What do Mom’s spaghetti and meatballs and Dugan’s Travels have in common? Mom’s special meal brings you feelings of comfort, warmth, and all things family. And FAMILY is the heart of Dugan’s Travels. We are a family of agents. Everyone at Dugan’s Travels strives to provide a warm, welcoming environment for agents to grow and build a flourishing travel business.
Jennifer Dugan started Dugan’s Travels in 1998 because she had a passion for travel but she wanted a way to work from home while raising her children. She invited other moms and dads to join her and learn the travel business. Her primary focus was always family. From these beginnings, Dugan’s Travels has grown into a leading host travel agency.
A passion for travel and family is now the cornerstone to Dugan’s core values. Dugan’s staff provides agents the support of a thriving host agency with large agency benefits while our agents pursue both their passion for travel and their love for family.
Dugan’s provides agents the opportunity to own a travel business without being alone. Dugan’s offers a number of programs to help agents connect with other agents, staff, and Dugan’s travel suppliers.
Dugan’s Travels is proud to be on the short list of host agencies who provide formal education opportunities outside of new agent orientation. Dugan’s University started with humble beginnings as a small seminar where agents could gather with suppliers and learn about product offerings. Dugan’s U has grown over the years to what it is today—seminars and bootcamps in locations across the US. And with a 2017 bootcamp to Cancun, we’re expanding outside the US!
The Dugan’s University Planning Team, Shari Speer, Virginia Busceme, and Carolyn Orf, work to offer seminars that are valuable, cost effective, and comprehensive. They think both inside and outside the box to develop training that is on-point, timely, and is effective while still being entertaining. Attending Dugan’s U has become an annual place for agents to connect and recharge.
There are 2-3 events each year, each offering something different. It is not unheard of for an agent to attend all events offered during the year.
Dugan’s University@Anaheim is the cornerstone Dugan’s U event. The primary focus of DU@A is product updates, relationship building, and providing a supportive environment for new and experienced agents to come together and learn from one another and our suppliers. Offerings include a half-day focused pre-seminar workshop, four days of supplier presentations where 20+ suppliers, a welcome reception, a supplier reception, and usually two ship inspections. There is a 98% return rate from suppliers who want to present every year and an 80% return rate for agents, there is always something fantastic happening at DU@A.
Dugan’s U Travels To… is the event that changes location every year, mostly in the eastern half of the US. Dugan’s U Travels To… is a shorter educational opportunity similar to DU@A with supplier presentations and networking opportunities. Depending on the location, there may be ship inspections.
Dugan’s U Bootcamp is intensive, multi-day, and focused on one destination or subject. Dugan’s has hosted two Walt Disney World bootcamps and look forward to hosting our first Cancun/Riviera Maya camp in 2017. Agents walk away from bootcamp with a working knowledge of the destination and are great for experienced agents and agents beginning to learn a destination.
New Agent Orientation is a requirement for all new agents. Information is presented online with support from Dugan’s Travels New Agent Coordinator, Melissa Land. Courses cover Dugan’s processes and procedures and some supplier training. New agents have up to six months to complete the courses, but most finish in 2-6 weeks. Experienced agents joining Dugan’s may receive a waiver for the supplier courses.
Dugan’s newest learning opportunity is STEP—Support, Tutor, Excite, and Prepare. Our research showed the first two years are usually the “make it or break it” time for a new agent. Started in 2016, the STEP program is Dugan’s way to offer a helping hand to agents with 6 months to 2 year’s experience, the time when you are figuring out your business, your processes, and how to attract and retain clients. For some agents, this is overwhelming. STEP offers monthly webinars and one-on-one chats to help agents navigate the beginning stages of a new business and selling travel. The concentrated effort and personalized attention of the STEP program is another way Dugan’s Travels not only feels like family but IS a family.
Dugan’s Travels Dugan’s U events and learning opportunities have proven to increase sales for our agents. Helping agents grow their business is an important part of who we are and what we do.
Dugan’s Travels is proud of the culture and energy created by our 400+ independent agents. We’d love to welcome you into our family. For more information about Dugan’s and to schedule an appointment to talk with Melissa, please visit www.travelathome.com.