When a recent magazine issue was delivered to luxury travel advisor Annie Jones, it wasn’t because she was a subscriber: It was because she’d been quoted in a story as a source. Jones was one of a few advisors the magazine tapped to comment on the growing trend of adventure-focused honeymoons.
“I had multiple new clients find my business, Telos Travel, simply from seeing my name in print,” Jones said. “When a client sees your name in a credible resource, they automatically have a certain level of trust in you, even before you speak to them the first time. Having that initial trust at the beginning of a relationship is invaluable and starts you with a solid foundation to build upon.”
Knowing how to leverage the media, whether it’s a national publication or simply your own website, is a surefire way to promote and grow your business as a travel advisor. Not sure how or where to start? Take inspiration from these industry pros.
Carve Out a Strong Niche
Do you specialize in selling a specific type of travel? If so, lean into it. Judy Tudor, an advisor with Fora Travel and a wheelchair user, found a gap in the market for accessibility and inclusivity — and decided to fill it.
“There aren’t a lot of resources out there,” she explained. “I’ve found it important to add value where I can and educate others in the industry around my area of expertise.” Due to her growing reputation as an accessible travel expert, Tudor was recently featured on Afar.com as a “woman changing the way we travel.”
Diana Edelman of Vegans, Baby is a known expert in the vegan travel space. Recently, she was offered the chance to partner with luxury safari tour operator Alluring Africa to create a series of vegan safaris in South Africa. Between her knowledge and influence, along with Alluring Africa’s award-winning expertise in African safaris, the new product garnered a wide variety of press coverage in outlets ranging from National Geographic to PETA.org. To no surprise, the tours sold out and continue to earn both Edelman and the tour operator revenue and accolades. “It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” said Becca Fritz, Alluring Africa’s marketing manager.
Pitch to the Media
Journalists are always looking for credible sources to include in their coverage, and you can be one of them. Kaleigh Kirkpatrick, founder of The Shameless Tourist, finds Cision’s website HelpAReporter.com to be an invaluable tool. She used the feature to share recommendations for Rome that ended up being included in a recent CNBC article. She also uses it locally, sometimes waiving her travel planning fees in exchange for promotion from area influencers and celebrities. She feels that it’s a valuable barter: She’s seen an increase in followers, inquiries and credibility as a result.
Troy Petenbrink of The Gay Traveler became his local television station’s go-to travel expert after reaching out to the producer directly; they now invite him onto segments regularly. “The most important thing is to pitch something that is timely and fits the style of the station,” he advised. “Say a report comes out about rising prices; a travel advisor would be the perfect person to explain how viewers can still find deals.”
Get Your Work Published
If you have a knack for storytelling, this is a way to shine. Jude Vargas, founder of Art of Voyage, writes regularly about sustainable travel for the digital publication A Hotel Life. While she appreciates the exposure boost she sees in her travel design business, she’s personally more focused on the benefit of being able to promote positive change in the hospitality industry.
“It gives our clients a little insight into our thoughts and values,” she said. “I believe if we are in a position to be a positive influence on others, we should be doing so.”
Use the Travel Industry’s Reach
We are an industry that loves to support each other, and one mutually beneficial way to get eyes on your business is to contribute to an industry blog. Networking organization Millennials in Travel is always soliciting guest posts for their blog about hotels, FAM trips and more, which reaches an audience of about 6,000 travel professionals nationwide.
“It is more important now than ever for travel advisors to differentiate themselves from others in the industry,” said MIT’s Director of Operations, Monika Weinsoft. “We offer ample opportunities for advisors to showcase their industry knowledge and expertise.”
If you are a member of a larger host agency, other opportunities might be available, too. Fora Travel publishes travel guides written by their advisors to destinations around the world and optimizes them for SEO so they hit high rankings on Google.
“Travel stories inspire wanderlust. They're the first step toward a booking — the catalyst for a traveler to think, ‘I want to go there,’” said Fora’s Head of Marketing, Kelley Louise. “Creating content and sharing assets is a great way to put yourself out there as an advisor and tell the world about your travel advisor business.”
Leverage Social Media
Cassandra Santoro, founder and CEO of Travel Italian Style, loves sharing her adventures around Italy with her 25.2k Instagram followers. Her posts, which inspire wanderlust as well as showcase her local knowledge, receive hundreds to thousands of likes and comments. “I always make it a point to respond to every message and comment I receive,” said Santoro. “I also share my personal journey and stories often. With this I can prove my dedication, kindness and care for Italy and those who interact with the company even before they become clients. That has been the key to my agency's success.”
You don’t need to be an influencer to earn business from social media, though. It’s easy to establish a small but loyal audience on Instagram and other social media platforms, especially when you have a niche. Remember to tag every hotel, destination and business you share photos of, as well as use relevant hashtags so that content will be seen not just by followers, but by anyone researching the destination.
Hire a Publicist
Where would travel advisors be without good PR? Promoting yourself can be a full-time job, so if you have the resources to do so, consider hiring a seasoned publicist to take some of the load off your plate and guarantee stronger results. Jessica Parker, founder of Trip Whisperer and a career travel publicist, has helped upward of 100 advisors secure media placements over the years by way of reviewing quotes, preparing them for broadcast segments, writing bios, creating press kits and more.
Joshua Bush, CEO of Avenue Two Travel, hired a publicist to represent his business and team of advisors to ensure that potential travelers truly understood the importance of the work that they do. “Travel has become extremely complex, wrought with pitfalls for the unassuming consumer,” said Bush. “By showcasing what we do through PR, these customers have belief, trust and insight that travel advisors are just as valuable as a financial advisor, estate planner or even medical professional.”
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