Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed, CTC, endorses July campaign & certification in video remarks
FRAMINGHAM, MA, June 25, 2018 – With a recent study linking certification to higher sales and income for travel professionals, this year’s 5th annual “Promote Your Professionalism” campaign is expected to draw a record number of applicants to The Travel Institute’s scholarship fund for its three flagship certification programs.
Throughout July, travel agents can enroll in the Certified Travel Associate (CTA), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), or Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) programs and qualify to receive a 50-percent savings thanks to the generous scholarships from The Travel Institute Fund. Depending on selected coursework, the value may be as high as $275 off standard curriculum pricing.
“Simply put, when you learn more, you earn more, especially when you’re engaged in a comprehensive educational curriculum,” said Diane Petras, CTIE, president of The Travel Institute. “Certification increases earning because it builds the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed for career-minded travel agents to take risks, improve marketing, revise business plans, and take action. Our annual scholarship program is one of our most visible and far-reaching commitments to the vitality and future of our industry.”
Royal Caribbean International’s Senior Vice President Vicki Freed, who completed her CTC from The Travel Institute more than 30 years ago, produced a short video in support of this year’s Promote Your Professionalism campaign, calling certification “an investment in yourself, your brand, and your expertise.”
Complementing the certification-scholarship offers in July are three interactive webinars, plus the weekly Hot Tip Tuesday and Friday Five Blog e-communications, all focused on how to effectively market your brand and professionalism.
The webinar schedule is as follows:
- July 10, 2 p.m. EDT – “Boot Camp: Storytelling Skills for the 21st Century, Part 1” with Richard D’Ambrosio of Hudson Valley Communications
- July 18, 1 p.m. EDT – “Top 5 Copy Mistakes You’re Making on Your Travel Website (and How to Fix Them!)” with Emily Matras of Bon Vivant Copy
- July 24, 2 p.m. EDT – “PR Boot Camp: Storytelling Skills for the 21st Century, Part 2” with Richard D’Ambrosio of Hudson Valley Communications
All sessions are free, but advanced registration is required. In addition, webinars on topics such as certification and specialization are offered in July.
To qualify for a certification scholarship, individuals must complete the application form on The Travel Institute’s website at www.thetravelinstitute.com.
The Travel Institute Fund has endowed more than $238,000 in scholarships since it was established in 2014 to celebrate the non-profit’s 50th anniversary. Here are quotes from four recent certified graduates who took advantage of the scholarships last year:
Aubrey Palmieri, Travel Leaders Spokane, CTA
As a travel agent still at the beginning of my career I desire to have a strong, solid foundation to build upon. I feel that the Certified Travel Agent program helps me increase my set of skills and knowledge in a very practical and relevant way. By increasing my business skills I am able to bring more clients into my agency as I position myself as a knowledgeable and professional travel agent. The certification helps potential clients feel confident in my ability to help them plan their next vacation, business trip, or cruise. CTA certification also helps me stand out among my peers as a travel agent dedicated to continual learning and growth.
Richard Conklin, Personal World Travel, CTA
The CTA helps me grow and promote my business by making all my current and future clients feel they can trust their hard-earned money and time to a professional that dedicated my own time and money in the best interest for them. The CTA gives my clients confidence in knowing I have the knowledge and personal skills to meet their needs and be a person that cares about making their personal unique trip the best ever. Incorporating the newly learned business skills and active listening gives me the confidence to deliver and go beyond expectations. This makes me a better travel agent and a better travel consultant for future bookings. Thanks for the opportunity to be able to improve myself and my travel business.
Crystall Burriss, DWB Vacations LLC, CTC Fast Track
My independent contractors as well as my peers benefit from the knowledge that I gained through the CTC program. As I learn new and better ways to work with clients I pass the information on to them through one-on-one training and group interactions. The CTC program helps me be a more effective guide to my contractors so they are growing and learning as well. I’ve also started to share my experience and success with the program to my peers in our local NACTA chapter. I want to encourage my fellow travel agents to explore the opportunities provided through The Travel Institute. The more professional we are, the more respect we bring to the industry. The best way for us to raise the standard in our industry is by helping each other rise up to a higher bar. Successfully completing the CTC program has raised my creditability with my agents, my peers and my clients.
Dino Aguiar, AAA Northeast, CTIE
The CTIE helps me grow in job knowledge and functions, which allows me to lead people to better success and better bottom-line results. Motivated staff makes for happy clients and in turn they become repeat business. This certification helps me excel at promoting the travel industry while making clients’ dreams become a reality.
About The Travel Institute
Since 1964, The Travel Institute has been a non-profit global leader in travel industry education and certification. We have certified more than 25,000 Certified Travel Associate (CTA), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), and Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) graduates and trained thousands more through our destination, niche and lifestyle courses and webinars. Much like accountants or other career professionals with their respective credentials, when you see Travel Institute certified graduates you know they are committed to upholding the highest standards and have completed rigorous courses and challenging exams to verify their expertise. Adding to our Certifications and Designations, The Travel Institute also offers unlimited learning online in our Premium Member Lounge, which serves as a 24/7 classroom across all mobile platforms for college-level courses in business, finance, sales, marketing, social media, and more.