Travel Edge Network Focuses on Education To Deliver Luxury Experiences

Whether you’re brand new to the industry or an experienced travel advisor, it’s nearly impossible to know everything there is to know. This is why it is important for all types of educational opportunities to be available, and Travel Edge Network kept this in mind when creating its new Venture program.

The Compass caught up with Nadiya Makarenko, senior vice president of Travel Edge Network, to learn more about this program as well as other ways the luxury host agency is supporting its travel advisors.

Q: Can you tell me more about Travel Edge Network and what some of its main focuses are? 

A: Travel Edge Network is a luxury host agency to hundreds of elite travel advisors with a vision to support travel professionals by combining a luxury sensibility with technological innovation to raise the bar on what travel can deliver for travelers, advisors and partners.  

Among the many benefits of working with Travel Edge Network include: 

• Access to cutting-edge technology - This includes ADX (Agent Digital Experience), our technology that allows advisors to book and invoice seamlessly in one place. Created by travel experts for travel experts, ADX enables our advisors to be more effective and efficient and drives higher profitability. 
• Our training and development programs.  Our mentoring guidance and support mean professionals can have greater confidence than ever before in their business’ ability to deliver for themselves and their clients. This includes our Knowledge Trips, which help advisors gain critical firsthand knowledge about trending and emerging destinations and an opportunity to experience our preferred partners for hotel, air, tour operators and more. Traveling regularly is not only one of the best perks of this profession, but it’s a necessary one as the best and most successful advisors are those who have a deeper understanding and knowledge about destinations that allow them to make more informed recommendations to their clients. 
• Access to a wide range of carefully selected products in the premium and luxury segment. 
• Access to a 24/7 client facing team available to support our advisors’ clients while they are traveling.  

Q: Why is it important to meet travel advisors where they are at, and how does the Venture program do this? 

A: One of the many advantages of a career as a travel advisor is the flexibility.  You can manage your business in a way that suits your lifestyle. This is really ideal for those who want to work part time now but may then want to grow their business in the future. That is also the beauty of the Venture program – it offers tiers to appeal to travel advisors who are both new to the industry and those who are more experienced but may be looking to take their career to the next level. 

Venture is the entry level program for those who are newest to the industry. This could be those who currently have a smaller business and are looking to take the next steps to expand their current client base and training. For those who may be more established, Venture+ offers a more robust training program that is supported by innovative tools along with mentoring opportunities and enhanced training courses in sales, customer service, marketing and specialist certifications in areas like cruise, air, hotel and destinations. To expedite training, there is also the option for an intensive 90-day mentorship program that includes monthly meetings for the first year, a dedicated support manager, 1:1 weekly coaching and a monthly check-in with Travel Edge Network’s Member Engagement team.   

Q: Outside of the program, in what other ways does Travel Edge Network support its travel advisors? 

A: As referenced above, we offer access to innovative technology, training and education including our Limitless conferences that are held throughout the year featuring sessions and workshops with hundreds of supplier partners across all verticals including hotels, tourism boards, airlines and DMCs. Our marketing support includes website creation, social media presence building, leads generation and more. We also help our advisors get exclusive access to industry events such as ILTM, DUCO and PURE so they can build relationships with suppliers and grow their businesses.   

Q: We are seeing a lot of new travel advisors join the industry. Why is education so important for these new advisors?  

A: It is so important that we continue to recruit and inspire the next generation of travel advisors as the demand for travel professionals has never been higher. But equally important is to ensure they have the training, tools and confidence in navigating the travel industry's complex environment. That starts with education and training in everything from learning about the products so that you can speak with confidence and firsthand experience about what you are selling as well as areas of professional development and how to build and grow a business.