Welcome to the first issue of Skift's Travel Advisor Innovation Report, which we'll publish every Tuesday. In the weeks to come, we will be exploring issues important to travel advisors, mostly in the leisure sector, including strategies for developing a profitable niche in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Today's travel advisors are a business-savvy lot who have weathered all kinds of blows in recent years, including commission cuts and predictions that the internet would make them irrelevant to consumers. The survivors have learned to reinvent themselves and thrive in a new landscape where the personal touch still matters.
One of our stories below explores how an enterprising agent turned her love of rock music into a successful business booking travel for legendary artists like Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, and their crews. Another looks at how the American Society of Travel Advisors and its subsidiary organization for independent and home-based agents are rebranding and forging a closer relationship. What advantages and possible disadvantages does this bring to members?
We hope these articles will inspire and generate ideas. For more coverage of pertinent issues click here. Any suggestions for the coverage you would like to see are welcome. Feel free to contact me at mbl@skift.com.
