WISER TRAVEL AGENTS NEWS
What’s New and Changing in 2023?
What are the Wiser Travel Agents Updates and Changes for 2023? First of all, Happy New Year, Agents! As we celebrate the new year and plan our goals for 2023, let’s salute ourselves. Like you, I have a lot on my plate going into 2023 and I have plans to trim that plate over the coming months. We spend way too much time doing too much stuff. Instead of taking more time out for ourselves, we continue to cater to the needs of others like family.
But in reality, our clients always come first which is the sign of a very good travel agent. We are service oriented and we strive for perfection in all that we do, it’s our travel agent nature. Once a travel agent, always a travel agent no denying that fact.
WHAT’S NEW
As part of the Wiser Travel Agents Updates and Changes for 2023, I’ll continue to manage this site, but there may be a few changes coming later regarding the membership level. Currently, memberships are free but the amount of Spam registrations (people who are not legitimate travel agents) has gotten out of hand.
I’ve recently changed how the member registration works on the backend. When someone signs up it goes into a pending status for vetting first before an account is activated by the administrator. Vetting takes time. I am thinking about charging a one dollar (one time) member fee for registration to hopefully keep the spammers out. I have not implemented that plan yet, just thinking about it.
Agents who sign up for my affiliate program must activate their accounts to receive their referral links according to the email you receive after signing up, if not you won’t receive credit or commissions for your referrals. There are quite a few agents who have not activated their accounts. So, if you are still interested in this affiliate program, please activate your account. I’d really like to send you commissions for your travel agent referrals.
I have two new projects in the works to add to the products on this site. One is AJ’s Glossary of Travel Terms that agents will find helpful. When I started in the business, I had no idea what certain travel terms meant. For instance, I could not tell you the difference between a Hotel’s European Plan verses an American Plan. I confused an adjourning room with a connecting room.
Cruise ships had all sorts of mysterious terms. There were so many terms that I had to learn quickly to get up to speed. The other project is a guidebook for Becoming a Travel Agent and Finding your Niche. Both should be up on the site closer to early 2024, and I’ll announce when those have been added to the products depository on this site.
LETS GET PERSONAL
Although, I no longer sell travel, I still book corporate travel and I travel also. Some of the Wiser Travel Agents Updates and Changes for 2023 include some personal changes too. Over the last year, I have experienced many positive life changes in my personal, business, and work life. You will notice that my last name has changed. I’m single now, yeah!
After closing my travel business, I stayed pretty busy. Aside from operating this site, I write travel articles, as well as location, and restaurant/food reviews for Google local and Yelp, and I’m am writing my memoir. I’m also a Google Developer (building an App), learning French, and updating a credit manual.
In addition, I work full-time for Amazon MGM Studios and travel often. It’s a lot on this plate but fun and very manageable. I need to mentally recharge. Plus, I’ve spent time working on my Absolute Journeys Travel Blog. This blog is about my past and current experiences as a Boomer traveler. Writing takes time, so I had to dedicate what time I had to this endeavor. Most of my travel has been with other agents, my daughter, and my sister but starting this year I will be traveling solo and at a slower pace.
In fact, my travel writing will focus more on Elder travel rather than millennial journeys. The Media covers the younger generation continually. Older folks like me have a certain travel style. We need to know that we can travel comfortably, safely, and on budget.
I’ll provide plenty of travel tips, suggestions, recommendations, and highlights of the many destinations I visit domestically and internationally. Of course from the perspective of a travel agent and solo boomer traveler. I’ll also share what it’s like traveling with a 5-pound dog. I take him everywhere I go, even to work at MGM Studios.
MY TRAVEL EXPERTISE
As a travel expert, I have a lot to offer readers interested in traveling. Sharing fun ways to plan short getaways and longer vacations for more successful trips. I’ll recommend travel Apps, gear, and must have travel accessories more suited for my generation. Will talk about the pitfalls of not buying travel insurance and why we need it when we travel, as well as many safety tips for solo travelers.
Most importantly, at the end of every post, I’ll mention how consulting and working with a travel agent can save one time, money, and less headaches. I hope my blog enables me to send many referrals to agents I know around the country.
The Solo Boomer Traveler fits my niche, an avid seasoned traveler with more time to travel now. An untapped market, solo boomers. I enjoyed my old Luxury niche of dealing with higher end clients. However, now as a traveler myself, I keep my costs as low as possible to really immerse myself in the culture, food, people, and the place. You won’t see me staying at the Ritz, although I could.
My go to chains are the 3-Star Privately owned Boutique Hotels and on occasion a 4-star Marriott, Hyatt, or Hilton hotels or a foreign equivalent. I am Westin Hotel fan in the States and Novotel or Accor in Europe. Looking forward to completing projects, writing, and experiencing more extraordinary journeys now and in the future. Hope you travel more too! This concludes the Wiser Travel Agents Updates and Changes for 2023.
FINALLY
I’m excited about the new year and my single life in this new chapter. I wish you all happiness, health, and much prosperity going forward. Thanks for being a part of my travel world. Lots of appreciation for visiting my Wiser Travel Agents site. Don’t forget to check out my travel blog too. Oh, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn as well as WhatsApp. But I’m not touching TikTok!
With gratitude and respect,
Celeste Cooley,
Travel Expert and Wiser Travel Agent Site owner