FORT LAUDERDALE — Adolfo Perez, senior vice president of global sales and trade marketing for Carnival Cruise Lines, has a message for all travel advisors, whether they are franchise owners, full-time independent contractors or part-timers. . “I need a business plan.”
On stage at Cruise World on Friday, Perez said independent contractors have flourished since cruise ships returned from the pandemic-induced shutdown, but many of them “don't necessarily feel like they're running a business. ” he said.
Mr. Perez and Mr. Carnival are asking advisors to more closely run the ships, which is the driving force behind the cruise line's “Your Winning Plan” initiative, an event and competition series held this summer. became. We tapped experts from small business (including the U.S. Small Business Administration) to help travel advisors develop solid business plans. Carnival he held workshop events and virtual events in 6 cities. The grand finale was held in Houston on September 28th.
Adolfo said more than 1,000 advisors submitted business plans that were reviewed by a committee of representatives from Carnival, CLIA and ASTA. The winner was Kimberly Stanley of Kim Adventures in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Your Winning Plan was a different kind of event series than Agentpalooza, a party-style bus tour held the previous year.
“Agentpalooza was fun,” Perez said. “But it was more of a celebration and didn't necessarily give travel advisors the tools they needed to grow their business.”
Perez added that all companies, large and small, need to have a business plan. “You need the ability to track your progress and adjust along the way, otherwise you'll get lost throughout the year.”
Perez said Carnival will continue to focus on its business plan and will likely do outreach through webinars.
