On the clock at Global Travel Marketplace: Travel Weekly

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — It was 3:39 p.m., and Katie Brown, an independent contractor with Travelmation, was sitting at a table, ready to start her next appointment. The travel advisor had $2 million in bookings so far this year and was hunting for new options to recommend to clients who have been leaning into luxury land vacations.

A lot of her clients have gone to Italy before, but she was at this table with Marc Kavanagh, CEO of Journeys Connect, to make connections with a supplier in new-to-her and less-traveled destinations, such as Portugal and Croatia.

“Not a lot of people have done Portugal,” and the U.S. dollar goes further there, she said.

She wasn’t alone in her search. She and nearly 170 other top-producing advisors had spent almost their entire day in the ballroom at the Diplomat Beach Resort here meeting with suppliers, often in search of new destinations.

They were attending the Global Travel Marketplace, a three-day event for advisors who have at least $1 million in annual business or own a multimillion-dollar agency. The annual event was hosted by Northstar Travel Group, Travel Weekly’s parent company. 

Speed-dating advisors met with suppliers including tour operators, destination management company, cruise line reps and tourism boards during six-minute appointments.

This year’s GTM was the largest ever, with about 170 advisors in attendance. Photo Credit: Andrea Zelinski

Advisors here said they want to grow their business, but how they planned to do that varied. Many were looking for new destinations, either because they wanted somewhere new to send clients or because overcrowding has made lesser-traveled cities and countries more attractive.

“Some clients are sick of going to the destination and not being able to enjoy the destination,” said Shawnta Harrison, owner of Harrison’s Travels in Blackville, S.C. “They are looking for other options.”

Other advisors were looking to forge relationships with trusted tour operators, rekindle a connection with a supplier or business development manager (BDM) or learn how a new supplier could make their work easier.

Debbie Devine, owner of a Cruise Planners franchise in Hypoluxo, Fla., was looking for people “who are going to help make my life easier so I’m not just in a vast wasteland trying to figure out things.” Photo Credit: Andrea Zelinski

The latter was the case for Debbie Devine, a Cruise Planners franchise owner out of Hypoluxo, Fla. A client was hell-bent on booking specialty dining on a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line, but they could not make a reservation on the cruise line’s website. One of Devine’s first appointments was with a BDM for the line who assured her that only 30% of restaurant capacity is available to reserve online, which means her client can make that dining reservation while onboard.

“I just want to know where to go” to solve problems, she said. “I want people that are going to help me make my life easier and so I’m not just in a vast wasteland trying to figure out things.”

At 3:57 p.m., a new round of appointments was in motion. Kristin McCartney, an advisor with Willow and Wand in New Hampshire wanted to learn best practices when traveling to Hawaii. She asked every supplier she met with from that destination for tips she could pass along to clients about how to visit in a way that is more sustainable for the community, such as which days of the week are best for certain activities.

By 4:16 p.m., Alyssa Maisano, owner of Picture It Travel Co. in Fort Worth, Texas, was meeting with a rep from Seabourn Cruises. Her priority was to stretch her multigenerational family cruise business into the luxury space. She wanted to know whether kids were welcome on this line. They are, the Seabourn rep told her, although the line does not specifically cater to kids and requires they be at least 6 years old for expeditions.

One thing Maisano was not concerned about was finding new destinations as a reaction to overcrowding. “That’s not my decision to make,” she said. “That’s for the client.”