Industry News WhenIndustry You ReallyNews WhenNeed It...Daily!You Really – Need TRAVELHotNews.com It...Daily – TRAVELHotNews.com November 2009 Good Times In Myrtle Beach Caribbean Commissions Eat, Drink Antigua Australia LasCruising Vegas In Sell It Now SouthKerala India Mesa ArizonaThai Money-MakerLuxury Plus: St Pete, South Africa, Kauai, Galveston Plus: Italy, Louisiana & Riviera Novembera Publications Mail Agreement 40623544 • www.canadiantraveller.net • The Official Sponsor Publication of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies Jamaica Tourism 8.125" x 10.75" Publications: Victor See list 8.75" x 11.25” Travel Week 29_0785 M0043-AE 7” x 10” Canadian Traveller M0043 JTB Trade Print N/A GSA Personnel Guide AM 29_0785_M0043_JTB_AE.indd CMYK 100% arrange your fl ight, book the hotel, provide ground transportation, move your bags from place to place, deliver the services of a Local Host, show you where the Romans dine, suggest shopping along the way, arrange for VIP access to major sights. dine alfresco on succulent saltimbocca. 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Industry News When You Really Need It…Daily! – TravelHotNews.com EDITOR Janice Strong EDITOR -IN -CHI E F /PUBLISH E R Rex Armstead November 2009 Volume 24 Issue 11 ASSO C I AT E PUBLISH E R Stephen Fountaine Tel: (250) 861-9006 DE SIGN A ND EDITORI A L PRODU C TION Fusion FX Design & Marketing Inc. www.fusionfxdesign.com Acc OUNT MA N A G E R – VA N C OU ve R Steve Klein Tel: (604) 699-9990 ext. 327 Acc OUNT MA N A G E R – VA N C OU ve R Myles Armstead 20 40 Tel: (250) 861-9096 Acc OUNT MA N A G E R – EA ST E RN CA N A D A Tel: (416) 907-7524 ext.202 Museums, Moody Features 40 RE GION A L Rep R E S E NT A TI ve & Mardi Gras SOUTH Pac IFI C James McCann Galveston Is A Winter Tel: (604) 938-8650 16 Island I Dos Texan Playground Weddings & Honeymoons RE GION A L Rep R E S E NT A TI ve ME XI C O Letticia Garcia On Antigua 41 Selling On The Tel: (55) 5683-5569 High Cs 18 What’s Up? SA L E S /PRODU C TION COORDIN A TOR Big Commissions Await Bryan Nikkel St. Pete/Clearwater’s The Intrepid Cruise New Hyatt & Upgraded Counsellor MA RK E TING & SA L E S COORDIN A TOR Dali Museum Ashley Kerr Tel: (416) 907-7524 ext. 200 20 Tasty Tucker Acc OUNT A NT Explore Australia’s Elsie Edillor Culinary Passions All e-mail addresses: 24 What’s Bloomin’ Travelines firstname+[email protected] CIR C UL A TION In Kaua’i? Subscriptions: [email protected] New Deals, Flights & Hotels 6 $elling With $teve PUBLISH E D BY 26 Ghosts, Greens 8 World Report & Good Times 19 Internet Traveller Myrtle Beach Offers A Smorgasbord Of Fun 22 Web Index In The Sun 46 Discover America WE ST E RN CA N A D A : EA ST E RN CA N A D A : The Beautiful Game 88 East Pender Street, 25 Isabella Street, 31 Suite 555 Toronto, ON Nine South African Vancouver, BC Canada, M4Y 1M7 Canada, V6A 3X3 Tel: (416) 907-7524 Cities Host The 2010 Tel: (604) 699-9990 Fax: (416) 907-7525 FIFA World Cup Fax: (604) 699-9993 ON THE COVER: Subscription Rates: Canada: $36 Per Year 32 Paradise Found Tasmania is known as USA: $54 Per Year • International: $72 Per Year Mesa Has It All – Sports, Australia’s Gourmet Isle, boasting high quality Printed in Canada Cultural Attractions & gourmet products and the Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40623544. freshest of local seafoods. Postage paid at Vancouver, BC. Return undeliverable Canadian Family Fun Turn to page 20 to find addresses to Circulation Dept., #555 - 88 East Pender St., Vancouver, out more. BC V6A 3X3. 38 Cruisin’ Kerala Contents © copyright 2009 by ACT Communications Inc. All Rights PHOTO CREDIT: Reserved. Editorial submissions must be accompanied by a self- Discovering Southern TOURISM addressed, stamped envelope. The publisher assumes no responsibility India’s Magical TASMANIA/PETER BAILLIE for lost material. Backwaters’ Experience ISSN 1207-1463 The Official Sponsor Publication of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies www.TRAVELHotNews.com Canadian Traveller • November 2009 5 $elling With $teve By Steve Crowhurst, CTC The Simple-Ology Service Model Simplify Your Agency Service Model & Win More Business s I travel I am always learning restaurants, not to mention the special of the same soup…well. So, how’s your from my own service experi- deals. Simple-ology: All you need is a service recovery responses? Aences. Many times I will not kind front desk person who can quickly complain as I truly want to experience and efficiently request your name, credit The Air Intake the full on “no service for you” package. card, hand over your card key, direct you I’m sure you already know about how Some service situations are small in issue to the elevator and fit in a“enjoy your stay, passengers are treated and mistreated but big on the repeat scale as in, “Let me call us if you need us” welcome. Is there onboard their favourite flight. You’ve seen tell you what happened to me”. Yup. I’ll something you need to change when your the flight attendant stand by as an elderly be telling everyone I meet. From flights customers “check-in” with you? Make lady tries to bench press her bag into the to hotel stays you can learn a lot about it easy for your customer to do business overhead bin. You’ve witnessed the fam- how to treat a customer and also how to with you. Remove any and all obstacles. ily or couple sitting in separate seats and lose one. Here are a few insights from my Develop and practice your customer wel- forced to play deal or no deal with fel- recent travels that might prompt you to come scenario, words and phrases for the low passengers when the flight attendant make some changes to your agency cus- busy and not-so-busy customer. could have stepped in and sorted out the tomer service model. situation. Simple-ology: So simple to pay The Salty Soup attention to what’s going on around your The Hotel Check-In Restaurants can also teach us a few things customer and correct service issues on the The check-in can be a wonderful or a hor- about simple service. Friends were in spot. Is there a repetitive service response rendous experience. A customer walking town. We went to a lovely restaurant, food that needs correcting in your agency? Can through the door to your agency, click- and personnel always pleasant. Nothing you do it now? ing to enter your website or receiving a changed for this meal except for what they response to their e-mail, are all related to could have done just a little bit better. The The Simple Service Model the check-in procedure at a hotel. The wel- “little bit better” meant taking more own- Customer service models seem to be come and the greeting are all important. ership of the situation. The soup, a sea- way too deep for some reason. Rules and The ‘stand over there until I look up and food bisque arrives, well delivered, well regulations galore when a simple Yes or look at you’ is often a style of hotel greet- presented, smelling so good. Spoon dips No is all you need. Hire in those warm, ing copied by more than one retail travel in, lifts up its payload and curves to lips… friendly, sincere, cooperative, helpful agencies. This ‘stand over there’ scenario grimace! Try again. Double grimace! “It’s and knowledgeable people as opposed is part of the “I’d love to help you but I’ve so salty” came the sad faced response. to those feisty to nasty service people got a hotel to run!” service model. Don’t The soup was left to one side. The server we meet so often. Keep Your Service they know what I’ve been through to get to arrived back to the table and we advised Simple. Now find the ways to simplify that bed to which they hold the key? Up at about the salt. Off she went and returned your agency service model and win more 5 a.m., travelling all day, fighting people, with, “The chef is very sorry, he realized it business as you do it. ✈ traffic and baggage carousels to get into was too salty. He’s added new ingredients. Steve Crowhurst, CTC, of SMP Training a cab with an artist, doctor, engineer or Shall I bring you another bowl of soup?” Co., is a management trainer/consult- holy man at the wheel who hands you his The quick response was “No thanks!” ant to travel companies in Canada and resume with your credit card receipt.