Recommend October 2011 - (Page 10)

agent speak editor’s notes retirement perks We received a couple of letters from readers in response to the “Retired Travel Agents” item we included in September’s Agent Speak column. While some travel agents expressed an interest in also joining a “retired travel agent club,” Kim Hvam of Oregon City Travel had a different take on the matter: I just read the letter from Ms. Hughes, and felt compelled to voice my opinion. I believe hotels, cruise lines, etc., offer travel agent discounts solely to promote their product. They hope we will come back to the ofﬁce and be able to strongly recommend them to our clients. While I would love to think I’d be able to take advantage of such rates after I retire, I know that I can’t expect that. To be honest, I think it takes a lot of nerve to expect the discounts when it’s clear there’s no beneﬁt to the supplier. Why in the heck would one expect to be able to continue earning the perks when you’re no longer selling the product? Wishful thinking, I’d say! When I retire, I’ll be ready to either pay what everyone else pays, or cut back on my travel. W amazing thailand next month Welcome to our October luxury & spa issue, a market segment that keeps chugging along with little or no change in a pretty consistent pattern of whopping sales. Certainly a good part of that success has come about because of the suppliers’ willingness in that segment to not only offer great service and over-the-top amenities, but also offer great value whenever and wherever they can. It’s an industry truism that people with money know how to spend money and they really don’t spend it frivolously, which is why you’re going to see some great value product in these pages this month. Each and every hotel, resort, cruise and destination product we highlight within these pages is loaded with value, not only in terms of the amenities and services offered, but even more importantly, the unforgettable travel memories and truly unique vacation experience, once-in-a-lifetime products like these can deliver. Take, for example, the value you receive in terms of accommodations, service and food on a luxury Silversea ship like the Silver Spirit (page 34), or at Hayman Island near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (page 24), not to mention the Four Seasons Resort Vail in Colorado (page 18), and the incredible adventures available in Chile and Argentina (page 70), or even the cover feature, Montana’s The Resort at Paws Up (page 16), which has upped the glamping experience to the Nth degree. And speaking of value, last month we ﬂew off to Egypt to give you an update (page 88) on the tourism happenings in this travel destination Mecca. This is a destination that’s poised to get back in the game. In fact, Abercrombie & Kent has some very hot value product—there’s that word again—for folks eager to experience the Land of the Pharaohs. When you turn to our in-depth Thailand: Around Every Corner... It’s Amazing travel planner this month, you’re going to be pretty amazed yourself because the depth of that country’s travel product is almost unbelievable. It won’t really matter what your client’s travel or general interest might be, because just about whatever the interest may be, you’re going to ﬁnd it in Thailand. Culinary? Yep, got that covered. Golf? How about in some of the most exotic spots you could ever conjure up. Okay, here’s one you’ll never come up with—martial arts? Yep, got a travel segment for that, too—Muay Thai, the country’s national sport. You’re going to love this planner, so don’t miss it. Oh, how about a train tour to the Bridge on the River Kwai? Next month, we’re going to be doing one of our favorite theme issues, editors’ hot list, covering the destinations we think are going to be hot in 2012. We don’t want to spoil everything and mention too much, but think of an exotic destination in Asia that hasn’t been visited very often. Okay, don’t hurt me, I’ll fess up—it’s Burma, or Myanmar, along with Barcelona and private islands in the Caribbean, not to mention Toronto and Boston in North America. Also next month, we’ll be featuring an Aruba Travel Agent Specialist Program, the Aruba Certiﬁed Expert (ACE), which will be ﬁlled with comprehensive information on this island nation, including destination weddings, gastronomic and spa offerings, active vacation pursuits, accommodations throughout the island and so much more. In the meantime, have a great read.—Rick Shively Responses, opinions and comments are welcome at agentspeak@recommend.com. Recommend reserves the right to edit letters submitted to Agent Speak. 10 october 2011 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend October 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Coworth Park, London
Tour Talk: Cox & Kings
Paws Up Ups "Glamping" to New Heights
"Alpine" Adventure at Four Seasons Resort Vail
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami
Out & About in New York City
Adventures on Hayman Island
It's the Good Life at The Leela Kovalam Beach
Peninsula Shanghai & Hong Kong
Silversea's Silver Spirit
Thailand Travel Planner
Luxury in the Wilderness, by Best of Patagonia
Savoring St. Vincent & the Grenadines
CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Anguilla
Luxurious Egypt
A Good Turn for Bern, Switzerland
Mexico's Luxury Trail

Recommend October 2011