510 Travel takes home two major awards; looking to expand for 2020

It’s been a little over six months since Ronny Tereshyn launched The Video Travel Hotline, a complementary offering to the incredibly popular Travel Hotline that he formed nearly 30 years ago.

READ MORE: 510 Travel looking to expand team with new home-based division

He’s still waking up every morning at the crack of dawn to hunt down the best deals of the day, and he’s still doing the majority of the work himself—but all of that hard work is paying off, as 510 Travel—the agency Ronny and his wife, Mary, run—was recently recognized as one of Ensemble Travel’s Ensemble Elite Top Producers of 2019 and also top sales in Canada with RIU Hotels & Resorts at the 2019 Top Producer Awards ceremony; two very distinct honours, received just days apart.

The Ensemble awards were held this year aboard the Diamond Princess from May 18-25 in Kobe, Japan, and the RIU Awards were held at the newly built RIU Palace Costa Mujeres from May 31-June 3.

“Our staff really do drive this thing,” Ronny said, when asked how the agency managed to report such strong sales for the 2018 year. “My longevity of 40 years in the business and having the agents work with me in those years; the experience level and the repeat business we get from them is the key factor.”

Agents wanted

To say thanks, the Tereshyns are extending an open invite for any agents who are looking to join an agency that promises to be fun, doesn’t have any fees, and even promises BBQ’s in the warmer weather, served up by Ronny himself.

“When I hear some of the stories from travel agents who have joined other agencies in the past, and had to pay for all of these extra things, it really makes me sad sometimes,” Mary said. “With us, we’re offering full-time support, 24/7 from our staff, one-to-one on the job training for our agents, who are like a close-knit family, and constant in-house training seminars. Home-based agents are very important to us, and we want them to actually make money, which is why there’s no fees.”

The fall season promises to be a busy one, and Ronny says that 510 Travel is preparing by upping the ante on The Travel Hotline, a resource that agents continue to use religiously.

“They absolutely love it,” Ronny enthuses. “Agents are incredibly busy during this time, and they can’t possibly know everything. Consumers can listen to the hotline too, hear about the deals I’m finding, and call their agents to let them know so that they can book it right away. It’s a two-way street.”

The Travel Agent Hotline and The Video Hotline continue to focus on affordable all-inclusive vacations to the Caribbean and Mexico, what Ronny calls the bread and butter for the agency. 510 Travel does sell coach tours and transatlantic trips, but the cheaper vacation packages play a crucial role in building a strong client base.

“Once they [listeners] become clients, then we book the bigger, more expensive trips, because once you sell a bus ticket, so to speak, they come back for the good stuff,” Ronny explains. “You might not make money, but if you show good service, I promise they’ll come back. A lot of travel agents won’t book the cheap stuff, because they think it’s beneath them, but I think it’s an opportunity. If that’s all somebody can afford, as long as you give that person the same service as you would to someone booking a $10,000 trip, you’ll have a client for life.”

And just how easy is it to find a good deal for your clients this September?

“Just call 416 510-2000, press 1, and press 1 again,” Ronny says.

For more information on 510 Travel, or to find out how to join the family, click here, or call 416 510-2200.

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