Last year, YTB kicked up the training a notch by hiring Marc Mancini to private brand his travel curriculum. Marc is one of the brightest people I have ever met and certainly knows his stuff. He is respected in the industry and YTB could not have chosen a better person and organization for their training programs.
Some have said Marc has lost credibility by "selling out". Perhaps, but business is business and modifying his curriculum for 140,000+ "agents" is probably a very profitable and shrewd business move on his part.
However, I am not sure YTB is getting the bag for their buck! I was reading a recap of the first course in the Mancini curriculum and it appears that while the training is being offered, very few are taking advantage of it (or very few are being able to pass it).
I have said for a long time (and still do) that YTB is not engaged in the sale of travel as a primary business. Travel is a means to "legitimize" and perhaps legalize the recruiting end of the program so it falls outside of the pyramid laws. I think this recent blurb from the YTB Travel Compass supports that:
For completing Course 1 of the YTB E Campus within 60 days of launch 5 lucky winners won a free cruise for two. Congratulations to :Wow, 5 out of 140,000! Now I am sure that there were many more that are taking MORE than 60 days to complete the course, but this course was released in November and considering it is all online, 60 days is plenty. I wonder how many actually took the time to enroll--and paid the fee. My guess--not many.
Randy Mabry of Albemarle, NC
Marsha Garrard of Sherrills Ford, NC
Luz Paez of Moreno Valley, CA
Carma Hilliard of Loveland, CO
Cindy Reyes of Corona, CA
Will be interesting to see the results of the second class and the third which was just announced this week.
