As savvy as seasoned advisors may be on the nuances of travel, it’s not possible for them to have their fingers on the pulse of every destination on the planet. That’s where destination management companies (DMCs) come into play, say travel sellers who capitalize on their services.
“It is impossible for me to know the best spot in every city all around the world,” said Nicole Patterson of Jetset World Travel. “Even if I have traveled there before, things change and it is impossible to keep up with every new possible spot.
“Having a local partner on the ground that lives and breathes that city helps me to weed through the chaos and home in on something that is a perfect match for what my clients are looking for.”
DMCs also enable Patterson to offer her clients one-of-a-kind experiences. “In order to find something that isn’t already all over social media or offers something slightly more special, I really need someone in the city that can help me locate that,” she said.
“Working with a DMC consistently over the years builds a relationship of trust. I trust that they will take very good care of my clients,” said Becky Lukovic of Bella Travel Planning, an affiliate of Travel Experts. “DMCs have access to the best guides and behind the scenes experiences and have a finger on the pulse of their destination. If my clients have a need while traveling, the DMCs are there to help, which to me, is invaluable.”
She added, “The DMCs I trust know the best people to work with, have wholesale contracts with hotels and have real-time feedback about the services they provide.”
For Pamela Walker of Walker Adventures, a Travel Experts affiliate, DMCs “are extremely important as they bypass the middlemen.”
“With their net rates I can mark up a profit for me and still provide good prices for my clients. And the clients also have someone on the ground in the destination they are traveling if there is an emergency or change of plans,” she said.
“I have always relied on DMCs – even for hotel pricing as many have contract rates and some even include the Virtuoso amenities. So rather than go through a tour operator, DMCs provide a one-stop shop for each destination they represent.
Another competitive advantage, Walker said, is a DMCs pricing, “which enables me to make more money since I don’t have to pay the overhead for the tour operation.”
DMCs “when it comes to destinations that are a little more unique or need curated experiences.”
“I use DMCs for destinations like Portugal/Spain, Iceland, Dubai, Ireland, Costa Rica (sometimes), Italy, etc.,” he said. “We are running into clients who are looking for itineraries that are more custom tailored with local experiences and I find it is much easier and beneficial to use a local DMC that knows everything and has the local relationships.”
Teresa McCombs of TP McCombs Travel, a Travel Experts affiliate, also relies on DMCs for international travel planning. “They cultivate relationships with hoteliers, guides, drivers and more so I can confidently sell a destination knowing my client will be well taken care of.”
For her part, McCombs has relied more heavily on DMCs since the pandemic. “So much has changed since 2020 with hotels closing or changing management and guides leaving the business that it really helps to have an in-country contact that is focused on a destination and doing site inspections,” she said.
Conversely, Linda de Sosa of Bucketlist Travel Consulting, a Travel Experts affiliate, has been using DMCs less frequently post pandemic. “The reason is the highly inflated prices for most of them. One DMC quoted me a price of $20,000, but when I priced everything separately it was only $12,000,” she said.
“I booked everything directly and charged $3,000 for doing that and the client still saved a bundle. If there is a problem on the ground, with that kind of savings, I could fly over to Europe and fix it myself.”
De Sosa does, however, use DMCs for such destinations as Asia, South America and Africa, “which are more specialized and where I want someone right there,” she said. “And there are still some in Europe that are reasonable in price so I still use them as well.”
“What makes me look good as a travel advisor is having the local influence and expertise of our suppliers and DMCs,” said Emily Webber of We Travel Luxe, a Travel Experts affiliate. “They help plan the details and offer support while my clients are in travel. When I book the hotels and tours separately, I don’t have the backup that the DMC can offer.”
Susan Quillin of SQ-Travel by Design, a Travel Experts affiliate, begins the process of working with a DMC by sending the company as much information as possible about the client. “From there, a dialogue takes place until I am satisfied that each of us has the details we need to create an interesting and targeted itinerary,” she said.
“Using a trusted DMC will save time and offer confidence that the proposals have been truly researched according to client data, thus eliminating the need for alternate research in creating a client itinerary.”
In the end of most compelling competitive advantages is “is simply one of time savings, giving me more time to assist other clients and, in essence and make more income,” Lukovic said.
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