Monday Minute: Kathleen Campbell of TravelOnly

The 'Monday Minute' is a weekly feature at PAX dedicated to highlighting the movers, shakers, leaders and rule-breakers in Canada's travel agent community. Wanna be profiled? Wanna nominate someone? Email newsroom@paxglobalmedia.com!

Name: Kathleen Campbell

Company: TravelOnly

Location: Pitt Meadows, British Columbia

How long have you been a travel agent? Since January 2003 - 16 years and counting.

Speciality: I do a lot of everything, but my group business is mainly weddings; I have a website at Wedcaribbean.com. I also book female travel groups and women’s adventure groups. I also do a lot of higher-end cruises and tours in Europe.

What do you love most about being a travel agent? The excitement of helping people with the planning of their vacation when it’s a destination they have never been to. I also get to travel to many locations I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t in this business.

What's one travel trend you've noticed in consumers as of late? All women’s travel and multi-generational family travel going to other locations like Europe and Asia, not just the Caribbean anymore.

What's the most creative thing you've ever done to secure a sale? I flew to Florida to make a presentation for a first-ever cruise group opportunity at a mostly Canadian Snowbird Retirement Community. We did 10 consecutive years of annual cruise groups that group.

What's your proudest sales achievement to date? I think all my repeat clients and the referrals I get. I don’t advertise per se anymore - my clients come to me. I recently signed a new destination wedding group that came to me by referral from a previous bride I worked with over 12 years ago. That means a lot.

I have also been the TravelOnly Top Sales Producer for British Columbia for the last three years - 2016, 2017 and 2018. And I got picked to go on a G Adventures FAM to Morocco this June.

What's your number one piece of advice for other travel agents? Get out there and let your friends, family and networks know you are in the business. When I first started working in the travel industry, I knew I wanted to go into the wedding business so I became a Welcome Wagon wedding agent and did small bridal shows. 

I joined several network marketing groups; one met weekly and you had to pay to join but I got a lot of business from that group and still do business with those clients today. Personal referrals from past clients and other small business owners you are associated with give prospective clients the feeling they can trust you. 

Take opportunities to be in front of people as much as possible; I knew that if I could meet the prospective clients my passion for my work and knowledge would get me their business. Then service, service, service your client to keep your them coming back.

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