As a travel advisor we spend a good deal of time visiting suppliers such as Destination
Management Companies, property owners and specialty operators that provide valuable services, tours and excursions for our clients and guests. It is vitally important for us to stay up to date on new developments as well as to revisit places we know, to make sure they are delivering the same quality experiences and to test those services and visit the properties, including staying at many of the properties to reassess the best match for our clients. It is also a huge part of our advisory business to maintain important relationships with our on-the-ground operators, who are not only our advisors and intermediaries but the 24/7 contact point for our clients as they travel.
The Emotions conference in Buenos Aires, held each Spring, brings together suppliers from throughout Latin America and advisors from throughout the world as a community interested in promoting unique and customized journeys throughout South and Central America and Mexico.
Bob and I took on about 80 pre-booked appointment slots and participated in all the social events surrounding the 4-day conference. We not only learn from the suppliers but also share information with other like-minded advisors throughout the U.S and other countries, many of whom we know from our visits to conferences and educational events throughout the world- Africa, Australia/New Zealand and Latin America being our geographical focus.
These meetings energize us, provide us with new insights and ideas to create opportunities that we love to share with clients to fit their vision for an ideal vacation. Look for some interesting feedback in the coming weeks on our in-depth visits to Uruguay, Patagonia, Buenos Aires, and an estancia in Auroeco, Argentina. Some highlights from the trip include:
Multiple winery tours and meeting top vintners
Horse riding, biking and hiking at a large Estancia (ranch)
Fly fishing in Bariloche, in Patagonia
Visiting Lobo Núñez, in his studio, a famous percussionist and instrument builder from Uruguay (even got to jam with him on some unique instruments)
This is the secret sauce custom advisors like Latitude use to provide guests with the best value and experience on journeys, that make memories for a lifetime. If we don’t know it, we don’t sell it. Few sellers of travel do the kind of research we do, and it’s evident when a client “shops” our itinerary to agencies that do not do the kind of comprehensive vetting we do. One recent example is an operator who recommended a hotel in Cape Town that we know is totally unacceptable in terms of location and reported “amenities” . Our comprehensive visits and insider knowledge in places like Cape Town place a property like this one the “Never” list. Without constant monitoring and focus on the few regions we can offer expert advice, we would not be able to perform our duties as a trusted resource. We spend considerable time vetting accommodations, restaurants, and activities that we recommend to our clients. We think our professional vetting skills add more value to a trip planning than some random review that you read on Trip Advisor, Expedia, or advice you receive from one friend who has been to a place one time.
Like any person you would hire as your trusted assistant or advisor, knowing the level of effort they have put into continuing education is a valuable point of validation.
Commentaires