Take Advantage of Travel Agents Discounts and Upgrades Worldwide
If your passion is travel, imagine going it first class for much less then what you are paying for now. Imagine receiving upgraded accommodations, VIP treatment and much more as you travel the world’s most exciting destinations.
Travel is the largest and one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
- Over US$6 trillion is spent on travel annually.
- The travel industry is growing 23% faster then the world’s economy.
- Travel is the number one product sold on the internet.
- Approximately 80% of all vacations are booked via word of mouth recommendations from friends, family and co-workers.
An explosion is taking place in the travel industry. More luxury cruise ships are being built now then ever before. Resort builders, hotels and other vacation properties are building more properties to accommodate the boom in the travel and vacation market.
The travel industry is exploding because of a group of people born between 1946 and 1964 known as the baby boomers. The baby boomers are a billion people worldwide and have been shaping the world’s economy for decades. When the were young, they put up companies and factories as they got older. The baby boomers are beginning to retire. In fact one in every eight seconds for the next 20 years to come, giving them their desired freedom.
And now the baby boomers are beginning to inherit the wealth of the previous generation, “savings generation”. What do you think they will do with the money?
Industry analysts state this money will be spent in record amount on travel. There is never been a time for you to get involved in the travel industry.
The world is changing and the number of traditional “brick and mentor” retail travel agencies declined worldwide by 11% in 2002 and 19% in 2003, while on-line travel continued to prosper. Travellers are now making bookings at the comforts of their homes as independent travel agents.
Being an independent travel agent, you will enjoy fantastic lifestyle benefits. The fantastic discounts you will receive will allow you to travel more then you thought possible. Whether you are traveling the world or journeying on business, as an independent travel agent you will get a world of discounts and savings which include:
- Upgrades to first class on airlines.
- Get travel agents discounts on hotels.
- Save on car rentals.
- Discounts on world cruise ships.
- VIP attention.
- Vacation packages and many more travel perks.
- Profits by getting commissions when booking on your own travel, family travel and colleagues travel. And also just by introducing them to be independent travel agents.
As an independent travel agent you can own your own “brick and mortar” travel agency at the comfort of your home and take advantage of travel agents discounts and upgrades worldwide.
Adventure Travel In Australia
Adventure travel developed as a segment of the tourism market during the latter half of the 20th century out of the more general traditional notion of outdoor recreation. Adventure travel differs from from earlier forms of outdoor recreation, however, in that it offers travelers greater opportunities to experience specific physical activities (eg. rock climbing, diving, snow-boarding, kayaking, abseiling) that involve greater levels of skill and, within acceptable limits, risk. With traditional outdoor recreation, the primary attraction is the specific setting: with adventure travel, however, travelers are attracted primarily by the activities offered. Adventure travel is therefore primarily associated with travel products where the primary purpose is to engage in activity and participatory experience rather than the more passive sightseeing associated with traditional outdoor tourism.
The travel industry has evolved considerably since the 1970s. Changes include sociodemographic shifts which have seen a growth both the disposable income and available leisure time of many travelers. Travelers generally have become more discerning, have more travel experience, and have come to enjoy the benefits of cheaper, more convenient transport and other technological advances. As a result, substantial changes occurred in the demand for international travel products. The 1990s saw rapid growth in the evolution of specific segments of the tourism market including ecotourism, nature tourism and other special interest tourism which catered for the new breed of sophisticated traveler with both the means and the will to travel.
While travel costs will always remain a significant factor in decision-making for most travelers, the notion of tourist satisfaction is today of increasing importance. Increasingly, travel products must provide something other than simple value for money to attract tourists pursuing deeper, more satisfying purposes. In short, new patterns in travel choices have emerged to accommodate a much greater spectrum of travel interests, activities and experiences. Adventure travel today is increasingly the travel mode of choice for sophisticated travellers seeking to experience a holiday rather than simply sit in a tour bus passively sightseeing.
The increasing interest of many travellers in actively experiencing their holiday has also been matched with a rapid expansion in the range and quality of travel-related equipment available, extending the capability of tour operators to deliver more diversified adventure travel products. Australia has been at the forefront of these developments, and adventure travel is now one of the fastest-growing travel market segments in that country. Continuing to grow in their scope and appeal, it appears today that the variety and availability of adventure travel products for a broad spectrum of abilities and interests and abilities is almost limitless.
In Australia, the notion of adventure in travel is inextricably linked to that of the Outback. This means that true adventure travel is more likely to be found away from the comfortable, urban east coast, and in particular away from the area located south of the Brisbane-Adelaide line where over 80% of Australians live in urban and suburban settings oblivious to the geographic, climatic and cultural realities of the majority of the Australian continent. High on the list of authentic Australian outback adventure travel destinations therefore are Central Australia and the Northern Territory, far north and western Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. The island of Tasmania also provides many exciting opportunities for adventure travel in unique wilderness areas.
Quality outback adventure tours in Australia are characterized by many factors, including the use of four-wheel-drive vehicles rather than buses, access to spectacular remote sites, provision of challenging adventure activities, and active hands-on participation in daily routines. The use of 4×4 vehicles typically allows tour operators to access more remote, difficult and spectacular country. By encouraging active participation in daily routines such as cooking, cleaning, setting camp and packing up, adventure tours engage travelers in the complete outdoor adventure experience rather than simply waiting on passive participants hand and foot.
But the real adventure element provided by the best quality tours takes the form of specific adventure activities ranging from bushwalking, rock climbing, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, through to more extreme activities such as diving, canoing, abseiling, jet-skiing, quad riding, white water rafting and hot air ballooning.
Travel Deals – Getting The Most From Your Travel Discounts
There are many reasons why firms offer reduced, or discounted travel deals, ranging from flights, up to packages which include several components, all inclusive in one price.
One of the main reasons for travel deals is the unsold places. Competition can also play a part in further reductions in list prices.
Before giving you a whole list of tips to get the best travel deals and discounts, I want to show you a amazingly simple but brilliant technique that you can use pretty much in most places and for most products and services.
I have used the technique all over the place it works so well it is almost unbelievable. But it is so simple that you may dismiss it without trying. I want you to be mentally prepared and be willing to give it a try, so here we go.
To get a discount or a bargain in most places, even in a high class boutique or a high street store, what you need to do is: “ASK”. Yes, just “ask”. But also I want you to remember, as they say, “… it is not what you say, but the way you say it …” that really counts.
So, to get a discount, you need to keep your intention to ‘buy’ to yourself until you’re ready to make your payment. You must always appear like you’re not convinced yet and that if the sales person doesn’t “do better” “he will lose” the deal. But you should also seem reasonably interested or else the sales person will think you’re not serious and therefore he won’t try to sweeten the deal for you.
OK, so how do you do all of the above? Easy and this is how I’ve done it for travel deals all the way to buying just 2 shirts at an up market men’s boutique – yes for just 2 shirts:
* I get information on the various options (be it travel deals or shirts).
* I decide what I want but will only – and this is the very important part – tell the sales person about a portion of what I want. So I may show interest in just one shirt or a holiday for 2 people and not 4.
* I ask all my questions and show that it is just what I want (so the sales person knows he almost has sale) but …
* I indicate that I’m not happy with the price. For example I may have seen something similar cheaper elsewhere. Or that I am prepared to go shopping around (all sales people know, if the customer walks out they usually will not come back). Or that I have the money (you’ll see why next) but had not planned on spending that much.
* I let the sales person try to ’sell me the IDEA’ that it is OK to buy the product. Sometimes, they offer some free product (e.g. a pair of socks or tickets for a gallery or some show while on holiday). Then I ‘ask’ for the discount but make it clear that I will definitely buy if they give me the discount. This is how I ‘ask’ …
* “Look I’ll definitely take it at $X”. The sales person then says “… so you want $Y off the price?!”. They may tell you they don’t normally offer a discount outside of the sales season, etc. If they are very confident about not offering discounts, I then say “ok, I’ll take 2 shirts … this one and … that one, only if you give me them at $Z for both …”.
* At this stage the sales person may even say he hasn’t the authority to offer discounts. No problem, I ask them to speak to their boss. I have done this lots of times and get this: 90% of the time the boss agrees to the discount. Of the remaining 10% at least half the time, the boss offers me a counter discount which is a not as good as what I asked for but still pretty good.
Do you want to know the kind of discounts I’ve had? Well, on two shirts worth $62 I got $22 off. That is around 35%! On a travel package worth around $4,300, I got about $600 off but wait for it … I also got an upgrade from a deluxe room to a business suite in the same 5 star hotel. That suite was worth $800 per night and the deluxe room was worth $250 per night!
I had to explain the above details at length but all that I did was to display that I ‘WILL’ buy with a discount. They knew all they had to do was just one thing: give me a discount, so they did it. I made it, as they say, “a no brainer” for them.
In short just “ask” but (a) be realistic (let them make a little profit, don’t ask for 80% off) and (b) have a little flexibility as a backup plan (be ready to tell them that you’ll buy more, e.g. 2 shirts or a holiday for 4. Hey, even the sales people like to think they have got a concession form you … it is not a one-way street).
This technique works for almost everything but also works extremely well for travel bargains too. So lets get back to more tips specific to travel deals then.
Travel bargains, discounts and deals are all around you because we all travel regularly and repeatedly for holidays as well as for business and of course the travel industry competes for our dollars. Nevertheless, some research and being alert to travel deals can mean more substantial savings. Here’s how to spot and get the best travel deals:
* Booking as early as possible usually entitles you to some travel discount.
* If you’re buying more than one ticket, a further travel discount is possible.
* Be flexible. Sometimes weekend flights can be cheaper than weekdays (less business travellers).
* Flights departing later at night can be cheaper.
* Depending on your timetable, consider indirect flights, which take longer, but are probably cheaper, as opposed to direct flights.
* Travelling other than peak periods, such as schools holidays and public holidays will probably be heaper.
* More often than not, holiday packages are cheaper than buying the components separately.
* Compare prices online, by phone, or visit individual travel agents in the high street.
* As all airlines overbook, consider taking a later flight which usually comes with sweeteners from the airline in the form of further travel discounts, and travel vouchers.
* It may also be possible to travel on ’stand by’, but it means that you’ll be called with very little notice
* If you’re lucky, it may be possible to travel as a ‘courier’. Some firms will pay, or subsidise your airfare in return for carrying important packages and letters.
* Buy travel insurance that best suits your circumstances. In case of emergencies it’ll save you lots of money.
The more time and effort you devote, the better travel deals you’ll bag. In many instances the saving could be quite substantial. So much so that you may be able to add on extra days stay. Happy travel deals.