Each year, Luxury Travel Advisor introduces its Trendsetters, in which we highlight top advisors from the most prestigious luxury travel agencies across the United States and beyond. Now, to feature those who help make the Trendsetters the rock stars they are, we’re debuting Luxury Travel Advisor’s Road Warriors.
All of our 2019 Road Warriors are suppliers who were selected by our most recent batch of Trendsetters. This week, we’re highlighting LLajjaira Gomez from Island Destinations. While ID Travel Group has an office in Larchmont, NY (less than an hour north of New York City), Gomez operates from her home office in Florida.
When working with luxury travel advisors and their clients, Gomez says that she—and the remainder of her team at Island Destinations—treats everyone with white gloves and that she never says no to any request, “no matter how crazy or tall it may seem.”
“When we are able to give the client exactly what they want, it usually creates a loyalty like no other and they see how valuable [we] are to them,” Gomez tells us.
That loyalty is of utmost importance to Gomez. “It’s not about how much commission you make on a booking; it’s about customer retention, how to get them to keep coming back to you.”
To show off the value she offers advisors and their clients, Gomez says her goal is to learn as much as she can about both, including gauging the advisor’s expertise in the destination (so she knows how to lead them properly). Gomez also prefers to learn as much about the client as possible to ensure that she and the advisor are putting the clients in the right destination and hotel. And if an advisor or client is ever on the fence about a hotel, Gomez may dish on some celebrities who have frequented the property. “It seals the deal every time,” she says.
Gomez tells Luxury Travel Advisor that she primarily communicates with advisors through phone and email (“which works great, with most clients on the go these days”). And because advisors and luxury travelers alike are often so busy, Gomez says it’s important to be punctual and efficient. Two tips she offers: Ask the right questions in the first contact and answer any questions in a timely manner.
In addition to these long-distance communications, Gomez spends upwards of one month, broken up into weekend visits, on the road each year. Most of that travel is to Island Destination’s products to see what’s new. “Gaining new experiences helps me sell the destination and pick the right hotel for each client and give them personal tips that can really make their trip very memorable.” Those tips, whether big or small (and they’re usually the latter), go a long way, Gomez adds.
Island Destinations hosts FAM trips to help advisors learn the product better, as well as their own conference where they share news on all their products and showcase their vendors.
When presenting her product to advisors, Gomez says its “absolutely” important to bring her personality to the table. “I try to be memorable in every which way. When you stand out, it’s hard to forget you,” she tells us. “I also like to make my clients feel like friends, asking them about their own travels or family. When you add a bit of personal to each call and it creates a bond.”
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