States across the southeast United States are continuing their recovery following Hurricane Helene, which made landfall last week and brought upwards of three months’ worth of rain to the region in only a few days. While areas in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have begun reopening, North Carolina and Virginia report that visitors should confirm their travel plans ahead of time. That said tens of thousands of people remain without power across each state, with hundreds of thousands without power in Georgia and the Carolinas.
Network Events and Updates
Numerous travel agency networks recently hosted in-person events—with many of them focusing on luxury sales.
Among those, The Affluent Traveler Collection (ATC) Symposium took place at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, FL, September 24-27. Approximately 270 agency owners, managers and advisors, along with top preferred suppliers and staff, attended sessions, 1-to-1 meetings, a trade show and networking receptions. At the event, ATC announced new supplier growth, as well as its acceptance of cryptocurrencies for payments.
Similarly, American Marketing Group (AMG)—of which, ATC is a member—is introducing new technology, including a customized AI solution, and marketing initiatives to continue driving sales growth for its affiliated advisors.
Separately, KHM Travel Group is tapping into the $1.15 trillion market of luxury travel to assist advisors in growing their sales. Last week, the host agency hosted its second annual The Luxury Symposium at the historic Hotel Cleveland in downtown Cleveland, OH. Seventy travel advisors from around the country attended in-person to hear from and network with suppliers in the luxury space. Attendees participated in group discussions about building relationships, being an “end-to-end” travel advisor, and the role of AI in operating a travel business.
Dream Vacations and CruiseOne also recently concluded their 2024 Land Summit, held at Secrets and Dreams Bahia Mita in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This year’s summit provided franchise owners and travel advisors with resources and insights to capitalize on the trend for land-based travel experiences, which continues to be a strong performer this year for the network, seeing roughly 15 percent growth. Attendees participated in one-on-one meetings, sessions on video content creation, site inspections and more.
In other travel agency network news, Ensemble launched its Hotel Cruise Amenity Program, touted as a first-of-its-kind offering that provides exclusive hotel benefits alongside private port transfers for clients embarking on cruise vacations. The program, currently in its pilot phase, is being launched in key cruise hubs—Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle and Vancouver—with plans to expand to additional cities soon.
Top Trends and Challenges
American Marketing Group this week also shared a report detailing the top challenges its advisors are facing this year. Among those are combating the competition posed by suppliers who accept direct bookings from consumers, as well as online travel agencies, concern over the economy and hiring new advisors. Competition from other agencies and from AI were not seen as major issues.
Looking more on the traveler side, Hilton recently unveiled its “Trends Report.” Among the top trends are consumers’ interest in sleep retreats, slow travel, digital detoxes, pet-friendly travel, “MeMoons” (aka solo travel), foodie or sober-curious travel and sports- and events-related travel. In all, Hilton has dubbed 2025 the “Year of the Travel Maximizer” as travelers are looking to pair their desire to relax and recharge with high-impact adventures and experiences to maximize their time and financial investment.
New Industry Hires
Michelle Holmes, Virtuoso's former account director for member relations, has joined Travel Experts as executive support manager. Her role will be to assist with various Travel Experts’ projects, including the Travel Experts Advisory Board, ILTM and DUCO conferences, as well as help with supplier and client relations and resolutions. Holmes is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) and Certified Engagement Practitioner (CEP).
On the cruise side, HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) announced that Steve Smotrys will take up the new role of managing director and senior vice president of commercial for HX in the Americas. Smotrys has over 24 years of experience in the cruise industry, including time with Seabourn Cruise Line, Cunard and Princess Cruises. In his new role, Smotrys will spearhead the development and execution of the ongoing strategy aimed at expanding trade sales across the United States and Canada.
Also in the cruise space, Sea Cloud Cruises is expanding its field sales team in North America with the addition of new two sales managers. Reporting to Vice President of Sales Kevin Smith, new hires Amy Kreston and Macen Stripling will focus on consortia, travel advisors and groups.
On the destination marketing side, Louis Lewis has been named CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. He previously served as CEO and director of tourism at the Saint Lucia Tourist Board for nine years before its rebranding in 2017. Most recently, he was the CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited for five years.
Moving further south, Mateo Julián Estrella Durán has been named the new minister of tourism for Ecuador. Estrella Durán brings extensive experience in tourism management, international relations and sustainable development. Prior to this, he was an advisor at the Ministry of Tourism, driving strategies that significantly boosted Ecuador's visibility in international markets. In addition, he has also led the Ecuadorian Association of Eco-Tourism and Adventure Travel, advocating eco-friendly practices and community partnerships for more inclusive economic growth.
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