A group of Aussie travel agents were among the first from the APAC region to experience Rocky Mountaineer’s newly added American Southwest route.
Three of TravelManagers’ personal travel managers (PTMs) experienced the journey as part of a six-day famil itinerary.
Already a great fan of rail travel, PTM Tanya Tyler, TravelManagers’ representative for Riverview, NSW, was eager to experience the new route that carries passengers between Moab, Utah and Denver, Colorado.
Along the way, the Rockies to the Red Rocks itinerary provided opportunities to soak up incredible scenery such as Ruby Canyon, Mount Garfield and Glenfield Springs.
“Before boarding the train in Moab, we spent a day exploring the incredible scenery of the nearby Arches National Park,” she reported.
“The rail journey itself was packed with more spectacular scenery, and there were plenty of staff onboard to make sure we enjoyed a truly five-star experience.”
Tyler said the meals served on board the Rocky Mountaineer were almost as spectacular as the miles of photogenic scenery: “there were options for each meal, and all the meals were beautifully served at your seat”.
Tyler was joined by fellow PTMs, Joanne Haines from Berwick, VIC, and Vicki Odea from Lane Cove, NSW.
All three relished the opportunity to experience the luxury product, which launched for a preview season in 2021 and commenced its full 2022 season in April.
With time free in Denver at the conclusion of the rail journey, Haines said she enjoyed having the opportunity to take in a baseball game and treat herself to a little retail therapy amid the two-kilometre expanse of the city’s 16th Street Mall.
“This was my first post-pandemic famil,” Haines noted, “and it was such a great feeling to be out in the world again, doing what I love.”
Meanwhile, back in Australia, TravelManagers is continuing its post-pandemic upward trajectory with the announcement of its busiest ever June sales figures.
Chief operating officer, Grant Campbell, reported total sales per PTM were up 51 per cent on June 2019, with the average booking commission per PTM over the same period having increased by the same amount – the highest-ever average commission per PTM.
Campbell believes these significant increases in both sales and commission per PTM will entice many of those who hibernated their businesses during the pandemic to return to the industry they love.
“The concept of a home-based personal travel manager is much more mainstream than it was three years ago,” said, “When many companies were scrambling to set in place the necessary systems to make this possible, we were already there.”
With seventeen years of expertise as a home-based travel network, the company is, according to Campbell, ideally placed to welcome established and former consultants who are considering a move to independent self-employment.
“We are already receiving considerable interest from consultants wishing to join the TravelManagers family, eager to advantage of the growing momentum of the travel industry’s recovery and the myriad benefits offered by our model.”
