Which Travel Association To Join

A helpful guide to understanding the world of tour operator membership organizations. They say there’s power in numbers, and joining an industry organisation is certainly a testament to that belief. Having worked with few tour operators over the years I’ve had my fair share of interactions with industry associations and other membership organisations and this write up is all about exploring just what makes them so valuable. Perhaps you’re just starting your business, or maybe you’re coming into the new financial year and are assessing whether or not you’d like to invest in a particular membership. Lucky for you, I try to make the decision a little bit easier. Here’s our deep dive into the world of membership organisations and why I think every tour operator should belong to at least one.

Benefit # 1: Networking – Tour Operator Itinerary Software Networking – This one may sound obvious, but there really are many reasons why networking within a membership organisation can be extremely valuable for your business. First of all, no harm can ever be done by rubbing shoulders with other like-minded businesses and professionals. It’s a great opportunity to share stories, tips, tools, and experiences. If you’re a tour operator or Destination Management Company that specialises in creating tours for other travel agencies to onsell, then the networking element of membership organisations is the perfect way to meet potential new clients.

Benefit # 2: Education – Tour Operator Itinerary Software Trends – One thing that some of our favourite membership organisations over the years have in common is their collective mission to educate and empower their members. The travel industry is a dynamic and constantly changing beast…keeping up to date with new trends, influences and statistics is just not something that most tour operators can find the time to do (despite their best intentions!). Utilising a larger force like a membership organisation means you get access to all of those valuable industry insights and you can continue crafting all of those fabulous itineraries that your customers know and love you for.

Benefit # 3: Recognition and exposure – Many associations and membership organisations will host awards where their members have the opportunity to be recognised for the work they do. Not only is it a nice pat on the back, it’s also a fabulous marketing opportunity for your business to be shortlisted or better still selected for an award. Tour Operator Itinerary Software Recognition – Any good membership organisation should innately value their members and be proud to promote them. Getting your company news or profile publicised on a highly ranked website like that of an association is a great way to increase your organic ranking in google and is a fabulous way to reach more prospective customers.

Benefit # 4: More quality customers – We’ve mentioned it a few times already, but we think this benefit really deserves its own section. Arguably one of the biggest benefits to belonging to one of these organisations is the potential new business that can stem from these relationships. Membership organisations are communities with a clearly defined common interest that have already been pooled together. Find the right organisations to become a member of and you will have tapped into a pool of prospective customers that are more than likely going to be somewhat interested in your business offering.

Tour Operators Interaction, Itinerary & Software – When it comes to actually tapping into your newfound community and leveraging the commercial opportunities your membership provider should offer you with plenty of options to make that possible. Whether it’s email campaigns, networking events in your local area, or an annual conference – start the conversation and work with them to come up with something that will be mutually beneficial for your business and for the members of the organisation you’re wanting to work with.

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