of mine, and I am thrilled,” she says.
recommend.com
9/23/13 2:05 PM
Recom
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend October 2013
Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: COMO Hotels and Resorts
Tour Talk: Emirates Vacations
Hail Caesars!
Wine Country + San Francisco: A Perfect Pairing
A Vintage Stay in Mexico
Lais-Back Luxury at La Casa Que Canta, Zihuatanejo
Asia Raises the Bar on Luxury
Guadeloupe islands Travel Planner
Royal Princess
Cunard's Queen Elizabeth
Seaside Swells: Brazil + Uruguay
Moroccan Splendor
Regent Palms Turks & Caicos
It Takes A Villa
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