Monday Minute: Robert Townshend of Total Advantage Travel & Tours

The Monday Minute is a regular feature in PAX that highlights the movers, shakers, leaders and rule breakers in Canada's travel advisor community. Wanna be profiled? Wanna nominate someone? Email newsroom@paxglobalmedia.com!

Name: Robert Townshend

Business: Total Advantage Travel & Tours Inc.

Where do you live? Toronto, ON

How long have you been a travel advisor? Since 1986

What is your specialty?

I specialize in destination weddings, luxury travel, FITs, Europe travel and cruises.

What is your current state of mind?

I’m excited and optimistic about the future of the travel industry. I believe we have successfully recovered from the pandemic and that there are brighter days ahead for all of us in the travel sector.

What inspired you to become a travel advisor?

I’ve always had a love for travel and originally wanted to become a pilot — but after planning hundreds of vacations for my friends and family I decided that I should get paid for doing it!

What was the first trip you ever took?

I went to Miami, Florida when I was two years old.

What travel trends are you seeing these days?

People are more concerned about quality. If they’re ready to spend a lot of money on their vacation, they want to ensure that the quality of the trip is excellent.

How did the pandemic change the way you do business?

With the pandemic, a lot of long-time employees had to shift to a work from home model. Once they started working from home, they didn’t want to return to the office environment. It’s been difficult to find new people who will commit to working in the office moving forward.

Of all the bookings you’ve made, which itinerary are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of an itinerary I created for a tour of South Africa. It included a four-night safari at Kruger National Park, which was really exciting.

What’s the most memorable trip you ever took?

Something similar, I went to Cape Town and Kruger National Park with Travelsavers in 2018. That was a trip I will never forget.

Where do you see your career one year from now?

Hopefully, travelling more and working less.

What’s one thing you would change about the travel industry?

I would change the way travel consultants are paid. Everything we book as travel consultants should be commissionable. No one works for free. However, when they removed commission from most IATA tickets, airlines now believe that we should not get paid for the work we do. This needs to change.

What’s the secret to being successful in this business?

Legendary customer service and complete honesty.

What is your motto?

Without a travel agent you’re on your own.

What is your number one piece of advice to other travel advisors?

Never work for free. If you have to book something that is non-commissionable, then charge a fee for it. Also, always thank your clients for their business and referrals.

Where are you travelling next?

Sal Island, one of the Islands of Cape Verde off the coast of Africa.

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