The totally creative, ambitious and practical ways advisors have leveraged media channels to grow their business - written by Jenny Hart
Knowing how to leverage the media, whether it’s a national publication or simply your own website, it s surefire way to promote and grow your business as a travel advisor. Not sure how or where to start? Take inspiration from these industry pro. (Continue here to read more…)
ASTA’s network for young travel advisors is not the only community of its kind that is looking to reinvent itself and its purpose as its members emerge from the pandemic.
Ten years ago Millennials in Travel came onto the scene as a social collective aimed at providing a networking space for travel professionals born after 1975 that could help them develop, grow and evolve their careers.
The group is open to all types of travel industry professionals, including advisors, suppliers and journalists, and today has a robust, 3,300-member network with nine chapters located in major cities across the country.
While its mission to help members connect is still a top priority, Millennials in Travel says its purpose recently broadened to focus on becoming a resource for the travel industry at large when it comes to the travel needs, trends and desires of millennials and the young traveler market.
“‘What do millennials want?’ That’s how we have been utilized as a resource for other organizations, companies, tourism boards, etc.,” said Joshua Smith, director of strategic development for the group. “We work on projects polling our membership or holding focus groups to understand what are the needs, and the changing needs, and it helps those organizations be more efficient and effective in the marketplace.”
The future of Canada’s travel industry is in good hands thanks to a new generation of passionate travel pros.
Millennials in Travel (MIT), a U.S-based organization dedicated to tourism growth, career development, and networking among a generational segment in the travel industry, has gone international with the launch of its first Canadian chapter in Vancouver, B.C.
The new branch, which was first announced in September 2021, held an official kickoff event on Tuesday (April 26) at Vancouver’s glam Shangri-La Hotel, welcoming a mix of travel advisors and other professionals from the tour operator, tourism board, media, air and cruise line sectors.
The new chapter – the first MIT brand to launch outside of the U.S. – is led by Kemi Wells of Wells Luxury Travel, the group’s officer of development, and The Travel Group's McKenzie McMillan, who serves as officer of communications.
Wells and McMillan used to lead a next-generation career development group called Young Travel Professionals (YTP), and while that club eventually phased out, the two continued fostering a local network of tourism pros.
“As YTP wound down and as the pandemic began, we felt it would be a great idea to start up an official Millennials in Travel Chapter in Vancouver as the organization was still going strong and they were keen to see their first Canadian chapter!” Wells told PAX.
Volunteer-run MIT Vancouver also welcomes Anshuman Pancholi as officer of membership and Blair Hirtle as officer of events.
“There are many benefits to joining,” Wells said, explaining the group’s activities.
This includes access to MIT Chapter Networking Events – from local ones to events held by U.S. chapters if a member is visiting a city and the timing aligns.
There are exclusive gatherings at various conferences and global events to provide additional networking opportunities for members across all chapters.
There is a job board for members and MIT is also working on virtual training modules to educate members about the different sectors of the industry, as well as on products, industry tools, destinations and brands with a focus on helping millennial professionals (those who are generally born after 1975).
“I love the sense of community,” McMillan said. “MIT runs forums, social media pages and groups to help keep everyone connected.”
Being a member grants you access to member-only Millennials in Travel familiarization trips (invited sectors are at the host’s discretion).
There are also exclusive promotions and discounts for members, McMillan said.
MIT’s expansion into Canada is part of a greater effort to build a stronger travel trade community over the next few decades.
Millennials communicate differently, market differently and conduct business in a different way, as the organization’s main website explains.
And, as the motto of the organization says: “We are the future of the travel industry.”
“We may be biased, but I think we are a group of very driven and passionate individuals who have clear goals in mind for our careers and life journey,” said Wells. “Our chapter is a fun way to stay connected, meet other like-minded people and help each other to strengthen our industry as a whole.”
MIT Vancouver’s plan is to hold quarterly in-personal events – and the next gathering is already set for June 21, 2022.
The launch event in Vancouver was "very successful," Wells said, thanks to venue sponsor Shangri-La Vancouver and event sponsor, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority.
Additional prizes were also provided by MGM Resorts International and Cirque du Soleil.
The group says it has several partners already expressing interest in sponsoring a future event, but they’re of course welcoming more on board as they plan ahead for 2022 and 2023.
Those who are interested in working with MIT Vancouver, or to simply connect, are invited to contact yvr@millennialsintravel.com.
If you are a millennial in travel and want to sign up for the Vancouver (or any other) chapter for updates, click here.
There is a cost to becoming an official member (although, you can still get newsletter updates without a charge).
As a not-for-profit, MIT Vancouver’s annual fee is $25.00 USD per person, which provides access to the benefits listed above, including tickets to two in-person events.
The membership and two complimentary events are valid for 365 days from the membership activation or renewal date.
Member attendance to additional in-person events (after the first two) are $15.00 USD per event, and all in-person events for non-members are $15.00 USD per event.
(Canadian pricing is still being worked on, “but really, we think it is a bargain!” noted Wells).
There are no official announcements (yet) about expanding MIT to other regions in Canada, but it’s definitely on the wish list.
“It would be great to have a chapter in each major province,” McMillan said.
For more on Millennials in Travel, click here.
LOS ANGELES, CA. – Millennials in Travel, a career development and networking organization for travel industry professionals, announced that they will begin exclusive programming for the next group of travel specialists, Gen Z in Travel. Supported by their colleagues at Millennials in Travel, Gen Z in Travel will be a unique community created for those who are only beginning to enter the workforce.
Generally born after 1997, Gen Z is known as the most diverse and inclusive generation yet. This future group of industry professionals will be a resource for those who are looking to enter the travel and hospitality industry. The mission of Gen Z in Travel will be to inspire the next wave of young professionals to pursue a career in tourism, develop an influential community and be a catalyst for impactful change in the industry. By creating an organization earlier than their predecessors, Gen Z in Travel will be better prepared to address the needs of the industry and their generation.
“Millennials in Travel began as a result of a generation in need of exclusive networking and relationship-building within the travel industry,” said Joshua Smith, director of strategic development for Millennials in Travel. “We want to strengthen the industry by starting early in the development of future travel industry leaders. We’ve assumed the role of helping to establish Gen Z in Travel over the coming years to ensure there is a collaborative approach in this quickly changing landscape. By empowering this growing segment and providing the necessary support, these relationships will result in a stronger and more resilient industry for the next few decades.”
“As someone who recently graduated and started their career in the travel industry, I know how challenging it can be to navigate potential career paths within tourism, which will be a necessity for our industry's survival,” said Derek Fine, Gen Z Advisor for Millennials in Travel. “Our goal will be to showcase the value of joining the travel industry as well as create programs to further develop career opportunities and cultivate a sense of community for Gen Z. Collectively, with support from Millennials in Travel, we have the ability to reignite an interest in the industry after two years of the pandemic.”
For those who are part of Gen Z and interested in learning more, Gen Z in Travel will be hosting a virtual happy hour series on the third Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. PST from March to June 2022. Various topics will be discussed, including the great resignation, career paths within travel and Gen Z travel trends.
“After the closure of YTP, we continued fostering a local tourism network, however we recognized the opportunity in aligning with a larger entity and felt Millennials in Travel would be a perfect fit,” Wells said.
“The pandemic has greatly shifted networking and the ability to have a community, so we’re excited to build the Millennials in Travel brand and be the first outside of the United States,” McMillan continued.
To learn more about Millennials in Travel Vancouver and what the future holds, Travel Courier caught up with Wells and McMillan.
Wells: Over the years we have worked so hard to build and foster our community of young travel professionals. When the official global YTP brand shut down three years ago or so, we wanted to keep the group going so we simply changed our name to “Young Vancouver Travel Professionals” — as that’s truly what we are!
We still ran and managed our own events, thanks to support from hotels and tourism board partners. I had seen the Millennials in Travel community continue to strengthen across the US and I knew they had a solid structure with support and other resource tools so I thought it would help us by going under their umbrella. I think it will allow our community to feel well-connected across North America as well. MIT also have FAM and job opportunities, which I think our Vancouver community will appreciate.
Wells: The first and most important thing is to re-connect with our peers in Vancouver. Through the pandemic, some have sadly left the industry, others were furloughed for a prolonged amount of time, and others have just about survived keeping their existing jobs the whole time. One thing for certain is that the power of human connection remains, and it will be so great to get back to in-person events where we share our energy and passion for this industry we all love so much. We are looking for sponsors who want to connect and support Millennials in Travel and we hope to start with quarterly events from there and see how we go.
Wells: We are the future of the industry, truly. One key reason I was so keen to get involved with this cause when I first joined the industry in late 2014, was I quickly realized – especially in a management position – there were not many people of my age at the other events and conferences I attended. I noticed how so many people had been in this industry for 25+ years and all knew each other and shared stories from years ago. I wanted to ignite our own community, so we could start building our relationships and learn from each other. From a supplier partner perspective, I think the Millennial voice is a really important one to listen to, as we think differently and can share fresh perspectives.
McMillan: We want to ensure our demographic of travel professionals in Vancouver have a good support network, a sense of community, and an understanding of millennial consumer trends and interests to help build and foster their talents moving forward.
Wells: In 2020 we did a number of community Zoom calls to stay connected, and we have our Facebook group, however, I will admit our connection has weakened over the past 12 months, so we are hoping this news and new chapter will help to re-connect our community and hopefully attract new people to join us as well!
McMillan: We are seeing a resurgence in interest in utilizing travel professionals to guide consumers through the web of new rules and travel regulations in this post-pandemic world, and with that, we are seeing not only millennials become one of the largest emerging consumer markets, but also will become the dominant demographic of new travel professionals.
Wells: Luxury travel is definitely on the up. The demand is there. Prices are increasing dramatically, availability can be challenging, but I find many affluent clients are willing to pay it. We’re finding clients are wanting to stay longer, splurge on nicer accommodation and also work with a travel professional to handle all of the small details. Clients are definitely paying me (and are happy to) for more concierge style requests as they want the entire trip taken care of. I have had a lot of interest in Europe this summer and into fall, and now it is about encouraging clients to really start booking and locking in 2022 and 2023. I also have been working on a number of group trips, both personal and corporate/incentive. People want to reconnect with people, in a safe but amazing way.
Wells: Thanks so much – nine months in – I can’t quite believe it, but things are going amazingly, I am relieved and thrilled to admit. I am staying true to my new business model of charging upfront fees – charging by the hour and only taking luxury forward bookings. I have a steady stream of new leads and great referrals and it has been so rewarding to already have facilitated incredible trips for my clients this year. Finding balance is the hardest; juggling client demands, pandemic restrictions, supporting a team and being on the road a lot for work, as well as my varying industry commitments, but I know it will all pay off in the long run!
We hope to get as many Millennials in Vancouver to sign up to our new chapter as possible. It is FREE and signing up will be the core way we communicate moving forward. Sign up here.
U.S-based Millennials in Travel, an organization dedicated to career development and networking among a generational segment in the travel industry, has gone international with the launch of a chapter in Vancouver, BC.
The organization’s growth will continue to create a stronger travel trade community over the next few decades, said Joshua Smith, director of strategic development at Millennials in Travel.
“During the pandemic, we’ve focused on maintaining communication and listening to feedback on improvement as well as expansion of the organization to ensure we’re collectively able to meet the demands of the tourism industry,” Smith said. “While we’ve been looking at a few international destinations over the past couple years, Vancouver as major tourism market for both inbound and outbound tourism as well as a cultural hub, was a logical choice in the organization’s expansion.”
The Millennials in Travel Vancouver chapter will be led by Kemi Wells of Wells Luxury Travel and McKenzie McMillan of The Travel Group.
Both are two former leaders of Young Travel Professionals (YTP).
“After the closure of YTP, we continued fostering a local tourism network. However, we recognized the opportunity in aligning with a larger entity and felt Millennials in Travel would be a perfect fit,” Wells said.
McMillan added: “The pandemic has greatly shifted networking and the ability to have a community, so we’re excited to build the Millennials in Travel brand and be the first outside of the United States.”
Millennials in Travel has also launched in Charleston, SC with a full leadership team guiding the chapter which includes Jamie Jackson with Andavo Travel, Jennifer Horan with American Queen Steamboat Company, Brenna Emerson with Belmond and Ike High with Explore Charleston.
Both chapters are in the planning stage of their launches to ensure local protocols allow for beneficial and safe networking opportunities.
Millennials in Travel recently re-started in-person events in July with the Los Angeles chapter initiating the return for the organization.
Millennials in Travel (MIT) is now an international organization with the launch of its Vancouver chapter, led by Kemi Wells of Wells Luxury Travel and McKenzie McMillen of The Travel Group.
“During the pandemic, we’ve focused on maintaining communication and listening to feedback on improvement as well as expansion of the organization to ensure we’re collectively able to meet the demands of the tourism industry,” said Joshua Smith, director of strategic development, in a press release. “While we’ve been looking at a few international destinations over the past couple years, Vancouver as major tourism market for both inbound and outbound tourism as well as a cultural hub, was a logical choice in the organization’s expansion.”
Wells and McMillan, the two former leaders of Young Travel Professionals (YTP), are the founders of the Millennials in Travel Vancouver chapter.
Talking about the expansion in a press note, Wells said, “After the closure of YTP, we continued fostering a local tourism network, however we recognized the opportunity in aligning with a larger entity and felt Millennials in Travel would be a perfect fit.” McMillan added, “The pandemic has greatly shifted networking and the ability to have a community, so we’re excited to build the Millennials in Travel brand and be the first outside of the United States.”
Millennials in Travel has also launched in Charleston, South Carolina, with a full leadership team which includes Jamie Jackson with Andavo Travel, Jennifer Horan with American Queen Steamboat Company, Brenna Emerson with Belmond and Ike High with Explore Charleston. Both chapters are in the planning stage of their launches to ensure local protocols allow for beneficial networking while keeping everyone healthy.
Millennials in Travel resumed in-person events in July with the Los Angeles chapter initiating the return for the organization.
With COVID-19 safety protocols in place, Millennials in Travel has relaunched its fam program as of late March, offering itineraries geared toward younger travel industry professionals and consumers.
After a yearlong program hiatus, the organization brought a group to Charleston, S.C., for a two-night stay at the Belmond Charleston Place, plus activities including a Schooner Pride Dolphin Sail, a walking tour hosted by 1670 Tours and more.
Millennials in Travel has recently relaunched its FAM program, after a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With itineraries geared toward younger travel trade and consumers, the organization is confident it can serve as a beneficial resource for suppliers and destinations across the globe in the return of travel.
Travel Agent takes a look at the Millennial market, including advice from these travelers' peers in the industry and insights into two organizations that have brought this segment to the forefront.
