The only weekly newsletter detailing essential trends, news and top executive moves in travel. Opportunities is a free newsletter that provides you with the vision to "see" travel industry opportunities in the making. Whether you are in sales, business development, guiding your company's growth or managing your career, reading opportunities will give you the advantage to succeed. Opportunities is another innovative tool brought to you by Travel Career Connexxions. For more information, visit our main Travel Job resource page.

This week in Opportunities:

Cruise Expansion Leads to More Jobs
Two Chains Named to DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies
RCCL posts encouraging 1st Quarter
Airline Results Show Rising Low-Cost Carriers
Southwest Gives CEO 8.4 Percent Raise
Hotel Segment Prospects Are Strong for 2004
Networking Opportunities
New Opportunities!
Executive Movers! See who's going where?
Travel Executive Employment Report

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OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS!

Cruise Homeport Expansion Leads to More Jobs

Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, the world's largest luxury liner, made its New York debut last week, roughly 8 a.m. at Pier 92 at the New York Cruise Terminal. But QM2's arrival also bodes well for a major port expansion by major cruise lines in New York and other destinations-something that could lead to more job creation in the next few years. Earlier in the week, Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Lines had signed letters of intent with New York City to pay a minimum of $200 million in port charges through 2017 in return for a major renovation of the main cruise ship terminals on Manhattan's West Side and the creation of a new pier for cruise ships in Brooklyn. The city itself will spend $150 million to renovate the terminal on Manhattan's West Side, which has not had a major renovation since the 1970s. Once the renovations are completed in 2009, the West Side terminal will be able to accommodate three large cruise ships at the same time, including QM2. A new Brooklyn terminal, suitable for a single vessel, will be built in Red Hook. The agreement calls for Carnival and NCL to bring at least 13 million passengers to the city through 2017. In return, the two lines will receive preferential berths for their ships at the renovated West Side terminal and the new Brooklyn terminal. In contrast, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has forged an agreement to port its ships in Bayonne, N.J. Other cruise companies, such as Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), have been busy expanding so-called U.S. homeports. NCL now has a lock on the Hawaii cruise market, for example, as the only line that can legally sail directly between Hawaiian islands. NCL's Pride of Aloha will make its debut in the market on July 4, but the cruise line is already busy recruiting staff at all levels. Carnival Cruise Lines also will begin sailing from Mobile, Ala., in October, adding to a long list of Carnival homeports in the U.S. All of which bodes well for job creation in the burgeoning number of U.S. homeports being developed by major cruise lines.

Two Major Hotel Chains Score Well in Diversity

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Marriott International were named to DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity for 2004. Starwood was chosen because of its dedication to creating an environment of inclusion and diversity for its customers and more than 110,000 associates worldwide. A total of 178 companies participated in DiversityInc's fourth annual ranking, reflecting an increase of more than 50 percent from last year. The complete list of winners and results will be detailed in the June/July issue of DiversityInc magazine, the premier business publication on the business benefits of diversity. Some recent highlights of Starwood's diversity initiatives includes the introduction of Regional Diversity Councils, the successful roll-out of Managing Inclusion training and the launch of its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program, on-line vendor registration and database. The company also introduced an Associate Development program, which was designed to prepare Starwood associates at the property level for new assignments. Starwood associates also have access to a company wide internal diversity website that contains information about ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts, and where employees can ask questions about diversity and discover resources to broaden their own awareness and understanding. DiversityInc also named Marriott International 25th overall in its annual ranking of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity. Marriott also ranked fifth in the Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans, and ninth in the Top 10 Companies for Executive Women. The Top 50 Companies for Diversity was unveiled on www.DiversityInc.com. The Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans will also be listed on the web site on Tuesday, May 31, and the Top 10 Companies for Executive Women will be appearing June 14.

Latest RCCL Financials Bode Well For Cruising

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd. (RCCL), parent of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, is posting some encouraging results, similar to rival Carnival Corp. RCCL reported net income for the first quarter of 2004 was $95.8 million, compared with $53.2 million for the same period in 2003. Revenues for the first quarter increased 20.6 percent to $1.1 billion, compared with of $880.2 million in the first quarter of 2003. The increase in revenues was primarily due to a 13.4 percent increase in capacity coupled with an increase in cruise ticket prices. Even better, gross yields for the first quarter of 2004 increased 6.3 percent from the first quarter of 2003. Net yields, which the company considers a better measure of revenue performance, increased 5.3 percent from the first quarter of 2003. As a result of the improved booking environment and favorable prior year comparisons, the company currently forecasts that net yields for the second quarter of 2004 will increase in the range of 9 percent to 11 percent compared to the second quarter of 2003. Assuming there are no external shocks and current booking trends continue, the company still expects net yields for the full year 2004 will increase in the range of 5 percent to 7 percent from the prior year. With those kinds of numbers, prospects for cruise expansion-and possibly more jobs in the segment--look very good indeed this year.

Airline Results Show Rising Low-Cost Carriers

The airlines, of course, are a different story. Once again the latest batch of airline quarterly results showed the dramatic impact of higher fuel prices on the major carriers. American parent AMR reported a net loss of $166 million for the first quarter, compared with a net loss of $1.04 billion in the same quarter last year. At the same time, AMR also posted its third straight quarter of positive operating income. AMR attributed its progress to the momentum of its cost-cutting Turnaround Plan. Meanwhile, Northwest Airlines reported a net loss of $230 million for the first quarter of 2004, compared with a net loss of $396 million for the first quarter of 2003. While the carrier said it saw some revenue recovery, that recovery was offset by higher aircraft fuel prices. It also said it would not be able to generate sustainable profit without achieving more competitive labor costs. On the low-cost carrier front, however, JetBlue Airways reported operating revenues for the quarter totaled $289 million, representing growth of 33.1 percent over operating revenues of $217.1 million in the first quarter of 2003. Net income for the quarter was $15.2 million, compared with first quarter 2003 net income of $17.4 million. Meanwhile, America West eked out first quarter 2004 net income of $1.2 million for the first quarter, compared with a net loss of $62 million for the same period last year. So once again, low-cost carriers are reporting profits-and expanding service-while major airlines find themselves in a cost-cutting mode. All of which probably means the job outlook is only bright among low-cost carriers for now.

Southwest Gives CEO 8.4 Percent Raise

Being a top executive with a low-cost carrier doesn't necessarily mean you get skimped on pay. Southwest Airlines Co., the only U.S. carrier to remain profitable through the economic and travel slump of the past three years, gave CEO James Parker an 8.4 percent raise last year with a compensation package worth $578,000 plus stock options. Parker's salary of $330,773 remained smaller than that of chairman Herb Kelleher, who was paid $450,000. In addition to his salary, Parker got a $187,000 bonus - identical to his 2002 bonus - and nearly $61,000 in other compensation, according to a company document filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Parker also got options for 13,087 shares of stock, which Southwest said were worth $115,427 if the stock gains 5 percent a year or $292,625 if it rises 10 percent a year during the term of the options. In addition to a 4.3 percent salary increase, Kelleher received a $170,000 bonus, the same as in 2002, $73,016 in other compensation and options for 8,570 shares. The company valued his options at $75,587 to $191,625 if the stock appreciates 5 percent to 10 percent a year.

Hotel Segment Prospects Are Strong for 2004

Prospects for the hotel industry continue to be strong in 2004. PricewaterhouseCoopers reports lodging occupancy is expected to reach 69.1 percent this summer, the highest since 2000 when occupancy reached 72.1 percent. The occupancy hike is expected from the Memorial Day weekend through the Labor Day weekend, and also marks a 2 percent increase from summer 2003, when occupancy reached 67.7 percent. Occupancy during the Memorial Day weekend is forecast to hit 72 percent, another high point since 2000, when occupancy was 73.4 percent. July 4 occupancy is forecast to reach numbers similar to those of 2002, but higher than 2003, at 67 percent. In addition, Labor Day occupancy will follow similar patterns from 2001 and 2003 where occupancy was 69 percent.

OPPORTUNITIES NETWORKING!

ASTA Congress Themed Around Top Women

The travel industry is one where top women executives are often recognized and promoted. That was clearly evident at a special seminar for women executives at last week's Travel Commerce Expo. Now the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is adopting a similar tact. ASTA said the theme of its World Travel Congress in Hong Kong, Sept. 28-Oct. 3, will be "Women in Travel: Influencing, Leading, Empowering." In keeping with that theme, each general session will feature a woman leader from a different segment of the travel industry. In addition, the Congress will include business appointments that are being scheduled during the trade show on Oct. 1. These meetings, during which agents will meet with pre-selected vendors and vendors will meet with pre-selected attendees, will give both buyers and sellers the chance to meet one-on-one and make long-lasting business connections. ASTA also will be featuring seminar tracks grouped according to their subject matter, rather than by their target audience. This year's tracks are: Luxury, National Tourism Organizations (NTO), Family, Exhibitor, Business/Technology and Honeymoon. While the ASTA Congress has seen decreasing attendance in recent years, it remains a major venue for networking among all industry segments. For more information on the Congress in Hong Kong, visit www.astanet.com/conference/cg04/index.asp.

TOP OPPORTUNITIES!

Intrawest Ski Resorts Creates New Travel Division

There's mounting opportunity in ski industry resorts. Intrawest Corporation has combined all of its travel and leisure businesses into the newly formed Leisure and Travel Group. The new group includes Intrawest's mountain and warm-weather resorts, its golf, lodging and central reservations businesses, and Club Intrawest. Together, these businesses generated $650 million in revenues in fiscal 2003. The newly formed group is aimed at more effectively leveraging Intrawest's assets and expertise. It will also allow the consolidation of customer contact and key marketing resources to facilitate more effective customer interaction and marketing across the full range of the company's products. Veteran Intrawest executives Dan Jarvis and Hugh Smythe will lead the Leisure and Travel Group. Jarvis, formerly the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer, will now serve as president and chief executive officer of the Leisure and Travel Group and Smythe, formerly president-resort operations group, will serve as president and chief operating officer. With this new structure the entire company now comprises two divisions, the Leisure and Travel Group and the Resort Development Group, which carries out the real estate development business.

Wynn's Las Vegas Resort Sticks to 2005 Schedule

Opportunity is always knocking Las Vegas, where Steve Wynn's newest resort, Wynn Las Vegas, is reportedly on track for an April 2005 opening. The 50-story resort, which includes a golf course and spa, will have 2,700 guestrooms and suites and 200,000 square feet of meeting space with two ballrooms, 18 meeting rooms and two boardrooms equipped with the latest technology. Each meeting room features views of the resort, including pools, and Wynn Las Vegas's golf course, designed by Tom Fazio and Wynn himself.

New Tour Companies Emerge From Far & Wide Ruins

Sometimes it takes a bankruptcy to create even more opportunity. When Far & Wide Corp., a consolidator of small tour operators, filed for Chapter 11 last year, it left many customers in the lurch, as well as many former owners of the tour operators it purchased. Now some of those former owners are setting up shop again under their old company names. IST Group, a former Far & Wide operator specializing in cultural tours, was relaunched by its former president, Michael Goren, several months ago and is busy staffing up. Travitalia, a Rome-based operator formerly owned by Far & Wide, has been relaunched by its former president, Antonio Luce, along with four other former Travitalia executives. The company, which specializes in custom-made itineraries, plans to soon will unveil an umbrella organization called Global Travel Team, which will market itself in the U.S. from a Beverly Hills, Calif., office, using a new Web site at www.globaltravelteam.com. Finally, Spanish Heritage Tours, another former Far & Wide operator, plans to relaunch later this week. All these former Far & Wide companies are busy reorganizing and staffing up.

OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS!

AIRLINES: US Airways Group President and CEO David Siegel resigned last week and was replaced by Bruce Lakefield, chairman of the US Airways board's finance and strategy, and human resources committees. Siegel, who had been seeking to extricate the airline from financial difficulties, had been under fire from the airline's unions after calling for more concessions and warning about the effect of Southwest's entry into the Philadelphia market, a key US Airways hubÖSwiss International Airlines named Christoph Franz as the airline's new chief executive officer after an extensive recruitment process. Franz spent the past nine years in top management positions with Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), the German national railway. His most recent position was as a member of executive management in charge of passenger sales. From 1990 to 1994 he was with Lufthansa. During his time with the German national carrier, he was part of the team that planned the airline's financial turnaround. Franz, a German citizen, will join Swiss on May 1 for a transitional period before officially assuming the role of CEO as of July 1ÖFederico Bloch resigned as chief executive of TACA after 25 years with the airline. Bloch had been on a leave of absence this past year to attend to his son, who has been battling a serious disease. TACA said. Roberto Kriete, who had assumed Bloch's duties during his leave, has been named CEO.

CRUISE LINES: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. named Anthony Caputo as director of its new port, Cape Liberty Cruise Port, in Bayonne, N.J. Two Royal Caribbean International ships, Voyager of the Seas and Empress of the Seas, will sail May-through-October itineraries from Cape Liberty. Caputo will oversee the company's terminal operations at the new port and will report to Craig Milan, senior vice president of guest port services for Royal Caribbean. Previously, Caputo oversaw terminal operations, passenger movement and security issues for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises ships calling in U.S. ports.

DESTINATIONS: Robert Franklin, executive vice president of the Americas since 1999 for VisitBritain (formerly the British Tourist Association), will depart the New York this summer to serve a three-year term as executive director of the European Travel Commission, based in Brussels. Franklin, the ETC's chairman in the U.S., will take a leave of absence from VisitBritain by to assume his new ETC post. Rupert Peters, VisitBritain's regional manager for Australasia, will replace Franklin in New YorkÖTourism KwaZulu-Natal appointed Miller Matola, South African Tourism's portfolio manager for the Americas and the United Kingdom, as the provincial tourism body's new CEO. The appointment follows the departure on March 31 of Gareth Coleman, who led the organization as chief executive for more than six years. Matola's appointment is effective May 1. Miller implemented South African Tourism's first integrated marketing campaign targeting the US market.

HOTELS: Seattle-based Noble House Hotels and Resorts promoted Marc Pujalet to president and chief marketing officer. Pujalet retains his responsibilities as CMO, and assumes operations responsibility for the Noble House management company, reporting to Jake Donoghue, chief executive officer. As Noble House president, Pujalet will have direct oversight for hotel operations, training, human resources, sales and marketing, hotel finance and marketing information, technology, communications, revenue management, distribution, retail, restaurants, food and beverage and spas. Pujalet previously was with the Seattle-King County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Westin Hotels & Resorts. Noble House Hotels and Resorts is a privately held hotel management and development company based in Seattle, which owns and manages 12 boutique hotels and resorts located in seven U.S. statesÖAdwina Arends, a long-time hotel industry executive in Aruba, is leaving La Cabana All Suite Beach Resort after launching the hotel 14 years ago. Arends has spent the past 30 years in Aruba, including stints as hotel general manager, head of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) and most recently as director of sales and marketing for La Cabana. She intends to pursue other opportunities in the hospitality, travel and tourism venues... Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts hired Faye Ishikawa as regional sales manager for the western region. Ishikawa will be responsible for managing sales in the northwest and Midwest regions, including the City of San Francisco, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. She was most recently an account director at San Francisco's Palace Hotel, and has also worked for W San Francisco as national sales manager and at Westin SFO as sales managerÖHalekulani Corporation, which owns and manages both the Halekulani and the Waikiki Parc hotels on Oahu, has appointed Robin Graf to serve as general manager of the Waikiki Parc Hotel. Graf will be responsible for directing all aspects of day-to-day management and operations of the 297-room hotel in the heart of Waikiki. He was previously general manager of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, an Outrigger Resort, on Hawaii's Big Island, where he successfully managed the resort's $27 million restoration project. Before joining the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, he served as resident manager of the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu, a position he accepted after serving as the resident manager of the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii's Big Island.

TOUR OPERATORS: IST Group named Dariusz Wesolowski as head of its Special Groups Division. Wesolowski has experience in group travel to all five continents, in meetings and incentives, and also in using familiarization tours as part of an educational process that teaches travel agents how to close the sale to a client.

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