Some of the top activities include Jump on Van/Pay Seat, taking a Limo-Bust and Charter, Disney, attractions, hunting, tours, events, packages, supermarket, food, beverage, restaurants, sports events, shows, and endless restaurant/shops. Guests are traveling for a reason and activities provide them the very reason they are vacationing. We get to help guests/clients make wonderful memories. They are going to Orlando to finally ride the Hogwarts Train at Universal Studios. They are going to New York (300 activities in New York), so see the statue of liberty in person for the first time. They are going to Las Vegas to see a Cirque Du Solei show that they have heard so many amazing things about. Suppliers must give us a 30% margin to work with us on activities. The Ancillary Department is broken down into:
- Product: The ancillary inventory is negotiated and contracted internally by our team of Ancillary Product Managers Carly Layton, BillyJo Clark, and Myrta Cordero.
- Data Entry: Once contracts are finalized, our Data Entry team is responsible for loading and updating the data in our system. This team is led by the Ancillary Product Admin Supervisor, Joann Vega, and consists of two agents, Kate Rodriguez, and Nancy Alexis.
- Operations: Specialty Services handles all ancillary booking. From e-tickets to free sell, Michael Quinones and his team, Sebastian Morales, Sheena Lynch, Patty Adam, Rachel Aponte, and Margaret Lleras.
Why Add Ancillary Products?
- Better rates before they arrive: Walk up rates are MUCH higher than the wholesale rates.
- Added convenience: Airport transfers relieve your guests from the worry of catching a cab after a long day of travel, or making it the airport in time to catch their flight. Plus, car rentals give guests the freedom to make their own itinerary.
- Better Time Management: Wait times at world-famous attractions can be hours. Remember people traveling to these destinations are making the trip for the sole reason for seeing these attractions. Help make the most of their trip by booking tickets ahead of time.
- Better rates than the other guys: with our new exclusive deals, we are securing exclusive deals at popular attractions. Each with over 40% off retail! we are securing exclusively low rates in popular attractions.
- One-Stop-Shop: Why waste the guests’ time with going to multiple websites shopping around to fill their vacation.
When it comes to clients in ancillary overall, they don’t change suppliers. Viator, Hotelbeds, GTA, Getyourguide, & Expedia are suspected of providing incentives or money under the table. Viator looks better and is our biggest competitor because they have just been doing activities longer than anyone else. top sellers at a Net Rate in theme parks in return for them giving us bookings in the rest of their destinations. We should look at ancillary sales potential the same as hotels sales potential. Many of our Sales Managers don’t understand the activity product is the biggest problem, not hotels. Our XML is not connected to the cross-sell promotion that you see on the touricoholidays.com website, but many of the problems related to selling activities are the lack of education by the Sales team and Product Managers. Future product managers need to travel to the destination city and experience the things to do around the area and then communicate this information to Sales Managers.
Time Management of Activities
Why waste time wandering around an attraction or city without a guide to show you the must-sees and must-dos? Our inventory offers guests a variety of Hop On Hop Off tickets giving them the independence to create their own itinerary; staying at attractions for as long as they want OR guided city tours which will pick guests up from their hotel and tour the city with a guide explaining. Our Fast Track, Skip-the-Line, and Fastpass options offer our guests more time to enjoy the attractions. passes with multiple vouchers. Priority entrance is for attractions and city tours.
- Priority Entrance: Skip-the-Line and Easy-Pass options are available at many attractions.
- Guided Tours: City Tours are available on a guided or self-guided option in most major destinations. There are many tours available with priority entrance to help eliminate waiting in long lines (London Eye, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre Museum). For example, the Eiffel Tower’s lines can vary from 2 to 6 hour wait time. London Eye Fastpass, guests walk passed these bystanders and proceed to their own Express entry for reserved tickets!
- Cross Sale
- During booking flow
- Best Deals
- Ranking in search
- Best deals populate first
- Marketing Email Blasts
- Direct to clients
- Make sure clients are on the marketing recipient list
- Marketing creates Ancillary Action
- Web-based Newsletter
- Monthly release
Largest source market for activities is LATAM. LATAM is a price sensitive market. In Brazil, by law, they need travel agents and must have it translated to be online. Theme parks are the main focus for LATAM, especially Orlando. Many LATAM clients have a free sale option or have no need to communicate to the supplier for booking/confirmation, because of the relationships they have. LATAM clients want things on an instant basis with a short timeframe of confirmation. $5,000 XML connectivity fee through switches for activities in LATAM. Ofir has worked out a deal where we pay $2,500 and then the rest is paid at a later date pending on their sales volume with us for another $2,500.
XML Feed:
- Option ID = Ticket option; Option ID is mandatory for what type of program you are listing; similar to the hotel room type id
- Units- transfers; use per person; similar to vacation home;
- Offset-free sale; there is no cancellation policy; we send them an e-ticket that they can refund; 0.
Always there is no cancellation policy. Basis type is delta; amount or percent. Two different sections of cancellation policy and others are for no-shows. Activities are you looking for in each destination that you don’t see in our inventory? Email blast or reach out for link building opportunities to companies like Lonely Planet, National Geographic, etc. to put a link on their website to book our activities that they are describing; Develop a new list of activities that we currently do not have in our destination cities
EVENTS, TOURS, AND SIGHTSEEING
Vouchers save money and time. The top sold ancillaries are private and saved transfers. We can get discounts because of blackout dates and bus tours take profit after 10 seats. A long-distance coach goes 911/day. XML connectivity shows on your system. 10% make on activities and commitments on activity.
BUSES
The American Bus association sets the rules and regulations for buses. An array of costs such as a Tour Guide, Driver, Bus itself and Dot (Department of Transportation Conditions such as bus cannot drive more than 14 hours/Driver 10 hours. You cannot negotiate national parks because they are government related, but you can negotiate:
- Hotels
- Baggage Handling
- Activities
- Buses
- American Breakfast which is bigger or continental which is smaller
Never let suppliers win, the seller (business). Buses stop at 45 because it only has that many seats. It must have a name list and rooming list with who will be in each room whether it is a single or double. Most Bus Tours plant to operate 5-6. Clients are willing to move because they are already planning to go unless work gets in the way. You can change dates based on guaranteed dates. Baggage Handling-clients expect people want to check the bag before loaded to moving baggage. Moving back gage from one place to another. You can always have a rollaway bed cost for a bed to bring into the room. Max is 4/person; maybe 5 for Orlando. Variable Prices include: /person, Hotel, Meals, Attraction Tickets, Flights, and Baggage Handling. Round-trip is yours in and out. You do need to know diets and restaurants for people to eat at. Single Expenses only refer to accommodations. We don’t offer insurance for tour operators; can as a variable but don’t usually cause insurance and is cheaper abroad. The American Bus Association can see new buses. National parks are government and you cannot negotiate with them. You can negotiate group rates on Hotels, Baggage Handling, Meals, Activities, Buses, and never let suppliers win. You could also offer a continental small breakfast or an American bigger breakfast.