Conversations with Leaders - Virtuoso's Kristi Jones
Why Upscale Travel Agents Offer The Lowest Distribution Cost
For Luxury Suppliers
And Other Lessons For the Recession
From the President of Virtuoso
Kristi Jones, president of the elite agency group, tells Luxury Travel 360 why a true partnership with agents offers the highest value for suppliers. She also talks about why suppliers should turn to travel advisors in the current economy and why the agent-supplier relationship may be more important than the client-supplier relationship.
Here are some highlights from our recent talk with Ms. Jones:
On The Value of a Travel Professional:
"What a true professional offers is not only expertise in a product or destination but the fact that they manage a personal relationship with a client. It's the holistic view of a travel professional that enables them to manage that relationship. As a result I actually believe that working with a travel professional offers a lower cost of distribution because, rather than blanket the affluent marketplace with a message you can go to people who can interpret your message and your information for the right client."
"A powerful advantage a travel professional brings is the power of retention, the continuing value of a client that was brought to a supplier by an advisor. What would be best is a sharing of business intelligence between advisor and supplier that leads to reciprocal loyalty."
"It would be great if, when a guest arrived, they were told by hotel staff, ‘Oh we're so glad to have you and we know you're allergic to feathered pillows and we've put other types of pillows in your room. And your travel agent also told us you are on a strict diet, so we have some special very tasty differences to you.' So the guest thinks they're getting special treatment because of the agent. That would be ideal but I'm skeptical about how far we can go in this agent-supplier relationship."
"The real definition of loyalty in the supplier/ agent relationship shouldn't be simply a high commission structure or even a recognition program for agents. It should be based on, ‘We're going to work as partners in ensuring that this client comes home satisfied."
"Hotels and other suppliers have to go beyond their agent recognition programs by continually recognizing the value of the person who brought you the client and who will continue to bring you new and repeat customers. At Virtuoso, we are hoping to be the arbiter in all this - to let our members know what other sources of information are out there - and which are reputable and reliable. We want to help them filter the massive amount of information to which they're exposed so they in turn can filter it for their clients."
Ipsos Mendelsohn and American Express Publishing-Harrison Group OfferFreshInsight on Consumer Behavior in 2010
According to new studies from two blue-chip research sources, Ipsos Mendelsohn and American Express Publishing - the affluent are not only ready to travel -- they are frequently going to spend more on it. While the Ipsos study focused on intent and American Express Publishing on mindset, they both point to a surge in affluents taking to the road (Amex sees an increase of 6 to 8% in spending on all luxury categories).Interestingly, both studies agree on a positive attitude despite lingering concerns about the economy. Here's a look at the highlights of both 2010 studies.
LuxuryTravel 360 has long looked to the affluent as a burgeoning market in business and leisure travel, fueling growth in more affordable, common sense luxury - less glitz and glamour, but ready to pay extra for memorable family experiences and genuine local culture.
Kristi Jones, president of the elite agency group, tells Luxury Travel 360 why a true partnership with agents offers the highest value for suppliers. She also talks about why suppliers should turn to travel advisors in the current economy and why the agent-supplier relationship may be more important than the client-supplier relationship. 
