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In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, in the summer of 2020,
Jennifer Doncsecz and her agency, VIP Vacations, sold more destination
weddings than they had the summer prior. Considering many in travel
considered 2019 their historic best year, it's quite the feat. How did
she do it?
What advice does she have for other advisors planning romance travel
in today's climate? And why does she think romance travel will lead the
way as the industry emerges from the coronavirus crisis? Find out in
this episode of Trade Secrets, with senior editors Jamie Biesiada and
Emma Weissmann.
In this episode:
1:21 - How did Jennifer sell
more destination weddings in 2020 than 2019, amidst the global
pandemic, and continue setting records in the first quarter of 2021?
7:02
- How might the pandemic affect destination wedding and honeymoon
patterns for 2021 and beyond? Will smaller groups, domestic weddings and
short honeymoons become the norm?
10:06 - What does venue availability look like in 2022? Spoiler: You shouldn't expect to get one on 2/2/22 or 2/22/22 ...
11:44
- How long will it take for travel to normalize again, either a return
to what it was pre-Covid or reach a new normal post-Covid?
14:20 - In-person bridal events are still on pause. How can travel advisors reach prospective clients?
16:34 - Some email hacks to get your clients' attention.
20:59 - Think about leveraging other social media platforms outside of Facebook and Instagram, like TikTok or Clubhouse.
24:15
- Does it make sense for agents to consider getting more involved in
destination wedding ceremony planning, like becoming a wedding planner,
to charge new fees?
27:55 - Beyond adjusting the language in client
agreements and disclaimers, what other steps can agents take to protect
themselves against future liability if another pandemic happens?
Further resources:
Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association
VIP Vacations
Article: This travel advisor sold more destination weddings this summere than last summer
How to use clubhouse to grow your business
Paid wedding sites to utilize for leads:
WeddingWire - https://www.weddingwire.com/
Wedding Chicks - https://www.weddingchicks.com/
The Knot - https://www.theknot.com/
Style Me Pretty - https://www.stylemepretty.com/
Travel Weekly's Legal Briefs column by industry attorney Mark Pestronk
Mark Pestronk's resources, including models of disclaimers (both general and related to Covid-19)
Need advice?
Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com
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