"The travel industry is resilient:" Barcelo BDMs here to help agents

Barcelo’s Canadian business development managers are there to help with any and all agent inquires during the coronavirus pandemic, says Rick McCauley, Barcelo’s senior director of sales and marketing in Canada.

And when bookings ramp up again, agents will want to be ready for the pent-up demand, McCauley adds.

“We want them to know that although we’re working from home like everyone else, we’re here for them,” McCauley told PAX, adding that while travel is quiet now, the hotel chain has been in discussion with Canadian tour operators regarding possible specials for later in the year.

“Everyone is trying to keep a positive viewpoint; the travel industry is resilient – and once everything opens up again, Canadians will be travelling again.”

Currently, Barcelo is offering travellers who have booked for arrival dates until May 31, 2020 the option of rebooking their stay free of charge for within the 12 months following their original booking. Details can be found here.

“If a client wants to put money down, they can go later in the year with no charge. They’ll (agents) have peace of mind that their client won’t lose money,” he added.

And with bookings currently quiet, McCauley added that agents can also take advantage of the downtime to increase their Barcelo knowledge through the online training offered through the Barcelo Pro agent portal, which currently has 25 different PowerPoint modules for agents to hone their Barcelo selling skills.

“We’re all in the same position and we’re here for the agents,” McCauley said.

Agents are encouraged to contact their regional BDM or McCauley directly at r.mccauley@barcelo.com.

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