Seven Major Reasons to Become an LTA
Member Travel Agency
1. Local Agencies, National
Network, Global Reach
While our national network
is exciting and global in the sense of worldwide destinations, most travel agents do not compete for customers globally. Most of us do business with customers who live and work within our communities. We believe one of LTA’s primary roles is to help you be competitive within your community and region. Traditional storefront and home-based travel agents have four big advantages over global travel sellers. We know our products, we know our customers, we provide an unmatched level of customer service, and we are part of our local and regional communities. These are the distinctive advantages we want to help you market.
While LTA is a for-profit enterprise, we have an agency-friendly dues structure. We also have a revenue sharing program - for all members. Every member is treated equitably regardless of size.
We also know that travel agents want to see and talk to the people with whom they conduct business. Our goal is to put personal relationships back into the agent, supplier and agency group equation. At the same time, our proposition to you is a two-way street. We will do everything we can to support the success of our member agencies, but our success as a team depends upon our member agencies supporting LTA and its preferred suppliers. If you join LTA, we are going to ask you to do just that.
2. Preferred Supplier Relationships
LTA negotiates commission and marketing agreements for its members with selected world-class travel suppliers. Simply stated, as a member of LTA you have access to enhanced pricing and receive enhanced commissions for selling preferred supplier products. Even where supplier commissions are tiered, you can achieve higher commission tiers at lower thresholds by being an LTA member than you would as a non-affiliated agency.
3. Education, Training and Networking
LTA members have the opportunity to participate in a variety of regional and local training and networking events. Many of these include opportunities to meet suppliers for product and destination training and updates. LTA events also serve as great networking opportunities, agent-to-agent and agent-to-supplier.
4. Marketing Programs
LTA is one of the few travel agency marketing organizations to offer a multi-media marketing program to suppliers and agencies. Included will be quarterly direct mail programs, cable television, radio, metropolitan newspapers, suburban (neighborhood) publications, and online marketing.
In addition to helping you reach out to existing customers with direct mail, our goal is to help you reach out to new customers by way of broadcast, print and online media.
5. Technology
Everything about LTA and its preferred suppliers
comes together at www.AccessLTA.com and our exclusive, password-protected member Extranet and portal. Our Extranet site is logically designed for travel agents; navigation is a snap.
Every preferred supplier has been assigned an exclusive module on the LTA member Extranet, and all information and tactical offers for that particular supplier can be found in one place. In addition, we provide links to all of preferred supplier booking engines. You can see product information, commission offers, tactical offers and promotions, and launch booking operations, all from one platform.
In addition, LTA provides a quality, content-rich
consumer site with hundreds of supplier itineraries, prices, destination
information and a member agency directory. LTA is strictly in the business of
providing technology that links consumers to agents and agents to suppliers. LTA
does not solicit or accept direct consumer inquiries.
6. Revenue Sharing
In addition to point-of-sale commissions, LTA is the only organization of its type that offers all members an opportunity to share in earnings on a pay-for-performance basis. Your LTA representative will explain the details.
7. Agent-Friendly Dues Structure
Membership dues for LTA are lower than most similar agency organizations; and, we offer dues discounts or dues waivers for mid-size and larger agencies at predetermined sales levels. Smaller, growth-minded agencies can also earn dues discounts based on year-over-year sales growth.
Additional Membership Information
Please complete the
Information Form
on this site and we will call you about becoming an LTA member. Or, you can call
us at 1-800-515-4582 or 512-788-5586. We look forward to talking to you.
