Thanks to the Cancun Tourism Institute (CTI), travel agents no longer have to leave home to learn about this increasingly popular and newly revitalized destination. With over 2,100 graduates since 2005, CTI has witnessed success with their online approach.

Established by the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, CTI is a complete study guide and loyalty program that gives agents the tools and resources necessary to keep clients up-to-date on the latest information on this top leisure getaway. After completing the comprehensive program consisting of a study course, an optional familiarization trip and a loyalty program, agents have a thorough understanding of Cancun and what the area can offer its guests, benefiting both agents and travelers alike.

CTI offers two different courses, CTI 101, the study course, and CTI 102, the field trip program. By registering for the at-home course, participants are given basic facts, advanced profit potential and secrets to selling the island. The CTI 101 course can be completed via a 116-page study guide or through a free online version, the E-Learning center. Both the online tutorial and printed study guide offer recent facts and statistics as well as quizzes, maps and important contact information, everything required by today’s savvy travel agents.

For CTI 101 graduates looking for a more hands-on experience, CTI 102 offers classroom-style education within the destination. CTI 102 students enjoy specialized trips that focus on topics such as weddings, golf and Mayan culture among others. After completing on-site seminars, agents utilize a three-day excursion to immerse themselves in the destination, giving them real-life experience to bring to their clients back home.

Graduates of the CTI program enjoy a variety of benefits: a color diploma, consumer leads, bulletin board and chat opportunities, a quarterly newsletter and a loyalty program that offers points and rewards based on recorded package price sales.

Program graduates will also be happy to learn that CTI is approved by the Travel Institute. A Certified Travel Associate (CTA) or a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) who completes the CTI educational program earns five Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which are required to maintain certification. Canadian agents can also earn twelve Advanced Program Education Credits from the Canadian Institute of Travel Counselors (CITC) by completing CTI, a designated Provider of Quality Education by CITC.

“As nearly 90 percent of all vacations to Cancun are booked through travel agencies, we understand how valuable agents are to our destination,” said Artemio Santos, executive director of the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau. “By providing travel agents with the latest information on Cancun, we can assure that guests will be able to make the most of their experience on our island.”
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