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The Travel Career Connexxions Opportunities Newsletter
06/07/06 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 http://www.TravelExecutive.com This week in Opportunities:
2006 Summer Travelers Going Farther and Longer To ensure that you always receive this newsletter and other communications from Travel Career Connexxions, please add our address to your Address Book (newsletter@travelexecutive.com). This will keep most email filters from misinterpreting and discarding these emails. Did you know? As of 06/07/06 there are 163 executive-level travel jobs published in the Travel Career Connexxions employment report. Positions include Director of Rooms (06/07), Human Resources Director (06/07), Director of Sales & Marketing (06/05), VP Sales (05/30), Vice President - Internal Audit (06/05), Director of Business Development (05/31) and more. It only takes one person to fill the job of a lifetime - and that someone could be you! http://www.TravelExecutive.com OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS 2006 Summer Travelers Going Farther and Longer A recent Prospectiv CPI poll found that when vacationers hit-the-road this summer, they'll be traveling farther from home and staying at their destination longer compared to Summer 2005. Prospectiv's CPI poll also revealed how consumers plan their vacations, most notably the fact that the majority of consumers (83 percent) use the Internet for researching and/or booking summer travel plans. In fact, 67 percent of respondents said they use the Internet as their primary resource for summer travel related information. According to a June 2005 Summer Travel CPI poll, only 46 percent of consumers planned to vacation for more than one week - in fact, 54 percent of vacationers planned to stay at their destination for less than seven days. This summer, 74 percent of travelers said they will leave home for one to two weeks. Not only are consumers extending the length of their vacations in 2006, they are venturing farther from home - the summer season will see an increase in out-of-state travelers. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said they will leave their home-state for vacation this summer - this represents an 11 percent increase in out-of-state travelers compared to the 2005 Summer Travel CPI poll. Where will these longer vacations be taken? According to the recent survey, seaside/lakeside resorts were the number one destination for vacationers - 29 percent of consumers will stay at one in 2006, jumping 10 percent from last year's poll. More people (4 percent) will also be taking a summer cruise in 2006, up 2 percent from 2005. Camping will decline by 50 percent this summer as only 8 percent of respondents said they will camp this summer - according to the 2005 survey results, 16 percent of summer vacationers camped last year. Not surprisingly, the CPI poll revealed that rising fuel prices will affect 60 percent of consumers' decisions regarding their 2006 summer vacation planning. But, despite this fact, 31 percent of respondents said they will spend more money on vacation arrangements this year compared to what they spent a year ago. Forty percent of consumers surveyed said they will spend the same in 2006 and 20 percent plan to spend less than in 2005. In addition to findings that consumers look to the Internet as their primary research tool for summer vacation planning, Prospectiv's CPI also revealed that consumers want even more online travel content. Eighty-eight percent of consumers polled said they would welcome even more summer travel information specific to their interests via online channels such as websites, email offers and other online discounts - increasing their Internet use for travel planning. Currently, 30 percent of consumers book travel arrangements through online travel sites; 21 percent book reservations using a hotel's/destination's own website; and 31 percent use online resources for researching summer travel options, but do not book online. When are consumers signing-online and researching summer travel plans? Not too far in advance of their trip. According to the survey, 62 percent begin their research in spring to early-summer. With the increasing costs of taking a vacation, consumers surveyed said certain incentives would entice them into traveling. Thirty-two percent of consumers said discount offers for extended hotel stays would increase their summer travel this year; 28 percent said discounts to preferred restaurants, stores and attractions would get them on the move; rebates on gas expenses would promote more travel by 26 percent of consumers polled. Prospectiv conducted the 2006 Summer Travel survey online, gathering responses from over 1000 consumers across the United States. The survey was conducted from May 22 - 29, 2006. For more information, visit www.prospectiv.com. Survey: 27% of Workers to Work While on Vacation Some workers are finding it difficult to unwind when taking time off from the office, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual vacation survey. Although an improvement from 33 percent in 2005, 27 percent of workers still say they plan to work while on vacation this year. Sixteen percent of workers report feeling guilty about missing work while on vacation and seven percent actually fear that time off could lead to unemployment. CareerBuilder.com's "Vacation 2006" survey was completed in March and included more than 2,500 workers. More than half of workers say they work under a great deal of stress, and 77 percent say they feel burned out on the job. While 84 percent of workers are planning to take a vacation this year, they might not be taking enough time to recharge. Thirty-two percent of workers are taking a vacation of five days or less while one-in-ten are limiting themselves to weekend getaways. To enjoy uninterrupted time off, some workers have elected to lie about accessibility at their vacation destinations. Eleven percent of workers blamed bad wireless connections and other technology issues to avoid work while away from the office. Men were slightly more apt to lie about finding Internet access or cell phone signals to avoid being contacted by their employers at 13 percent, compared to 10 percent of women. The survey also shows men are more likely to work while on vacation. Thirty-three percent of men expect to work on projects or check in with the office while on vacation, compared to 25 percent of women. Study Finds Online Travel Revenues Grew 20% in 2005 comScore Networks has released an analysis of the online travel market in the U.S. comScore found that nearly 150 million consumers visited a travel Web site in 2005, a 35-percent increase over the previous year. Annual online travel revenues exceeded $60 billion in 2005, representing a 20-percent increase versus 2004, with all travel segments posting gains. As the online travel industry has grown and matured, consumers have been slowly migrating from online agencies to branded airline, hotel or car rental supplier sites. However, both online agency and supplier sites are growing, with agencies posting a 19-percent gain versus 2004 and suppliers recording 21 percent growth. comScore data also show that the branded supplier sites captured approximately 57 percent of online travel dollars in 2005, up from 55 percent in 2004. Over the last three years, online agencies have experienced greater competition from supplier sites in the airline and hotel segments and, to a lesser extent, in car rentals. Supplier sites, which accounted for 53 percent of airline ticket sales in 2003, have grown in popularity in recent years to capture 58 percent of airline ticket sales in 2005. A similar pattern has emerged in the hotel segment, where supplier sites have grown from a 52 percent share in 2003 to 59 percent in 2005, with the growth from 2004 to 2005 being particularly strong. Conducted as part of the Travel Industry Overview, a comScore survey revealed that, on average, travel shoppers visit approximately three sites when planning leisure travel. The dominant reason for doing so, not surprisingly, is to search for the lowest price. Few respondents cited rewards programs or flexible dates and times as reasons for "shopping around." When people begin the process of researching travel services online, 46 percent indicated that the first site they visited was either Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz -- nearly double the proportion of people who reported starting their research at a branded airline, hotel or car rental site (24 percent). The top reason stated for beginning at Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity was efficiency in seeking the lowest price (22 percent), with an additional 17 percent indicating they expect these sites to deliver "the best deal." Since the Internet is "always open," it is perfectly positioned to help people shop in a very time-efficient manner. In fact, among people surveyed, 72 percent indicated that they begin their planning for leisure travel within eight weeks before taking the trip, with only 28 percent saying that they start researching and planning more than two months ahead of time. Online Travel Media Company Seeks Business Development Pro
Subscribe to the Travel Career Connexxions employment report and find more open positions like this:
National Business Development Manager
Seek and build advertising partnerships across the US travel industry with a focus on flights. Current advertisers include Priceline, Travelocity, 1800 Fly Europe, Expedia, American Airlines and dozens more. Cheapflights is an internet media company with a specialization in publishing travel deals and generating sales for travel companies. Cheapflights.com launched in the USA in June 2003 and has had a very successful first 3 years in the USA market. Cheapflights.com has over 2 million unique users a month and is a top 13 USA travel agent website (Hitwise). It is part of the Cheapflights family of sites that was founded over 10 years ago in the UK. Responsible to: General Manager, Cheapflights USA Key tasks:
This is a non-management role but with the potential to grow with a small but rapidly growing company. Preferred background:
Skills/Experience:
Excellent pay and benefits package will be offered to the successful candidate. The opportunity of equity is offered to successful candidates after one yearÃs employment in the Cheapflights group. OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS! AIRLINES: Northwest Airlines has announced that Perry Cantarutti has been named vice president-reservations. He replaces Crystal Knotek, who was promoted to senior vice president-ground operations in April 2006. Cantarutti, who will report to Griffin, will be responsible for the management of the airline's five domestic reservations call centers in Baltimore, Chisholm, Minn., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle/Tacoma and Tampa, Fla. Prior to being named vice president, Cantarutti served as managing director - marketing and distribution planning for Asia/Pacific since February 2002 and before that, was director-marketing and distribution planning. Cantarutti joined Northwest in 1992 as an analyst in domestic yield management. He also has held key management positions within the airline's marketing and international divisions at the company's headquarters in Eagan and also in Northwest's Japan office. Cantarutti holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California - Berkeley and a master's of business administration from Northwestern University. HOTELS & RESORTS: Lodgian, Inc. has announced that Ghee Alexander has been named general manager of the 272-room Melbourne-Oceanfront Crowne Plaza in Florida. The hotel, which was closed as a result of hurricane damage sustained in 2004, reopened in December 2005 as a Crowne Plaza following a comprehensive 15-month renovation and upgrade. Since joining Lodgian in 2002, Alexander has risen quickly through the ranks and built an impressive record of success at a range of property types. Most recently, he served as general manager of the 260-room Holiday Inn BWI Airport Conference Center near Baltimore. During his tenure there, the hotel reported increased guest satisfaction scores, adjusted daily rate grew by 6 percent, annual occupancy improved and the property ranked among the top 10 hotels in the Lodgian portfolio in terms of revenue and profit. Previously, he was general manager of the 193-room Holiday Inn Hotels & Suites in Marietta, Ga., near Atlanta, where he helped the hotel double its profits and achieve the second highest guest satisfaction scores in the company...Vail Resorts, Inc. has announced the appointment of Steven S. Fitzgerald as senior vice president of human resources. Fitzgerald will assume responsibility for all facets of human resource leadership and management across the Company's operations, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Robert Katz. Fitzgerald will begin his new position in mid-July and will office in the Company's new corporate headquarters in Broomfield, Colo. Fitzgerald was formerly a human resource executive at two companies with strong Colorado ties, StorageTek and Sun Microsystems. At StorageTek, he held several senior positions within the human resource area, having played an instrumental role in building the human resource function that was recognized for its excellence by publications such as Fortune and HR Executive. Fitzgerald was deeply involved in the acquisition of StorageTek by Sun, and led substantial portions of the integration of the two companies. Since the close of that acquisition, he has led Sun's Global Talent Management activity, an organization that included the recruiting, succession, leadership development and diversity functions of the $13-billion company. Fitzgerald earned his bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, as well as his master's in labor and industrial relations. He spent the first 14 years of his career at Ford Motor Company in a variety of human resources and other management roles...Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has announced the appointment of Lyn Locke as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort near Cumberland, MD. Locke brings more than 20 years of experience in hospitality industry sales, marketing and management to his position at the Rocky Gap Resort. Prior to joining Crestline he was the principal of Chesapeake Consulting Ltd., where he worked with numerous hotels, as well as golf and ski resorts, in developing and implementing sales and marketing programs. Locke was also president of sales for CityChoices Digital Guides in Vancouver, Canada, and enjoyed a 14 year career with Choice Hotels International where he last served as CFO-Sales & Director, Travel Industry Sales & Marketing. Locke holds a MBA from the University of Maryland in Marketing and Human Resources. He holds a B.S.B.A. degree from the Shippensburg...Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. has announced that William M. Wagner has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Wagner joined Sunstone in July 2004 as Vice President of Accounting. Prior to joining Sunstone, he was the Vice President of Accounting for The Trizetto Group. Prior to that, Wagner was with Irvine Apartment Communities and spent eight years as an auditor with Ernst & Young. Wagner graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 with a B.A. in Business Administration...Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) announced that Gregory S. Pasewark has joined HHM as director of construction services. In his new position, Pasewark will lead the renovation and design team that provides project management, design services and engineering consultation for properties subject to major renovations and property improvement plans (PIPs). Prior to joining HHM, Pasewark worked for 15 years at Excel Interior Concepts and Construction, a leading renovation and design company in central Pennsylvania. Pasewark is an active member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a Certified Graduate Remodeler for the NAHB, and a member of the Home Builders Association of Greater Harrisburg. Pasewark earned a bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dickinson College...The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has today that John A. O'Brien will succeed William Sherlock as President of Foxwoods Resort Casino. O'Brien will replace Sherlock, who announced his retirement in March after nine years with Foxwoods, six of those years as its President and CEO. O'Brien is the current executive vice president and chief financial officer of Foxwoods, a post he has held for nine years. The two will work together over the near term to ensure an orderly and successful transition. O'Brien is currently a member of the board of directors the Foxwoods Development Company, the tribe's off-reservation development entity. Prior to his role as CFO of Foxwoods, O'Brien spent 12 1/2 years with Hilton Hotels Corporation, where he held several key management positions, most recently vice president of international operations for Hilton Gaming Corporation. While also at Hilton, he was President and chief executive officer of its Windsor Ltd. Property in Ontario, Canada. TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: Worldspan has announced the appointment of Brannon R. Winn to the position of director of Airline Distribution, EMEA. Based at Worldspan's Paris office, Winn manages relationships with Worldspan participating airline customers throughout the region, and also directs airline business development. Winn brings to Worldspan 10 years of experience in global travel distribution and travel technology. Most recently based in Paris and earlier in the United States, he has held successive management, consulting, analyst and sales positions in the areas of account management and strategic partnerships, merchant travel solutions, e-business and travel distribution. Winn is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a dual diploma in Economics and French, and gained additional education from the University's Wharton School of Business... SideStep announced that John Robison has been appointed Senior Vice President of Engineering. Robison will be responsible for managing SideStep's engineering team and driving the company's technology strategy. Robison's appointment adds more than 15 years of extensive Internet-based engineering and management experience to SideStep's executive roster. Prior to joining SideStep, Robison spent 10 years at Yahoo! managing the development of some of the world's largest Internet platforms, including My Yahoo!. Most recently, Robison served as vice president and general manager of Premium Services Infrastructure, playing an integral role in the development and support of Yahoo!'s technology and business infrastructure. Additionally, he led engineering efforts supporting Yahoo!'s Platform Engineering and Access Partnerships, with a strategic focus on membership, personalization, premium services and application security. Prior to Yahoo!, Robison held positions with TravelNet, Inc., Electronic Data Systems and Oceania Health Care Systems.
Looking for more? Do you see Opportunities? Tell us! Please send all travel news and top executive changes to: opportunities@travelcareerconnexxions.com. |
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