The Luxury Travel Sales Summit and “Leap Into Luxury Travel Forum” educate travel advisors of varying levels of experience on luxury travel
IRVING, TX (November 20, 2018) – Nexion Travel Grouprecently presented its third annual Luxury Travel Sales Summit and its inaugural Leap into Luxury Travel Forum as a way to support its travel advisor members who seek to expand their business by attracting more clients interested in luxury travel. The Luxury Travel Sales Summit convened in Nashville, Tenn. from November 2 to 4, and the Leap into Luxury Travel Forum took place November 10 to 12 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Hosted by Nashville’s Hutton Hotel, the Luxury Travel Sales Summit was an invitation-only event. Nexion Travel Group’s top luxury sellers were invited to deepen their luxury travel knowledge and learn new techniques to sell this highly profitable type of travel. Attendees toured top hotels in Nashville for onsite inspections, participated in supplier product presentations and met one-on-one with suppliers. They also gained new ideas through several keynote speakers:
- Sarah Dandashy, Golden Key Concierge: “How to Work with a Concierge & the Gold Key Concierge Program Worldwide”
- Karl Kannstadter, Director of Expedition Sales East USA & Canada, Silversea Cruises: “Rise of Adventure/Expedition Luxurification & The Galapagos”
- Michael Heflin, Senior Vice President, Hotel Division- Travel Leaders Group: “Building Community”
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jordan Reynolds entertained Luxury Travel Sales Summit attendees with a private concert.
“I was thrilled to be invited to this event,” said Kimberlee Evans, owner of An Extraordinary Traveler in Southlake, Texas. “Luxury is my specialization and being able to deepen connections with luxury travel suppliers and my fellow luxury travel advisors translates into a stronger business. Nexion Travel Group custom-crafted this content based on the attendees’ needs and desires, so everything was incredibly relevant. The Luxury Travel Sales Summit’s educational activities helped all of the travel advisors there become stronger advocates for our luxury clients.”
This year was the first time Nexion Travel Group offered the Leap into Luxury Travel Forum. Designed for the travel advisor newer to luxury travel, this forum focused on basics, best practices and how to best use Nexion Travel Group’s tools to build a luxury travel practice. Attendees were introduced to upper premium/luxury suppliers for learning and networking and heard from experts on a variety of business topics. Speakers included:
- Larry Pimentel, President & CEO of Azamara Club Cruises: “Putting Price in Its Place”
- Sandy Stevens, Vice President of Sales & Guest Relations, Paul Gauguin Cruises: “Survive and Advance by Leading from the Heart”
- Perry Lungmus, Vice President, Travel Leaders Network: “The Value of Specialty Certifications”
- Cris De Souza, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Nexion Travel Group: “Prospecting Acceleration—Honing Your Luxury Travel Sales Skills”
The Leap into Luxury Travel Forum was hosted by the Pelican Grand Hotel & Resort in Fort Lauderdale.
“Selling luxury travel is an idea that is very appealing to me,” said Beverly Olds, owner of Bolds Travel in Dallas. “It is a growing area of the travel world and I attended the forum to come away with actionable ideas that I can use immediately. I am so excited to continue developing my skills as a luxury travel specialist and am grateful to Nexion Travel Group for supporting beginners’ desire to learn about this area of travel.”
“Luxury travel continues to grow and provides many opportunities for the skilled luxury travel advisor,” said Jackie Friedman, CTC, CTIE, President of Nexion Travel Group. “As a host agency, it is our job to develop our members and help them increase their skills, which is exactly why we offer these types of educational events. Since beginning the Luxury Travel Sales Summit three years ago, the demand has swelled, and we saw a need for another pathway. The Leap into Luxury Travel Forum gives attendees the support and skills they need as they break into this niche. We are looking forward to continuing to help our members sell luxury travel.”
All travel professionals interested in learning how to succeed as a professional business owner, backed by Nexion Travel Group’s many great benefits, are encouraged to call 800-747-6813or email sales@nexion.com.
Nexion Travel Group
Nexion® Travel Group is a fully accredited host agency, offering membership to independent travel professionals since 1995. As part of Travel Leaders Group, Nexion Travel Group provides ticketing, operations and fulfillment support to independent travel professionals coupled with best-in-class tools, technology, marketing, education and support. Nexion Travel Group is the complete host agency for multi-agent agencies, corporate agencies, experienced agents and those new to the industry. Travelers also have access to The Travel Collection by Travel Leaders Group, a selection of travel offers and discounts available at no additional cost to holders of select American Express® cards. For more information visit www.TheTravelCollection.com.
2018: Year of the Travel Agent
Travel Leaders Group has named 2018 Year of the Travel Agent. Over the last decade, the travel agency industry has flourished through technology, the growth of travel options and personalized service. Travel Leaders Group represents approximately 52,000 travel agents with unmatched expertise in 135,000 destinations and 53,000 areas of interest. Travelers and suppliers have rediscovered the value a professional travel advisor delivers to the travel experience. Travel agents help to move people around the world, and keep our economy growing.
