Take Steps to Success™ Further: New Options for Destinations
Destinations that invest in the IITA Inbound Insider Steps to Success™ Program now have two new ways to extend their training and put international inbound strategies into action: Desk-Side Individualized Guidance and a Destination Roadshow. Developed in partnership with Alon Tourism Solutions, these new options provide destinations with additional hands-on support tailored to their local tourism businesses and international market goals.
Desk-Side Individualized Guidance
Take classroom training to the C-Suite and the sales floor with personalized, one-on-one guidance from Alon Tourism Solutions. These in-person sessions help CEOs and senior leadership understand the importance of working with the international travel trade and help individual tourism businesses put their Steps to Success training into practice. Depending on the business's needs, guidance can include reviewing one-pagers, net rates, product positioning, and international market opportunities.
Visit Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach recently incorporated On-site Desk-Side Guidance into its Steps to Success experience, giving hotel GMs and sales leaders the opportunity to work directly with Alon Tourism Solutions. The sessions helped leadership recognize the value of allowing their properties to enter the international inbound sales funnel—that inbound operators are different from bed banks and OTAs, and that international inbound business can serve as a foundation for broader sales strategies. Generally less prone to cancellation, this business can also help hotels strengthen occupancy during traditionally softer periods.
Aimee Blenker, Director of Global Leisure Travel for Visit Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, shared:
“The Steps to Success training has been tremendously impactful for our Visit Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach partners. They now clearly see the value in signing up with multiple RTOs to grow their inbound international business, and the program strengthened their understanding of contract negotiations so they can better leverage opportunities with these operators.”
She added that the destination is already seeing renewed engagement with RTOs, with several partners moving into meaningful contract discussions.
“Each partner also created a one-page resource that our Tourism Bureau can use during desk sides, one-on-one meetings, and outreach to tour operators, providing a strong foundation for ongoing promotion and partnership development.”
Among the hotel partners participating in the desk-side training was Sunseeker Resort.
Jeff Berg, Director of Leisure Sales at Sunseeker Resort, shared his experience:
“It was a pleasure to host Alon Tourism Solutions for an in-person meeting and deep dive into international market opportunities. From reviewing industry best practices to identifying strategies that can help drive room nights at the resort, trainer Jennifer Ackerson (Alon Tourism Solutions) provided valuable insights and recommendations that will help shape our future plans.”
Desk-side Individualized Guidance gives destinations an opportunity to move beyond general training with on-site, one-on-one support tailored to the needs, products and opportunities of individual tourism partners.
Destination Roadshow
Bring IITA's international inbound travel education directly to your destination with a multi-day Destination Roadshow.
This in-person option delivers Steps to Success training across multiple locations, giving local tourism businesses the opportunity to participate without traveling elsewhere for training. The roadshow can help destinations engage a broader range of partners while creating a shared understanding of how to develop, package and sell products for the international inbound travel trade.
New Mexico True recently brought Steps to Success to partners in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces.
According to Holly Marquez, Travel Trade Program Coordinator for New Mexico True, the program has already helped create momentum among participating businesses:
“Following the implementation of the Steps to Success program in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, there are now nearly a dozen industry partners in the throes of becoming Inbound Insider Specialists.”
These businesses are working to make purchasable product available to inbound operators actively selling the United States to their international clients—while also creating valuable product New Mexico True can use in its international marketing efforts.
Marquez also emphasized the benefit of having IITA and Alon bring the program directly to the destination:
“Within just two years' time we were able to implement Steps to Success in a way we definitely could not have executed on our own. The tenor and passion shines through the whole IITA/Alon team and they have a genuine interest in seeing our destination succeed.”
For New Mexico, the roadshow approach helped create a foundation for continued engagement with local suppliers and a stronger focus on developing products for the international inbound market.
More Ways to Turn Training into Action
The IITA Inbound Insider Steps to Success™ Program is designed to help destinations and tourism businesses better understand the international inbound travel trade and build the tools, knowledge, and relationships needed to succeed in this market.
With the addition of Desk-Side Individualized Guidance and the Destination Roadshow, destinations can now customize their Steps to Success experience to meet their specific needs—from hands-on support for individual businesses to multi-day training that reaches partners throughout the destination.
Ready to take the next step? Contact IITA to learn more about adding these options to your Steps to Success program.