MTA, THE LARGEST LUXURY MOBILE TRAVEL NETWORK IN AUSTRALIA WITH OVER 470 ADVISORS LOCATED AUSTRALIA-WIDE, OFFERS TRAVEL EXPERTS AUTONOMY COMBINED WITH COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT. TWO MEMBERS TELL US JUST WHY IT WORKS SO WELL.
The travel industry has changed forever. And with it, so have the lives of industry professionals. With flexible working and a positive work-life balance more important than ever, a mobile working lifestyle is becoming increasingly appealing. And why not?
Working in the industry you love, on your terms, with all-inclusive support, minus the headaches that often come with storefront – it’s win-win!
100 per cent Australian-owned, MTA was founded with a vision to deliver travel experts exactly this balance. MTA advisor numbers grew by over 10 per cent during the COVID period a fact that did not surprise CEO Don Beattie “We invested heavily in keeping up our unrivalled support offering during COVID and this was attractive to advisors looking for their new home after many were displaced.”
As the largest luxury mobile travel network in Australia, their commitment to the best experience for their advisors, staff and clients is felt across the board. MTA is a member of the by-invitation-only Virtuoso – aka the world’s largest luxury travel network – which means MTA clients are privy to added bonuses and exclusive travel experiences unmatched anywhere else.
And in honour of CLIA Cruise Month, it seems appropriate to call out that MTA are figurative captains of the cruise world with industry knowledge that is second to none. In fact, their in-house cruise manager has been resident for over 12 years.
We asked two CLIA Masters accredited sisters, Leanne Kuntze and Michelle Feilberg, who joined MTA earlier this year to share with us their experiences.
Why did you choose to move to MTA – Mobile Travel Agents?
LK: I chose to move to MTA because I wanted to become a Virtuoso travel advisor and to be able to upgrade my clients’ holiday experiences to a VIP level.
MF: I’ve been in the travel industry since my early career, and more recently had focused solely on cruising. After the great COVID pause, I was looking to reinvigorate my business as well as my clients’ excitement and readiness to travel.
There were many factors that stood out when deciding which business model to move into. MTA Travel has a wonderful reputation as a group of professionals with great expertise. The marketing, support and MTA’s Virtuoso membership all held great appeal for me.
What is your favourite part of working at MTA?
LK: For me personally, I love the social side – from MTA’s smaller “Coffee Cluster” gatherings through to large nationwide conferences which are resuming soon.
What do you believe sets MTA apart from its competitors?
LK: I have found that from the MTA team at our head office through to the network of MTA agents at home, that they are a true travel family who are invested in helping and supporting each other.
MF: MTA offers experience, professionalism, reliability. They have been incredible at servicing their clients through the difficulties of the last two years. They offer a network of dedicated travel professionals who support each other beautifully.
Our marketing and memberships are truly amazing, creating incredible opportunities for next level service from me, and for my clients. The systems they have in place allow me to “VIP” my clients which is very important in this current “experience economy” we’ve now entered.
What excites you most about the future of the cruise industry?
LK: Despite what we have just been through, the cruise industry continues to grow! As consumers seek deeper experiences and a connection with destinations, the trend toward new expedition vessels allows us to adventure in complete luxury on smaller ships to see the world’s most unspoilt and remote destinations.
Cruising now provides for their guests a home away from home where we unpack once and then are taken from one magical destination to the next with every need taken care of, combined with incredible new technologies, making the experience ever more seamless – as well as greener.
MF: I love that our cruise pause has encouraged clients to spread their wings, spend the money they’ve saved over the last two years and truly experience their bucket list, whether that be overseas cruising, upgrading their flights to Premium Economy or even Business Class, or visiting the destinations they’ve only dreamed of. The new ship builds and the new class of ships absolutely floats my boat.
I am also very excited about the ships scheduled to visit Australia over the next few years. We’re truly about to reach a new chapter here in Australian cruising, with the likes of Celebrity Edge and Virgin Voyage’s Resilient Lady.
So if you are an experienced travel advisor, manager or retail owner who is feeling the call of the mobile lifestyle then it might be time to think about joining MTA today, to take your travel business venture to the next level.
credit: Travel Weekly