Disha Shah Ghosh - Mumbai Visit California is upbeat about training the travel trade in India through its California Star platform. Christina Colney, Account Director, Travel Trade & Promotions – India, Visit California, spoke to Disha Shah Ghosh, about the various components of the platform and its assets.
Q. Give us a brief profile about Visit California’s CA Star online training programme.
California STAR is a dynamic trade-focused platform that helps drive sales and expand agent knowledge regarding the diversity of California experiences through training and interactive sales components, turning agents into expert brand ambassadors. Agents can download the app on Android and iOS devices or even access it on star.visitcalifornia.com. Once an agent is registered and logged in, they can click on ‘train’ and start their journey towards graduating various modules. The training platform automatically generates a personalised certificate upon graduation.
Q. How are you looking at disseminating the information about this learning programme among the Indian travel trade?
CA Star is a key tool for training agents and creating destination awareness. We promote the training programme extensively to our database across India, so agents based anywhere can get trained. We also like to do regular giveaways/lucky draws where agents get to win cool California merchandise. We promote it extensively during in person events & training programs and we collaborate with key travel trade media partners to promote the programme throughout the year. CA STAR is also a key component for agents to qualify for FAMS, in-person agent training programmes like Club California etc.
Q. What is the qualifying criterion for the CA Star programme, and what are the salient features of the modules?
Any agent who has the desire to gain more product knowledge about California can become a CA STAR, they simply need to register and log-in to start their training.
We have Broze status which features modules on:
1. The Essentials,
2. Gateways and
3. Regions,
Silver status features modules on:
4. Roadtrips,
5. Great Outdoors,
6. Culinary,
7. Health & Wellness,
8. Family Fun,
9. Sports & Activities,
10. Shopping & Culture.
Gold Status features California partner mini modules which include:
11. San Francisco
12. Los Angeles
13. Academy Museum of motion pictures
14. Palm Springs
15. Marina Del Ray
16. San Diego and
17. Sonoma County
Q. What makes CA STAR programme unique?
CA STAR apart from being an online training programme for agents is a sales companion and a great tool which gives the agents access to everyday needed assets such as interactive maps, visitors, image & video gallery, roadtrip content, sample itineraries, virtual reality content etc. All these assets will give the agents the confidence and materials required to sell and promote California.
