Business Development Managers are a critical link in the travel eco-system, promoting the products of their cruise line, airline, hotel chain or tour operator employer, while supporting the efforts of travel advisors who bring those products to the consumer. An effective BDM helps facilitate growth opportunities for both their companies and their strategic partners.
In this new series of articles, TravelPulse Canada profiles some of Canada’s leading travel industry BDMs in their own words, including advice on how you can make the most of this important relationship.
There’s no debate about it: Rares Dumitru is a BDM on a mission to help you grow your business by selling more Goway Travel product. It’s a good thing there’s no debate, because Dumitru would likely win – he took third place at the European Regional Parliamentary Debate in Ljubljana, Slovenia, June 1999.
Born in Transylvania, Romania, Dumitru does not ‘vant to suck your blood.’ On the contrary, his goal is to inject new life into the sales veins of the accounts he manages, by educating advisors about the vast amount of product Goway offers, and introducing them to the company’s destination specialists he describes as “the best in the business.”
Launching his Canadian career at an agent call centre in 2007, Dumitru quickly advanced into sales roles, and it will be a pleasure to watch his career trajectory continue to rise.
Seeing a pattern here: Rares is more driver than passenger. (Photo Credit: Rares Dimitru)
TravelPulse Canada: What do you see as the core components of an Account Manager role?
Rares Dumitru: The top priority has to be building and growing relationships with the accounts one manages. Thinking outside the box. Liaising with various other departments like Marketing, Training and Customer Experience, and making sure plans and strategies are executed on time. Addressing any concerns or issues travel advisors may have and making sure there is a timely resolution. There’s a lot to an Account Manager’s work, but if I have to boil it down, at the end of the day you have to make sure travel advisors are reaching out to Goway for as many of their clients' inquiries as possible.
When he's not working, Rares loves being on the water. (Photo Credit: Rares Dimitru)
TravelPulse Canada: How long have you been with Goway and what is your previous industry/work experience?
Rares Dumitru: I started with Goway in November, 2021, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. It is great to be a part of a company that has been around for more than 50 years and that has continued to evolve, grow, and understand the ever-changing landscape of the travel industry and anticipate the demands of the clients. It is also great to work with people who are on the same page and understand what it takes to get the job done. The support has been incredible, and things will get even more exciting as we roll out new initiatives this year. Before Goway, I worked in the coach touring space, then with Rail Europe, as well as a villa company from 2020 to 2021.
Someone has the salt-and-pepper look down to perfection. (Photo Credit: Rares Dimitru)
TravelPulse Canada: Goway offers a vast amount of product and a variety of different travel styles. How do you educate advisors on what makes it unique and desirable in a competitive marketplace?
Rares Dumitru: It’s the people who make the company and I truly believe that what sets us apart are the people who work at Goway. Our Destination Specialists are the best in the business -- having lived, worked, or travelled extensively in the regions they are selling -- so travel advisors can rely on us to put together an itinerary that highlights the best of the destination and features ‘wow’ moments and hidden gems.
The GowayPro Travel Academy is our award-winning e-learning program that enhances the expertise of the advisor and focuses on the destinations we travel to, highlighting everything from the must-do and see experiences to accommodations as well as the culture and traditions. It’s a great resource for travel advisors to level up their destination knowledge.
We also have an amazing loyalty program. Our GowayPro Rewards offer up to 1% in cash on every sale, both individual and group travel. To this date, travel advisors have redeemed over $600,000 in Goway Pro Rewards!
Our Passport to a Free FAM yearly incentive gives advisors the opportunity to win an amazing free trip with us by making bookings to five of the six international regions we sell. Most recently, we’ve had some great FAM trips from Qatar to Fiji.
As Account Managers, we spend a lot of time talking to travel advisors about how we can meet their needs, sharing best practices and success stories as well as training them on the Goway line of products. It’s about communication and empowerment. We want to set them up to succeed.
Travel has taken Dimitru to some of the world's most beautiful places. (Photo Credit: Rares Dimitru)
TravelPulse Canada: What are the most impactful changes you have seen in the travel advisor community over the past few years?
Rares Dumitru: The most successful travel advisors are the ones who understand that it pays to work with a select number of suppliers and that quality is paramount. Whether they are part of a network of independent advisors or work in a more traditional store environment, they understand that they can achieve a lot more if they rely on Goway to assist them with their FIT and group requests. They are also passionate about what they do and they genuinely see this as more than a job: they have a passion for helping people realize their travel dreams.
TravelPulse Canada: What are the most common requests/questions you get from travel agents?
Rares Dumitru: Occasionally, I am still told that we should have printed brochures -- and yet we have had amazing sales results without having printed brochures since 2019. Clients are so much more used to looking up information online and we find a lot of them will do their homework before they contact their travel advisor. To help qualify the clients we have a great form on gowaypro.com – our agent portal -- highlighting the kind of details we need to know in order to put together the perfect itinerary for the clients. It makes the whole process easier and sets people up for success.
Goway's Rares Dimitru with friend and industry colleague Lori Patterson, now retired from Holland America Line/Seabourn. (Photo Credit: Rares Dimitru)
TravelPulse Canada: How can advisors take advantage of the resources you offer in the most efficient way possible?
Rares Dumitru: By reaching out to their Goway Account Manager and scheduling a one-on-one meeting where we can go over their specific needs and formulate a plan together. We will highlight all the great features of the website, how to use our 3-way call option (clients/travel advisor/Goway Destination Specialist) to close the sale, how to use the Special Offers section of the website to communicate with their clients, and so much more. Their success is our success!
Topics From This Article to Explore
