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An application that empowers travel vendors (hotels, cruises, tour operators) to transform distressed inventory into familiarization opportunities, manage their famtrip programs reducing cost up to 75%, and establish new relations with travel agents all over the world.
Distressed merchandise
Suppliers (cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, car rental, airlines etc), have products that goes unused on a daily basis. Under utilized space is a direct hit to the bottom line because it not only deprives the supplier of the upfront revenue, but no contribution is made to the post departure revenue (drinks and tours on ships, optionals on tours, insurance on cars, food in hotels, etc). The normal method of distributing distressed merchandise has been, up until now deep, discounting. While deep discounting does fill a limited number of empty inventory, at the same time it has substantial drawbacks.
- It accustoms the consumer to buy on price, even if they have to wait until the last moment. It makes the previously book passengers, who paid a higher price, have a negative attitude toward the supplier, perhaps inhibiting repeat business.
- It makes the travel agent that recommended the supplier look foolish to the consumer, perhaps inhibiting the agent to recommend that supplier again.
Alternative to Deep Discounting
E-famtrips is an alternative to deep discounting that would empower the supplier to use the unsold space as fam trip to qualified travel agents who be offered the product at a deeply discounted rate, enabling the qualified travel agent to experience the product first hand. While a good travel agent doesn't need to use the product to sell it, there is no doubt that the enthusiasm with which a product is sold is increased 100% once someone has seen, felt, tasted., known a supplier's product.
FAQ
What does a qualified agent mean?
How are agents qualified?
How Can Supplier Take Advantage of that Information?
How does e-famtrips market the suppliers' products to qualified agents?
How does e-famtrips market suppliers' products open to all?
How do agents book?
How the transaction works?
How do I accept a reservation request from travel agents?
What are the benefits to suppliers of e-famtrips?
How much does it cost?
How do you get started?
What does a qualified agent mean?
There's no doubt in the past fam trips have earned a bad reputation because both the supplier and the agency did not exercise sufficient control over the participants to insure that only those people who would benefit the supplier were selected to go on fam trips. EfamTrips.com has overcome that problem in that fam trips will only be offered to agents who the supplier has designated as "Qualified".
How are agents qualified?
When an agency signs up for e-famtrips by Tourania, they must:
a. Pay a fee
b. Be appointed by ARC/IATAN/CLIA
c. List all of their agents
d. Fill out a database form describing demographic/psychographics information about themselves and their clients. IE Years in business, volume (air, hotel, cruise, tour etc), areas of expertise (eco-tourism, cruises, etc.), technology used, and % of business that is cruise/tour/air etc, major suppliers.
How Can Supplier Take Advantage of that Information?
When distressed merchandise becomes available, suppliers can choose to offer it to all agents participating in e-famtrips or only to a selected number. So for example, if the product offered was very upscale, the supplier could designate that only agencies that sold upscale travel receive the offer. Suppliers would have complete control over who got the invitation and over who was confirmed.
How does e-famtrips market the suppliers' products to qualified agents?
Once a supplier designates a product to be in e-famtrips, the supplier themselves posts the opportunity into the e-famtrip site insuring 100% accuracy. Suppliers then select the travel agency audience by making it available to all Travel Agency members of to a qualified group. If only a qualified group, members of that group would receive an e mail from e-famtrip advising them of their good fortune in being able to take advantage of a limited offer. Travel Agents will be able to access and research fam trips that had been published for all travel agents plus those famtrips that they are qualified to see.
How does e-famtrips market suppliers' products open to all?
e-famtrips application is password protected insuring only qualified members are able to enter. Once inside, agents looking for a fam can pull up information by any of three categories:
1. By date.
2. By price.
3. By special interest.
4. By geographic area.
How do agents book?
When a travel agent decides to order, reserve and pay for a famtrip; the order checkout process begins. The first screen will define the details of the famtrip, companions, departure dates and other details that need to be defined before submitting the reservation request. The second screen will collect and verify the personal information of the persons who will be traveling. The third screen will collect the payment information for the payment transaction.
How the transaction works?
In order to protect travel agencies from fraudulent offers and famtrips scams; e-famtrips plays the role of clearinghouse on the order, reservation, and payment process of the famtrip. The travel agent that will be using the famtrip or invitation will conduct the reservation process and the payment process in e-famtrips. Secure servers and electronic security will manage the exchange of information. Once the confirmation of the reservation is done, the payment is conducted and an electronic voucher with the information of the travel agent, famtrip details, famtrip provider, and the reservation code given by the famtrip provider is sent to the travel agent. E-famtrips will then proceed to pay the famtrip provider on behalf of the travel agent.
How do I accept a reservation request from travel agents?
Once a travel agent has gone through the order process, and his credit card is approved, the famtrip provider will receive an e-mail alert that a reservation for a famtrip is awaiting confirmation. The famtrip provider will login into e-famtrips and accesses his messages where the reservation request will be listed. By opening that message, an e-voucher form will be presented with all the information of the travel agency, travel agent, famtrip details and a field for his own confirmation number and comments. After adding the confirmation number, the famtrip provider confirms the reservation voucher and the system automatically charges the travel agents credit card.
What are the benefits to suppliers of e-famtrips?
By offering distressed merchandise to agents instead of the public, clients will not grow accustomed to waiting for the lowest fare or be angry because they booked early and paid more. Furthermore suppliers will be able to reduce their cost to promote their product by 75% while at the same time insuring that the "right" agent gets to experience those products that are good for their clients. In addition to these benefits, suppliers can reach travel agencies and travel consortia worldwide through an application designed to manage fam trips, receive feedback from travel agencies on famtrips and destination, keep control of famtrip offers and content, and manage the orders, confirmations and e-voucher through e-famtrips' procurement functionality.
How much does it cost?
Nothing, at least for the first 4 months. e-famtrips wants to insure that you find their product worthwhile. Therefore you can get your word out at no initial cost. Subsequently, if you're happy with the results the cost will be no more than $1,500 annually per product licensing fee, even less if you have multiple products to promote.
How do you get started?
Go to www.e-famtrips.com and access the Tour Operator / Vendor area. Or just call our CEO Ronald Kritzler at (800) TOURANIA or e-mail him at rkritzler@tourania.com.
