Why I Love Our Hosting Program
LOCAL FOREIGNER’S TEAM OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
This post is part of our series celebrating our Independent Contractors and Hosting Program. The Local Foreigner's Hosting Program provides a platform of systems and support for independent travel advisors.
Learn more about joining our team +
BY ALEX ERDMAN ELY
The Local Foreigner’s Hosting Program — a platform that provides services and support for independent travel advisors — is new…ish. We’ve been developing, synthesizing, and perfecting it for years now, so to me, it feels like it’s been around forever.
As the Local Foreigner’s Director of Hosting, I may be slightly biased when I say that we have the best Hosting Program out there. But it’s true. What we have here at Local Foreigner is really special and I’m excited to share it with our community.
We didn’t just pluck this from thin air. We’ve spent years researching how to create the best possible platform for Independent Contractors, and now we think we’ve finally gotten it right.
We’ve established best-in-class training and onboarding procedures, we’ve created detailed operating procedures specifically designed for ICs, and we’re continually refining and improving our custom CRM, which allows ICs to store and analyze sales data efficiently. Our internal team is made up of some of the most talented individuals in the travel industry, and our growing IC team matches that talent.
Our Dedicated Team
The Local Foreigner is intensely driven, and we attract individuals who like to work just as hard as we do.
As we continue to grow our IC team, we’re on the lookout for the best talent out there. The Local Foreigner is intensely driven, and we attract individuals who like to work just as hard as we do. It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new to the industry or have years of travel planning experience, we want you to join our IC team ready to dedicate time and effort to growing your business. Our team gets described as determined and intense, as well as fun and lively—often in the same sentence. We epitomize the energy that comes from loving what you do, and we want to attract those who feel equally passionate about their business.
Our System of Support
One of the most important aspects of developing our Hosting Program was creating a system of support for our ICs. A few of our Independent Contractors are New York based, so they benefit from coming into our office every day for supplier meetings, team lunches, and one-on-one consultations. But for our ICs who aren’t based in New York, we wanted to ensure we had a support system in place so they feel as much a part of our team as those in the office do.
During such a trying, uncertain time, we wanted to ensure that our ICs felt supported and informed.
This support system has really been put to the test during the COVID-19 crisis. During such a trying, uncertain time, we wanted to ensure that our ICs felt supported and informed. I conduct a weekly IC video conference to answer any questions and discuss ongoing industry updates. The ICs also join a weekly video call with the whole team, which helps us all feel connected during this period of isolation. And they regularly contribute to our Instagram and blog content.
ICs are part of our team, and we want to do everything we can to make sure they feel that way.
Join Us
If you’ve been thinking about a career change or are interested in learning more about our platform, we invite you to visit our Hosting Page. If you have any questions we’d love to hear from you.
The future may feel uncertain right now, but here at the Local Foreigner, we’re committed to making the future of travel better, together.