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07/2015
The DESIRE to travel starts early and continues throughout one’s
life – are you marketing to Generation Z?
Share your money making ideas
in SELLING TRAVEL.
CONTACT
Steve Crowhurst [email protected]
250-738-0064 www.sellingtravel.net
Publisher:
SMP Training Co. www.sellingtravel.net
Contributors
Steve Crowhurst SELLING TRAVEL is owned and published by Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co. All Rights Reserved. Protected by International Copyright Law. SELLING TRAVEL can be shared, forwarded, cut and pasted but not sold, resold or in any way monetized. Using any images or content from SELLING TRAVEL must be sourced as follows: “Copyright SMP Training Co. www.sellingtravel.net” SMP Training Co. 568 Country Club Drive, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada, V9K-1G1 Note: Steve Crowhurst is not responsible for outcomes based on how you interpret or use the ideas in SELLING TRAVEL. T: 250-738-0064.
4 EDITORIAL
5 THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT AND HOW TO SELL IT
18 GET THE ISSUE APP – READ ST ON YOUR TABLET
19 WHEN YOU NEED A HOTEL IN THE LAKE DISTRICT…
25 THE TROUT HOTEL AD
26 FOOD TO KNOW – TIPS FOR YOUR CLIENTS
30 PLACES TO GO – TIPS FOR YOUR CLIENTS
39 JULY 1st AND JULY 4th MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
42 AMERICAN TRAVEL AGENTS CAN PURCHASE ST MANUALS AT TTI
43 TRAVEL INSTITUTE’S ALASKA PROGAM
44 LGBT NEW MARRIAGE LAWS – EVERYONE WINS
46 READ MORE ME HERE!
47 TALKING TRAVEL PROMOTION
49 CLASSIFIEDS
THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE FOR TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
Please note that Selling Travel, owned and published by SMP Training Co, is not connected in any way to Selling Travel magazine published by BMI Publishing Ltd., and based in the UK. The latter publication focuses entirely on destination and travel/tourism product training and is circulated solely to the UK and Ireland travel industries. To benefit from this resource visit www.sellingtravel.co.uk and be sure to subscribe.
Attention Suppliers: Advertising in SELLING TRAVEL reaches the serious business-minded travel agent. Promote your products and services using Selling Travel’s unique promotional formula – you write the articles on how to sell your own products offering step-by-step selling tips, tools and techniques that you know have worked for your agency accounts. Full page rates range from $300 to $425 based on number of insertions. Remember, if you can’t sell it to them, they can’t sell it for you!
Featured in the AUGUST issue of
selling travel… how to sell
The COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND.
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10131503-Nexion_Ad.indd 1 10/29/13 2:18 PM
The
WILL
to
Selling The English Lake District The focus for this month’s Selling Travel is all about one fabulous but not so well known or
travelled destination by North Americans, the Lake District of Cumbria in northern England. Or if
looking at a map, it’s located top left, just before Scotland and slightly below Hadrian’s Wall. Got
it? Good. Now you can sell it.
As you will read, this area of the UK happened to be my old stomping grounds when, as a
teenager, I was hiking the area when our school outward bound program ventured north. Great
times for sure and relived every time I return. It is the home of Wordsworth, Fletcher Christian,
my Aunt Irene and my former outdoor leader, Brian Spencer who has hiked almost every inch of
the area.
Enjoy the trip herein and whenever you can, offer this scenic area of the world to your clients
who are looking for something unique, picturesque and excellent value for money. So, to the
Lakes and even more…
Here’s to your continued success in SELLING TRAVEL.
Best regards.
Steve Crowhurst, CTC, CTM Hon.
[email protected] www.sellingtravel.net
SALES & MARKETING TIPS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES FOR ALL TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
Click on the store icon to opt-in.
Steve Crowhurst, Publisher
NOW IN FULL PRODUCTION!
PUBLISHING LATE 2015
LOOK FOR IT IN
THE SELLING TRAVEL STORE
If you are looking for a new destination to specialize in? Here’s one that is a treat to visit and
to sell. Not only that, your clients will love you for suggesting it. The most natural attraction to
‘the Lakes ‘ is of course the scenery and the fact that you can pretty much amble and ramble
along well-trodden pathways, along the roadways and into the national park.
Unlike hiking in the North American forests you will never be worried about coming face to
face with a wolf, griz’ or a cougar. Perhaps a wild and crazy rabbit, hare, goat or ram and you
might even come across a rangy old person of the human kind… but other than that, the only
challenge will be oneself and how well prepared you are for the change in weather and
following the correct route/s. Let’s explore some more:
More Than Just A Ramble As you do your research you will no doubt come across the most wonderful images of the villages that populate The Lakes and also, within those villages, the historic sites, buildings, stone circles and ancient paths.
For your antique collectors it is a haven and the same for your art collecting clients, artists and photographers.
The personal reasons for visiting this area never ending so it’s probably a matter of you deciding on your own passion and then packaging that passion once you get back home to North America.
Since the Sixties My own connection to The Lake District goes back to the mid-sixties when I would join the school outward bound program and during the summer months go away for a week. The “Lakes” was always an option.
Once we learned how to get there, we would venture north from London on our own taking the train.
In more recent years, an aunt and uncle moved to Cockermouth giving us a family connection and my former outward bound leader and teacher moved to a school in Keswick.
Make Your Own Connections However you come by wanting to visit The Lakes it is important as it gives your marketing a little more oomph. Having a story to tell, or provenance to show will attract existing and new clients to seek you out.
If you do not have any former connection to The Lakes then it’s time to turn on your creative talents and create one or many.
Your “connection” might be through an activity that you are well-known for – start with hiking. A connection based on a novel you’ve read where The Lakes are the back drop to the story might work. A Wordsworth poem? Perhaps you had seen an old print or painting that drew you in - or could it just be the movie, The Trip?
Maps are your key to understanding just
how tightly packed The Lake District is with
every mile offering something to see and do.
Of course when you are driving over a pass
or hiking in the hills, it is then that it seems
as if you are a thousand miles from the next
village. This close proximity to everything is
one key to selling this area to your clients.
Click here to view a selection of maps.
A Picture... etc.
A picture is not only worth a thousand words
it’s also good for a thousand bookings. Well
even one hundred bookings would be a fine
place to start. Let’s assume you have an
agency window that faces a side street or if
you are lucky to have it, facing main street.
To make excellent use of your window real
estate, you may want to have one of your
own images of the Lakes or a poster,
enlarged and hung in position to attract local
clients.
For this idea to pull people to check you out,
that image in the window must be large, not
16 inches x 20 inches large, but 4 feet x 6 feet
large. Larger, if there’s room for it.
You will have printing options too, and one
option will allow your image a see through
affect from within the agency out to the
street.
The layout above gives you some idea of how
your window might look and with a focus on
photography. You can exchange
photography for a week long, even a month
long, artist’s workshop. The keypoint here is
to make better use of your agency window
no matter the end product.
For those who work from home, your
“window” will be your website home page
and it is important here to also use large and
impressive images. A series of small
snapshots will not do The Lake District much
justice. A few large and glorious full screen
images will do the job nicely.
Use wide screen images if your website will
allow them, if not perhaps find a website
template that does allow full screen images
and more.
This scene was shot just by Buttermere as we came
closer to the lake. The colouring of the hillsides and
beyond into the fells is an artist’s dream palette. The
map shown opposite is from my collection and dates
from 1933.
CLICK THE MAP TO
DOWNLOAD FROM
THE LAKE DISTRICT
WEBSITE
www.lakedistrict.gov.uk
The footpath sign is one of the icons of The
Lake District and serves the hiker and day-
rambler well. The one shown here would be
missed if you weren’t keeping your eyes
downcast. In the photo below you can see
how small it is as I make sure of the general
direction it was sending us.
With any country, place, village etc., you
know all too well that to actually “see” the
location you’ll need a good six months or
more. Most clients will be jamming
everything they can do into their 2 to 3
weeks of vacation time.
It is important then to identify the interests
and “must dos” of your clients as they relate
to this area of the world. They can’t do it all
unless they intend to extend their stay.
The Lake District offers over 3,100
kilometres of rights of way and your clients
can walk and cycle and ride around this
wonderful area plus they can get out on the
water too. That would be The Lakes on which
a variety of boats can carry your clients
across and around the water.
Boating The Lakes
Touring the lakes by boat is one very relaxing
way to see the surrounding countryside.
Your clients can use these boats as a “taxi” if
you like, from one side of the lake to the
various stopping off points, or stay aboard
for the complete tour.
At the Coniston Boating Centre you can
arrange to hire electric motor boats, rowing
boats, sailing boats canoes and kayaks.
Coniston Water by the way is 8km long and
55 meters deep, so this is serious business
from a safety point of view.
Keswick
This is one of the most well-known towns in
the Lake District as many a hiker knows.
It has an excellent reputation for outdoor
clothing and also the famous Kendal Mint
Cake we used to eat when hiking. This is a
historic sweet for all climbers and you should
tell your clients to purchase their own supply
for their walk, here’s why:
About Kendal Mint Cake: The Kendal Mint Cake
was quite successful, but was given a
tremendous boost when after advertising in a
climbing magazine Mr. Clarke was approached
by the 1953 expedition to Everest, to see whether
he could supply mint cake to them within 7 days.
This had to be packed in to high altitude packs for
inclusion in the supplies to be sent on ahead,
hence the need for hast. Fortunately he had
sufficient stock to meet their needs, and his staff
willingly gave up their sweet ration coupons to
comply with the law. These coupons were later
refunded by the ministry of food. Sir Edmund
Hillary and Sirdar Tensing ate this mint cake on
top of Everest as they gazed at the countryside
down below. Tensing also left some to appease
his 'gods'. This happening naturally increased
sales of mint cake to hikers and climbers and
visitors to the Lake District.
Keswick, pronounced "Kezzick" is one of the
most popular resort towns in the Lake
District. In fact it’s where my outdoor
mentor now lives and runs a B&B.
You can imagine that a place like Keswick
does stay hidden for long. It transpired into
tourism once the railway reached it in 1865
and now a motorway, the A66, has replaced
the railway.
For Your Artistic Clients
Creating tours for your artistic clients is
going to win you many referrals. Your artsy
clientele might just be hikers and climbers
and photographers, kayakers and so on.
Point is, when they get wherever they go,
they sketch and paint. It’s the interest in
sketching that you can focus on and here’s
why.
I am referring to the pencil factory which is
open to the public and the maker, as your
artistic clients will recognize, of the pencils
your clients use. www.pencils.co.uk
Here is my own set of
Derwent pencils that I
bought way back when.
Be sure to visit the website
above and start thinking
about how you could
factor in this set of 12
sketching pencils as a ‘gift’
for those who book on
your Art Tour of The Lake District.
When it comes to art and photography tours
it’s always a good idea to hire in a local artist
/ photographer so that you have access to
the best local sites for views.
Castlerigg Stone Circle
As the Do Keswick website states: Castlerigg
Stone Circle may be the most beautiful stone
circle sites in Great Britain. The stones sit
within a field perched above Keswick,
surrounded by the majestic Lakeland fells of
Blencathra and Skiddaw and the beautiful
St.Johns Vale. This setting gives amazing
sunsets and sun rises, a
photographer’s paradise!
Definitely one stop for
your photographers and
artists too.
A scene from Cockermouth painted
by Frank Crowhurst
Honiston Pass
A quiet day on the road… but beware, weather patterns can change very quickly here.
Cockermouth
The town of Cockermouth is famous for the
fact that William Wordsworth was born on 7
April 1770 in Wordsworth House in
Cockermouth. Also that Fletcher Christian
the master's mate on board HMS Bounty
who seized command of the ship from
William Bligh on 28 April 1789, was born
close by.
Honouring these men is Wordsworth House
is an attraction worth seeing…
and for Fletcher Christian stands a pub so
named. Actually Wordsworth also has a pub
named after him. It serves as a hotel, too.
Almost stayed there, but stayed at the Trout
Hotel instead – check out their ad and
information online.
Percy House is a Must See
Percy House Gallery shown above is
something you can mention to all clients you
send to the town of Cockermouth.
It is hard to fathom that this building has
stood where it stands since 1390! The
downstairs gallery consists of four rooms
each with its unique character. The oak
beams have been dated to 1390 and the
original flagstone floor still remains.
The upstairs, with its Tudor ceiling dated
1598, was the home of the Percy bailiff.
Your clients are welcome to tour the house
and its rooms – mind you they will be
maneuvering through some very nice
artworks.
Impossible not
to view them
and bring back a
memory. We
liked this one of
Buttermere by Diane Gainey.
It’s important to let your clients
know about the flood in 2009.
The level I’m pointing to is way
above my head. As you can
imagine, much of the town was
damaged when the rivers burst.
There’s a very friendly tourist information
centre at Cockermouth and your clients will
find it at The Old Kings Arms Lane, which has
quite a history. A neat place to explore and
also chat with the tourist centre staff for
more ideas on where to go and what to do.
Antiques an Art
Your clients are probably well tuned into
shopping when away on vacation and they
will also know that most of the junk and
antiques have been sorted and sifted with
the best pieces already in the hands of top
paying collectors. What’s left in the shops
are the bits and bobs, although hundreds of
years old, and sold for a decent price. So it’s
down to what interests your clients.
Antique tours of The Lake District would be
a fabulous rummage through such
wonderful countryside and villages and each
with a hidden gem
of an antique
waiting just for
your clients. This
fella was behind
glass and the shop
was closed (!) otherwise he might have come
home with me.
Well, shipped to me more like it. The head
looked to be marble and so beautifully
carved. Next time you say, or see it, buy it!
Socialize The Lakes
If the data is correct then most of your
clients have a Facebook account or their
friends do. All you need is your own agency
Facebook account where you can post your
next tour and also link your clients to the
various points of interest in the Lake District
that are also on Facebook.
Don’t worry about losing your clients to a
direct booking. The small percentage that
will use you only as an information desk
aren’t clients anyway.
Where you can then, pepper your social
media with all things focused on visiting the
Lake District and on a tour you’ve booked for
them or a personal journey of their own
making, also arranged by you.
Using The Facebook Events App
Check the tabs on your Facebook page and
you should find the Offer, Events tab… click
on this tab and then select Event.
The next window will be where you create
the event information which will be all about
your local and up-coming consumer night on
and about The Lake District.
Here’s an oldie! Rummaging
through my old albums found a
couple more of my days in The Lake
District plus postacrds home. I
remember this moment as we
were on the way down from the
peak when the weather just fogged
in – we were lost for a while, chose
to sit on this rock until it past versus
walking off a cliff. The things you
learn along the way – when in
doubt, relax, find a rock and check
your compass. No cell phones at
that time. All “real” gear.
The insert shows me cooking up
breakfast on the famous Primus
stove of the time. Memories of The
Lakes do last a long time.
HERE’S THE CAMERA KIT I TOOK ON THIS TRIP.
DECIDED NOT TO CARRY THE HEAVY DSLR AND LENSES
1. IPhone 4 in Survivor case 2. iPad mini 3. Fujifilm Point & Shoot 16 MP 4. Lenses for iPhone & iPad 5. Battery Booster for devices 6. Clamp for iPhone / Selfie Stick 7. Battery Charger for Fujifilm
8. Adapter for iPad 9. iStick memory for downloading images 10. Shuttr remote for iPhone & iPad 11. Transfer SD card images to iPad 12. Pen for iPad 13. Gorilla Mini Clamp / Tripod 14. Selfie stick
All of this kit fit into a small shoulder bag.
THE FOLLOWING IMAGES WERE ALL TAKEN ON AN IPHONE 5 AND A SMALL POINT AND
SHOOT FUJIFILM 16 MP CAMERA – SOME IMAGES “DOCTORED” USING THE TANGLED FX APP.
PURCHASED A 64GB SD CARD – GOOD FOR 7,000 IMAGES!
Love the stone walls.
Great for photographers,
your artists and as
backdrops to your
marketing too.
If you are using MS
Word – copy and
paste one of your
images to a page,
click on it and
explore the Picture
Tools ribbon. Look
for Format and
you’ll find these
borders for your
images.
A lovely and accidental view of Cockermouth. Went for a stroll, up here, round
there, uphill slightly, turned around and looked - and there it was. This view.
Show and share
the fun. Here’s
photographer
Eddy Jackson
snapping his
wife who is
snapping him
and my wife
who’s caught in
the middle! But
then what a
backdrop.
What else can you do but pose
when the photographer is
suddenly flat on his back and
lying in the road!
Download the ISSUU app and read
Selling Travel on your tablet.
When you need a hotel in
THE LAKE DISTRICT
BOOK THIS ONE
If you’re fishing for a hotel in The Lake District and specifically in Cockermouth, famous for
Wordsworth House and birthplace of Fletcher Christian, then cast your net aside and store your
rod and reel. Take my word for it… The Trout Hotel is the best catch around. Let me tell you
more and how to sell this fantastic property.
The Lake District may not be a hot destination for your current clients, but let me tell you that once found
and experienced this is a destination to return to. More about that in the Featured Destination Insert. For
now let’s concentrate on The Trout Hotel.
As you enter the lobby from the car park,
you’ll notice a slate sign with a line on it. This
represents the level of water that the River
Derwent crested at in The Trout Hotel when
the river overflowed its banks in 2009. You
can imagine what the hotel owners and staff
went through in order to refurbish and refit.
The end result of all their hard work is a
fabulously welcoming hotel. From the
moment you walk in to the lobby and stroll
the hallways to when you first enter the
Derwent Dining room for breakfast or
dinner… the level of service is excellent
without pretense. Good humoured and politely inviting to have a natter and banter as you see fit. In a
word, refreshing. Just an overall feeling of being a guest - welcomed and wanted.
There’s more….
The Trout Hotel has retained some of its old world
charm in the dark wood stairs, railings and mirror and
then along each hallway a surprising and well-chosen
collection of contemporary artwork. I especially
enjoyed the works by Alison Critchlow a
contemporary British landscape painter. I had my eye
on a particular work but couldn’t pry it off the wall!
This work was titled, “Great Gable” and refers to a
local Lakeland mountain and the very one I fell off
back in my teenage years. I was scree running and ran
out of scree!
The various dining options will thrill your clients as the Trout offers quite a selection and we enjoyed each
one except for the Al Fresco and Private Dining. The Derwent Restaurant is used for breakfast and dinner
and if your rate includes breakfast you will not be disappointed. Check this out. Now where else do you
see bacon like that? Then came the toast and there’s plenty more you could add to your plate.
As your clients enter the Derwent Restaurant they will be warmly
greeted and shown to an appropriate table. Their room number will
be asked for, checked off the list and then it’s all about deciding
whether to start with juice and cereals etc., followed by a full
breakfast or going straight for the B&E.
Whatever your clients decide, they will leave satisfied. Tell them to
order the mixed bread toast basket!
The Terrace Bar and Bistro is an all-day affair and great for whatever your taste buds fancy. Start in the
morning with a coffee and croissant… mid-day go for the pizza, or salad… in the evening the main courses
are excellent and I can vouch for the fish and chips. Yes I know, boring, but then it was what I fancied and
superb and huge.
The arrow shows
where my wife
and I were sitting
in the Bistro and
here on the right,
that glorious fish
and chips dish. Did
I mention the size
of that fish?
Now this was interesting and speaks to the ambience of this Bistro. My wife Kimiko asked me if I had
noticed… notice what I said… that everyone in the room, and it was packed, was in a conversation… no
one staring into their mobile phone screen. I looked around and it was true. What a delight! Every table
lively with discussion. It really set the mood for our own evening meal. No annoying beeps and jingles.
Here’s one thing we missed and what a shame. Next time for sure. The
Afternoon Tea looked wonderful and I recall passing by tables with the
three tiers beckoning us. But then we had some hiking to do.
The Al Fresco Dining would be an exquisite way to enjoy not only the
Trout’s wonderful cuisine but also the riverside. If you wish to build up
an appetite you can stroll from The Trout Hotel, across the bridge in the
distance, walk the opposite river bank, cross back via the bridge I stood
on to take this shot, and then back to the hotel for your Al Fresco meal.
To view the Terrace Bar & Bistro Menu click this tab…
Our room was located on the second floor and
getting there was a short walk up those old world
stairs, through a couple of doors and then into this
amazing brick worked hallway…
So now your guests would be wondering about
what will greet them on the other side of that white
door and once again The Trout does not disappoint.
Let me show you what greeted us as we made our
way in… see below… now wouldn’t you feel good
knowing this is what your own clients would be
walking into. Of course you would.
For those clients who
want the best The
Trout can WOW them
with a suite like this
River View Junior
Suite. Happy clients for
sure. Be sure to review
each accommodation
offered.
The Trout Hotel is going to help you win the ongoing business of the clients you book there. It is well used
by the Brits, and Europeans – some Americans but not a lot of Canadians I was informed. So here’s a
chance for you to stand out from the local travel agency crowd and offer your North American clients
something unique. Now of course you’ll need a reason to promote The Trout Hotel to your clients and
that reason is the
surrounding countryside,
the town of Cockermouth
and the entire Lake
District itself. This is
rambling country and I will
tell you more about how
to sell The Lake District in
the Featured Destination
guide in the July issue of
Selling Travel.
Visit the website for The
Trout Hotel here and read
it thoroughly. Be sure to
take note of their awards
that can be found in the
entrance to the lobby as
seen here. Impressive.
To close out this segment I have to promote a member of the Trout team and that is Paul who was always
upbeat, full of joy, and easily to natter with. He was also wonderfully attentive to my Aunt Irene who lives
across the road from The Trout Hotel and celebrated her 83rd birthday dinner at the Derwent Restaurant.
Here’s a few tips on places to eat and places to see when traveling the route we travelled. As
you know it’s always good to have one or two recommendations to pass on to your clients who
are in this case booking to the UK & Ireland. If they are going anywhere near the places
mentioned then you can suggest the following with confidence.
If you have not yet done so, open a folder and title it Filing Cabinet. After that, open additional
folders titled to whatever information you wish to store there. So, just like pulling out the draw
of an actual filing cabinet, you can sort through the digital version to locate the information
you’re seeking.
Tony Lorenzo, Rochester, Kent, England - Click here
If your client’s are travelling to or anywhere near Rochester to view the castle ruins and cathedral
then it’s a must-do to have lunch or a snack at Tony Lorenzo’s. Great staff. Great service. Great
food. Now, what we had was this: Gypsy tarts and cappuccino. Sweet! Check it out:
The Creed Lane Kitchen – St. Paul’s, London, England.
When you are walking around London the place is teaming with cafes and bistros and so making
a choice is difficult unless you have a personal recommendation to go on. After that you can get
the lay of the land and sample along the way, knowing you always have one place that’s known
to be good. We stumbled across this small café, off the main road, tucked away. For about £12
we had two delightful sandwiches and coffee. I went for the bacon and sausage sarnie with the
mustard. It’s a gotta try!
The French Lieutenants Bistro – Lyme Regis, Dorset, England
No images to show however, take my word for it, the food was wonderful, the location the same
as you can enjoy sitting inside or outback on the verandah overlooking the Lyme Bay and looking
to your left you will notice the dark hillsides where all those fossils that made Lyme Regis and
area quite famous was once hid. See below.
Gujarati Rasoi – East London, England.
This unique restaurant is tucked away where locals go, but for tourists and those on DIY foodie
tours, not easy to find. The tube station you are aiming for is: Dalston Kingsland. When you exit
the tube station, turn left and take the first road on your left: Bradbury Street. Halfway up the
block on your right is Gujarati Rasoi. Fantastic vegetarian food which means the place fills fast.
Reserve a table to be sure of getting in.
The owners, Lalita and Urvesh, mother and son of Gujarati Rasoi also sell their Samosa, Bhujia, Samosa Chaat and Thali at the Broadway Market, Hackney, London every Saturday. They also have a stall at London's famous Borough Market where Londoners and tourists alike enjoy their food Monday to Saturday.
http://www.gujaratirasoi.com/
Noodle Time, Greenwich, London, England.
Same comments as before, tourist spots like Greenwich are overrun with eateries. If you are
partial to Chinese food and not after gourmet, then this restaurant will certainly fill you up. It’s
right in the heart of all the action. Most people we saw there enjoyed their meal and agreed the
plates where very full. Might not suite all clients – but when you are tired, hungry and walking in
circles, then here’s one place that should deliver.
Lal Qilla, Lyme Regis, Dorset, England. Yes we’re back in Lyme Regis. We needed a place to
celebrate a birthday. We all like Indian food and there
were a couple of choices… we threw the dart and
went to Lal Quilla. No liqueur license but you can
BYOB as many did. What to order. We decided on a
set meal for four… and that was a great decision. Of
course if the set meal doesn’t deliver enough, you can
always order more dishes. But this menu delivered.
Very tasty. Very happy and very full.
We move on from places of nourishment to places of interest. Treat the following as places to
suggest to your clients as and when and if they are heading in the general direction of where we
travelled: Chatham, Cockermouth (see the Lake District pages), Eltham, Greenwich, London,
Lyme Regis, Rochester plus a few more over in Ireland, but those I’ll save for another issue of ST.
Right then, in A-Z fashion here we go:
Chatham Docks, London, England.
This may be a place for the “boys” who like to scramble around inside submarines and over the
decks of tall ships, but there is one element that might appeal to your female clients and that is
this: Chatham Docks is where the TV show Call The Midwife is filmed. And yes, you too can
become an instant mid wife by sticking your head through any of three holes in the life-sized
poster board shown below. Posing at the wheel is a must for all men in your tour group.
Touring the submarine sounds
like fun, and it is, as long as you
bend down and contort your
body and swing it through the
small round “doorways”
between each compartment
of the sub. This tour may not
work for any claustrophobic
clients either. It was a tough
tour of duty, that’s for sure.
Chatham is very close to Rochester and so the two places can be enjoyed in the same day. There’s
so much to see however, the best advice for your clients is to take 2 days and do both well.
Eltham Palace, Kent, England.
Eltham Palace can be dated from 1066 which was then Manor of Eltham held by Hamo, sheriff of
Kent, on behalf of Bishop Odo of Bayeux and its had quite a life since then as you can imagine. It
is now a large house in Eltham, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South East London,
England. It is an unoccupied royal residence and owned by the Crown Estate and all tourists are
welcome. One of the main features is the art deco interiors that the most recent owners installed.
Greenwich, London, England.
Easy to get to and once there, spend the day. Just behind the two domes is the Thames and on
the other side, London, or part of it. Your clients can enjoy a full day here learning all about time
and how the world works according to Greenwich Mean Time. The Cutty Sark is here. Plenty of
shops and antique markets where you can indeed find a bargain.
Westminster Abbey, London, England.
This is not a ten minute in and out. This is for the day and perhaps the next day too. For your
history loving clients who are also photographers, they might stay the week. As you can see in
the image above, there are always new findings to be put on display! Now here’s something we
learned along the way and you can pass it onto your clients and especially if they have kids
travelling with them, and tend to tire, get bored easily. Have them look for mason’s marks.
The issue of masons marks came to me after reading
Rutherford’s book Sarum. The men building the cathedrals
etc., always left their sign, their mark, their signature. I asked
one of the guides and he woke up… very interested and
showed is where mason’s apprentices had scribed circles on
the stone blocks to practice. After that, have everyone look
for ancient graffiti.
Exploring Westminster Abbey means getting inside first. Many a long que puts people off, and also the
price to enter. Advise your clients, if you have not visited here yourself, that it is worth the wait and the
cost to get in. Could be a once in a lifetime event for some people.
St. Paul’s Cathredral, London, England
You know it well. Your client’s might know it well too.
However that said, there is always that opportunity to look
much deeper than tourists normally do. I’m talking about
looking for the small things, looking closer at the big
things. You’d be surprised at what can be found. A gem.
For instance one of the metal “studs” on this huge door. Is
it a rose? Explore behind the door is the advice.
Lyme Regis, Dorset, England
This is a gorgeous area of the UK and it might just the right suggestion for clients who like to fish,
take photographs, sketch, enjoy seafood, want to just relax, travelling with children and would
like a beach and play areas, surfing, hiking and of course, fossil hunting. Lyme Regis has quite the
history and you can check that out online. Plent of B&B’s and fine hotels here too. Now to the
important bit… fossils. If find any you can keep them. Mind you, if you were to stumble across a
complete touristasauros then you might have to hand it in!
On the left, a professional find. On the right, a fragment we found, and left
there. Purchased a small polished version at the museum found by a local
collector. The looking is what attracts you and the local shops sell all the
gear from the hammers to the bags and tags etc. You can be out there on
that stretch of beach for days. The cliffs still move and slide so you have to
be much aware of your surroundings. Before you or your clients head off to
Lyme Regis, read this book which is based on the life of Mary Anning, a poor
local woman who became one of the worlds best fossil hunters in the 1800s.
Rochester Cathedral from the ruins of Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle and Cathedral are both wonderful locations
for your historian clients and as you can see photographers
too. Check out the grafitti on the stone block. Could be a
mason’s mark or the initials of a tourist way back in 1699.
Perhaps even a travel agent of old on a FAM! Nah, a travel
agent wouldn’t carve their initials into anything - would
they? Say it isn’t true.
Time to close out this section. Hope you liked the off the cuff tips as
experienced by yours truly on a recent sojourn to the UK and Ireland.
The Irish segment will appear in another issue of ST.
If you haven’t tied into the Canada
Day festivities as yet, you can
always carry the message forward
throughout the year.
What’s the plan?
How are you going
to tie into this
celebration and
promote your
travel services?
You’ve seen and witnessed the TV advertising related to national pride on both sides of the
49th as advertisers format their products and offers around the time that both Canada and
America celebrate their historical coming of age dates. Of course the entire thrust has not too
much to do with national pride, more so national sales of the brands doing the advertising. The
key learning point here is that you will also notice that this advertising campaign does not end
on July 2nd and July 5th. No, it keeps on rolling.
Both Americans and Canadians are well
known for travelling outside their country
with Americans more likely to travel
internally then Canadians. Lower gas prices
in the US are prompting the press to say that
this year Independence Day will see greater
numbers of Americans hit the road,
travelling 50 miles from home. That is great
news for American Travel Agents.
You know ahead of time that many of your
American clients will be spending that time
in their car. They will have their smart
phones and tablets with them. So easy now
to direct a message (email, text etc.,) to their
gadget of choice.
Canadians like to party as many reconfirm
their Canadian identity at local events and
more so for new immigrants. Yes I too have
ventured out on previous July 1st events and
eaten the cake.
Gotta Use The Flag
Whichever flag you live under make sure you
use an image of it in your ad layouts. You
may want to buy your own flag and use it as
a backdrop – in other words you can
photograph cruise brochures laid out on the
flag. You can import the image of the flag
into Word for instance and add text on and
under the flag image.
Flag That Window and Website
Got a window? Good. Hang your flag and in
front of that flag state your travel offers. If
you have a flagpole outside your agency,
now is the time to use it.
Proud To Be…
Keep the ball rolling each month by using
flag based backdrops and be sure to use the
Proud to be… phrase. “Proud to be Canadian
/ American and free to travel…” after that
you can showcase your latest travel offers.
The Celebration Photo Contest
Use the national day to initiate a photo
contest based on the BEST travel photo
taken in 2015. To enter, you must have
travelled with us between the dates: July 1st
/ July 4th and December 31st.
Start Now!
If you are reading this now and you are a
Canadian travel agent you are underway.
American agents have 3 days left to put a
plan together.
When you need cutting edge, no fluff, how-to-do-it information,
ideas, tips, tools & techniques… you can shop directly at
The Travel Institute store
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Maps, images, and videos throughout the course enhance your learning experience.
Learn more!
What a great day in the US of A. Not only for
the LGBT community but also for straight and
gay travel agents who service this segment of
the travelling public.
So with the law now standing and in power
what’s going to be your reaction to it? How will
you capitalize on this new law?
Get Gay Friendly
Just like attracting any other customer
segment you must let it be known that you
have a service for them.
Depending upon the location of your travel
agency you might be a little reticent to show
the rainbow flag in your agency window. I
get that. You don’t want and need the local
thugs on your doorstep. On the other hand,
there’s always that phrase “doing the right
thing” that comes to mind.
If you can show that you are a business that’s
gay-friendly then now is the time to make
your move. The law is on your side.
Sourcing Gay Tour Operators
Your usual list of preferred suppliers would
of course have many gay clients but chances
are they do not offer a dedicated LGBT
program. So this is where you need to get
online and start searching for those LGBT
suppliers who have been in the business of
gay travel for many years.
Will LGBT Book With A Straight Agency?
Why not? If you have the products and the
service and the pricing that attracts AND you
can show you are gay-friendly then you will
attract your share of the LGBT community.
Privacy is very important to members of the
LGBT community and this is one area where
you’ll need to demonstrate and show proof
that do not share information and that your
client data is well and truly safe.
Next Ad?
Goes without saying doesn’t it. Weddings &
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Here’s where you find even more ideas on how to
sell travel and boost your revenues. Ct is the trade
magazine and every article I write is always
geared to new business generation for YOU and
your suppliers. The content ranges from a step by
step how-to article to a comment about a
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The full Canadian Traveller logo represents the
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www.talkingtravel.ca
Steve Gillick, Active Ingredient, Speaker, Writer
Destinations, Travel Trends, Niche Markets, Travel Unplugged, Travel
Specialization, Fam Trips, Customer Service, The Higher Ground of Travel
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Steve Gillick loves to travel and loves to talk to people who love to talk about travel. He’s been at
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of all his experiences.
After many years as President and C.O.O. of a national industry association, Steve founded his
own consultancy in 2012--Talking Travel-- with the goal of training travel professionals to enhance
their destination and niche market knowledge, marketing skills and revenue generation.
Steve is a regular travel columnist with Travel Industry Today and his unique insights into
destinations and travel trends have appeared in Travel Market Report, Selling Travel, Canadian
Traveller Magazine, Open Jaw, and others.
As a popular conference speaker, Steve’s style has been described as energetic, electric,
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Contact: [email protected]
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