Dustin Jones’ wave of success
Dustin Jones recently rejoined Dream Vacations/CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. in newly created role of vice president of engagement, in Fort Lauderdale. He was previously director of training for the direct to consumer division of parent company World Travel Holdings. Training is a core passion for Jones, who began his professional career as a high school teacher. The entrepreneurial bug hit and he opened a small coffee shop in his hometown in Iowa. Then, he took his first cruise and knew instantly he wanted to work in travel. In 2012, he started with World Travel Holdings training new travel agency franchise owners.
Why: I love supporting and training our incredible network of Dream Vacations travel agency franchise owners. As a former small business owner myself, supporting small business owners is a passion.
On the job
What I do: I oversee the teams that handle training, events and support for our franchise owners, including a team that provides phone, email and chat support for any issues our owners have; we host 15 live events each year throughout the country where agents can learn, network and engage with each other.
What’s new: There hass been an evolution of the role of the travel agent over the last decade, as more and more consumers are now seeing the benefits of using an agent, rather than spending countless hours on the internet researching their next vacation. Additionally, a burst of new cruise ships on the waters means our
travel agents need to stay continuously updated and informed.
Strategies
Industry wisdom: Successful businesses are those that take into account how they make their customers feel when they are doing business with them.
Professional development : At our annual national conference, whether it’s a short five-minute conversation waiting for an elevator or a dinner, I feel like these connections are the best ones I make and have had the most impact on the professional relationships I develop.
Advice to young professionals: Practice saying “yes.” Employers want to know you’re engaged and interested in learning more about the company and industry. Take every opportunity that comes your way.