New company group ‘aspires’ to create group, share sources: Journey Weekly

A group of six luxury travel agencies across the country have joined forces Aspire Associates Group, an alliance with a mission to share resources and use their collective expertise to improve their businesses.

“We all have our own agency, but we are part of this alliance where we bring our strengths and help each other. We work together to make everyone better,” said Aspire partner Helen Papa, the owner of TBH Travel in Dix Hills, NY

Papa has had the idea of ​​bringing like-minded agencies together for several years. she was actively work on Aspire since the beginning of the pandemic.

The alliance offers its members tailored training, events and marketing as well as a common space for the exchange of ideas and best practices.

The group has identified a handful of preferred suppliers who have agreed to work with Aspire on topics such as custom marketing, customer events (virtual and ultimately in person), itineraries and groups. Aspire’s preferred partnerships don’t extend to increased commission levels, however, Papa said. Members are not prevented from booking with non-Aspire preferred suppliers.

Helen Papa from TBH Travel

In addition to TBH Travel, Posh Travel in Greenland, NH, are other founding members. Court trips in Charlotte, NC; Precision travel in Dallas; Cruise Vacations International in Fulton, Md., And CSB Travel in Houston.

All are members of Virtuoso (Papa said the owners met through Virtuoso committees and events), but other agencies or independent contractors interested in working with Aspire do not have to be members of the consortium. Aspire is open to new partners, but the relationship should be mutually beneficial, Dad said. Therefore there is no fixed fee structure. Instead, it would depend on what the partner was looking for: training or marketing, for example.

Much of what Aspire and its supplier partners are currently doing is conceptual, and travel beyond U.S. borders has largely stalled, Papa said. On the one hand, however, continued training. Preferred Suppliers have conducted a number of webinars with Aspire. Several hotel directors took the consultants from Aspire member agencies on property tours and answered questions live via Zoom.

“It really empowers our people that they matter, or those GMs and senior vice presidents would not live and speak to them directly,” said Papa. “If you feel like you matter, you want to work with this property and know they’ll turn their backs on your clients.”

Aspire member advisors also get to know each other and exchange ideas between agencies.

“It’s like we have our own community and it’s really wonderful to see,” said Dad.