by Carla Smith, CTA
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Now that we are into the month of May, I have been starting to think about finalizing plans for a summer vacation. Whether you work alone or are with other staff members, it is important to plan ahead and make sure business responsibilities and customers are well taken care of while you are out of the office.
As a member of the travel industry, you are constantly surrounded by wonderful destinations and intriguing landmarks. I hope that you too, are carving out some time to enjoy some down time with friends or family. We all deserve it! Sometimes the best thing you can do for your health and overall well being is to energize and rejuvenate yourself by taking a mini vacation or a week long getaway. That should mean that you leave your work at home –take a “real” break.
Personally, I plan to take two or three long weekends to explore Maine and New Hampshire with my family. There is a lot we can do that will keep my twins busy and hopefully enjoy nice weather. What do you have planned? Start thinking A lot of events and special occasions are sure to come up, so mark your special retreat down on your calendar!
If you need some more convincing, here are a few more reasons to take an annual vacation:
- Vacations will prevent you from experiencing work burnout.
- Vacations keep you healthier – giving you time to recharge and be stress free.
- Vacations can improve overall well being –sleep, rest, eating patterns.
- Vacations can bring families and friends closer with bonding time.
- Vacations can help you appreciate your job with quality time away.
- Vacations help you explore and experience new destinations and culture.
- Vacations can be more enjoyable by planning YOUR OWN versus for your clients. You know your own needs and wants.
- The list goes on…
I would love to hear your feedback. Share what personal trips you are taking this summer. Best wishes for a wonderful vacation and time off!
As providers of travel industry certification, training and continuing education, it only makes sense for us to find a partner who can take our candidates to the next level… FINDING A JOB IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY! HotTravelJobs.com does just that… their mission is to put travel people in touch with other travel people.
The HotTravelJob.com division launched in 2011 providing a place for prospective travel industry employers to post jobs and candidates looking, a place to showcase their resume. Since then they have added video uploading capabilities to post with your resume, a resume writing service to help match you to the perfect job, travel resources galore, including all of The Travel Institute courses and certification programs and a new IPhone app that allows you to view job openings from anywhere.
We have all been hearing about the tough job market for our veterans and military spouses returning to civilian life. HotTravelJobs.com and The Travel Institute are partnering in the effort to help them transition to the travel industry. Many military families have experienced different cultures and are well traveled… a travel career will be a logical place to look as civilians. The Travel Institute is offering special military discounts on all certification and training programs including our Travel Introductory Program (Trip Kit) which is designed for those new to the industry. Hot TravelJobs.com allows veterans and spouses to post their contact information, resume, work history and desired positions in their data base which can be accessed by potential employers. If you know any returning military families seeking travel career opportunities, send them our way. We will do whatever we can to help them get up and running!
Learn more or contact Patty Noonan, CTC.
Back in the 80s, I remember watching TV commercials for Prego Spaghetti Sauce. One of them went something like this. A mother and father are visiting their newly-married son and daughter in law. The father finds the son in the kitchen using Prego Spaghetti sauce from the jar. He’s shocked to learn that it’s not homemade saying that the successful ingredients of a sauce should be garlic (the son replies that it’s in there), little bits of real herbs (again he responds that it’s in there) and onions (again – it’s in there!). In other words all the ingredients of a successful spaghetti sauce are in the jar of Prego!
Believe it or not, I often think back to that commercial when I think about The Travel Institute’s signature Premium Membership benefit – Communiversity! Pretty much all the training that you may need to be a successful travel professional is in there. Here are just a few examples of what I mean:
- Do you need to better understand the role of social media and find ways to use it to communicate and promote your business? It’s in there!
- Could you use help learning how to blog, post on Facebook and Twitter and improve your SEO. It’s in there!
- How would you like to learn some new strategies and tips for negotiating in both business and everyday situations? It’s in there!
- Could your presentation skills be improved including the effective use of PowerPoint? It’s in there!
- Would you benefit by learning how to better identify problems, find their causes, and get solutions? It’s in there!
- Want to learn all there is to know about Excel, QuickBooks, Outlook, Gmail, Word, Flash, Photoshop and more? It’s in there!
- How would you like free and unlimited access to all The Travel Institute’s Lifestyle and Destination Specialist courses? It’s in there!
- Need to improve your sales, marketing and customer service skills? It’s in there!
I could on and on and on about all the great training you will find in Communiversity – all the “ingredients” for success.
If you’re not already a premium member, why not take it for a 2-week “test drive” for just $9.99 and experience it all for yourself. Simply visit our website at www.thetravelinstitute.com, and register for Communiversity using promo code backtoschool. Do it today and be sure to let us know what you think!
Spread the Word…Your Colleagues Can Benefit Too!
By Carla Smith, CTA, Manager, Marketing Communications
Regardless if you are a Travel Institute member or perhaps just taken one of our courses, The Travel Institute has something for everyone in the industry to learn about. I want to take the opportunity to state that we are not only relevant for front-line or home-based travel agents. We have courses, resources and certifications applicable for every area of the travel industry and the business world in general. It can be material from our online Communiversity library or training from one of our webinars led by experts from our Professional Educators’ Program.
I hope you have taken the time to experience some of the resources we promote, especially if you are a Travel Institute member. We are the Education Destination in the travel industry and we want your help. Share our information and postings on Facebook or Twitter with your friends and coworkers that may not know about our organization. Help us expand our network and build our community!
Forward any of the email communications that you may be receiving as a current subscriber! Our Hot Tip Tuesday weekly newsletter receives rave reviews and delivers timely and valuable information for travel professionals. Don’t keep it a secret, encourage them to subscribe – it’s FREE!
Thank you again for your support and interest in The Travel Institute. We are excited to bring you quality training and the resources to help you work smarter and grow your business.
Check our blog next Wednesday for a new announcement about our revamped Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) certification program.
… EXCLUSIVELY!
Membership in The Travel Institute is for: travel executives, supplier BDMs, supplier inside sales reps, social media travel marketers, back-office reporting staff, accountants & bookkeepers, online travel agents, home-based entrepreneurs, host agency staff, consortium employees, co-op executives, cruise agents, cruise line personnel, tour company employees, business travel planners, travel website designers, travel website search engine optimizers, travel bloggers, convention & visitor bureau staff, future travel professionals, travel school instructors and students… and any other job title or position you can think of in or attached to the travel industry!
Are you sensing I’m a little passionate about this message?
We love travel agents, and we certify and train them just as we have since 1964.
But, We’re NOT ICTA anymore! Let me reiterate… we are no longer The Institute of Certified Travel Agents!
We’re THE TRAVEL INSTITUTE – meaning, the whole travel industry. We have an online university open to anyone wanting to grow a business, further their career or learn a new skill. Our courses are college-level – but they’re not specific to one section of the travel industry. Did you know we have classes in Photoshop, for example? How about Crystal Reports? Pick any Microsoft software title – we’ve got a class!
So, if you’re a member – fantastic! We’re glad you’re here and let us know how we can serve you better. Take a webinar, read a whitepaper, listen to a podcast, join a study-buddy group or just take any one of our over 800 classes!
And, do us a favor – be sure and share our website or Facebook page with your favorite supplier or colleague. Have them take a look at what we do, too!
By Carla Smith, CTA
In my 15 years of being involved in The Travel Institute’s membership promotions, I truly can’t believe how our member benefits and member feedback have grown and improved. We created two levels of membership in June 2011, basic and premium, and have seen a tremendous number of new members joining and we have reconnected with some of our long time supporters that took a break.
There are several reasons for an increase in our membership numbers. We launched our Professional Educators’ Program in 2011 and now have a fantastic group of experts representing all areas of business who are passing along their knowledge and insight to our members. If you are currently a member, I hope you have taken advantage of some of our one-hour expert webinars on topics like Are You a Closer, Travel Writing for Travel Professionals, Travel Safety 101, Finding Your Niche Market, Multigenerational Marketing and many more! These are all free to members and members can log in and access our complete library of webinar recordings at any time.
Basic membership is only $95 a year and has been at the same rate the entire 15 years that I have been with The Travel Institute. Other benefits in addition to the webinars include Conde Nast Traveler magazine subscription, 10% off our courses, access to industry white papers, Friday Five blog posts from experts, industry event discounts, podcasts, discussion forums, and much more!
Premium membership is $19.99 a month and provides you with all of the benefits of basic membership plus access to Communiversity, a library of over 600 online courses ranging from technology and finance to personal productivity. In addition to attaining solid business skills, the offerings have been enhanced with our complete line of Destination and Lifestyle Specialist courses (typically $79 each) and GEEK School courses.
So this is why I have been asking myself this question lately, “How can travel professionals pass this up?” The investment of a basic membership pays off in a big way even if you just took advantage of our expert webinars (regularly $19.99 each)! Most of our exclusive member webinars provide free handouts and bonus material that is sold elsewhere!
Do you have any questions about membership or are you considering upgrading your membership from basic to premium? Contact me today and I will be happy to chat with you to find the right fit. If you are not currently a fan of the Travel Institute on Facebook, please “LIKE” us today!
With apologies to Gordon Gekko, “Change … is good.”
Not willy-nilly change, but thought-out and planned change – change for a reason. Over the past nine months you have been with us as we have made some very important changes – changes that have come from feedback from our members, our board, and how our industry and technology has evolved.
These changes have covered the gamut of types of change, some developmental change, some transitional change, and to a small extent, transformational change. But we aren’t done yet. Let me give you a sneak peek at what we have planned this spring.
You may have already seen that we have a new Payment Plan option available for those seeking CTA or CTC Certification. This plan allows candidates to spread the payments over 12 months, fee and interest-free. It is a better way to make the investment in your professional standing more affordable and fit into virtually any budget. It is up and running now!
Last year we introduced a two-level option to our membership (Basic membership and Premium membership.) Later this spring a New “World” will be available for Members at both levels to enjoy. A preview-tour is available here.
Finally, our CTIE will be having a major face-lift. Nope, no previews … you will have to stay tuned for the details. It’s going to be great!
If you aren’t already part of The Travel Institute – now is a good time to be part of the fun!
by Patty Noonan, CTC, director of sales
In my last update, I was just getting ready to head out to Rome for a very exciting family event… the elevation of my cousin, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, to the College of Cardinals. It was a whirlwind weekend highlighted by the consistory on Saturday. What an amazing event to witness!
After the ceremony, we attended a special luncheon at the North American College. Once we had a bite to eat and a much needed glass of vino, my brother Tim, his wife, Karen and I decided to head out for a quick bit of shopping… I mentioned before that I collect art by Fausto Battelli and try to pick up a new piece each time I visit Rome. The concierge was kind enough to look up the address and phone number… we were off! After a 20 minute cab ride, we were dropped in a small residential area. After walking in circles, we asked for help from a shopkeeper. She called the phone number and guided us across the street to a gated apartment building. The name on the apt… Fausto Battelli! We were at his home and studio!
What an amazing treat! We got to look at all of his fabulous work, completed and in progress. Most of his work involves well known Italian streets and buildings, a Madonna and graffiti. Once I made my selection, Senor Battelli included my name in the scene as part of the graffiti.
Here is a picture of me with my new BFF, Senor Battelli and the picture that is now hanging in my office… the next time you are in Rome, make a trip to the studio; you will fall in love with Battelli and his work. Roma tel: 06/44/24/11/29
One of the requirements for earning the CTC or CTIE certification, in addition to passing the test and having five years in the industry, is having to write a white paper. Here are a few tips for people who may need some extra help.
Select a Topic: The easiest topic to choose is one that you know a lot about. Everyone finds it easiest to sell what they know and the same goes for writing – it’s easiest to write what you know. Think about your interests and your passions and write about that. Or, conversely think about a topic that you’d like to learn more about. Use the paper as a kind of research project and use the results to help you in your workplace. There are an unlimited number of topics to choose from – from sales and marketing to technology and social media. Once you select a topic then submit for approval to Pat Gagnon, CTC at pgagnon@thetravelinstitute.com.
Make an Outline and Prepare to Write: After you choose your topic, it’s usually helpful to write down your objective. That will set the stage by defining the purpose of your paper. Then create a simple outline of the points you want to cover, putting them in a logical order. This would also be a good time to gather any resources you may need to help you write the paper. Some people may just be able to sit down and write – others may want to interview people or look for statistics to include in the paper.
Start Writing: Don’t worry about perfection, just start writing. You can always go back and edit and move things around. The paper should be 2000-3000 words and should include a cover page. Don’t forget to source and quotes or facts or figure.
Submit: After you submit the paper, you should get the results within 10 days. Papers are graded on a pass/fail basis. We may even ask your permission to post your paper in the members-only section of our website!
Hopefully, these tips will help anyone who may be preparing to write their white paper. Please email me at pgagnon@thetravelinstitute if I can help in any other way.
By Carla Smith, CTA
Manager, Marketing Communications
I have to admit, The Travel Institute staff is really a fun and energetic group of people to work with. We are a close team and do our best to make our meetings fun on both a business and personal level. I hope you also take the time to touch base and see what challenges or issues your coworkers or experiencing. You may be able to help or provide some good insight. We all bring different ideas to the table!
During our weekly Monday marketing meeting, we always brainstorm for new and fresh ideas to promote and pass along to members and other travel professionals. I wanted to share this fun new idea and encourage you to do something personal and different in your marketing messages.
We created a brand new web page that is updated monthly showcasing The Travel Institute staff and board member book favorites. This is really a great way to learn a bit more about us and also see what some of the travel industry’s top executives find interesting and helpful. If you haven’t visited our What We’ve Been Reading web page, check it out today! We have also included links to the book titles in case you would also like to purchase them on Amazon.com.
And remember, we are an Amazon.com affiliate, so with any purchase you make, whether it is on books or other items, The Travel Institute receives a portion that goes toward funding industry scholarships! It is a great way to give back without spending ANY money. So please save this link and pass it on to your friends: http://thetravelinstitute.com/amazon.
We look forward to announcing some more fun initiatives from The Travel Institute staff very soon!
