People want to travel. Visiting other states, other countries, even other continents is something that many people consider to be one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences one can have. Based on a recent MMGY’s Portrait of American Travelers study, nearly 80% of United States citizens want to, or plan to, travel abroad within the next year. However, between rising costs of goods at home and rising travel expenses abroad, it’s getting harder for people to experience the wide world they live in.
This is where travel agencies can step in, offering deals and opportunities to see the world that independent travelers might not have access to. One such agency, BWJ Travel, is dedicated to empowering their growing network of passionate travel consultants across the country, all in the name of facilitating and delivering unforgettable travel experiences. BWJ Travel is a family legacy turned mission-driven movement founded by brothers Edwin and Jacob Sarkisyan, and leverages state-of-the-art tools and resources to build a community focused on giving travelers the best possible experiences.
The secret to BWJ Travel’s success as a business and as a travel facilitator comes from their agile operations processes, effective decision-making, and strong working partnerships. Each of these things is necessary to find success in a market marked by rising costs and a travel industry struggling to hold customers’ trust. BWJ Travel’s transparent processes and core values of trust, perseverance, and respect shape the company’s culture and set it apart from its peers.
“The biggest challenge in the travel industry right now is perhaps the public’s distrust in many travel services,” says [SPOKESPERSON]. “We equip our agents with all the tools and resources necessary to provide the best service so that their clients not only keep coming back, but they also refer our agents to their friends and family.”
Bold Partnerships, Collaborative Leadership
As a travel agency, BWJ Travel needs more than a crack team to deliver exceptional travel experiences to clients. They need partners—industry compatriots, peers, and vendors that are open to long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships that create unique opportunities for clients. They also need business leadership that is bold, effective, collaborative, and effective. Fortunately, BWJ Travel has all of the above, and leverages it all for their clients’ benefit.
The world has seen the variability and fragility of the travel industry firsthand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising economic struggles. For a company in this space to succeed, their leadership team needs to be adaptable, motivated, and collaborative. For someone to be a leader at BWJ Travel, they need to be all of that and have a genuine desire to help people involved in the travel industry, either as a teammate or a client. To lead at a mission-driven company, aligning with the mission itself only makes sense.
“An amazing example of someone who possesses all of these qualities is our Lead Booking Advisor, Curt Chandler,” says [SPOKESPERSON]. “He started out as a travel agent with BWJ, and we quickly recognized not only his talent, but also his passion for travel and his natural desire to support his fellow agents.”
As for partnerships, BWJ Travel has found particular success working alongside Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program, a natural partnership between two companies sharing an industry. The two organizations have developed exclusive incentives to encourage clients and agents to work with both companies to the benefit of everyone involved, including their recent summer promotion where the top booker between June 5th and July 5th won a $500 travel voucher. These kinds of partnerships further empower BWJ Travel’s team, lay the groundwork for impressive travel experiences for clients, and build long-lasting relationships within the industry as a whole.
A Mission-Driven Culture Of Empowerment
BWJ Travel was founded with a mission: to share a blueprint for success with other career travel agents while creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences for their clients. This mission, born from the Sarkisyan brothers’ experiences, passion, and purpose inherited from their father, informs every aspect of BWJ Travel’s company culture, from the leadership, to their team of travel agents and consultants, to the customers looking to see the world. The travel agents and consultants that embody this drive and mission are consistently rewarded and empowered to perform. There’s no need for a lengthy application process that drags on for months—BWJ Travel consultant applicants are tested through on-the-job action, and empowered to deliver exceptional service.
“We focus on empowering our agents with proven tools and training that support both their marketing efforts and client relationships,” [SPOKESPERSON] explains. “By making sure our agents are well-equipped, supported, and up to date with the latest travel technology, we position them to build lasting client relationships that naturally lead to repeat business and referrals.”
BWJ Travel agents and consultants are supported with cutting-edge technology and tools to market their skills, build out profiles, and acquire the information needed to succeed. One of the more effective and innovative approaches at these agents’ disposal is the Agent Profiler provided by the Travel Leaders Network. This effective tool allows travel agents to create a profile and appear organically in clients’ SEO searches and attract qualified leads.
However, discoverability means little if the agent in question is unskilled. BWJ Travel’s internal platforms offer ongoing education opportunities, trend analyses, and peer sharing capabilities to keep agents sharp and inspired. When supplemented with a robust lesson plan and a culture of mentorship, new staff consultants and agents can get up to speed with their responsibilities in record time. Empowering and educating new employees in this way is a key player in BWJ Travel’s growth; new agents benefit from an 80% starting commission, which pairs with the mission-driven culture of the company to attract ambitious, hungry young professionals—all neatly in line with the company’s long-term goals.
“The vision is to have tens of thousands of travel agents helping hundreds of thousands of clients make their travel dreams come true, all while providing top tier service,” [SPOKESPERSON] says. “Our agency is founded upon the mission to bring friends & family together through travel, so to do that on a grand scale is our ultimate goal. With a few thousand agents in our team right now, and with a strong leadership that is constantly implementing new and improved tools, resources, and systems, we are confident that this goal is achievable.”
