Travel businesses are often torn when it comes to giving the green light for staff to attend industry events such as conferences, forums and roadshows.
They have to balance the value the agent will get from the event with the loss of them from the store or call centre for a day – and the impact that might have on earnings with one fewer person on the desk or on the phones.
For self-employed homeworkers, the dilemma is even greater, as logging off to attend a training event means a great deal of catching up later.
At Travel Weekly, we believe these events can have a really positive effect if executed well.
It was fantastic therefore to hear how one agent has launched a completely new division in her business after attending a conference earlier this year.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as excited or energised by a training event as Miles Morgan Travel general manager Mandy Shillito after the session on river cruise at Clia’s conference in May. So to see that excitement translate into a new business opportunity is really rewarding.
It is early days for the destination, of course, and the return will need to be carefully planned. But for the many Tunisians who rely on tourism for their livelihoods, and for the tourist board, which has worked so hard with the UK trade, it will be cause for some optimism.
This comment appears in Travel Weekly, August 24 edition