Great destination information, and helpful advice for advisors.
“There were two things we wanted to do today, really,” Moira Smith, Goway Vice President, Africa and Asia, told Open Jaw. “Obviously we want to expand our travel agent partners’ knowledge. We want them to realize the breadth and depth of our offerings. We want them to see what we have to offer and help them close sales.”
Smith said she noticed a high level of engagement from agents at the Africa event, held at the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto.
“Advisors were busy taking notes, asking questions, and taking photos of the slide shows,” she said. “I loved seeing that.”
“It’s all about engagement and enhancement,” said Goway Travel VP Marketing Mitchell Fawcett, who took part in a panel discussion on how agents can boost their Facebook pages and other social media accounts to help drive business.
During the panel discussion, Fawcett noted that Goway has some 5,000 verified reviews and has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
“It’s very important for you to look at your reviews and respond to them,” he told advisors.
With so many social channels out there (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, You Tube) it’s hard to know which one is right. Fawcett’s suggestion? “Get started where you’re already spending time.”
He also noted it’s important to post regularly, not in fits and spurts with a series of posts close together, followed by days or weeks of silence.
It’s also important for advisors to show their authentic selves, said Aren Bergstrom, Content and Creative Manager at Goway.
“There’s so much social sludge, and you want to be the one standing out.”
Panellists agreed that video is king when it comes to social media, but not on Linked In, which can be a useful channel for advisors.
They also noted that social media should be used for inspiration, and not for making a hard sell.
Goway has destination material and sample itineraries that advisors can repost on their own sites for free, panellists said.
Bergstrom told advisors that AI is a good tool for research, for copy editing, and even for translating a foreign travel site, but that a post written with AI will be generic and likely won’t help generate a sale.
“Don’t forget you’re selling a dream,” said Don Forster, Trade Training, Engagement & Account Manager, also known as “Professor Goway. “Your authenticity has to shine through; your experience has to shine through. Because, at the end of the day, you’re selling you.”
The session also touched on the growth of Goway’s group bookings.
Shirley Rourke, Vice President GroupsOnly, told assembled agents that Goway’s GroupsOnly program “takes the hassle out of group bookings.”
GroupsOnly trips are “completely customizable to match the wants and needs and interests of your clients,” she said.
Goway has a large team of employees working in the Groups Only division, and they “know the ins and outs of group travel.” They’re also broken up into speciality areas, so you’re getting expert advice about individual destinations.
Rourke said Goway can book group trips to 115 countries on all seven continents, and the only deposit that’s required for an entire group is $1,000. They offer one free re-do, so if the group cancels, the deposit is held for a year and can be transferred to a new, future groups booking, Rourke said. They also have expert advice ready for advisors 24-7, 365 days a year.
Goway had roughly 500 group sales last year. That’s expected to rise to 700 or more for this year, Rourke told the group
Top Africa and Middle East trips include safaris, skydiving in Dubai, religious trips to the Middle East, and more. South Africa is now Goway’s top groups destination, but Egypt, Dubai, Kenya and Tanzania also are very popular.
Avril Matthews from the Jordan Tourist Board said it’s a tough time to talk about the Middle East, but that Jordan is fully open and very safe. Top sites include Petra and Wadi Rum, but Jordan also is home to thick forests, vast desert scenes, vibrant cities, wineries and wildlife areas teeming with bird life and even water buffalo.
Other speakers touted mountain gorilla viewing in Rwanda, cruises on the Zambezi River and Morocco trips that include the Atlas Mountains, Roman ruins and Casablanca.
A representative for Turkish Airlines said they offer some of the best service in the world, with flights six days a week to Istanbul from YYZ, and three each from YUL and YVR. Their business class seating arrangement was built from scratch and features marble table tops and free Wi-Fi, something that will be expanded to economy class next year.
Turkish Airlines also has an Istanbul stopover program that provides a free hotel stay of two nights for economy class pax, and three nights for those in business class. It’s also a member of the Star Alliance program.
