Collette helps advisors match travel styles

Collette has expanded its advisor education platform with a new Collette University module designed to help travel professionals determine whether clients are better suited to a premium guided tour or a Fully Independent Travel (FIT) experience.

Titled FIT or Guided: Finding Your Clients’ Match, the tour operator shared the self-paced course gives advisors practical techniques for identifying traveller preferences, leading more effective discovery conversations and recommending the travel style that best fits a client’s goals, comfort level and preferred vacation pace.

According to Collette, the training arrives as advisors face increasingly varied traveller expectations. Some clients may prioritize the reassurance of expert planning, destination knowledge and coordinated logistics offered through a guided tour, while others may prefer the flexibility and personalization associated with independent travel.

“Helping travel advisors create the right travel experience for their clients starts with understanding what motivates each traveller,” said Diana Ditto, Collette’s vice president of growth strategy and product marketing. “This latest Collette University module gives advisors practical tools to better identify travel preferences, ask more meaningful discovery questions, and match clients with journeys that align with their expectations.”

A focus on client discovery

According to Collette, the module examines the indicators that can point advisors toward either a premium guided itinerary or a FIT option. It includes client-discovery methods, conversation starters and sales strategies intended to help advisors uncover what a traveller wants most from a trip.

For advisors, Collette's central takeaway is that the choice between guided and independent travel should go beyond destination or budget. The course encourages advisors to explore a client's appetite for structure, desire for flexibility, confidence navigating unfamiliar places, interest in local expertise and preferred level of planning support.

For example, Collette notes that a first-time visitor to a complex destination who wants transfers, accommodations and sightseeing coordinated in advance may be a strong fit for a premium guided tour, while a repeat visitor with specific interests, a flexible schedule and a preference for independently chosen experiences may be better served by a FIT itinerary.

Available through Collette University

The new module is available on demand through Collette University, allowing advisors to complete the training on their own schedule.

Advisors who are new to the platform can also begin with Collette University 101, which introduces Collette’s travel collection, tools and advisor resources. The company offers learning paths for advisors with fewer than five years of industry experience as well as for those with more than five years in the business.

Collette said the module is part of its continuing investment in advisor education and support, with the goal of helping partners deepen their expertise and deliver more tailored client recommendations.

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