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The Travel Career Connexxions Opportunities Newsletter
12/21/04 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:
Cendant Adds to Online Empire with $1.1 Billion Buy 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. OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS Cendant Adds to Online Empire with $1.1 Billion Buy Looks like Cendant is focusing its strategy on online travel, so look for more jobs as the company keeps expanding. Cendant has agreed to acquire privately held, U.K.-based Gullivers Travel Associates, the trading name of Donvand Ltd., and Octopus Travel Group Ltd. for approximately $1.1 billion in cash. Gullivers Travel Associates is a leading wholesaler of hotels, destination services, travel packages and group tours, and OctopusTravel.com is a global online provider of lodging and destination services, selling directly to consumers as well as through third party affiliate and primarily low cost airlines. The companies source all of their travel and services inventory directly from suppliers in 25 countries, and operate as a merchandiser of travel and tourism land-based content for groups and individuals. It is anticipated that key management of Gullivers, including David Babai, chairman, will remain with the company in similar capacities. Gullivers, founded in 1975, offers unique tour and packaged travel content to tour operators, travel agents and consumers in 23 languages and employs approximately 2,400 people. Its largest outbound market from which its customers purchase travel is Asia, and most significantly Japan as well as Hong Kong and China. Its principal destination markets are the major European countries, but it sells products and services in over 100 countries. Octopus has been operating since 2000 and offers negotiated hotel offerings at over 21,400 properties worldwide. Octopus also provides a variety of in-destination services, with over one million contracted activities available online to customers and consumers worldwide. The move comes just weeks after Cendant finalized its purchase of Orbitz and announced a deal to buy ebookers, the U.K.-based online booking site.. Orbitz Names Sands to Replace Katz after Cendant Takeover Want to know just how quickly Cendant's new strategy affects travel jobs? Cendant owned Orbitz Inc. has named its former chief marketing officer, Michael Sands, as president. Jeff Katz, Orbitz's chairman, president and chief executive officer, is stepping down after the company's acquisition by Cendant, a deal that closed last month. Sands will oversee Orbitz's management and strategic direction and is responsible for all aspects of the company's leisure-travel offerings. He joined Orbitz as its first marketing employee in September 2000. As chief marketing officer Sands led the team responsible for developing and implementing all marketing activities for Orbitz. His efforts were a major contributor to the successful launch of Orbitz.com on June 4, 2001, and its rapid growth since. Prior to joining Orbitz, Sands worked for General Motors Corporation as one of a select group of external marketers designated with improving the auto company's North American marketing efforts. His efforts made Oldsmobile an e- marketing leader within the overall auto industry and led Sands to being named a "Marketer of the Next Generation" by Brandweek magazine. Americans Set to Travel in Record Numbers this Winter Looks like winter travel will continue to boom. Americans will be traveling in record numbers this winter (December, January, February), according to the latest seasonal forecast by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA). Americans are expected to take more than 243 million person-trips this winter, an increase of 2.6 percent from last winter. In just four years, since 2000, winter travel volume has increased nearly 8 percent. A person-trip is one person traveling 50 miles or more from home, one way or an overnight trip away from home staying in paid accommodations. After experiencing relatively flat growth during the past two winter seasons, leisure travel volume this season is expected to grow 2.5 percent over last winter. Americans are expected to take more than 195 million leisure trips this winter. Since 2000, winter leisure travel volume has increased 11 percent. Americans are expected to take 30.5 million business person-trips this winter, an increase of 3 percent over last winter season. While business travel continues to strengthen, winter business travel volume is still nearly 18 percent lower than 2000. For more information, visit www.tia.org. AAA Sees Record Numbers for Travel this Holiday Meanwhile, AAA anticipates Christmas-New Year's holiday travel to hit its highest level ever, with an estimated 62.7 million Americans traveling 50 miles or more from home, a 3 percent increase from last year's 60.8 million travelers. Approximately 50.9 million travelers (81 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 2.9 percent increase from the 49.4 million who drove a year ago. Another 8.6 million (14 percent of holiday travelers) plan to travel by airplane, up 3.5 percent from the 8.3 million that flew last Christmas-New Year's holiday. A projected 3.2 million travelers (5 percent) will go by train, bus, or other mode of transportation, up from 3.1 million a year ago. Holiday auto travelers will find gas prices nationwide currently averaging $1.83 per gallon, down 14 cents during the last month, but about 36 cents higher than a year ago. Other holiday travel costs are down from last year, with airfares down 6 percent from last year, reflecting expanded service by discount airlines, and hotel rates bucking recent price increases, falling 1.4 percent from last year. Rental car rates increased slightly, up 2.3 percent from 2003. The greatest number of holiday auto travelers will originate in the Southeast with 13.3 million, followed by the West, 12.9 million; Midwest, 10.3 million; the Great Lakes, 8 million; and the Northeast, 6.4 million. The Southeast is expected to produce the largest number of air travelers with 2.5 million, just ahead of the West, with 2.4 million. That's followed by the Northeast, 1.7 million; Midwest, 1.1 million; and Great Lakes with 900,000. For more information, visit www.aaa.com. Carnival Corp. Reports $294 Million Fourth Quarter Net The cruise market is still booming, with no end in sight, at least for the mega-players. Carnival Corporation last week reported net income of $294 million on revenues of $2.24 billion for its fourth quarter ended Nov. 30, 2004. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2003 was $205 million on revenues of $1.82 billion. As previously announced, earnings per share for the 2004 fourth quarter were reduced by approximately $0.04 per share as a result of disruptions to cruises caused by the unprecedented level of hurricane activity this fall. Net revenue yields (net revenue per available lower berth day) for the fourth quarter of 2004 increased 10 percent compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher cruise ticket prices and onboard revenues and, to a lesser extent, the weak U.S. dollar relative to the euro and sterling. During the 2004 fourth quarter, the company ordered six new ships, which are expected to be delivered between 2007 and 2009. The newbuilds include two 68,500-ton ships for AIDA Cruises in Germany, a 110,000-ton "Conquest-class" ship for Carnival Cruise Lines, and a 116,000-ton "Caribbean Princess-class" ship for Princess Cruises, as well as a 110,000-ton and a 116,000-ton vessel, which are likely to operate under the company's European brands. Also during the fourth quarter, Costa Cruises took delivery of the 2,702-passenger Costa Magica, which is one of the largest European passenger vessels. Carnival CEO Micky Arison pointed out that including the introduction of the Carnival Valor, the company has introduced a record eight new cruise ships over the last 12 months. Among the ship introductions in the last year was Cunard Line's 150,000-ton Queen Mary 2. The other ships introduced include Princess Cruises' 2,674-passenger Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess, the 3,100-passenger Caribbean Princess; Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle; Holland America Line's 1,848-passenger Westerdam; and the Costa Magica. Company officials are optimistic about prospects next year, citing strong levels of advance bookings, combined with the continued strength in overall leisure travel. Assuming a continuing strong demand for travel, the company expects that net revenue yields for 2005 will increase approximately 3 to 5 percent compared to last year. The company expects net revenue yields to increase 5 to 7 percent. Carnival has two more ships scheduled for delivery in fiscal 2005--P&O Cruises' 1,968-passenger Arcadia in April 2005 and Carnival Valor's sister ship, the 2,974-passenger Carnival Liberty, in July 2005. Theme Park Attendance Sees Boost in 2004 One indicator of the health of the travel industry is the state of theme park attendance. Attendance at North America's 50 most popular theme and amusement parks jumped almost 4 percent in 2004, the first overall increase since the 2001 terrorist attacks. An estimated 169.1 million people visited theme parks in 2004, according to Amusement Business and the research firm Economics Research Associates. The increase was helped by a jump in international visitors at destination parks, spurred in part by a weak U.S. dollar. The figures still fell short of the pre-Sept. 11 attendance of 175 million visitors in 2000. The destination parks owned by the Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal and Anheuser-Busch in Florida and California suffered more than regional parks after the terrorist attacks. The most-attended park in the world in 2004 was the Magic Kingdom at Orlando's Walt Disney World, with 15.1 million visitors. Magic Kingdom was followed by Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., with 13.3 million visitors and Tokyo Disneyland with 13.2 million visitors. Disney parks in the United States, France and Japan accounted for eight of the top 10 slots on the best-attended list worldwide. Disney's domestic parks, including its four Florida parks, filled the top five North American spots. The hurricanes in Florida, which shut down the state's theme parks for several days, had little serious impact on attendance. All the major Florida parks, with the exception of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, had attendance gains. NBC Universal's Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks in Orlando even had attendance increases of 14 percent and 13 percent, respectively, fueled in part by the new Revenge of the Mummy ride at Universal Studios. Twelve of Six Flags' 13 parks on the top 50 list had attendance that was either flat or declined by as much as 13 percent from last year. New Survey Shows 68 Million Use Online Travel Web Sites Yet another booming sector of travel is online web sites. Nielsen/NetRatings, an Internet audience measurement and analysis firm, said 23 percent of Americans, or 68 million unique visitors, used online travel web sites during November 2004, making up 46 percent of all active Web surfers. In comparison, there were 60 million Web users who visited online travel sites in November 2003, growing 13 percent year-over-year. The volume of traffic and annual growth underscore the Internet's role in helping consumers make travel preparations for the holiday season. Online consumers spent $919 million on travel during November 2004, jumping 11 percent from the $828 million spent in November 2003, according to the Holiday eSpending Report by Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive and Nielsen/NetRatings. In November, MapQuest ranked number one in online travel destinations with 31 million unique visitors, while Expedia followed with 14 million visitors. Travelocity drew 11 million online surfers, while Orbitz.com and Southwest Airlines rounded out the top five online travel destinations with 11 million and seven million unique visitors, respectively, followed by Southwest Airlines. Those with household incomes of $50,000-$74,999 comprised 28 percent, or the largest group of online travel visitors, during November 2004, while those with household incomes of $25,000-$49,999 made up 20 percent of online travel visitors. Following closely in third place, online surfers with household incomes of $75,000-$99,999 comprised 19 percent of those visiting online travel destinations. New Chief Executive Named for InterContinental Hotels The search for a high-level hotel executive post has now ended. The board of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) appointed Andrew Cosslett as chief executive. Cosslett will take up his post no later than mid-March 2005. Cosslett, 49, joins from Cadbury Schweppes, where he has been president, Europe, Middle East and Africa for the past two years. He has held various other senior positions with Cadbury Schweppes since 1990, including managing director, Great Britain and Ireland and CEO of the Asia Pacific confectionery business. He previously worked in brand marketing at Unilever PLC between 1979 and 1990. Cosslett replaces Richard North, who stepped down as chief executive in September. Blackstone Creates New Group to Oversee Boca Buy The Blackstone Group completed its acquisition of Boca Resorts, Inc. (BRI). BRI is the owner of five distinctive destination resorts located in Florida, including the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton; The Registry Resort & Club, Edgewater Beach Hotel & Club and Naples Grande Golf Club in Naples; and Hyatt Pier 66, the Bahia Mar Beach Resort and Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale. The Blackstone Group, a private investment firm, has a history of significantly reinvesting in their assets and dramatically improving services and facilities. The same is expected for BRI. Enhancements will include renovation of the Boca Beach Club and refurbishment of the Boca Raton Resort & Club lobby, fine dining restaurant and golf villas. The Resort & Club's sister properties will also see a variety of enhancements. Renovation concepts are currently under review. Blackstone officials also have announced the formation of a new management group, WHM LLC (WHM), that will oversee operation of BRI. Jean-Jacques Pergant, a president of WHM, will be responsible for all operations of the Boca Raton Resort & Club, effective immediately. Pergant comes most recently from The Savoy Group in London, where he worked for 10 years and was senior vice president overseeing operations of the entire company. Previously, he worked with RockResorts based in the United Kingdom and served as managing director for Hanbury Manor. His career also includes 17 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Pergant comes to the resort following the departure of David Feder, former president and chief operating officer for BRI. Feder had been with BRI for 17 years in various positions and Blackstone officials credit him with elevating the company to its current level of success. Josephe Berger, a president of WHM, will be responsible for the oversight of the operation of the resorts and clubs in Naples and Fort Lauderdale, including Hyatt Pier 66, the Bahia Mar Beach Resort and Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale and The Registry Resort & Club, Edgewater Beach Hotel & Club and Naples Grande Golf Club in Naples, effective this January. Berger comes most recently from the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California, where he served as general manager for five years. Previously, he was area managing director for Westin Hotels in the northeast and prior to joining Westin he served as general manager of the historic William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. Carnival Christens 2,974-Passenger Carnival Valor Carnival Cruise Lines' new cruise ship, Carnival Valor, christened by NBC Today Show Anchor Katie Couric on Dec. 17, represents another mega-vessel with a number of firsts. The massive 2,974-passenger ship with 1,487 staterooms sailed on its inaugural voyage Dec. 15. The 110,000-ton ship also features a 13,300-square-foot Spa Carnival health and fitness facility. NCL Orders Two New 2,400 Berth Freestyle Ships There seems to be no end to major new cruise ship orders. NCL Corporation last week said it will build two new 2,400-berth Freestyle Cruising ships with delivery dates in time for the summer season of 2007. One ship will be built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and will be delivered in February 2007. The other ship will be built at the Helsinki Finland yard of Aker Finnyards and will be delivered in May 2007. The aggregate effective all-up cost of the two ships is estimated to be euro 770 million, or approximately $1 billion at today's exchange rates. The Meyer ship will be an exact repeat of the Norwegian Jewel, currently under construction at that yard and due for delivery in August 2005. It will have 2,384 lower berths, 10 restaurants, an expansive top-of-ship complex of Garden Villas and Courtyard Villas, multiple lounges, bars, and entertainment venues, and some 540 staterooms and suites with private balconies. The Aker Finnyards ship will be a new design, incorporating all of the features of the series of purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships that NCL has introduced since 2001. New Hotels Set to Open from Florida to California
The hotel building boom continues unabated, as you can read in
the following. The $76-million Regent South Beach opens its
doors in mid-2005. The 60,000 square feet, 80-unit all-suite
condo hotel is twice as large as any other in the South Beach
Historic District, and will be the only hotel to span both
Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue and provide an entrance at each.
For those that book in advance, The Regent South Beach also
will feature an indoor-outdoor gourmet restaurant, retail
shops, a rooftop garden and spa. Seventy-one units will have
private, 225-square-foot verandahs, while nine first-floor
perimeter units will have 350-square-foot verandahs with Roman
hot tubsÖPark Plaza Hotels & Resorts has opened its newest
North American hotel in Austin, Texas. Formerly a Hilton, the
189-room Park Plaza Austin hotel is located just five minutes
from the downtown area, and within close proximity to many of
Austin's attractionsÖHilton Hotels on Dec. 3 opened a 222-room
Hilton Los Angeles/San Gabriel in San Gabriel, Calif. The
newly-built $75 million property is located in the heart of the
largest Chinese-American community in Southern California, near
the historic San Gabriel Mission, and minutes from both
downtown Los Angeles and PasadenaÖWith its Dec. 17 opening,
Santa Barbara's Hotel Andalucia makes its mark on the downtown
skyline as the city's tallest hotel. At five stories (60 feet),
which conforms to city building codes specifying the heights
and styles of downtown buildings, the 97-room Hotel Andalucia
opens as the first full-service luxury hotel and conference
center in the historic city centerÖJoie de Vivre Hospitality
has announced a projected opening date of March 9, 2005 for the
company's newest property, the 199-room Hotel Vitale. Located
at the intersection of The Embarcadero and Mission Street,
Hotel Vitale represents not only a new frontier for the highly
successful boutique hotel company, but an entirely
ground-breaking concept in the arena of luxury hospitalityÖWith
renovations and additions well underway, Noble House Hotels &
Resorts is readying for the debut of The Shores Resort & Spa in
Daytona Beach Shores, Fla. Earlier this year, the company
announced plans for a major renovation and re-branding of the
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort to The Shores Resort &
Spa. On Dec. 16, 2004, the property officially became The
Shores Resort & Spa, signifying the expiration of Noble House's
franchise agreement with Hilton Hotels. The resort, which has
been an icon on the sands of Daytona Beach Shores for years, is
currently in the midst of a renovation project totaling over
$20 million.
OPPORTUNITIES NETWORKING! Meet the Trade at Shows from Chicago to New York Want to network with the trade? Travel Show Chicago 2005, an Outside Shows and Events LLC Production, will welcome trade professionals on Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21. Exclusive events are available including hundreds of exhibits, networking opportunities including breakfasts, receptions and special events, educational programs presented by travel professionals and industry leaders, and supplier seminars. The show will be open to the general public every day from Wednesday, Jan 19 to Sunday, Jan. 23. This year, Travel Show Chicago at Chicago's McCormick Place will be co-located with the 75th Annual Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show. Show organizers have said that the co-location of these two long-running events will attract a combined attendance of 70,000 consumers and trade professionals--creating the number one leisure event in the Midwest. Elsewhere, the Adventures in Travel Expo & Luxury Show, will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, Jan. 14-16. More than 22,000 consumers, over 3700 travel and meeting industry professionals, and nearly 500 members of the press attended the inaugural event in New York City in January 14-162004. Adventures in Travel Expo is designed to serve the exploding consumer and tourism industry marketplace for adventure, active travel, eco, nature, cultural, and outdoor travel. For more information on both shows and other exhibitions, visit www.adventureexpo.com. Learn About Extended Stay at Atlanta Conference Want to find out more about the extended stay market? Officials of the Extended-Stay Council of the American Hotel & Lodging Association said their second annual conference will be held Tuesday, March 15, at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel in Atlanta. The event will immediately follow the Atlanta Hotel Investment Conference. "Our inaugural year attracted 150 participants without avid promotion, which indicates 'extended tay' remains an important and growing segment of the lodging industry," said Kevin Lewis chairman of the Extended-Stay Lodging Council. The Extended-Stay Conference will feature two panels and eight concurrent roundtable discussions. The first panel will focus on the concerns of senior-level executives and will discuss the future outlook of the extended-stay segment. The second panel, targeted to developers, will include a discussion of occupancy, daily rates and operations. Four different roundtables will deal with a variety of topics, including financing, marketing, development and operations. Cost to attend the event is $79.99. Attendees of the 17th Atlanta Hotel Investment Conference receive a special rate of $49.99. The Extended-Stay Conference works in close cooperation with the Atlanta Hotel Investment Conference, which will be held March 13-15, 2005. The Atlanta Hotel Investment Conference is one of the hotel industry's four major annual gatherings of senior hotel executives. For more information, call Peggy Berg at 404-872-4631 or e-mail pberg@highland-group.net. OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS! AIRLINES: UAL Corporation, parent of United Airlines, named David Wing its new vice president and controller. Wing is the former executive vice president and CFO of ATA Airlines, and has also worked at American Airlines, where he managed financial aspects of the airline's international expansion. At United, Wing will oversee the processing and reporting of all financial transactions, including statutory reporting. He will also be responsible for maintaining effective internal controls over financial reporting and the efficient and effective operation of the company's accounts payable, payroll, passenger and cargo revenue accounting worldwide, and Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 implementation. His appointment is effective Jan. 3, 2005. Wing will work in United's world headquarters in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and will report to Jake Brace, United's executive vice president, CFO and chief restructuring officer. The controller's job opened this year when former United Controller Lynn Hughitt was named vice president for compensation and benefitsÖWorld Airways has named George Wilson as vice president and director of flight operations. Wilson, a retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General and former chief pilot for Delta Air Lines, was director of flight standards and flight operations training at World. He replaces Gary Goodpaster, who returned to flying for World as a captain and check airman. World Airways is a U.S.-certificated air carrier providing customized transportation services for major international cargo and passenger carriers, the United States military, and international leisure tour operators. CRUISE LINES: Lynda Davey of Sixth Star Entertainment & Marketing has been promoted to vice president. She formerly served as director of operations for the company. In her new role, Davey will oversee Sixth Star's operational, marketing, outreach and public relations areas. The Fort Lauderdale-based company, founded in 2002, now employs a staff of 24 and works with 14 cruise lines, providing entertainment staff on more 65 vessels. Services include providing full and partial turn-key entertainment and "edutainment" programs, the placement of entertainers, musicians, staff and enrichment personnel, theatrical production shows, video/digital production and consulting. HOTELS & RESORTS: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. announced a new corporate position dedicated to maximizing the value of the company's extensive owned real estate. Michael Glennie will become executive vice president-real estate effective January 2005, reporting to William Fatt, Fairmont's CEO. As president and chief operating officer, Chris Cahill will continue to oversee the company's hotel management operations. Tom Storey, Fairmont's executive vice president, development, is responsible for Fairmont's growth strategy, including the company's vacation ownership division and new business developmentÖAmericInn, one of the fastest growing upscale limited service lodging chains in the United States, said Arnold Angeloni has been named chief executive officer of both AmericInn and its parent company, Northcott Hospitality International, LLC. Angeloni, who had been serving as the interim chief executive officer, assumed his new post effective immediatelyÖ.Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts announced the appointment of Madelon Boom as chief operating officer of its hotel management division as of Feb. 1, 2005. Boom joins Golden Tulip from Accenture Plc, where she held a variety of positions since 2001, most recently as global operations director. Boom, who will be based both at Golden Tulip's head offices in Amersfoort, the Netherlands and in Lausanne, Switzerland, brings with her a wide international experience and strong background in hotel operations and management. She held several senior management positions with Hyatt International during her 15-year career there, including divisional director of rooms/marketing for Europe, Africa and Middle East and general manager of the Hyatt hotels in Hamburg, Cologne and LondonÖ FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated, the nation's second largest public hotel real estate investment trust, named Roxanne Bianchi as vice president of Income Tax. Ms. Bianchi, a certified public accountant, has extensive experience with REIT compliance and reportingÖMarybel Batjer has been named vice president of public policy and communications of Harrah's Operating Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., effective Jan. 1, 2005. Batjer was most recently the cabinet secretary to the Governor of California, serving as chief policy advisor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and directing the activities of the governor's 13 cabinet secretaries. She will oversee Harrah's communications strategies and actions regarding the company's pending acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, Inc. She will report to Chief Integration Officer John Boushy through the completion of the merger. Following this interim assignment, Batjer will assume responsibility for developing a global communications strategy for Harrah's, ensuring consistent messaging in government relations, external communications and employee communications. She will report to Jan Jones, senior vice president of communications and government relationsÖ Ray Hobbs, president of Divi Resorts, announced the appointment of Geoff Tucker, a native of Barbados, as general manager of the Divi Southwinds Beach Resort in Barbados. In his new capacity as general manager, Tucker will work closely with his management team and resort staff to develop the resort's food and beverage outlets, including the beachside Jocelyns CafÈ and poolside Bajan Breeze Restaurant ÖLoews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has appointed Dione Williams as national sales manager, to work with Don Foreman, regional vice president of sales and marketing. Williams brings extensive hospitality experience, specifically in the sales and guest services sectors. In his new role, Williams will conduct group sales with clients in the Northeast--a key market where many of the hotel's most valuable customers are foundÖ.Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, the mid-tier lodging brand of Minneapolis-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, named a general manager and director of sales at its corporate-owned hotel in New Orleans, which is scheduled to open late January 2005. Michael Larose has been named general manager and is responsible for managing the overall operations of the hotel. Larose has an extensive background in the hospitality industry, specifically in and around New Orleans, and was most recently the general manager at the Best Western French Quarter Landmark Hotel. Amanda Reed has been appointed sales director and is responsible for the overall marketing and sales for the hotel. Reed has several years experience in sales and was previously an account executive with www.NewOrleans.Com. Located just off the French Quarter at 315 Magazine Street, the 155-room hotel is being developed in seven historic buildings dating back to the 1860s. TOUR OPERATORS: Amy Frank has been appointed to the new position of destination marketing manager, Asia and South Pacific for Pleasant Holidays, based in Westlake Village, Calif. She will work out of the travel company's headquarters here. Most recently, Frank was an account coordinator with J&A Advertising in Los Angeles, managing day-to-day production, research and creative activities for the agency's Fox Searchlight Pictures account. She earlier coordinated various marketing initiatives for Brigham Scully Advertising & Public Relations, technology company NuEdge Industries, and the American Cancer Society. Frank's position with Pleasant Holidays will have her developing, implementing, and monitoring cooperative marketing campaigns with the travel company's hotel and destination partners in Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. TRAVEL AGENTS: Vacation.com, North America's largest vacation travel agency selling network, has named longtime industry veteran Doug Fyfe, CTC, as president of Vacation.com Canada. Fyfe is a former two-time president of the Canadian Tourism Commission. In addition to serving multiple terms--a total of six cumulative years--as president and CEO on the Canadian Tourism Commission, Fyfe worked with many industry leaders to form the organization. In addition to his role on the Canadian Tourism Commission, Fyfe also spent two-and-a-half years continuing to develop relationships with key Canadian players as president and CEO of the Toronto Visitors and Convention Bureau. TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: Pegasus Solutions, Inc. named Robert (Bob) J. Boles, Jr. as chief operating officer. This appointment better reflects Boles' current responsibilities for all sales and marketing, product management and strategy, and all service delivery functions within Pegasus. Dallas-based Pegasus Solutions is a global leader in providing technology and services to hotels and travel distributors. Boles joined Pegasus in May 2003 after nearly 20 years with IBM in various sales, marketing and operational roles. By the mid 1990s, Boles had risen to vice president of sales and support for IBM Global Services, where he was responsible for revenues of $1.5 billion. In 2001, Boles launched AimNet Solutions, a leading technology services company. DESTINATIONS: Puerto Rico's incumbent Gov, Sila Calderon appointed Lilly Oronoz to the post of executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC). Oronoz, who formerly headed PRTC's legal division, will remain in office until the next administration takes office, which could be as early as Jan. 2 if the third recount of the governor's Nov. 2 election is completed on or before that date. Oronoz replaced Milton Segarra, who replaced Jose Suarez this fallÖThe West Hollywood Convention & Visitors Bureau has named Theo Kitchen to the post of director of business development, effective Dec. 6, 2004. Kitchen, a former travel industry marketing manager at LA Inc., The Convention & Visitors Bureau, joins the West Hollywood bureau with a strong background in international tour and travel marketing.
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