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HERE THEY ARE: The future of the travel industry, the next generation of agents who will discover new places to go and new ways to connect with travelers. They exist in a 24/7 world of nonstop information, and communicate with each other, with other industry professionals and with clients through multiple platforms. They tweet. They share. They snap pictures and chat about their experiences. And they sell travel in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.
They are Travel Agent's top 30Under30 for 2017, which represents the 10th year of the program.
Over the past several years, this feature has created a buzz in the industry and also helped fuel a community of young professionals who enjoy being a part of a special, growing niche in the travel business. This year's list of young agents, all of whom were under 30 when the year began, is a testament to our combined success.
Candidates for 30Under30 nominate themselves for the program. Nominees must be currently employed at any level as a travel consultant, should have completed a significant project for his or her travel agency, and be recognized by heads of his or her own organization as an emerging leader.
Elise Angelopulos, 24
The Travel Siblings / Tzell Travel Group
New York City
For Elise Angelopulos, the key to successfully working with Millennial clients can essentially be broken down to one word: Transparency. This is largely important because her generation grew up using computers to fact-check everything, she tells Travel Agent. As a result, "Selling travel as a one-and-done package doesn't always work for this age group. Many Millennials are requesting price breakdowns, and questioning our knowledge in many ways," she says.
And mastering the art of marketing on social media, particularly Instagram, doesn't hurt either.
"It amazes me when clients call wanting a particular resort or destination and they know hardly anything about the place other than what they have seen on Instagram," says Angelopulos. "I use Instagram to position myself as the expert - someone who has been there and done that and can help you get there too"
Before becoming a travel advisor, she was working in public relations and says she was able to use the skill set...