YTB Travel Network welcomes Sandals to its growing list of vendors to host yet another Sale-A-Thon Tuesday night June, 7 2011. I’m particularly pumped about this Sale-A-Thon for two reasons. One – it consists of white sandy beaches and warm turquoise waters in the Caribbean. And two, Sandals happens to be a true leader in “Eco-Friendly” vacations in our industry.

If you’ve participated in one of the many other Sale-A-Thon events we’ve hosted with other partners in the industry, you know how easy this is to participate. The live broadcast starts at 7:00 PM Eastern and 6:00 PM Central time. Just hit our booking engine, and you’ll find a link to the webcast to view on your computer.

Once there, you’ll find exclusive Sandals deals and specials, and you’ll be able to learn a little about Sandals with a pretty cool trivia game that we play on Facebook. (You could even win a prize if you participate and answer correctly!) Past Guests and YTB Travel Agents alike have been sending in pictures and testimonials of their Sandals experience that will be showcased during the webcast.

Very cool for firsthand accounts of what a Sandals All-Inclusive is all about.

I mentioned at the top of this article that Sandals has implemented environmentally-friendly practices throughout its properties. They started with Negril Beach Resort & Spa back in 1998 and it was so successful, they’ve expanded the practice to all their properties in the Caribbean. Negril was the very first all-inclusive resort to earn the Green Globe Certification at the time, and in 2008, Sandals Negril achieved the highest possible level of certification (Platinum), becoming the first and only hotel in the world to do so.

Currently all Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts have been Green Globe Certified and the effort has reduced their average resources dramatically. According to SRI (Sandals Resorts International) they’ve seen savings achieved by a 40 percent reduction in water, 55 to 60 percent reduction in waste, and a 40 percent reduction in energy.

That’s good for Sandals and good for the Caribbean.

Suppliers and business partners have also adopted environmentally friendly practices in order to continue to do business with the resorts. Those who change and adapt remain on Sandals preferred vendor list. Those who don’t conform are replaced with someone else who understands the importance of preserving the Caribbean which Sandals calls home. The concept and desire for a more sustainable future has spread. Nestle, a preferred supplier of Sandals for example, no longer books events with conference venues who don’t meet sustainability policies or assist in reducing their carbon footprint. All because the folks at Sandals showed them there was a better way.

If you’re looking for a “green vacation” with all the pampering and luxury you want, you can’t go wrong with Sandals.

To find out more about their properties and why they call them ultra-inclusive vacations where luxury is included tune in tomorrow night to find out. You just might find a perfect vacation for the family at one of their Beaches resorts, or a romantic getaway for two at Sandals.

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Wow! What a week!

Sorry, I haven’t been around much this week. My post on Monday got a ton of traffic and I appreciate the private messages, e-mails and phone calls. Every so often you write something that strikes a nerve and you learn to just ride that wave of traffic. I also enjoyed the break. It gave me an opportunity to do some additional reading, planning, and finish some projects that have been sitting on the back burner – but needed to get done.

As a result, I’m feeling pretty refreshed and eager to get going on some new projects that fell into my lap during the week. It’s amazing to me how you finish something up; something else opens up to fill that space. We’ll be writing more about them as the week’s progress.

I wanted to do a quick post today about a new program that I’m pretty excited about. I have a relative who’s disabled and this type of thing always peaks my interest because of it. Being disabled doesn’t mean you can’t experience life. Yes, it can make things a little more difficult, but as I’ve seen time and time again, it’s all about how you perceive things that can make a disability an obstacle or advantage.

It’s nice to see this type of program in our industry. While it’s not a niche that I’m actively involved with, I do know a number of people are. I did a search on it last night and only found one other link to it, so I thought I’d promote it, so all of you know about it in case it comes up in your dealings with clients.

Oh, and yes, that’s a real cat! (In other words, it’s not some Photoshopped prank.)

~ Guests of Beaches Turks & Caicos can now become Handicap Scuba Association (HSA) certified at the property ~

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa has expanded resort programming for persons with disabilities and now offers a tailored disabled scuba diving program. A team of twelve dive instructors from the resort, under the guidance of Mark Rausch of Poseidon Handicap Scuba Adventures, underwent an intensive training course that will allow guests to participate in three specialized programs. Through the Handicap Scuba Association (HSA), guests can become certified in the HSA Basic Open Water Scuba Diving, the HSA Junior Open Water Scuba Diving and the HSA Open Water Dive Buddy. The resort will continue to offer the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certification in addition to the Handicap Scuba Association certification.

Michael Clark, Beaches Resorts Water Sports Manager, stated, “Scuba diving is the sport where gravity is not an issue,” he further stated, “we are delighted to be able to offer our disabled guests the full value of our ’Luxury Included’ facility including equal water sports opportunity that caters to their special needs.”

Handicap Scuba Association is made up of over 4000 underwater educators, with disabilities and supporting members, located in over 45 countries. Beaches Turks & Caicos is the first in the Beaches Resorts chain, as well as the island of Turks & Caicos, to receive HSA certification training and marks an important milestone in disabled programming at the resort.

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How cool is that? (Thought you’d like it!)

Have an awesome weekend!

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I enjoy Trade Publications. I subscribe to a variety of publications in both electronic form and in traditional print. I’ve always enjoyed reading and learning about the industry, and have promoted learning as much as you can about any subject that interests you. There has never been a time in our history when so many mediums are available for someone to learn and develop a skill or a trade.

I’ve enjoyed the way suppliers and trade associations have embraced training, enabling me to learn about the industry. From seminars and webinars; from a training call or port of call via ship inspections, the variety of ways to learn and develop in this industry is abundant.

I’ve seen many changes within the industry over the last several years when it comes to doling out credentials in the industry. I’ve also supported the upgrading of requirements for FAM eligibility from both suppliers and associations.

One thing that hasn’t changed much are the Travel Agents who think they “own” the industry.

I was walking home with the kids and my neighbor on Thursday and we stopped in the culdesac to chat a bit longer. While talking, I opened up my mailbox to get the mail with my monthly issue of Travel Agent Magazine in the mix. I typically look forward to each and every publication and wanted to see this months “cover”. When I saw the cover, I smirked, shook my head and commented “Good grief”.

My neighbor who was standing in front of her mailbox ask me what the comment was for, and I held up the front of the publication to show her. She asked “What’s that all about?” and I simply commented that the man in the mask…is supposed to depict someone like me.

She laughed and asked “That’s suppose to be YOU?!” and I responded, “No, not me specifically, but someone like me because of the company I work with.”

I told her of the issues Travel Agents have had for years concerning “card mills” and downright phobias regarding MLM’s and what we have presumably done to disgrace, embarrass, and ruin their reputations as “Professionals”. You wanna know her reaction?

“And that’s their answer?”

Yep, afraid so. I went on to tell her about forums and blogs these “Professionals” hang out on to discuss all the wrongs, all the injustice, all the problems they can think of on a daily basis. How at one time I had befriended some of them, and because I’m not willing to change host agencies or simply get out all together, I’m now an outcast and seen as the man in the mask. (And then some.)

“How does that make you feel?” she asked. I thought about it, for say… a nanosecond, and replied with “How’s it suppose to make me feel?” I went on to ask a couple of more questions, like how someone I don’t even know, or more importantly doesn’t know me, should own any feelings one way or the other? I asked if she see’s any connection to me and the man in the mask. Do I look and act like that to her?

She thought that was a strange question based on the look on her face, because we happen not only to be neighbors, but friends. To think an article or even this cover will cancel out years of friendship does sound a bit over the top. I’ve heard that if you join and MLM that you can kiss your family and friends goodbye, because you have to hound them about joining the MLM you’re involved in, (any MLM) and they eventually get fed up with the constant badgering and eventually disown you.

It’s been over 4 years now, and I’m still waiting for THAT shoe to drop.

It’s not that I haven’t heard story after story about MLM’s destroying friendships and families. There are those who can’t fathom being unemotional or unattached to an attack like what’s depicted in the picture. Family especially, would want to protect those they are closest too from being “stained” in this way. I might be the same way when I was far less secure about my own abilities and worth.

But I have to wonder, why after all this time, all this energy, all the “talk” about how bad things are, just why a professional publication would even think that an article like this is a good idea. What some in our industry have categorized as “card mills” have been around for over a decade now, and the industry is only a small fraction closer to resolving this so called problem and embarrassment than they were back then.

There have been suppliers, (who by the way are the ones who grant these FAM’s and perks not the Agents or Associations) who have taken a stand in some form or fashion. Sandals for example, was one of the first I can think of who would provide a complimentary night or nights based on production. Doesn’t really matter which host you’re associated with; if you produce, you’re rewarded. The concept isn’t much different from a frequent flier program, which provides anyone who supports a particular airline is granted perks like free airfare. It’s also why I like the Carnival requirements that came out a year ago January. A minimum of 5 full paying cabins (double occupancy) are required, BEFORE you’ll be considered to partake in a FAM with them.

But for some reason, that’s not good enough for some, as you can clearly see in the comments section of the digital format of this cover story. There are those who simply can’t get over their own hang ups about “their” industry to see that someone is there on a FAM because they earned it. We’re participating in an industry seminar with them because we have a desire to learn. We join in on a summit because we want to expand our knowledge.

Instead, they snub their nose at the supplier because they welcome anyone who produces, regardless of what Host Agency, or so called “card mill” they may be associated with, as if the supplier would even care who they consider “worthy”.

We’ve run into the same problem most recently with Debbie Maier and Mailpound. Ms. Maier took the time to come to a Red Carpet Event to roll out a new private labeled e-marketing site for YTB to help our company promote and sell more travel to our clients. While the site does have a listing of FAM’s associated with it, the main purpose of this site is to enable Travel Agents to send out promotional e-mails and marketing materials to clients to actually sell travel. When she came to the Home Office she was, and I quote, “completely – blown – away” over the passion YTB has for this industry.

And because she now provides this service to YTB, and has seen first hand that YTB is a real travel company, she and her company have now been black listed. There are “Professionals” who are not only promoting that other agents send her an e-mail that “they know” who she’s working with, but if any of the e-mails or comments are like the ones I’ve seen…she’ll need to shower after being vomited on by this outspoken and obnoxious group of “legitimate agents”.

That’s the game plan, to make life as uncomfortable as possible in the hope that they just throw in the towel because the backlash isn’t worth it.

Based on a webinar that I know happened last week, there may be more of this kind of tactic coming from this group. The same day YTB was promoting Princess Cruises, (a Sail-A-Thon to sell full fair cabins, not FAMS) another group was planning how to get more of these types of “cover stories” out there to media outlets to warn the public about the masked men and women who are involved in what they’ve deemed to be undesirable Host Agencies. I know that these Associations are the be all and end all for some, and there have been Agencies associated with many of them to add credibility. (We saw how well that worked out, didn’t we?)

While I was invited to this little gathering with these very prominent and important people and associations in the industry, I declined the offer. I asked the question of how this type of behavior would make me a better person, a better Travel Agent, and a better Leader, but like most of the questions I ask, they were left unanswered. (Ignored was more like it.)

They are welcome to do what they do, and I’ll do what I do. That’s promoting a rebroadcast of the Princess Sail-A-Thon this afternoon at 4:00 pm Eastern to sell more cruises. It’s far more productive, supports the hand that feeds me, (and them) and helps bring the truth to light.

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I posed the question in my last post as to how YTB ends up “costing suppliers money”. I’ve since found out that the problem is that YTB does not give suppliers their money’s worth. Which I would consider constitutes some sort of monetary investment into YTB. Either way, there is a very large outcry in the Travel Agent Community that YTB is paid top commissions from suppliers for simply “referring” people to a web site. Many smaller Agencies across the country simply can not produce the volume that 136,000 collective RTA’s produce and they feel it extremely unfair that we as an individual YTB RTA producing a small fraction of what they produce, are paid several commission points higher than they are.

Personally, I will freely admit that I would be upset as well. I’ve actually been on the “short end of the stick” in another industry as a Regional Manager, and simply could not compete with one or two of the giants in that particular industry. In order to get the business, I either had to provide some sort of price match, reducing my margin of profit, or create a level of service to my clients that they felt warranted the extra cost to them.

In both cases, profit margins are created based on volume. While I was able to move our buying levels up several levels with my former company, I was never able to reach the highest levels these giants reached based on the product I and my sales team were able to move. With YTB, I’ve noticed that most all of the supplier commissions have actually increased over the years, based on quotas and the volume of product YTB has been able to achieve as our level of RTA’s increase.

Bottom line is this: YTB has EARNED those commissions. As a company, YTB books a ton of travel with these suppliers.

In addition, YTB does not receive any type of co-op dollars for advertising with any of the suppliers we work with. Many suppliers such as Sandals will help defer advertising costs to an Agency to help them promote their particular product. This type of investment works well with many Agencies and builds Agent loyalty to actually sell supplier product and services. If you were to ask what type of return on this investment a supplier would expect, I wouldn’t have the first clue, honestly. Any risk of loosing money on such an investment with YTB is none existent with our model however.

We’re all familiar with the Roaming Gnome right? How do you think everyone knows about this goofy munchkin? Because Travelocity pays millions in print, TV, and radio advertising each year to put that character in front of you. I’ve heard all kinds of numbers as to just how much Travelocity spends per day or per year, and while it’s in the multiple millions, it’s unimportant exactly how much. It has been stated that companies like Travelocity, (Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline.com) spend at least 60% of the revenue they generate in commissions, back into advertising to acquire more travel customers.

Back in 2005, Priceline.com came to YTB and offered to pay us a commission on everything we booked with them. Now why would they offer to pay a bunch of untrained, unqualified, unregulated bunch of Yahoo’s in YTB commission instead of relying on someone like William Shatner?

The answer is simple, they don’t pay YTB until after the travel has been sold and therefore control their cost. Priceline pays nothing for our “word of mouth” advertising, and 100% of the money paid to YTB is for actual product sold. You can’t guarantee that type of return with any other form of advertising. Not even to Captain Kirk.

In the background during this time, WorldChoice also partnered with YTB for Hotels. (A division of Travelocity) When the contract was up with Priceline.com a year later and it was time to renew, a bidding war irrupted between the two company’s as to who would be the “default vendor” of choice. Worldchoice ultimately won out the bid and YTB’s relationship with them has been stronger than ever since winning the bid.

Suppliers and vendors pay no advertising, co-op dollars or marketing for YTB to sell their product, paying only for what is actually booked and consumed. But they’re being told they aren’t getting their money’s worth?

I’ve been given examples from the other side, either through comments or personal e-mails why YTB paying these top commissions to us doesn’t work. John gave an example of the nonexistent gas jockeys who use to pump gas. The majority of the lions share was paid from actual gas they use to pump. Or Geico paying local agents a small percentage of the commission for insurance for policies made on line.

John also gave a very good example about Sandals who offers an affiliate program. The local Bait N Tackle shop can put a Sandals Banner on their site. If a Bait N Tackle client clicks on the banner, it tags the source and the booking is handled by Unique. Just like YTB. The difference is that the Bait N Tackle Shop gets (and he’s going on memory here so it may not be exact) 1% of the commissionable rate. THAT is the difference.

Now to be fair, I think I first stated that this next quote came from John when we first met here on my Blog. He has since told me that this was not his comment. This statement does however happen to be thrown up in our face by many a “Travel Agent”.<
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“Why would I want to be YTB to earn 60% commission of 13%, when I now earn 80% of 16% and higher? Stupid. Ya’ll keep drinking your Kool-Aid.”

See how that works? They tease that we only make 60% of the commission, while they make 80% when it services them. But complain that it’s not fair we make that commission and we don’t deserve it because we don’t service our customers the way they do. It’s one of those “Catch 22″ comments I find all too often from those that oppose YTB or MLM in general.

Maybe the Bait N Tackle shop should leverage itself and become an RTA with YTB? It’s not the 80% these Professional get, but it’s a far cry better than 1%.

Just part of the things that make you go “Hmmmmm”.

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Doug & Ronda Bauknight
AKA: TravelPro
Travel Agent / Networker
Phone: 678.458.5812

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RTA #24635

YTB has quietly launched new features and offerings for it’s RTA’s over the last several months. YTB Golf was launch back in October, 2006 right around the Funshine Trade show in Orlando, and YTB Flowers was launched just in time for Valentines Day in late January of 2007. We just got word that YTB will be launching Your Car Biz in June, 2007. This new addition will enable RTA’s to sell and purchase cars from their travel website for $200 below Dealer Invoice anywhere in the country. When a car is purchased through their website, the sale generates a $500 gross commission. RTA’s earn 60% of the commission, or $300. Initially they will offer new Chrysler, Dodge and Nissans as well as pre-owned vehicles. YTB has plans to expand this program, working with many other dealerships and manufacturers, of which this poster is hoping for Cadillac will be in the mix, and as we get more details we will pass them on to you.