First of all, Happy New Year, from the entire Tripology team!

This has been one heck of a year.  As I sat down to recap all the things that happened, all I could think about were the big 2009 newsmakers.  2009 is going to be remembered, along with the end of 2008, for the horrible economy, lost jobs, bailouts, Madoff  (shouldn’t his name tipped someone off; “Made Off”), Michael Jackson (no, I was not a fan…ever..sorry), Tiger Woods (no comment) and of course, our new President; Barack Obama.  I don’t comment on politics, but for the record, I’m and Independent and was happy to see a change. There were many other things that happened in 2009; but I’m a “look forward” guy and frankly, I’m happy 2009 is over in general.

Now, as for Tripology, a lot of very exciting things happened in 2009.  Here’s the Top 10 list, ok, 11, but Top 11 doesn’t sound right.:

1. We hit our 100,000 trip request (we’ve actually just surpassed 120,000).
2. We registered our 10,000^th travel specialist (we’re almost at 14,000 now).
3. We won some awesome awards; “Innovator of the year” from US Travel Association and two, yes two (read “count ‘em; two!”), GOLD Magellan awards from Travel Weekly.
4. We created our Travel Industry Supporter Program so our Tripologists could get the costs of their leads refunded from some of the most forward-thinking travel suppliers on the planet, like Gogo, Costa Cruises, Tauck, Las Vegas and many, many others.
5. We launched our iPhone Application and a bunch of other cool social media things; see www.tripology.com/socialmedia
6. We hit our 10,000^th twitter follower (we’re almost at 14,000 now, follow us at @tripology).
7. We launched our new travel experts blog at http://vacations.tripology.com and now have literally thousands of articles written.
8. We signed strategic partnerships with some of the most notable names in the tourism industry.  See our press section for more news: http://www.tripology.com/consumer/news/
9. We hit and sustained unit economic profitability (big yea!).  No really, this is big.
10. Our Tripologists reported more wins from Tripology leads than ever before.
11. Finally, let’s not forget our investors; Ascend Venture Group and our newest investor; Online Distribution Corp. who each continue to support us as we grow. We really appreciate their emotional support.  The cash is just a bonus. Cough Cough.) 

All I can say is that 2010 has so much more in store for all of us including the consumers who look for travel agent specialists our Tripologists, our partners, our investors and our awesome staff.

From everyone at Tripology, we wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

Best regards,

John

Dear Tripologists,

I saw an article by USTOA President, Bob Whitley, that I thought would be of interest to you as you qualify which tour product is right for certain types of clients.  Here is the article:

“Agents often ask me how they can determine the right tour to recommend to their clients. USTOA has created a list of qualifying questions to ask. We ran this checklist in Vacation Agent once before, but it always bears repeating.

The success of almost any vacation is decided well before the departure date. At USTOA, we seek to help you by making it easier to create the trip that is best for your clients.

Escorted tour or not?

Here are six questions to determine whether an escorted tour is right for your clients. Once you’ve answered these, move on to the following five questions to help determine what kind of tour to recommend.

1. Is convenience a major priority? If clients want to avoid long lines for museums and attractions, an escorted tour is the way to go. As a member of a tour group, travelers are assured quick access to major sites like the Louvre in Paris.

2. Do you want to learn more about the areas you’re visiting? If so, escorted tours often provide specialized local guides in areas of historic interest, in addition to a knowledgeable tour guide.

3. Is time your most valuable asset? Tour operators do all the trip planning: hotel, transportation, sightseeing and the rest. Hassles are eliminated so that travelers can simply relax and enjoy.

4. Are you looking for a more exotic, off-the-beaten-path destination where customs and language might be unfamiliar? If so, clients may prefer the security of a group tour.

5. Are you on a budget? If value is key, most escorted tours can save travelers from 10 to 40 percent versus planning the same vacation on their own. On an escorted tour, the operator has often negotiated preferential rates and prepaid these costs, which are included in the price of the tour.

6. Are you traveling alone? Single travelers might want to join a small group of compatible people. Companionship and the conveniences and benefits mentioned above are available for singles on walking, wilderness, motorcoach and many other tours.

Choosing the Right Tour

If your clients’ answers lead them to choose a tour, you can move on to recommending the right tour for them. While the traditional multi-destination tour remains a staple for first-time travelers, many of today’s escorted tours are likely to build in more leisure time, offer greater flexibility and more choices, as well as include adventurous options such as short treks, hikes, archaeological discoveries and more.

1. What’s important to you? Ask your clients what they expect from their trip and whether they’re looking for a particular level of comfort or luxury.

2. How much activity do you want? Some travelers want to see everything and check it off their lists. Others prefer a casual day or an afternoon relaxing in a café.

3. How will you fit in? Accommodations and the type of travelers on a trip should be compatible with the style and comfort level of your client. If a particular client likes things casual, check to see whether a specific tour might be too formal or vice versa. Try to get an idea of how important it is for your client that fellow group members are from a similar background or educational level.

4. Are your expectations realistic? If clients are trying to save money, you can help them decide whether it matters if their hotel room faces the back or has no view at all. Remember to tell them that they usually get what they pay for. If they’re traveling on a bare-bones budget, they can’t expect top-drawer luxury.

5. What type of vacation is right for you? Does an escorted tour, a special-interest trip with like-minded individuals, or an independent, on-your-own vacation fill the bill? USTOA has developed a quick self-test called the “Vacation Personality Quiz” that can help determine the best vacation type for individual travelers based on their personality preferences. The test is available at www.ustoa.com.  You can offer the test to your client yourself.

USTOA member companies have met the travel industry’s toughest requirements, including participating in the USTOA Travelers Assistance Program, which, among other things, requires each member to set aside $1 million to protect your clients in case the company goes out of business. Bottom line: A vacation well chosen almost always results in a satisfied customer.”

CLICK HERE: –> CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO - THIS text is the link

I have been trying to figure out what to write for the holidays. 

I was going to write about this ridiculous roller coaster of a year we’ve all had.  I was going to write about how everyone in the travel industry just assume “write off” 2009.  I was going to write about all the amazing travel deals that hit the market in 2009 and how some people still didn’t travel. 

I’m a firm believer you need to be a voracious reader if you want to be a great writer. It became quickly apparent that everyone else had already written this stuff.  So, I’ve opted not to write about 2009.

Then, I was going to write about all the really great accomplishments we’ve had in 2009.  We processed our 120,000^th trip request.  We won “Innovator of the Year” from the US Travel Association. We won two – yes two – GOLD awards in Travel Weekly Magellan competition.  We’re just about to hit 14,000 travel specialists in our network.  Finally, I was going to write about what a great team we have.  This would have been fun for me to read, but it wouldn’t have accomplished what I want to do; MAKE YOU SMILE.

So, as I wrapped one of my children’s gifts, I started to laugh, hysterically. I had to share this video with you in hopes it would at least make you chuckle.  

Happy Holidays from everyone at Tripology.

Best,

John

We received a note this morning from Linda Schreiber of Starship Travel, one of our Tripologists, who consistently reports her Tripology wins to us.  The email she sent this morning echoes perfectly what we keep telling Tripologists “Be Persistent!”.  Here is what Linda writes:

“I keep saying this!  It’s not over until they said NO…well we have had a Tripology lead on our desk for months and today the client booked 6 adults 1 child and 2 infants to Jamaica for over $10,000.  It was worth it to “keep the file open”.”

Please share your success stories with us and we’ll feature them to our Tripologists!

Happy holidays!

The list of participating travel suppliers is growing again as we’ve just added Mayflower Tours to the list of supporters in Tripology’s Travel Industry Supporter Program.  see the press release here:  http://bit.ly/5asQIo

If you’re not taking advantage of FREE leads yet, why not?  Get all the details at www.tripology.com/supplierprogram