Modern Travel Agent Podcast

In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, Chris Dehner sits down with Robin Lawther, Vice President of Expedia TAAP, to explore why mountain travel is quickly becoming one of the most compelling growth opportunities for travel advisors.Drawing from Expedia Group’s Summit Seekers research report, the conversation breaks down the scale of the mountain travel market, traveler booking behaviors, and why this category is uniquely well-suited for advisors. With a significant portion of travelers not destination-decided, booking within shorter windows, and taking multiple trips per year, mountain travel presents a powerful opportunity for advisors to influence decisions, add value, and build long-term, repeat business.Chris and Robin also discuss how mountain travel’s inherent complexity, from seasonality and activities to access and accommodations, creates the ideal environment for advisors to demonstrate expertise, reduce decision fatigue, and give travelers confidence that they’re making the right choices. The episode highlights how mountain travel is no longer limited to winter sports, with summer demand growing rapidly and average daily rates increasing faster than in the winter season, opening the door to new alternatives to traditional beach vacations.The conversation also dives into where mountain travelers are researching trips, including Google, online travel agencies, and social media, and why advisors should proactively market this expertise through content, newsletters, and client education. From boutique hotels and vacation rentals to large group mountain retreats, Chris and Robin outline the accommodation types travelers are prioritizing and why having broad inventory matters.Beyond mountain travel specifically, the episode connects this trend to broader shifts in luxury and consumer behavior, as travelers increasingly prioritize experiences over goods. Robin shares practical next steps for advisors, including leveraging research, client conversations, webinars, and destination education to build credibility and stay ahead of trends.The episode closes with a candid look at the evolving advisor landscape, from side-hustle agents to host agency growth, and why travel continues to show remarkable resilience, even in uncertain times. For advisors looking to expand beyond beach travel, deepen relationships with existing clients, and tap into a high-value, repeat-booking segment, this episode offers both strategic insight and actionable guidance.https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/research-insights/mountain-travel-researchhttps://partner.expediagroup.com/content/dam/unified/partner/documents/reports/2025-reports/expedia-group-mountain-traveler-research-report_en-us.pdf

Many travel agents lose potential sales simply because they don’t have a structured follow-up system. In this episode, I’ll share why follow-up is essential, the biggest mistakes agents make, and a step-by-step system to turn more leads into booked clients.cale your agency, simplify your workflow, and delight your clients with the industry's newest travel advisor CRM, visit https://www.trazel.com/.This episode is proudly brought to you in partnership with the Dominican Republic Tourism Board. Discover why the Dominican Republic remains the Caribbean’s top tourist destination, welcoming over 11 million visitors in 2024. Learn more at GoDominicanRepublic.com.

Robin Lawther is the Vice President of Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program), and with over 3,000,000 properties on their site, Expedia is a huge force in the travel industry. Robin and I discuss how travelers’ expectations are changing in the world of luxury travel, and how travel advisors can meet and exceed these rising expectations. We also discuss the impact of social media and AI on the future of luxury travel and how travel agents can partner with Expedia TAAP to better grow their businesses.  Robin Lawther, Vice President of Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program), is a versatile leader with a proven track record in leading teams across strategy, operations, and commercial domains. Boasting extensive experience as a management consultant in the travel industry and backed by over 8 years in various B2B leadership roles at Expedia Group, Robin leverages his deep understanding of the retail travel industry and applies his expertise to drive strategic initiatives and growth for Expedia TAAP. A recognized subject matter expert, Robin remains at the forefront, shaping the vision for TAAP, and consistently prioritizes travel advisors to ensure the business can deliver world-class experiences to the travelers they serve.Expedia TAAP: https://www.expediataap.com/ Expedia offers a versatile platform for booking travel, but as a travel advisor, you also need a way to manage your client relationships. Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? To learn more, visit https://trazel.com/

Crafting your elevator pitch is an important part of being successful as a travel agent, because if you can't explain your value proposition to your clients in easy-to-understand language, you're going to struggle to convince them to work with you. In this episode, I cover a few aspects to consider when crafting your pitch. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program and ensure you're getting the absolute most out of your Dominican Republic bookings.

If you're considering diving into the world of selling travel, here's a quick overview of the benefits of becoming a travel agent. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program and ensure you're getting the absolute most out of your Dominican Republic bookings.

I share some of the basics of commissions, service fees, and the importance of focusing on the big picture during a training call with the newest member of our IC team, Erica. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program and ensure you're getting the absolute most out of your Dominican Republic bookings.

During a training call with the newest member of our IC team, Erica, I share the basics of being a travel agent, including a breakdown of the 4 step process of working with clients, how to improve your communication on consultation calls, and the key to growing relationships in the industry. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program and ensure you're getting the absolute most out of your Dominican Republic bookings.

Cesar Briceño shares how you can partner with Classic Vacations to grow your travel agency business. He shares a little bit about Classic Vacations 46 year history in the travel industry as well as all of the wonderful destinations and products they offer. If you're interested in learning more about how you can maximize your travel agency business with Classic Vacations, contact Cesar Briceño here: cbriceno@classicvacations.com Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. The Dominican Republic is the premiere destination in the Caribbean, welcoming over 5,000,000 visitors in the first five months of 2024. To better understand why so many travelers are choosing the Dominican Republic as their go-to destination, visit https://godominicanrepublic.com

In this episode, we discuss how agents can book destination weddings with Francisco Alvarez, the Regional Weddings Sales Manager of America with Palladium Hotel Group. We cover Palladium's brand new 2024 wedding packages, their new booking and planning process, their unique event options like the S'mores Bash, and we discuss how agents can better sell destination weddings at their beautiful hotels. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! Weddings By Palladium Info (2024): https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WEDDING-BY-PALLADIUM-INFO-2024-ENG.pdf Weddings by Palladium - Weddings Catalogue (2024): https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weddings-by-Palladium-Weddings-Catalogue-2024.pdf Weddings by Palladium - Wedding Timeline: https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weddings-by-Palladium-Wedding-Timeline.pdf This episode is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group.

On this episode, I share the lessons I've learned from our Director of Operations Krystal Aziz and our Director of Weddings Itzel Rodriguez. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program.

In this episode, I share 3 lessons to grow your travel agent business with integrity and kindness. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to take advantage of their travel agent rewards program.

The Dominican Republic was the Caribbean’s most popular destination last year, welcoming over 10 million visitors, and it looks like 2024 is going to be even a bigger year for the popular beach destination. This February, the Dominican Republic welcomed 755,832 visitors by air and 301,384 visitors by cruise ship, bringing the visitor total to a record 1,057,216 (16% increase over February 2023). Expect the Dominican Republic to continue on this trend of growth as we move through 2024 and into 2025. According to TravelPulse, six North American Airlines are offering direct flights to Tulum Airport as soon as March 28. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines-airports/more-airlines-add-flights-to-tulum According to Travel & Leisure, Delta Air Lines has increased baggage fees on domestic and some international routes. Both the first and second checked bags will increase by $5 for most domestic flights originating in the United States and on short-haul international routes. https://www.travelandleisure.com/delta-increases-baggage-fees-for-2024-8605042 According to CNBC, on flights starting after April 10, Frontier will offer UpFront Plus in the first two rows of its Airbus planes, where it will block the sale of the middle seat. Those seats will also include four to five inches more legroom compared with most of the seats on the planes. Prices start at $49. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/12/frontiers-newest-upsell-empty-middle-seats-more-legroom.html According to Forbes, Crystal Cruises Begins Booking their 27-Country, $85,000 Luxury World Cruise. The 135-day trip will include visits to 72 destinations in more than 27 countries, including Rome, Athens, Hong Kong, Dabai, Bora Bora, and others. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2024/03/14/crystal-begins-booking-27-country-85000-luxury-world-cruise/ According to Travel Weekly, Disney Cruise Line has unveiled their ship deployments for summer 2025, including the Disney Fantasy's first season in Europe and the Disney Wonder's return to Alaska. https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Disney-Cruise-Line-unveils-plans-for-summer-2025 According to Travel & Leisure, Virgin Voyages is Launching a Month-long Cruise Pass So You Can Work From Paradise. This pass, called the Scarlet Summer Season Pass, is valid for a month-long journey on board the cruise line’s Scarlet Lady ship sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. The pass starts at $9,990 for two people, which Virgin notes is a 30 percent savings off the cost of a typical cruise fare. https://www.travelandleisure.com/virgin-voyages-cruise-wfh-summer-pass-8606290 According to Travel Weekly, Ambergris Cay, the private island, all-inclusive resort in Turks and Caicos, has added eight beachfront bungalows, seven one-bedroom accommodations and one two-bedroom. https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Luxury-beachfront-bungalows-Caribbean-Turks-Caicos-Ambergris-Cay According to Travel & Leisure, Cayo Levantado Resort, one of the Dominican Republic's newest all-inclusive resorts which just opened last year, is pricing as low as $500 a night. With 219 accommodations, including stand-alone villas, four restaurants and six bars, the biggest selling point is actually the wellness center, Yubarta, which includes a relaxation area with chaise lounges, a human-made cenote, a meditation room, an atelier, and a nutrition studio. As we head further into 2024, we should expect to see more resorts focusing on wellness travel. https://www.travelandleisure.com/cayo-levantado-resort-dominican-republic-hotel-review-7970971 And that’s “This Week In Travel.” This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. If you’re currently booking the Dominican Republic but you’re not taking advantage of their rewards program, you’re leaving money on the table. Visit https://dotravelrewards.com to learn more about their program and how you can register.

I just returned from an 8-night stay in the Dominican Republic which was my 3rd visit in the past 15 months. It's safe to say the Dominican Republic is my favorite destination to visit and recommend. I'm going to be releasing full breakdowns of all of the resorts I visited, but in this episode, I just want to share a little about what I think makes the Dominican Republic so special. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. If you're currently booking Dominican Republic but you're not registered with their rewards program, you're leaving money on the table. Take a few minutes and register here: https://dotravelrewards.com

Sahara Rose De Vore is a Wellness Travel Coach and the Founder of the Travel Coach Network. After finishing university and finding herself unhappy with the lack of travel career options, Sahara bought a one-way ticket to Ireland which led her on a decade-long journey backpacking across 84 countries. Sahara is a TEDx speaker who has been in over 140 media outlets including Forbes, Travel Weekly, and Condé Nast Traveler, and she was named one of 2023’s Most Influential Women in Travel by TravelPulse. We discuss how agents can get out of their comfort zone, be vulnerable, and use a human centric approach to better connect with their clients, because with so many different options available to book travel, it’s never been more important for agents to set themselves apart by sharing their unique stories and perspectives. Become a Certified Travel Coach: https://thetravelcoachnetwork.mykajabi.com/a/30752/Y5d9JFLq Website: https://thetravelcoachnetwork.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahararosethetravelcoach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetravelcoachnetwork/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahara-rose-de-vore-4b8bb394/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaharaRoseTheTravelCoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelcoachnetwork Podcast: https://anchor.fm/thetravelcoachnetwork Free Beginner’s Guide to Travel Coaching: https://thetravelcoachnetwork.mykajabi.com/main-email-series-and-workbook Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Visit www.godominicanrepublic.com to learn more about all that this wonderful destination has to offer.

In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I outline 4 tips to help you master your travel agent consultation calls. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. With over 50 hotels worldwide and 16,000 rooms in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Brazil, Spain and Italy, Palladium Hotel Group offers great resort options for vacations of all kinds. Palladium Hotel Group has a wonderful team of business development managers, eager to help you learn more about their resorts and how you can partner with them to offer your clients incredible experiences. I’ve included their contact information here: Palladium Hotel Group BDM Contact Information - https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Palladium-Hotel-Group-USA-BDM-Territory-Distribution.pdf

Site Inspections are such an important aspect of being a successful travel agent. They provide an opportunity not just to expand your knowledge by seeing the resorts firsthand, but also by helping you create new partnerships. In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I detail 7 ways you can maximize the impact of your site inspections. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. With over 50 hotels worldwide and 16,000 rooms in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Brazil, Spain and Italy, Palladium Hotel Group offers great resort options for vacations of all kinds. Palladium Hotel Group has a wonderful team of business development managers, eager to help you learn more about their resorts and how you can partner with them to offer your clients incredible experiences. I’ve included their contact information here: Palladium Hotel Group BDM Contact Information - https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Palladium-Hotel-Group-USA-BDM-Territory-Distribution.pdf

In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, we discuss the top wedding venues of Palladium Hotel Group with Daniela Ocampo Morales, the Regional Weddings Sr Manager America for Palladium Hotel Group. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. If you have any questions about Palladium Hotel Group, you can access the contact information for all of their BDMs below. Palladium Hotel Group BDM Contact Information: https://moderntravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Palladium-Hotel-Group-USA-BDM-Territory-Distribution.pdf

We recommend watching this episode on Spotify or Youtube. In this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I share a little bit about my stay at Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana. With a unique minibar based point system that allows you to stock your minibar with exactly what you want, great themed restaurants and bars, and a location on the beautiful Juanillo Beach, Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana is a great option for adult-only and family-friendly vacations alike. This episode is brought to you by our partnership with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more!

In this episode of Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I reflect on the top lessons I learned from 2023. The things that worked last year weren't necessarily the things that worked this year which means the things that worked this year won't necessarily be the things that work next year. I'm setting aside 10% - 20% of my time next year to test and find next year's thing. However much time I’m focusing on cultivating and building relationships, I need to spend more time on it. Relationships are probably the single most important thing in this industry. The challenges I face aren’t knowledge problems. They’re execution problems. I have to do a better job starting and a better job finishing. Less procrastinating, more starting. Less perfectionism, more finishing. I have to continue to improve my process to stay organized and structured. Whether that’s using google sheets or an app like Sunsama, I have to make sure I’m tracking my projects and tasks so I know everything I need to accomplish and when I need to accomplish it by. That way, I’m able to hold myself accountable. Otherwise, deadlines come and go, and things get pushed back or delayed. In 2024, I’m focusing on hitting deadlines. Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more! This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by our partnership with Palladium Hotel Group. Palladium Hotel Group has some great properties, and if you haven't checked out the previous episode where I cover the beautiful TRS Coral and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, I recommend you give it a watch or listen.

It’s important to take pride in our work, but at some point, perfectionism is just a fear of judgment. It’s a fear of failure. It’s a fear that if we ship our work, then maybe our client or our colleague or our audience won’t like it. It won’t be good enough. So because we fear failure, we find excuses not to deliver our work. We continually make small, unnecessary improvements to the project, over and over again. So what’s the solution? For me, it’s reminding myself of the advice my brother Tim Evans, the Founder and CEO of Modern Travelworks, gave me.  He always says, “GETMO.” Good Enough To Move On. It doesn’t need to be perfect. We don’t need to make every single possible improvement. We don’t need to waste hours on unnecessary details. We need to work hard on our projects, complete them, and then move on to our next important project. Follow Through: The most important thing for your business is you doing what you say you’re going to do. It’s also the most difficult. As travel agents, we always have a million things pulling at us: in-destination travel emergencies, frantic last minute questions and bookings, quotes, requests, and emails. But these things will never go away. This is why it’s important to underpromise and overdeliver. It’s much better to tell your client that you’ll have travel packages over to them by tomorrow evening and send them tomorrow afternoon than it is to tell them you’ll have quotes to them today and send them tomorrow morning. The best way to grow your business is to gain the trust of your clients, and the best way to gain the trust of your clients is to follow through. This episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast is brought to you by the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. I just spent an incredible week in the Dominican Republic and documented the entire trip in my Instagram stories. Checkout the “highlights” on my Instagram page to see my time in: Santo Domingo: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17842878489112432/ La Romana: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18002822150239275/ Cap Cana: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17980846652356775/ Ready to take your travel agency to the next level? Transform the way you work with Trazel - the CRM custom-tailored for travel advisors. Visit Trazel.com to learn more!