Savenio revamps commission model to help travel agents get back into the industry

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By Alexandra Coulton


With international borders beginning to reopen and Australians once again keen to travel overseas, Savenio has revamped its agency model to better reflect the post-lockdown travel landscape.

The luxury travel agency has introduced new commission structures to provide flexibility and operational success aimed to benefit members and attract agents who are looking to rejoin the industry and rebuild their business post-lockdown.

The new structure offering 85, 95 and 100 per cent commission models for a flat rate monthly access fee of $175 per advisor was outlined during an online national advisor briefing on Wednesday.

Savenio managing director David Brandon said many agents, particularly in the luxury space, have spent almost two years working on rebookings and refunds, which has been followed by a significant period of no turnover.

“Many advisors still haven’t made the decision to re-engage with the industry,” he said.

“Savenio is offering an opportunity to support advisors as they move back into the market and start to rebuild their business.”

The new model also includes a reduced membership fee and scalable options, with high-yielding members receiving an annual bonus which increases as they reach turnover targets – giving advisors more flexibility as the travel market resumes.

“Our new model recognises the travel industry is undergoing a complete reboot, and with so many stop-starts and unknowns, Savenio’s new model will bring a level of confidence to our advisors as they ease back in and expand their business,” Brandon said.

“Importantly, Savenio is able to provide advisors with support to build confidence with their clients with up-to-the-minute information on covid restrictions, requirements, insurance and travel challenges, which is essential knowledge for successful international travel.

“While we are beginning to see demand for international bookings creep back, many travel clients are waiting to see what international travel is going to look like, and to understand what the experience is going to be before they commit.

“Clients want to be 100 per cent certain they are protected and supported if their flight gets cancelled or if they get sick while they are away, and only the most skilled, experienced, qualified and professional advisor, backed up by a strong network with solid protocols, is going to be able to offer that kind of assurance.”

“Post-COVID travel requires so much more to navigate and travellers really need someone who knows the business, the destination and how to get the right outcome.”

The restructured model was first introduced in April, when the Virtuoso member announced it would allow agents to choose an affiliation option that best suits their business – either an 85 per cent, 95 per cent or 100 per cent commission on their work.

“Once our international borders reopen, we will see a massive realignment of our industry, with fewer advisors and a demand for a higher level of client service, which Savenio advisors will be perfectly positioned to support,” Brandon said at the time.

“Now is the time for advisors to realign with the agencies they believe will be the best for their future business and the demands of a new travel marketplace, and Savenio will be there to support them.”

Featured image source: iStock/visualspace

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