The 2018 Cancun, Cozumel and Riviera Maya Focus course was recently added to Travel Agent University’s robust Mexico travel education solutions. The extensive training course provides an update on the latest accommodations and activities in the Yucatán Peninsula’s most popular destinations, including Cancun, Tulum, Cozumel and Riviera Maya, as well as under-the-radar spots, Isla Holbox and Mérida. Additionally, the course gives instruction on selling the region to solo travelers, wellness seekers, the destination weddings and honeymoons niche and family travelers.
What’s New in Cancun
In addition to featuring dedicated lessons on Tulum, Riviera Maya and Cozumel, lesson three provides travel advisors with an in-depth take on the latest destination developments, including trends, new resort openings and a dining report out of Cancun. Not only is the highest arrival rate of U.S. travelers coming from Atlanta, Los Angeles and Dallas, but a large percentage of visitors are families.
Among the updated family accommodations previewed in the lesson are the Aguamarina at Club Med Cancun Yucatan Resort, with 60 new family rooms and a family oasis pool and Seadust Cancun Family Resort, which debuted adults-only dining. Lesson four, Family Fun, provides dedicated training on family-centric activities and attractions in the Cancun.
Holbox
Poised to become one of Mexico’s next Pueblo Mágico (Magic Towns), Holbox deserves a dedicated lesson. Sellers can learn why Isla Holbox, a long, narrow island on the north coast of the Yucatan, is so “magical” from Lizzie Cole, director and CEO of the Cancun Tourism Board. Since the island is car-free, Cole suggests that visitors to Cancun, “If possible, stay one night (in Holbox). The kids will love it, especially during whale shark or turtle seasons (mid-May to mid-September). What is lesser known is that Holbox has some incredible bio-luminescent beaches. You can see them at night in the summer and in January. It is a wonderful experience.”
Additionally, lesson two gives an overview of the area, the geography and legendary dining scene. Holbox is considered to have some of the finest restaurants along the coast with diversified culinary options from Mexican to international fare.
Targeting Niche Markets
Lesson one and lesson 11 includes sales advice from seasoned Mexico travel specialists, as well as how to tips for targeting three top-selling niches.
When selling the region Kim A. McNamee, owner of Voyages by Kim out of Washington D.C., says that travel advisors should “Make the trip about (their clients), get to know them well so that you can make it their trip — not what you think they want, but what they want.” Likewise, McNamee advises, “You must qualify clients.” Young couples, for example, may have a limited budget, so you shouldn’t send them to Playa Mujeres, where the resorts are high-end, she says.
Lesson 11 gives learners an idea who to target—Millennial solo travelers, couples and wellness seekers—when selling Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The lesson explores specific hotels to appeal to each segment, including: all-inclusive, luxury property Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, which will keep singles entertained with three stylish swimming pools, including a main energy pool, an Xhale pool and an Xcelerate Party Zone pool; Hotel Xcaret Mexico, which opened the onsite Capilla de Todos los Ángeles (All Angeles Chapel) and offers a variety of wedding packages; and Coco B Isla, a luxury wellness resort and retreat center located on the shores of Isla Mujeres and frequented by some of the most sought-after wellness professional.
Find the Cancun, Cozumel and Riviera Maya Focus course, along with the Mexico Pacific Focus, Mexico Family Travel Focus and Los Cabos Focus, at travelagentuniversity.com.