ORLANDO -- Reaching $1 million in annual sales is a rare achievement for most travel advisors.
Indeed, Travel Weekly's 2023 Travel Industry Survey found that only 22% of agencies surveyed had annual gross bookings of more than $1 million. Among home-based, independent agencies, only 13% passed that number.
But during Avoya Travel's Million Dollar Showcase, held at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando from July 29 to Aug. 1, each of the more than 80 advisors in attendance was on track to sell at least $1 million this year, some significantly more.
For many, $1 million is merely a milestone along the way to even higher sales.
"I don't think I'll ever be complacent," said Dana Dziegiel, owner of Gypsea Travels in Utica, N.Y., whose July year-to-date sales amounted to $2.6 million. "I want to grow. The only competition that I have is me."
What makes a million-dollar advisor? While there is no single answer, at Avoya the recipe seems to consist of a few ingredients: specialization, availability and professionalism.
"It's not easy," said Steve Hirshan, senior vice president of sales at Avoya. "It requires a lot of work. And it requires being available maybe when you don't want to work, because your customer works, and he wants you to be available at nights and on weekends."
The most successful advisors also know their product well, and they tend to specialize, Hirshan said: "Specialization is next to godliness."
Dziegiel sells a 50-50 ratio of cruises and land, particularly all-inclusives. More specifically, she sells a lot of Club Med, Crystal Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
"Sometimes we say we're in the travel sales business," Dziegiel said. "We are, but I don't feel like I'm a salesperson, because I love what I do. I'm creating amazing, amazing memories for people. That doesn't feel like selling to me."
Alex Lopez is the owner of Next Level Travel in Austin, Texas. He's been in business just shy of two years, and he's done about $700,000 in personal 2024 sales as of July. Lopez focuses on Virgin Voyages.
Of his early success, Lopez said, "Confidence has a lot to do with it. People really don't want an advisor who isn't really sure about what they're talking about. They come to us as professionals because they want somebody to guide them, and if you're not really sure what you're selling or you don't believe in what it is that you're talking about, I think that comes across."
He also said his goal was to make travel his full-time career, not a side hustle. Lopez believes that goal, and the work to achieve it via training, has propelled him forward.
Avoya's chief sales officer, Phil Cappelli, said that is often key for the most successful advisors: They are engaged with Avoya and attend webinars and other training.
And they work full-time as advisors.
"These people are engaged and professional people who want to learn," Cappelli said, adding that if he had to pick what distinguishes advisors who reach the million-dollar mark, it is being a "pro" with "the desire to get better."
Seize the Seas in Parkland, Fla., run by husband-and-wife team David and Cindy Locke, is Avoya's top-selling agency. As of July, Cindy's year-to-date sales were $2.9 million and David's were $2.6 million. They specialize in Oceania Cruises, where Cindy used to work as a reservation agent.
On stage during the event, David encouraged his fellow advisors to always be available to clients, to specialize and to be picky about what, exactly, that specialization is.
"Sell what you're good at selling," he said, "not what you like to do or sell."