Destination weddings are a sizable and growing niche of the chunk of the huge U.S. wedding market - an obvious fit for travel agents, naturally. Because destination weddings involve profitable group business, they hold tremendous profitable revenue streams for travel agents with fantastic travel agent commissions to boot.
Let’s delve into the world of destination weddings and discover the profitable gems hidden in the destination wedding market as well as the opportunities therein for travel agents.
Niche Market for Travel Agents
Destinations weddings are not for every travel agent, but for the travel agent who will up their game in personal service and paying attention to detail. It is for you if you are willing to become a travel agent uniquely suited to serve a market that comprises complicated group travel and still put a premium on personal contact. The rewards are immense, both monetary and potential repeat customers.
Face-To-Face Over Online
While the benefits of the internet cannot be gainsaid, placing the world at our fingertips at the click of a button, online interaction can never take the place of face-to face interactions when planning one of the most important days of a bride’sand groom's life. In any case, why would anyone want to put this important day in their lives in the hands of an invisible online company? As the COO of DestinationWeddings .com, Ed Cotton would put it:
“It’s like going to a general practitioner for open heart surgery!”
While there is no harm reaching your clients or your prospective client reaching you online to plan their destination wedding, eventually meeting face-to-face helps to build trust so your client can rest assured that all will be well. As you come to learn how to succeed in travel business, trust is a major component if not the main one in maintaining current clients and gaining new ones.
With so many overseas resorts offering numerous wedding packages, brides usually need assistance in making the right choice, in working with the right vendors on the ground. It is hard to trust that everything will go smoothly if you do not know who you are working with. She will rely on your expertise and overseas network of trusted vendors to point her in the right direction. Remember her stay with her guests is of utmost importance and if she can trust you early on, then Hello! Here we come bank!
Potential for High Earnings
Travel agents can make annual commissions of as much as $100,000 from destination weddings. The least number of days you are working with as a travel agent is three days even for the shortest destination weddings. You can work in other relevant events within the three days to give your clients a fun-filled, activity packed three days of their lives abroad. These events can range from stags parties to bridal/groom showers, off-site excursions, private barbecues, spa services, photography, sunset cruises, dinners, and other events as the client desires, all which are commissionable on top of the resort stay. These can add from $92,000 in (commissionable) extras, where a travel agent can make anywhere from 15% up to 30% commission on that in addition to the several rooms booked at the resort.
Have potential bride and groom in minds?
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