World-renowned for its wanderlust-inducing publication, curated itineraries and World’s Best collection, Travel + Leisure Group is a respected and authoritative voice in the travel industry. And as a new supplier on VAX, advisors can look forward to bringing the brand’s 50-plus years of expertise directly to their clients.
We sat down with Heena Patel, senior vice president of Travel + Leisure Clubs and Rentals to discuss the brand’s unique offerings, what advisors can expect from T+L as a supplier on VAX, and her hopes for the industry in 2022.
For travel advisors who aren’t familiar with T+L, what are the top three things they should know about your brand?
Travel + Leisure Group is focused on sending the world back on vacation in 2022 and beyond. We inspire travel experts and novices alike with our expansive curated itineraries based on inspirational content from around the world in Travel + Leisure magazine.
Secondly, with Travel + Leisure, you will find content to inspire your clients and can book the full vision or any part thereof. What’s more, you can set your own commission, too.
Lastly, membership travel is our expertise. When we acquired the Travel + Leisure brand back in January, we knew that we had an opportunity to combine our 50 years of membership travel experience with the storied 50-year history of Travel + Leisure, the most influential name in travel to inspire people to explore in a completely new way.
As a brand that launched on VAX during the pandemic, how is T+L building relationships with travel advisors and building open lines of communication?
First, we are all in this together. We stayed in contact with our existing travel partners and welcomed many new agencies to our family during the pandemic. We were able to keep consistent supply and have flexible cancellation policies to give customers and agents confidence in their bookings. We not only want to send you and your clients on vacation; we also want it to be a great experience for everyone. Travel advisors are an integral part of the T+L experience; since our launch earlier this year, one-third of all vacation bookings have been made through travel advisors.
What does T+L bring to travel advisors that’s unique to your brand?
Who hasn’t dreamed of taking a trip they saw in Travel + Leisure? Our offerings, combined with our content and curated itineraries, inspire and deliver amazing experiences for our shared customers. It’s this fantastical idea of traveling like a travel writer; taking the trips one only dreams about in the pages of a magazine and turning that inspiration into reality.
What can you tell us about the curated itineraries that you offer?
Travel + Leisure GO features 30-plus expert-curated, bookable itineraries that are inspired by the authoritative editorial content from Travel + Leisure. These fully customizable itineraries bring the pages of the magazine to life and include editor’s tips, standout experiences featured in T+ L guides, and accommodations at hotels and resorts named in this year’s World’s Best Awards.
Highlights of the bookable itineraries include a comfort food tour of the Southern flavors of Savannah, [Georgia]; private dancing lessons in Cartagena, Colombia; and a sunset wildlife safari in Jackson Hole, [Wyoming]; among other exciting options.
Select Travel + Leisure within VAX to book these curated itineraries today or visit our website for full itinerary details.
How do your new products align with what travelers may have read about in Travel + Leisure magazine?
Throughout the storied 50-year history of Travel + Leisure magazine, there was never a way for consumers to easily book a trip based on the inspirational stories that they read. It may seem obvious, but of all the articles T+L has ever published, and of all the online content, there has never been a “Book Now” button -— until now.
What agents will find on VAX are travel products and itineraries that connect inspirational travel stories with planning and booking tools for all travel needs, from everyday adventures to once-in-a-lifetime vacations. Advisors can book the same products that are on our open retail travel site — while setting their own commissions.
How many suppliers and products do you offer?
In addition to swoon-worthy destinations, travelers can also book a wide array of travel products. T+L’s inventory features more than 600,000 hotels and resorts, more than 345,000 activities, all major car rental services, dozens of airlines and more.
What’s coming up for T+L in 2022?
There are currently 70,000 travel advisors registered with T+L. This year, agents can expect to keep our flexible booking options, plus set their own commission, in addition to exciting new supply in all of the places their clients want to travel. We will also be launching a referral program later this year for agents who are interested in working with us to match our customers with their expertise.
Which products and destinations are you most excited to focus on and want advisors to know about? How will you present those products in a new way?
The content trusted worldwide from Travel + Leisure will continue to come to life and be a part of clients’ future vacations with more curated itineraries. Travel + Leisure recently launched 10 bookable itineraries on VAX to cities across Mexico, Travel + Leisure’s Destination of the Year for 2021.
The fully customizable itineraries feature authentic experiences like sipping local wine at a sprawling Chateau in San Miguel de Allende, named the Top City in this year’s World’s Best Awards; discovering the expansive mural collection across Guadalajara with a private guide by day and touring the city’s vibrant nightlife, cocktail and foodie scene by night; and shopping in a local market before visiting a private home for an authentic Mexican cooking class in the historic city of Merida, the vibrant capital of Yucatán.
What are some of the major industry trends that came out of 2020 and 2021?
People want expertise as they get back out on the road. They want to maximize their vacation time and have guidance to navigate the ever-changing requirements, protocols and restrictions. They also want space, amenities and the confidence to book with a trusted brand. The trends around leisure travel will continue to grow. This is great news for us all. It also means that travelers need to book early, as 2022 is expected to be a busy travel year.
Originally appeared in the winter 2021 issue of The Compass Magazine.
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