TravelPulse Canada was thrilled to be the exclusive media representative on the first-ever Air Canada Vacations fam exclusively for home-based host agency advisors. The destination: Saint Lucia, the green and gorgeous island that rises dramatically from the waters of the eastern Caribbean Sea.
ACV is the first Canadian tour operator to introduce a dedicated Sales Manager and training program for host agency partners, dubbed ACV@Home. Twenty-year industry veteran Krista Rothfuchs is that Sales Manager -- responsible for assisting close to 4,000 agents from coast-too-coast – and she led the group of a dozen advisors.
Ranging from long-time travel professionals to a pair experiencing their own first-ever fam trip, the group included representatives from six different host agencies: The Travel Agent Next Door, TravelOnly, Trevello, Nexion, Centre Holidays and Flight Centre Travel Group.
The fam group typified TravelPulse Canada’s positive experience with host agency members, the fastest-growing segment of the market. As independent business owners, every participant was passionate about learning as much as possible about the destination and ACV’s Saint Lucia product, so they could share their expertise with their clients.
Sandals Grande Saint Lucian hosted the group for three nights, while the days were filled with site inspections. The schedule was busy, with tours of 11 of the 15 properties ACV offers on the island, but there were no complaints and everyone was on time all the time.
Krista Rothfuchs, Sales Manager for the ACV@Home program. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
“With new ideas, and putting out this dedicated FAM, there’s always the worry that things won’t go as planned, but I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for our first ACV@Home FAM trip,” said Rothfuchs.
“We had over 100 applicants register to attend, which was far more than we had anticipated. With the undeniable success of this FAM, we already can’t wait to start planning the next one!”
Leading a fam can be an exhausting assignment, but Rothfuchs said the group made it easy.
“I couldn’t say enough positive things about this group if I tried. Every advisor was eager to learn, excited for the site visits, everyone got along like we’d known each other for years. We truly had one of the best FAM groups I’ve ever been a part of."
For Rothfuchs, the fam delivered validation that ACV made the right choice in extending specialized service to host agency advisors.
“Advisors that work for themselves and run their own businesses are motivated to be successful, and we wanted to take action to ensure that we had tools and a support system for them here at ACV. Their business model is that of an entrepreneur, and we felt it important to make sure we are supporting them as a business partner,” Rothfuchs said.
Being responsible for nearly 4,000 agents sounds like a herculean task, but Rothfuchs refuses to be daunted.
“It’s been an adventure! I truly love what I do and the advisors I get to work with, and I’m passionate about helping them succeed, which is why I took on this role. I certainly have days when I’m overwhelmed – but that just means this segment of advisors is growing and interested in ACV product. I really do feel like these advisors are making the way for the future of what a Travel Agent is all about.”
The first-ever ACV@Home fam trip started with Saint Lucia product training at the Sandals Grande Saint Lucian. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Host agency members have responded enthusiastically to the special attention from ACV. Rothfuchs hoped to have 500 members of the private Facebook group ACV@Home Community at this stage, but the number has now topped 1,000.
“The feedback has been better than we could have ever imagined. There’s always the chance your efforts won’t be received as well as you’d hoped, but we’ve had such incredible support – not only from our host agency partners but from the advisors themselves. We’re so grateful that our hard work in introducing this initiative has been validated.”
Fam group members echoed Rothfuchs’ comments.
“I love travelling with other home-based agents, said Brockville, Ontario-based Mandy Armstrong from The Travel Agent Next Door. “It helps us get out of the isolation that working at home can sometimes cause. And it was really nice to have industry veterans right down to brand-new agents, from different host agencies across Canada.”
Centre Holidays advisor Ami Jagger says it was great to travel with home-based, and most importantly IC colleagues.
“Though many professionals have started working from home, as an IC with a host, we have different needs, hurdles and requirements, so it is always nice to talk to people who can understand and share these experiences.”
Tracy Keddy, a Barrie, Ontario-based advisor with TTAND member Jet Lag Voyages, called the trip “incredibly valuable.”
“I am so thankful for such a great group of people. I have been in the business for just over 10 years, but feel that I learned so much from all of you.”
For most of the group, including ACV’s Rothfuchs, the trip represented their most extensive exploration of Saint Lucia’s tourism product.
“Saint Lucia is a unique destination in that each resort we offer is individual and different from the next, there are no two properties that look or feel the same,” Rothfuchs said.
“There is a huge range of product, from your basic yet cheerful, to your upscale luxury, to your spa-centric, to your family focused. For those who have visited some of the other Caribbean destinations and are looking for the next best thing, St. Lucia has a lot to offer.”
Beautiful Saint Lucia. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
With Sandals Resorts featuring three major properties on the island, it was a great opportunity for fam participants to get a feel for the significant variations between them.
“Amongst the three Sandals properties in Saint Lucia, I have to say I was surprised at how different each one was and the selling features they each presented,” said Rothfuchs.
“There would absolutely be something to suit any kind of couple – whether they’re looking for relaxing peace and quiet, an active environment or somewhere in between. This is a perfect reason why FAMS are so important and so valuable for us. With those takeaways I now have a much more clear understanding and appreciation for the differences between the three Sandals properties, and also the variety of accommodations within each resort individually.”
(Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Coming out of the pandemic pause, host agencies have shown “exponential” growth for ACV sales, Rothfuchs says.
“Almost all are way up over 2019 sales, and our numbers are through the roof. There was a time when home-based, host agents were kind of looked down upon. Now they’re some of the top producers in the industry. We’ve been really focused on this segment for the past four years, and the efforts are really paying off.”
Look for more coverage of the ACV@Home fam next week, with a focus on the Saint Lucia properties ACV is featuring.
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