Article by Rajat Levesque Singh
Having been in the Travel Business and Timeshare Industry for over 21 years, Eric’s expertise and passion for vacations is unsurpassed.
A native of Philadelphia, Eric grew up wanting to travel the world. Yet every time he shared this dream with others, he was told that “only rich people travel.” To which Eric would then say, “Then I guess I have to do something about that as well.” And he did.
Never heard of a Travel Club before? Well, don’t worry, it’s a fairly new concept, and yet has been around for over a decade. The reason most people never heard of Travel Clubs is that they don’t typically advertise in normal media, such as television, newspapers and magazines. Rather they’ll invite couples to be their guest at a 90 minute presentation and offer them some form of a “travel gift” as a way of compensation for their time and consideration.
Eric says, “We use the best gifts in the industry but they have restrictions. People don’t like that they’re not going to show up and just get two airline tickets to fly anywhere. But after 9/11, that’s just not going to happen. And we could give them a stack of movie tickets or a new television, but we’re looking to attract people who like to travel and take vacations.”
Unfortunately there have been a lot of unscrupulous companies that have given the travel industry a bad name. Eric’s goal is to try and change that reputation, and show everyone that it is possible to run a Travel Club that is both reputable and profitable. Eric says, “Even timeshare, at some of the best resorts, have left a bad taste with many consumers. I like to think we’re the next generation of timeshare. We’ve kept all the positive aspects of timeshare, and removed all the negatives.”
Eric Shuman’s Travel Club Destination Vacations International, Del Rey Travel has over 100,000 members. They get amazing discounts on any and all travel, with the exception of airfare. The airlines are so competitive that margins are small; there’s just not a lot of savings to get. “We’re a full service travel agent. We’ll do all the research, book you an amazing vacation, and save you a ton of money,” Eric says. “I like to think we’re old school. Remember when all the travel agents were in the malls? They were professionals we’d all look up to with respect. Now everyone thinks they can do it themselves, on the internet. Unfortunately, they end up with lousy vacations, spending way too much on their accommodations, and have no money left over to have fun, go out to nice restaurants, and buy something fun to remember their trip. But not our members, they’re spoiled, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Eric’s belief is that too many kids are growing up without ever going on a vacation. And with the economy, many people just can’t afford them. Eric went on to say, “Some of my best memories in life were going on vacation with my parents. I’ll never forget them as long as I live. And yet I hear too many people say that they just quit vacationing, that it’s a luxury that they just can’t afford. After I heard that, that’s when I said, I want to do something about it.”
To join a DVI travel club, you must pay an initial membership fee, a one- time registration fee, and then a nominal annual payment. After that, you get a full service travel agent booking all of your travel at cost. DVI provides assistance with hotels, cruises, all-inclusives, and just about anything and everything in the travel industry.
Eric smiles, “I sell fun. I think it’s important for families to have some quality time together. And I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to vacation, do you?”
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About the Author
Rajat – Travel And Tour World travelandtourworld.com
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