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This week in Opportunities:

Despite Fuel Prices, Memorial Day Travel Expected to Rise
Hotel Revenues Rose in 2005, Along with Expenses
AMEX Travel: Family Vacations on the Rise
Opportunities Watch!
Executive Movers! See who's going where?
Travel Executive Employment Report

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OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS

Despite Fuel Prices, Memorial Day Travel Expected to Rise

Travel will be up slightly this Memorial Day holiday despite high gas prices and increasing vacation costs, according to AAA. AAA estimates that 37.6 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a 0.9 percent increase from last year. Approximately 31.4 million travelers (84 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 0.7 percent increase from the 31.2 million who drove a year ago. Another 4.3 million (11 percent of holiday travelers) plan to travel by airplane, up 1.5 percent from last Memorial Day. A projected 1.9 million (5 percent of all holiday travelers) vacationers will travel by train, bus, or other mode of transportation, about even with a year ago. Holiday auto travelers will find gas prices nationwide currently averaging $2.93 for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline -- up 17 cents from a month ago and more than 75 cents higher than this time last year. Air travelers will also be paying more to fly this weekend. AAA's Leisure Travel Index shows flights over the holiday weekend averaging 10 percent more this year than last year. Hotel rates will also be up about 5 percent from a year ago. The greatest increase will be seen in rental car rates -- up about 19 percent from a year ago -- adding almost $6 to the average daily car rental rate, the highest average rate for Memorial Day weekend in the past six years. The Air Transport Association (ATA) expects more than 21 million passengers to travel globally on U.S. airlines over the 2006 Memorial Day holiday. The nation's airlines are expecting to transport 2.1 million passengers per day between Monday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 31. Systemwide, passenger volumes during this period are projected to rise 1.9 percent from a year ago, principally due to 9 percent growth in international air travel. Guest bedrooms across the country will be full this Memorial Day holiday as 41 percent of travelers expect to stay with friends or relatives; hotel/motels rank second with 35 percent; followed by cabin/condo, 8 percent; no overnight stay, 7 percent; and camper/trailer/RV/tent, 5 percent, according to AAA.

Hotel Revenues Rose in 2005, Along with Expenses

In 2005, U.S. hotels were able to turn a healthy 8.8 percent rise in total revenue into an impressive 15.5 percent increase in profits according to the recently released 2006 edition of Trends in the Hotel Industry published by PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR), an affiliate of PKF Consulting. This marks the second consecutive year of double-digit profit growth for U.S. hotels. However, expenses continue to escalate at a level more than twice the rate of inflation, causing concern for hotel owners and operators. In 2005, the cost of operating a U.S. hotel grew 6.5 percent. Leading all expenses in percentage growth were utilities that grew 13.6 percent from 2004 to 2005. The largest cost center, labor and related expenses, increased by 5.1 percent last year, creating another drag on profit growth. Unlike 2004, a wider variety of properties started to benefit from the industry upswing during 2005, the second year of recovery from the 2001-2003 recession. According to the study, in 2005, all five property types the Trends survey achieved strong gains in total revenue, as well as double-digit increases in bottom-line profits. PKF-HR breaks down their survey sample into five property categories: full- service, limited-service, convention, all-suite, and resort. Among the different property categories, limited-service hotels achieved the greatest increase in revenue (10.3%), while full-service hotels achieved the greatest increase in profitability (19.3%). While convention hotels lagged the other property types somewhat in terms of revenue and profit growth, the 7.8 percent gain in revenues and 12.2 percent increase in profits posted by these hotels are well above the long-term averages for this segment. For the hotels in PKF's 2005 Trends sample, a 2.9 percent increase in occupancy combined with a 7.4 percent increase in ADR to generate a 10.4 percent increase in RevPAR. This favorable mix of RevPAR drivers was the primary reason for the high growth in profits achieved in 2005. In 2005, revenues from all other minor-operated departments did not keep pace with the significant rise in rooms revenue. The combined revenues from the food department, beverage department, telecommunications, other operated departments, and rentals and other income increased by 5.6 percent from 2004 to 2005. Not contributing to the increase in bottom-line profits was the telecommunications department. Sales in this department dropped another 7.6 percent in 2005, the fifth consecutive year of revenue declines. Total operating expenses for the hotels in the Trends sample grew 6.5 percent in 2005, double the 3.3 percent rate of inflation for the year. At 44.6 percent of all operating expenses, labor and related costs continue to represent the largest expense item for hotels. Therefore, the 5.1 percent increase in labor and related costs incurred during 2005 contributed significantly to the 6.5 percent increase total hotel operating costs. In 2005, rooms department expenses increased 7.3 percent, the single largest increase for any revenue-generating department. Two of the most significant cost increases in 2005 have been in management fees (8.9 percent) and franchise fees (9.8 percent). This makes sense since a large portion of these costs is often charged as a percentage of revenue. With newspaper headlines trumpeting the daily increases in crude oil prices, hotel owners and operators are extremely concerned about the direct and indirect impacts of rising energy prices. In 2005, hotel utility costs rose 13.6 percent, the single largest increase of any individual expense item on a hotel's financial statement. It appears that municipalities all across the nation have taken notice of the rise in hotel industry profits and values. In 2005, hotel property taxes rose 6.2 percent, the largest increase since 1987. For more information on the 2006 Trends in the Hotel Industry survey or a Benchmarker report, visit www.pkfc.com.

AMEX Travel: Family Vacations on the Rise

Family travel is on the rise this summer, according to almost four out of five (79%) American Express Travel agents polled nationwide, who identified it as one of this year's most significantly increasing travel trends. This summer, family vacations are expanding beyond the traditional getaways to include newer, broader, more active and meaningful travel plans, say agents. They say that top motivators for family travel include the desire to introduce children to different cultures, customs and lifestyles, to experience new things together and create lasting memories. Results from the American Express Travel poll of 279 of their agents found that family travel today means more than the typical nuclear family trip of the past. Eighty-one percent of agents are booking family vacations consisting of multi-generational trips that include grandparents. Additionally, more than two-thirds (69%) of agents are seeing grandparents traveling exclusively with their grandchildren -- independent of Mom and Dad. Other trends spotted by agents include adult children traveling with their parents (69%); family and family friends traveling together as one large group (67%); "blended" families, consisting of divorced/remarried parents with their new spouses and children, traveling together (31%); and extended family members including aunts, uncles and cousins taking trips as a collective group (28%). American Express Travel agents say that families are increasingly drawn to active and experience-driven travel plans. In fact, poll results showed that agents are booking more outdoor, adventure family vacations (62%), along with more international family vacations (57%). Almost half (49%) of travel agents polled recognized cruising as a growing trend in family travel. Families are also taking trips to celebrate the family itself with family reunions on the rise, according to the 41% of agents who said they had been asked to plan such a trip this year. Another key trend is a rise in family members pairing up to travel. Almost two-thirds (64%) of agents are seeing a rise in mother-daughter getaways; and 36% of agents noted an increase in father-son travel. Almost two-thirds of agents said that spa getaways make up most mother-daughter vacations; while fathers and sons most often choose active vacations, such as hunting, biking, hiking or fishing. Data on 2006 family travel trends was collected via an online poll of 279 American Express Travel agents across the U.S. The poll was fielded during the first and second weeks of May 2006.

OPPORTUNITIES WATCH!

Group Travel Company Seeks Direct Marketer

Subscribe to the Travel Career Connexxions employment report and find more open positions like this:

Vice President, Marketing
Groople, Inc.

Are you an experienced direct marketing executive? Do you have an entrepreneurial passion to work in a start-up environment? We are seeking a well-rounded individual to develop a strong direct marketing program and manage our existing online marketing effort in order to further build the Groople brand within our target markets.

Groople is the leader in the dynamic and fast growing group travel market. As the Vice President of Marketing you will be responsible for the Marketing Department including the budget and key financial metrics and will serve as the senior marketing officer reporting directly to the CEO.

If you love direct marketing and have a passion for creating sales from your efforts, then we have a unique opportunity for you. You will work closely with Groopleís entire organization as a part of the executive management team and will be largely responsible for the success of Groople.

In addition to managing the existing online marketing program and assisting with the channel marketing lead generation effort, co-managing public relations and managing the development of the Groople brand, the successful candidate will be responsible for building a direct marketing program from the ground up and should personally have the skills necessary to implement the program.

Responsibilities:

• Obtain a detailed understanding of Groopleís customer and prospect database.
• Develop all aspects of a direct marketing program using multiple delivery and contact mechanisms. Create direct marketing plans and programs that generate leads and result in sales
• Conduct ongoing segmentation and data analysis to identify profitable marketing opportunities
• Perform in-house services and only utilize cost-effective third party providers for eCommerce, marketing automation infrastructure, analytical and modeling services when needed
• Work closely with the Business Development team to generate leads for the channel marketing program
• Through the execution of these marketing programs, you will be largely responsible for the success of the company.

• At least five years of direct marketing experience required; senior management experience preferred
• Strong strategic thinker with tactical abilities. You must be capable of creating a vision and executing the detailed plans without a large staff
• Broad breadth of direct marketing experience, encompassing all relevant and related disciplines
• Demonstrated success managing the strategy, implementation and optimization of direct marketing programs
• Detailed experience with database marketing including segmentation, testing and ROI analysis
• Hands-on experience with a campaign management and query reporting tools
• Experience directly managing outside agencies and/or database service providers
• Results-oriented self-starter
• High level of integrity
• Exceptional analytical, organizational and interpersonal skills
• Team player capable of building a world-class direct marketing team over time

• Previous sales responsibility in a marketing role within publishing or other industry reliant on direct marketing
• Previous eCommerce, specifically email marketing, search engine or online advertising experience
• B.S./B.A. in Business Administration or Economics preferred.
• MBA or equivalent preferred

Groopleís corporate office is located in Centennial, Colorado. Groople provides group travel services for hotel products to Travelocity, TravelHero, World Choice Travel and more. Groople is an equal opportunity employer and provides a solid benefits program including health insurance, 401K and a stock option plan. Please email your cover letter and resume to careers@groople.com or fax to (303) 483-9019. Attention: Mike Stacy.

OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS!

AIRLINES: UAL Corporation, parent company of United Airlines, has announced four new officer appointments. United appointed Jane Allen senior vice president - Human Resources, with responsibility for United's human resource functions worldwide, including labor relations, personnel policies and issues, benefits and compensation. Allen, who joined the company in 2003, previously served as senior vice president - Onboard Service, a role that is being filled by Sean Donohue, currently United's vice president - Customer Experience. The company also announced it appointed Monique Hines vice president - Information Services Division, and Srisu Subrahmanyam, vice president - Continuous Improvement. Prior to joining United, Allen held several leadership roles at American Airlines, including vice president of flight service and vice president of employee relations and chief labor negotiator. Having joined American as an attorney, she also served as managing director of compensation and benefits. Allen will report directly to Tilton in this role. In his new role as senior vice president -- Onboard Service, Donohue will be responsible for the company's worldwide flight attendant operations, food and beverage operations, flight attendant manpower planning and scheduling, and crew hotel accommodations. Donohue joined United in 1984 and has held a number of leadership positions across the company, including launching Ted in 2004. Donohue also served as vice president of Operational Services, United Express and Ted, where he was responsible for overseeing United's system operations control center as well as ensuring the growth and profitability of Ted and the financial and operational performance of United Express. In his most recent role, Donohue has worked closely with the operational divisions to improve customer satisfaction. Dennis Cary, senior vice president - Marketing, will continue to lead the customer experience initiative and will work with Donohue and other company leaders to drive improvements for United's customers. The company expects to name Donohue's replacement following an internal and external search for candidates. In her new role as vice president - Information Services Division, Hines will have responsibility for leading information systems development, deployment and support; technology and service management and IT architecture companywide. Hines joined United in 2004 as managing director, chief of development. Prior to joining United, Hines was vice president and chief information officer for Pactiv Corporation. She also held several leadership roles at Whirlpool Corporation and GE Capital, including vice president of Global Architecture & Business Consulting, vice president of Global Supply Chain, vice president of Enterprise Resource Planning and several Information Services leadership positions, delivering capabilities focused on enabling and significantly improving business operations. She will continue to report to Garry Kelly, senior vice president - Continuous Improvement, Strategic Sourcing and Chief Information Officer. Also reporting to Kelly in a newly created role as vice president - Continuous Improvement will be Srisu Subrahmanyam. In this role, Subrahmanyam will be responsible for leading overall corporate continuous improvement efforts and driving improved productivity. He joined United in 1999 and held several management positions, including managing projects for Onboard Service, maintenance supply chain management efforts in United Services and IT portfolio management as Director of Business Technology. He also led the corporate Industrial Engineering group and most recently served as a managing director in the Information Services Division...South African Airways has announced the appointment of Marc Cavaliere as Executive Vice President-North America. Based at the carrier's U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cavaliere will oversee all aspects of SAA's North American operations including the airline's regional integration into the global Star Alliance. An airline industry veteran with more than 20 years experience, Cavaliere joins South African Airways from his most recent position as Vice President of Sales and Distribution for low-fare carrier Spirit Airlines. In addition to directing Spirit's sales and distribution strategies, Cavaliere also managed Spirit's Internet sales, e-commerce and the airline's participation in the Global Distribution Systems (GDS). Prior to joining Spirit in 2001, Cavaliere was Vice President and Senior Partner with Aviation Management, a leading consulting firm specializing in South American and Latin American carriers. His past experience includes five years with American Airlines directing the airline's sales and airport operations in several regions around Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as positions with Pam Am as the airline's last Country Director in Brazil, and as Director of New England responsible for Pan American World Airways, Pan Am Shuttle and Pan Am Express...Arthur Pappas, a veteran of nearly 30 years with American Airlines, today was named the airline's Vice President-Chicago, with overall responsibility for American's major hub at O'Hare International Airport. Pappas succeeds Bernard J. DeSena, who is retiring after 40 years with the airline. Pappas joined American in 1976 as a reservations agent in New York. After serving in a number of customer service positions in the New York area, including service at New York's LaGuardia Airport, he was assigned to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, American's largest hub, serving for 13 years at DFW in passenger service, operations and as Ramp Manager. Later, Pappas was promoted to Managing Director-System Operations Control, heading the organization that coordinates the operation of the airline worldwide. In 1999, Pappas became Regional Manager, responsible for a number of cities served by American in the Northeast. Three years later, he assumed his most recent post as Managing Director-Los Angeles, overseeing all facets of American's customer service and ramp service activities at Los Angeles International Airport.

HOTELS & RESORTS: Riviera Holdings Corporation announced the appointment of Mark Lefever as its Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Lefever fills positions vacated by Duane Krohn, who retired in early May. Lefever has extensive experience in the gaming industry, having served as top financial officer for several casino/hotel properties, including Resorts Atlantic City, The Desert Inn Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, and Sheraton Casino in Tunica County, Mississippi. Most recently, Lefever was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Resorts Atlantic City. Prior to that, he was General Manager of Trump 29 Casino in Coachella, California, where he was responsible for all operational and financial facets of that Native American casino. As Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of The Desert Inn Resort and Casino, Lefever assisted in the sale of that property to Steve Wynn in 2000. Prior to his positions in the gaming industry, Mr. Lefever spent 10 years in the audit and business advisory practice with Arthur Andersen LLP. He is a member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. He also holds a B.S. in accounting from Villanova University in Pennsylvania...Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, LLC has named its president, Michael A. Depatie to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2006. Only the third person to hold that position in the company's 25-year history, Depatie succeeds Chairman and CEO Tom LaTour, 62, who is retiring after 23 years with the company. LaTour will remain a member of the board and will be a consultant to the company. Depatie joined Kimpton in 2003 as CEO of Real Estate for Kimpton Group Holding, LLC, the parent company of Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group. Responsible for securing funds and for the acquisition and development of new hotels and restaurants, Depatie quickly created a powerhouse finance and development department, and formed the $157.2 million Kimpton Hospitality Partners, L.P. ("KHP Fund"), a limited partnership to acquire, develop and redevelop boutique/lifestyle hotel properties. Throughout his time at Kimpton he has worked closely with LaTour on the overall strategic direction of the company. In September 2005, Depatie was promoted to president of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, responsible for overseeing the company's hotel and restaurant operations, and legal activities in addition to finance and development, design and construction.

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: OneLink Corporation, a provider of integrated booking and settlement processing services for travel suppliers and their distributors, has announced that David Fromal has been appointed as the company's chief operating officer, a new position. Fromal, a veteran technology and travel services senior executive, has helped several early stage companies successfully establish and grow their lines of business. In his new position, Fromal will lead OneLink's efforts to aggressively market its innovative reservations and transaction processing services--a lineup that features groundbreaking upfront financial settlement for travel agents. Fromal comes to OneLink from Salis Inc., a venture-backed startup focused on business process management, where he was president and CEO. During his tenure as CEO, Fromal re-positioned Salis' product lines to create an entirely new transaction processing category, securing multi-million dollar contracts with several Fortune 100 companies in the process. Prior to Salis, Fromal spent four years as executive vice president, Strategic Development and Corporate Communications, for TRX, Inc., a $120 million global leader in travel industry transaction processing services. Fromal also spent 13 years in a variety of executive roles at American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. Starting his career in direct sales, Fromal eventually attained the position of senior vice president/general manager, Personal Travel Services, managing a $1 billion sales organization with 1,250 associates nationwide...SynXis, the Sabre Holdings business that provides reservation management, distribution and technology services for hotels, has announced the addition of Kim Tisdale and Laura Brouk to their senior management team. Tisdale is assuming the role of Vice President of Service Delivery overseeing the SynXis implementations and data services teams which includes SynXis' new call center operations in the United States and Uruguay. Brouk is taking the position of Vice President of Business Development and creating a new team within SynXis to assist properties in maximizing their revenue. Tisdale brings with her a wealth of knowledge with over 17 years of experience in the hotel industry, most recently as Director of Electronic Distribution Services for Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. Tisdale has also held various positions at Hilton International and Forte Hotels. Brouk has been in the hospitality business for 18 years. She has held positions in operations, sales and revenue management at both the property and corporate level for several chains including Marriott, Starwood, Interstate and most recently Wyndham International as Vice President of Revenue Management. In 2004 Brouk was named one of the 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales and Marketing by HSMAI.

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