Sandals Resorts New PSS Program Could Provide Other Resorts with a Needed Lift
Sandals Resorts New PSS Program Could Provide Other Resorts with a Needed
Lift In December Sandals rolled out a new travel agent partnership called the 2004 Preferred Sandals Specialist program. It replaces a program that offered cash back to high volume agencies allowing them to pass on discounts to the consumer. The new program offers no rebates. Instead it offers cooperative advertising rebates that amount to approximately 70% of the cash rebates previously offered and a new dealer referral system that will eventually route local consumer calls from 866-Sandals and 866-Beaches to participants. These numbers are not to be confused with the 800 versions used for direct bookings with Sandals owned Unique Vacations. The new program required all participating agencies to pay a $3000 fee by a late December deadline. The agreement also requires participants to install dedicated phone systems, pay 5.5c/minute for the calls routed, and agree to numerous other terms. Sandals will now only recognize agencies that participate in the new program. Non-participating agencies that have sent their agents through the Sandals Certified Specialist programs in the past have lost advantages from their investment. Interestingly enough it appears that quite a few agencies have signed up for the new PSS program. Some of them have traditionally relied on Sandals bookings and can not afford to loose these past bookings. Others see no positives in the program since it takes away past incentives and charges agencies to participate. Some point out that the net effect of this program will be to increase Sandals direct bookings, which are at full non-discounted rates and to increase the cost to consumers. This is the high season for bookings and to date the 866 numbers to Sandals have not been referring consumers to participating agencies making the nay-sayers point even more valid. Competing resorts are hastily taking advantage of Sandal’s new program by reminding travel agencies that they have not removed their incentives and they are now a better value than before. This is the kind of news that many of the not so well known resorts have needed. With Sandals snubbing its past partners they have left the door open for competitors who can offer more value to the agency and consumer in 2004. |
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