mtravel.com

YTB: What’s true and what isn’t (5/25/09)

claudiusb — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:01:11 +0000

By: Nadine Godwin May 25, 2009
When California sued YTB last summer, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. said he wanted to put the multilevel marketer out of business because it was operating an illegal pyramid scheme and deceiving the public about the income potential for participants.

Though the recently announced settlement in the California case by no means puts YTB out of business, it will significantly reshape the company by pushing it in the direction of a travel franchise operation, de-emphasizing its multilevel marketing division and making it less lucrative.

Yet, despite Brown’s victory cries, the settlement failed to produce a court ruling that answered the root question: Was YTB guilty of operating an illegal pyramid scheme?

Nevertheless, with the ink barely dry on the California settlement, Illinois jumped on the bandwagon. A suit filed this month in the state’s courts also accuses YTB of running an illegal pyramid scheme.

It is a charge the company has consistently denied. But determining which side is right depends on what differentiates a legitimate multilevel marketing model, also known as an MLM or network marketing model, from an illegal pyramid scheme. James Toma, the California deputy attorney general most involved with the YTB case, said that when reviewing a possible pyramid, the state "looks at the actual operation of a scheme and not just the literal description," seeking evidence that people are paying for a product they don’t technically have to buy, because they intend to use that product as a model to help recruit others into the scheme.

California concluded that some YTB sales reps have been signing on as referring travel agents merely as a way to recruit other prospective RTAs, which explains why the settlement requires that by June 1, YTB must provide a free demo site for the recruitment of new RTAs.

In addition, Toma said California looks at the portion of an MLM’s income that comes from recruitment-related sales vs. how much stems from selling a retail product to outsiders.

"The public needs to know," he said, "because that determines how long the company can survive."

Although Toma said there are no set formulas for judging these criteria, the YTB settlement will change the balance between its multilevel marketing and travel revenues by limiting the income of recruiters who sign on a high number of other recruiters and by requiring recruiters to reveal to their prospects the grim facts about attrition rates and the portions of investors who earn little or nothing.

While agreeing to sweeping changes as part of the settlement, YTB did not admit to any wrong doing.

The company has been controversial since it became large enough to attract attention more than two years ago, generating unusually passionate pro and con views about its operations. Its critics will see the California deal as proof of an illegal pyramid; ardent supporters will see the opposite.

In this highly charged crucible, the company’s critics and supporters alike — but especially its critics — have made a lot of claims about YTB on blogs, in forums and in letters to the editor.

Some are simple statements of fact. Some are pure myth. Many fall somewhere in the middle, representing a nugget of truth distorted in the heat of argument.

In an attempt to add nuance to myriad heavy-handed generalizations about YTB, Travel Weekly sought out experts and former RTAs and asked them to assist in affirming a variety of claims. Some are quoted by name, but many asked not to be identified.

What follows is a list of the most common assertions about YTB by critics and others, followed by Travel Weekly’s analysis of their merits:

[Excepts from current Montrose Travel Home Based Agents who were formerly with YTB]…

• YTB is built on RTAs pointing family and friends to their websites for direct bookings.

True. But there is more demand for offline services than the model anticipated. RTAs who want a travel business often make the bookings themselves, either at their YTB site or by calling suppliers directly.

Catherine Brock of Long Beach, Calif., said that referring family and friends to the Web "is not as easy as YTB says it should be." Her host now is Montrose Travel.

• RTAs are driving suppliers crazy by asking dumb questions.

There is some truth to this, but some former YTB agents pointed out that everyone was a newbie at some time. Patty Jo Attwood of Cape Coral, Fla., now with Montrose Travel, said she had not realized how unwelcoming her supplier contacts were being until she experienced warmer responses once she began identifying herself with another host.

• YTB tells prospective RTAs they will earn commissions on others’ travel and their own, take deeply discounted agent trips and get healthy write-offs for travel and other expenses. It tells website sellers they can become millionaires.

Mostly true. YTB makes canned presentations available to sellers that paint a bright picture of "traveling as an insider" or enjoying access to proprietary YTB Exclusives at deeply discounted prices. They also highlight the possibility of deducting travel spending and other expenses on taxes.

On the marketing side, Lloyd Tomer has said he will make millionaires of some sales reps, and a few reps indeed made more than $1 million in cash or stocks in 2008.

Nevertheless, YTB’s thousands of freelance reps sometimes make grander — or sillier — promises, which led the California attorney general’s office to conclude that YTB was making "wildly misleading claims" about the income potential in the travel business.

Richard Smith of Greenville, S.C., now with Montrose Travel, recalled being told that by selling websites he would be "well off" in a couple of years. Attwood said she was told it would be "easy" to make "five figures and above."

Montrose Travel Touts Employee Longevity (5/6/09)

claudiusb — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:49:57 +0000

MONTROSE, California – May 6, 2009 - Montrose Travel, a full service travel management company and host agency, is 150 employees strong and boasts a very low turnover rate. In fact, almost half of their employees have been employed with Montrose Travel over 5 years. This level of employee retention is indicative of its family-oriented corporate culture and philosophies of relationship building and promoting from within.

Virtually none of the Management Team was hired from the outside into a managerial capacity; most people joined the company prior to moving into the management ranks. Front line agents range from entry-level people emerging from travel school to seasoned veterans. In fact, Montrose Travel is one of the few companies who will bring someone on with no prior travel experience as long as they demonstrate a strong sales and customer service aptitude. Training is provided.

“Our company has seen tremendous growth over the past twenty years and with it has come the opportunity to recruit and retain some of the most talented people in the travel industry. People want to belong and contribute to a successful organization. And, our strategy of promoting from within has paid off in large dividends to both the company and our people,” says Joe McClure, President.

For Nancy Bland, Business Development Manager for the Groups/Meetings/Incentives Division, the motivation to stay with Montrose Travel for 34 years is two-fold. First and foremost, she knows she is cared for and her contributions are recognized. Second, she is attracted to the stability of the company which offers job security. “I am not a number. The owners of Montrose Travel care for me and care about my family. Over these 34 years, as one can well imagine, there have been several personal family matters that I have had to handle. Each time I was told the same thing…. you take care of your family…. they come first. That is the real reason I have been here so many years,” says Bland.

Rhonda Holguin, General Manager, celebrated her 20th year with Montrose Travel in 2008. The reason why she has stayed so long? “Caring about people and their travel plans has allowed me to develop relationships with some marvelous people. Being part of the growth and development of a dynamic travel management company under the leadership of Joe McClure and Andi McClure-Mysza has been the driving force behind my 21-year career with Montrose Travel.”

In 2008, 19 employees celebrated milestone anniversaries. At Montrose Travel’s Year-End Holiday Awards Party, employees celebrating these special anniversaries each received a handcrafted, 14 karat gold and diamond studded longevity pin. For each 5-year milestone, they receive another diamond on their pin.

During his remarks at the Award Ceremony, company President, Joe McClure, said this about this year’s longevity award winners, “I’d like to take a moment to recognize a group of people that have successfully helped manage your company through the continuous and disrupting flow of change while making us one of the Top 50 travel agencies and Top 5 host agencies in the United States. Without this team, our company wouldn’t be where it is nor would it have the soul that it does.”

“Very simply,” says Andi McClure-Mysza, President of the MTravel.com Home Based Agent and Independent Contractor Division, “the longer people stay, the more valuable they becomeContinuity is critical and as our success continues, we take retaining our people very seriously. Ultimately, we are one big family and we respect each other.”

ABOUT MONTROSE TRAVEL

Celebrating 52 years in business, Montrose Travel, a family owned travel management company, has grown from 14 employees in 1990 to more than 150 today and is now firmly established as a Top 50 Travel Management Company and a Top 5 Host Agency nationwide at $110 million. Montrose Travel strives to provide the highest quality services and most complete leisure, corporate and group travel management solutions for its customers and home-based travel agents. Growth has been solely out of the reinvestment of profit and positive cash flow. Montrose Travel “will be here tomorrow to back up our promises of today!” Montrose Travel can be reached at 1-800-MONTROSE (666-8767) or by visiting www.montrosetravel.com. Visit Montrose Travel’s Corporate Division at www.montrosecorporatetravel.com or call 1-(800) 766-4687. Home-based independent agents may visit www.MTravel.com, email andi@montrosetravel.com, or call 1-(800) 870-5799.

MTravel.com Empowers Agents With Tech Investment (4/30/09, Travel Agent Magazine)

claudiusb — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:03:08 +0000

The travel industry may be in the midst of an economic downturn but successful host agencies, including MTravel.com, a subsidiary of Montrose Travel, are expanding investments in agent-friendly technology. The bottom-line: higher productivity, better client service and increased profitability for independent home-based agents.

“Effective technology that saves busy agents time and money ranks high among the reasons professional home based agents chose to affiliate with a Montrose Travel as their host agency. Smart agents know smart technology greatly helps them and helps their client,” Andi Mysza, president of MTravel.com said in an interview with Travel Agent.

A good example is MTravel.com’s newly enhanced proprietary agent support site, Agent Connex, which is designed to serve MTravel.com’s 500, independent agents. Agent Connex is part of the host’s technology package that targets its growing base of business minded agents.

Agent Connex offers new user-friendly capabilities including an easy to follow menu, search functions to find information instantly, enhanced online personal sales and commission statistics and new accounting modules. “We have consolidated the information and tools agents need into one application- especially important to new agents,” Mysza says.

Agent Connex is content rich. It helps agents with a variety of tasks from operating procedures to training, marketing, sales ideas, group formation and support as well as commission tracking to blast email tools and FAQ’s. It also includes tools such as destination guides and objective hotel reviews.

The dynamic accounting tools eliminate double work when reporting bookings for commission payments, for example, and an invoicing feature is forthcoming. An enhanced training calendar has also been added with a response function for attendees. In addition, Agent Connex has a complete training archive for those agents who are unable to attend the live sessions. These files can be downloaded to an iPod.

Mingle, the new social networking site, is a clear winner with an early adoption rate of 40 percent of all agents after just 60 days. “We’re encouraged by the early usage of Mingle and believe it will play an important role in agent interaction down the road. Agents also get to know our staffers who support their business”, says Mysza.

Among the features of Mingle is the networking capability that puts agents into contact with other MTravel.com agents and encourages dialogue and sharing of ideas and answering questions. One result cited by Mysza is the formation of niche groups that were sparked by inter personal agent-to-agent contact via Mingle.

Another feature benefiting MTravel.com agents is Agent Connex’s ability to communicate with and train agents. Mysza notes that MTravel.com agents benefit from over 150 webinars annually on every topic including supplier product presentations, development of sales skills and marketing.

“Agents who use MTravel’s resources effectively generally benefit with increased productivity and profitability. Agent Connex empowers them whether they are selling cruises, tours, groups or serving corporate clients,” Mysza says.

MTravel.com also offers its agents Client Connex, a free and powerful proprietary database and marketing tool. “Travel agents prefer to keep their client data within their own hands,” Myza says. “And, with the knowledge that marketing is essential to growing their business, MTravel.com agents can maintain total control over their client data. E-mail marketing can be done by the agent at their convenience, anywhere with an internet connection.”

Technology also gives MTravel.com agents the ability to serve and compete for corporate clients. Montrose Travel offers CliqBook, an online tool for corporate customers as well as MontroseCorp, for smaller, unmanaged corporate accounts.

Other corporate oriented technology includes FlightStats for clients to track their flights and receive notification of significant delays or cancellations on their itinerary.

Also launched is Travel GPA that enables corporate customers to assess how well their travel program is being managed, while MTravel.com’s CorpConnect Portal offers a one-stop resource for travel information.

Private labeled websites are another key feature of MTravel.com’s program. This includes online booking by consumers for air, hotel, car, cruise and dynamic packaging. Online pricing includes web, consolidator and published airfares, as well as discounted hotel, car and cruise pricing. Travelport’s Galileo is their primary global distribution system provider.

Mysza believes that MTravel.com’s decision to develop and invest in its own proprietary technologies allows MTravel.com to tailor, customize and control its company’s tech evolution rather than replaying on third party systems. “We can also respond to agents needs more quickly. We have a strong IT staff who ensure we remain on the leading edge.”

MTravel.com has the advantage of being part of Montrose Travel with sales in excess of $110 million and a strong track record of performance and solid financing. An Ensemble Travel member, Montrose Travel has six divisions in addition to MTravel.com that agents can tap into for support, including leisure/honeymoons, corporate, entertainment, groups and incentives.

Mysza notes that travel agents must be aware of the evolution of how client’s research and book travel and remain competitive. “One key goal is to build a sense of community among our agents and give them technology tools that fit their personal needs. We will continue to invest in technology and expect the net result to be increased productivity, profitability and superior service quality for leisure and corporate agents.”

Visit www.MTravel.com or e-mail andi@montrosetravel.com.

Montrose Travel’s 2008 Presidents’ Club the Largest Ever (4/28/09)

claudiusb — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:57:29 +0000

MONTROSE, California – April 29, 2009 – It takes a year to gain entry to the Montrose Travel Presidents’ Club, and only the champions of the company are inducted. Formed in 1999, the Presidents’ Club exists to recognize an elite group of superstars who sell in excess of $1,000,000 in travel annually. In addition, there are 5 spots for non-selling Associates that have proved to exceed their job description. After a company wide nomination process, Montrose Travel’s President and Management Team ultimately select these non-agent winners.

The 2008 roster of the Presidents’ Club lists 40 winners, seven of which are brand new to the Club. For the first year of the Presidents’ Club there were only 12 of winners; now it has grown to its largest group ever. Over 100 people will be traveling on this year’s trip, including the winners, their guests, and management from Montrose Travel.

“Our President’s Club growth is due to the retention and recruitment of amazingly strong agents who find a long term home with us,” said Andi McClure-Mysza, President of the Independent Contractor Division.

Also eligible are Montrose Travel’s on-site Independent Contractors and 500 Home Based Agents. Cathy Nilson, a top-selling Independent Contractor in the corporate sector says, “I’m honored to be inducted into the Presidents’ Club for the 9th time. It means that I am included with the elite agents of Montrose Travel and rewarded with a wonderful weekend for a year of hard work and commitment to meet my sales goals.”

Each winner receives a weekend trip for him/herself and a guest. Past years’ trips included stays at luxury resorts and weekend cruises. The trip for 2008 winners will include something new: a chance for the winners to bring their kids. “Based on feedback from our previous superstars, it was suggested that we include and allow kids to come on this trip. Since Montrose Travel has deep family values, we thought it was a terrific idea”, said Joe McClure, President.

The annual Year-End Holiday Awards Party in early December is when the honorees are announced and recognized. Montrose Travel congratulates those who met the elite standards for eligibility to the 2008 Montrose Travel Presidents’ Club.

# # #

ABOUT MONTROSE TRAVEL

A Host for Every Home (4/15/09, Agent at Home Magazine)

claudiusb — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:59:58 +0000

These host agencies are great examples of what you can find in the market today.

These days you can find a host travel agency to fit virtually any home-based business model. We’ve selected the following hosts as some of the best examples in the market today, but they’re by no means the only hosts out there offering great solutions for your business. In each case, we’ve tried to characterize those hosts by highlighting one aspect of their business, although most offer a full range of services that can help you grow your travel sales.

PERSONALIZED APPROACH: If you’re looking for a host program connected with a veteran traditional agency, Montrose Travel’s MTravel.com unit, which has about 500 agents, might be just the right fit. Established in 1956, Montrose has been hosting independent contactors and home-based agents for more than 35 years. “We have a personal, long-term approach to our relationships with our home-based agents,” says Andi McClure-Mysza, who heads up MTravel.com.”We are not a cookie-cutter program.”

On the technology front, MTravel.com offers affiliates professionally designed and maintained private-labeled websites with online booking capabilities for air, car, hotel, cruise and dynamic packaging. Online bookings are automatically tracked back to the agent. MTravel.com also offers Agent Connex, a comprehensive, proprietary agent support site that was redesigned and relaunched in March. It features sales and commission tracking, invoicing, blocked-space cruise inventory, supplier information, a daily news stream and Mingle, the new social network. The agency also features Client Connex, a database of clients and prospects with e-marketing capabilities. Agents also have access to direct marketing and email programs through Montrose’s agency consortium, Ensemble Travel.

In terms of training and education, MTravel.com offers three Webex sessions per week generally featuring one supplier and two other topics - anything from group prospecting to marketing to procedures to how to host a cruise night. Agents can also access MTravelSchool.com, the agency’s online travel school, at an additional cost. Montrose Travel won Travel Weekly’s 2008 Magellan Award for training.

MTravel.com offers three different commission programs ranging from 50 to 80 percent, depending on the agent’s experience. It charges inexperienced agents $299 to join, with a $259 annual renewal fee. Experienced agents can join for $399, with a $359 annual renewal fee. Well-established agents can join for a $499, with a $459 annual renewal fee. There are no monthly fees. 800-870-5799 andi@montrosetravel.com

Host Roundtable Part II: Hosts Tell How To Find Right Affiliation (4/13/09, Travel Trade)

claudiusb — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:01:51 +0000

In this Host Agency Roundtable discussion, some of the industry’s leading Host agencies talk about trends in the Host/Home Based segment of the industry, including: a growing number of Home Based agents, both with retail travel experience and new entrants; a thumbs up for their relations with suppliers; a very positive outlook about the future of the travel industry and surprising optimism about the business this year, even in the current downturn.

Given the Joystar bankruptcy and the never ending roster of card mill/MLMs, the Host agents discuss how Home Based agents should go about vetting Host agencies before deciding on an affiliation.

In the following Part 2 of the Roundtable, Host executives discuss the business this year, their outlook going forward and how to select a Host. In Part 1, they discussed the growth in Home Based agents and how they work with suppliers. Please visit www.traveltrade.com/6033.news.

Has there been a difference so far this year in the interest in travel/conversion to booking ratio over previous years?

Andi McClure-Mysza, president, MTravel.com:

It’s a tougher sell this year due to the economy. As long as people are employed, however, they do not want to give up their vacations. Some are cutting back. Supplier deals/pricing is helping with conversion. Corporate travel is directly affected by the industry/health of the account (e.g. travel for construction related companies is down).

What’s your outlook going forward?

McClure-Mysza: I believe it’s going to be a tough year for travel in general for 2009, but we’re busier than ever. So people are traveling. Travel will become more impacted as unemployment rises. No job, no vacation. Overall, I believe Montrose Travel (and reputable Host agencies in general) will be poised for growth in this environment. I’m very pleased with the continued growth of our Hosting business.

What should agents be aware of when searching for the “perfect” Host affiliation?

McClure-Mysza: Many agents are embarking on a thorough search for the right host travel agency. We applaud their efforts. And, like many people, they may be at the stage of becoming thoroughly confused and unable to distinguish one host travel agency from the next.

Here is a synopsis of some of the more important intangible characteristics to consider when selecting a host travel agency:

Stability - Is the host profitable, stable and in it for the long haul?
Reputation, clout, relationships with suppliers
Size and buying power = higher commissions for you
Does the host care about and support you and your business?
Does the host’s product mix match your needs – leisure, corporate, group?
Is the host ARC appointed so you can book/sell airfare to your customers?
Alignment of preferred suppliers vs. your needs
Abilities of staff – will you be working with capable people? Are they responsive to your needs?
Ongoing training with suppliers, destinations, business tools, etc.
Track record for paying commissions accurately and on time?
Do they offer you the technology you need to operate your business such as websites, booking tools, CRM, access to subscription based travel tools?
Do they offer you marketing tools and programs?
Will they actively get involved with and help with booking problems when they occur?
Do they provide unlimited business coaching whether you’re a novice learning to make your first booking or a seasoned veteran with questions about business strategy?

To properly evaluate a host travel agency, it’s far beyond cost and commission split. It’s more than transaction processing. It’s a much more complex decision that requires peeking under the covers to get the full story about the host. Do an initial review of their website, call them and ask questions (especially about information not found on their site), ask for references, check the Better Business Bureau. Even Google them.

Remember, selecting a compatible host is much like a marriage. An agent should take a long term approach and feel completely comfortable with their decision with their new business partner.

Montrose Travel named Carnival’s 2008 Agency of the Year (3/23/09, Travel Weekly)

claudiusb — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:47:58 +0000

By: Donna Tunney
March 23, 2009

Montrose Travel co-owner Andi McClure-Mysza knows that 2009 is “going to be a tough year.” But the industry’s economic challenges are not dampening her enthusiasm for her agency and its employees, particularly since Montrose was recently named Carnival Cruise Lines’ Agency of the Year for 2008.

“We were chosen from more than 30,000 agencies, and a lot of the decision was based on growth goals: Our Carnival sales were up 73% last year,” said McClure-Mysza.

Montrose, No. 54 on Travel Weekly’s 2008 Power List, has retail and host divisions and is a family-owned business run by McClure-Mysza, who serves as president of MTravel.com, the host agency; her brother, Joe McClure; and sister-in-law, Julie McClure.

The $110 million agency employs 150 people at its headquarters in Montrose, Calif. Another 350 agents work for the company as independents, and McClure-Mysza attributes a hefty chunk of the agency’s success to that group.

“The hosting side last year grew by 30%,” she said. “That [segment] of the industry is growing, and we’ll be placing greater emphasis on it this year.” Key to the agency’s success is its strong focus on preferred suppliers.

“We do a lot of preferred-supplier marketing to our [independent] agents, who in turn are bringing in new business,” she added.

McClure-Mysza said her agency has been able to weather the economic storm because it is diversified.

“I think, with this award, Carnival was looking for a model that other agencies should strive for,” she said. “We focus on hosting, on group and leisure business and on honeymoons, plus corporate travel, although there’s a lot of softness there right now. We also have had a lot of success by doing the fulfillment for several credit union and credit card loyalty programs.”

While McClure-Mysza is upbeat about the future of her agency and the industry in general, she said that due to heavy cruise discounting, her agents are working harder trying to keep pace with last year.

“I can’t blame the cruise lines for discounting,” she said. “Without it, there’d be a lot of empty ships. But it does hit the bottom line, and we have to work harder. The cruise lines are working with pricing to generate demand, and we’re trying to take advantage of that.”

Carnival said the award is given annually to an agency that demonstrates “exceptional professionalism, enthusiasm and innovation in sales and marketing techniques.”

“Carnival works with a wide range of travel agent partners — from traditional retail outlets to online travel sellers to home-based agencies — all of which possess their own exceptional skills and represent a variety of business models,” said Lynn Torrent, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services. “Montrose Travel is certainly a deserving candidate for the Agency of the Year honor as they offer a high level of service as well as tremendous knowledge and enthusiasm for cruising,” she added.

In addition to Agency of the Year, the line issued regional awards. All winning agencies were nominated by Carnival’s business development managers, who work in partnership with travel agents.

Carnival recognized the following travel agencies as Regional Agencies of the Year: Legendary Journeys (Sarasota, Fla.), Southeast Region; Nexion (Southlake, Texas), Central Region; Cruise Planners/Bogart (Williamsburg, Pa.), Northeast Region; and Expedia CruiseShipCenters (Vancouver), Canadian Agency of the Year.

Host Roundtable Part I: Hosts Upbeat on Biz, Home Based Growth (3/20/09, Travel Trade)

claudiusb — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:00:17 +0000

In the following Roundtable discussion, some of the industry’s leading host agencies talk about trends in the Host/Home Based segment of the industry, including: a growing number of Home Based agents, both with retail travel experience and new entrants; a thumbs up for their relations with suppliers; a very positive outlook about the future of the travel industry and surprising optimism about the business this year, even in the current downturn.

Given the Joystar bankruptcy and the never ending roster of card mill/MLMs, the Host agents discuss how Home Based agents should go about vetting Host agencies before deciding on an affiliation.

In the following Part 1 of the Roundtable, Host agents discuss the growth in Home Based agents and how they work with suppliers.

In Part 2, they talk about current business, their outlook going forward and how to select a Host.

Is the Home Based sector growing, and if so how?

Andi McClure-Mysza, President, MTravel.com:

Yes, the segment is definitely growing and by various means:

A. Brick and mortars closing and just moving their businesses home;
B. Brick and mortars laying off experienced agents who are now starting up as Home Based agents to continue to take advantage of their skills;
C. New entrants, part-timers - people looking to start up a business prior to retiring (they want it to be established by retirement) OR people with honest travel sales potential brought in initially by the MLMs who have since learned the MLMs are not what they are looking for.

Do suppliers deal effectively with Hosts?

McClure-Mysza: Interesting question. Many suppliers are getting better at dealing with Hosts as they better understand the needs and potential of the emerging Home Based agent market. There still are some issues that need addressing, one of the biggest being local BDM support for agents outside of the Host’s “territory.”

Montrose Travel Honored by Classic Vacations as Top Seller (3/19/09, TravelPulse)

claudiusb — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:22:57 +0000

Montrose Travel has been honored by Classic Vacations, the luxury-focused tour operator, as one of its top-sales producing travel agencies in the United States in 2008. Out of an estimated 24,000 travel agencies in the industry today, Montrose Travel was among an elite circle of 200 agencies recognized for its outstanding sales performance with this leading tour company that provides luxury vacations to the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, Europe, and the South Pacific. This was Montrose Travel’s fourth time to be named to this prestigious group of travel professionals. “We are delighted to be part of this very select group of travel experts. Knowing that only 200 agencies ‘made the cut’ makes this truly an honor,” said Joe McClure, president and owner of Montrose Travel, whose agency is known not only for its extensive destination knowledge and comprehensive MTravel.com host agency program, but also the personal care and attention it delivers to clients and home based agents.

Founded in 1956, Montrose Travel is a full-service retail travel agency with departments dedicated to Leisure, Honeymoon, Group, and Corporate travel. Their Travel Professionals boast a combined total of 800 years industry experience and are known for their expertise in delivering the right vacation choice at the best price point, their exemplary customer service, and delivering an array of exclusive perks. For more information call 800-MONTROSE (666-8767) or visit www.montrosetravel.com. Home-based independent agents can visit www.MTravel.com, email andi@montrosetravel.com, or call 800-870-5799.

Montrose Travel Named Carnival Cruise Lines’ ‘Agency of the Year’ (3/06/09, Carnival)

claudiusb — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:22:13 +0000

MIAMI (March 6, 2009) – Montrose Travel, a California-based travel agency that was formed 53 years ago and has continually adapted its business model to meet consumers’ vacation needs, has been selected as Carnival Cruise Lines’ “Agency of the Year” for 2008.

Montrose Travel was selected from among more than 30,000 cruise-selling travel agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Travel agencies that demonstrate exceptional professionalism, enthusiasm, and innovation in sales and marketing techniques were nominated by Carnival’s business development managers who work in partnership with travel agents.

Carnival also recognized the following travel agencies as “Regional Agencies of the Year”:

Southeast Region - Legendary Journeys (Sarasota, Fla.)
Central Region - Nexion (Southlake, Texas)
Northeast Region - Cruise Planners/Bogart (Williamsburg, Penn.)
Canadian Agency of the Year - Expedia CruiseShipCenters (Vancouver)

The following organizations were also recognized for excellence by Carnival:

Strategic Partner of the Year: Signature Travel Network
Partner of the Year - Western U.S. - Costco Travel
Partner of the Year - Eastern U.S. - Cruise.com
Canadian Tour Operator of the Year - Air Transat
International Travel Agency of the Year - Foster & Ince Cruise World (Barbados)

“Carnival works with a wide range of travel agent partners – from traditional retail outlets to on-line travel sellers to home-based agencies – all of which possess their own exceptional skills and represent a variety of business models,” said Lynn Torrent, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services. “Montrose Travel is certainly a deserving candidate for the ‘Agency of the Year’ honor as they offer a high level of service as well as tremendous knowledge and enthusiasm for cruising,” she added.

Montrose Travel was founded as a small storefront travel agency in 1956 and has grown to become one of the travel industry’s largest and most successful companies, with more than $110 million in annual sales and 11 operating divisions housed in four self-owned buildings encompassing 40,000 square feet.

Although the family-owned company has grown tremendously by continually reinventing itself, one constant has been its commitment to personalized service, even in the advent of the Information Age, with teams dedicated to such areas as groups, leisure travel, honeymoons, credit card loyalty rewards programs, and corporate/incentive travel, among others.

Through the efforts of owners Joe and Julie McClure and Andi McClure-Mysza, and their talented 150-member team, Montrose Travel experienced a 73 percent sales increase over the past year through a combination of superior service, product knowledge, innovation and professionalism.

“We would like to congratulate Montrose Travel on being named our Agency of the Year and thank all of our travel agent partners who continue to support Carnival Cruise Lines and provide our guests with their valued expertise and service,” said Torrent.

Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 16 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Europe, and Bermuda.

The line currently has two new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011. The first of those, the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, is set to debut Sept. 21, 2009.