Learn the Five Love Languages of Travel Advisors
January 29, 2025
Travel advisors are a destination’s perfect match for creating sustainable long-term visitation—if you woo them correctly. As 2025 sees geopolitical and economic challenges to travel, stronger relationships between destinations and travel advisors are more important than ever for both to succeed.
It’s important to know how to speak their love language in order to keep them engaged and interested in your destination’s offerings. The courtship takes some effort, but the relationships that blossom will benefit your destination, if you get your words right.
Remember that like personal love languages, business love languages require consistency in delivery and authenticity in execution. Destinations adapt regularly to the changing needs of travel advisors, but this investment in relationship building will demonstrate your commitment to travel advisors, and develop their commitment to your destination.
Ready to start learning the love languages of travel advisors?
1. Words of Affirmation: Recognition & Communication
Words—whether written or spoken—are ever powerful when it comes to travel advisors. These professionals thrive on acknowledgment of their business acumen, so make it clear you recognize their expertise. Regular communication that validates their role as trusted travel professionals shows you value them and the partnership you build.
Destinations can achieve this by highlighting advisor success stories in newsletters or providing personalized booking milestone congratulations. They’ll appreciate a handwritten thank-you note for significant booking in addition to consistent, transparent communication about product updates.
2. Acts of Service: Operational Excellence & Support
Nothing says “I value you” like making a travel advisor’s job easier. Efficient operations and responsive support demonstrate your commitment to their success. Serving them better serves your bottom line better. Everyone wins.
Destinations that offer dedicated travel advisor support lines and provide quick commission payments are likely to have advisors coming back for more. It’s vital to create easy-to-use booking platforms and maintain updated marketing materials and images to ensure seamless interactions. Respond promptly to quotes and special requests to let them know you haven’t forgotten them and are putting their needs first.
3. Quality Time: Education & Engagement
Meaningful interactions and investment in professional development show advisors they’re worth your time and attention. It’s strategic to host intimate, in-person familiarization trips to make the most of your time together. Outside of visits, small-group virtual training sessions or one-on-one product update meetings may take a bit more time, but they will create deeper and stronger relationships.
Create exclusive advisor advisory boards and participate in agency staff meetings to demonstrate just how committed you are to travel advisors. Give them a little time and see how it pays back in dividends.
4. Receiving Gifts: Meaningful Incentives
While traditional gifts are appreciated, skip a box of chocolates or flowers. The most valued “presents” are those that help advisors grow their business and serve their clients better. It can take the shape of value-added amenities for client or booking incentive programs.
Destinations can provide marketing co-op funds or grant exclusive access to limited availability inventory—basically a diamond ring to many travel advisors. Be sure to share client-ready content and social media assets, as well, to make their jobs easier.
5. Physical Touch: Tangible Tools & Resources
In the business context, “physical touch” translates to providing tangible resources advisors can use to enhance their sales process. Think of it as a touchpoint, if it’s easier.
Those tools include high-quality printed sales materials and physical destination guides that create a tactical connection between you and travel advisors. It also includes meaningful branded client gift items. Travel advisors will also appreciate tactile sales tools like maps or planning guides, and even physical promotional items for office display that will keep your destination top of mind.
Understanding these languages is just the first step. Like personal relationships, every advisor speaks their own primary language. Success requires understanding each travel advisor’s preferences. Survey top producers about their support preferences and track engagement with different types of resources. By monitoring which “love language” drives the most bookings, you can adjust accordingly.
It’s all about customizing your approach and tailoring support to each advisor’s needs and wants. Flexible programs must accommodate different styles—and it’s key to make sure sales teams are trained to respond to these different love languages.
Unlike the dating world, destinations need to track ROI to measure results and approaches. By monitoring advisor satisfaction and loyalty metrics, it becomes clear what works.
Looking to cozy up to travel advisors more efficiently this year? Get in touch with Vanessa Gonzalez-Hernandez, DCI’s new Director of Travel Trade, at vanessa.gonzalez-hernandez@aboutdci.com to learn about building a stronger travel trade strategy and do more than flirt with travel advisors and tour operators.
