BVI Opens Travel Agent Advisory Board Overseas

The territory’s Tourist Board recently held the first meeting of its newly established British Virgin Islands Travel Agent Advisory Board (BVITAAB), in New York.

BVITAAB is made up of 16 North American travel advisors who specialize in selling high-end travel, specifically from the BVI’s major markets. The members of BVITAAB are travel advisors, who are owners/senior managers of their agencies.

Together, they have oversight for over 4,500 agents (in-house and independent contractors), and combined revenues of $3.2 billion. The Caribbean region is the largest market for the majority of these travel advisors.

Director of Tourism Sharon Flax-Mars said, “The engagement of a travel advisory board is an innovative marketing strategy to help destinations get the benefit of the experience and knowledge of top performing travel agents. Personally, I am very enthusiastic about the activation of the Board.”

“The meeting was successful in not only making personal connections with key travel advisors, but to also garner first-hand knowledge and insight into the current travel trends, a better understanding of what the discerning traveler is looking for, and to share some of the ideas which the BVITB is working on to enhance its relationship with the travel trade,” added Flax-Mars.

She further said the group already has great chemistry, and also gave honest feedback on the destination and keys to selling the BVI.

“We intend to maximize our opportunities in this relationship by taking action on feedback from BVITAAB towards enhancing not only our relationships with travel agents throughout North America, but also enhancing our product offerings and the way they are packaged,” Flax-Mars said in a media release from the BVI Tourist Board.

During the recent meetings, the travel advisors received sales and marketing presentations on the British Virgin Islands from BVI Tourist Board members.

There was also discussion on key issues impacting BVI tourism including airlift, selling small hotels and villas, and niche marketing.

Additionally, BVITAAB members were shown the BVITB’s Travel Agent Training Programme, which is set to be launched shortly. The programme is free to bona fide travel agents, and allows them to get a well-rounded overview of the BVI from their computers and tablets. Agents who successfully complete the programme will become certified BVI Travel Specialists.

The Travel Agent Advisory Board initiative is being coordinated by Strategic Vision, a US based company that facilitates the coordination of these types of Boards in the tourism industry. The recent meeting is one of three that were scheduled to be held over a two-year period.

“The next meeting of BVITAAB will be held in the territory in November which would enable the members of BVITAAB to gain greater familiarity with the destination by conducting inspections at key properties, meeting tourism industry leaders, and experiencing the destinations as their clients would,” said the BVI Tourist Board.

“Several of the agents were already selling the BVI, but had not been to the territory.”

Source: BVI News