Best Group Booking Sales Effort
Sponsor: Globus Family of Brands
Debra Kerper, Easy Access Travel
Some of the bookings that travel agents take on are more meaningful than others. Debra Kerper took on such a project when she was asked to arrange the first cruise for the Amputee Coalition of America onboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas this December.
The purpose of this cruise is to bring people with amputations together. To date, she has booked 70 cabins, including all 32 wheelchair-accessible staterooms on the ship. The group has people signed up from most U.S. states, Canada and England and is made up of all ages — including a 6-year-old double amputee, senior citizens, teenagers, married couples, wounded military, two young men who both lost three limbs in accidents and many others.
The majority of sign-ups are first-time cruisers who have been encouraged by experienced cruisers to join the group. Kerper is building excitement for the cruise by having the amputees get to know each other through a dedicated Facebook page.
Throughout her career, Kerper has worked with special needs clients using a mix of traditional and digital sales outreach. She is a member of NACTA and the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH), and takes an online and social media approach through her website, newsletter, blogs, Facebook page, Twitter account and chat groups.
“During the 20 years that I have been a travel agent, I have been willing to share my expertise in the field of special needs travel with my colleagues,” said Kerper. “This is the most caring and supportive group of people who I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”