It turns out that Brendan Vacations’ recruitment of Ireland specialist Brian Moore as executive director last month was part of a much larger restructuring in which Brendan is being integrated into the sales, marketing and operations of sister company Trafalgar.
Brendan, which is known for vacations to Ireland, and Trafalgar, a global operator of independent and escorted tours, are both owned by the Travel Corp. Like most Travel Corp. brands, the two companies have been managed and operated as separate entities, but that will now change.
Trafalgar has taken on the sales representation of Brendan. Henceforth, all Trafalgar sales representatives — including a number of Brendan sales executives who have joined the newly expanded Trafalgar sales team — will be trained to sell both Trafalgar and Brendan product.
Additionally, the Brendan marketing team has been integrated into the Trafalgar structure so that it can better be supported by Trafalgar’s resources.
As part of this shift, Trafalgar President Paul Wiseman also assumes the role of president of Brendan.
Nico Zenner, former president of Brendan, is no longer with the company.
Wiseman said he believes that under its new structure and leadership, Brendan faces a stronger future.
“Through the provision of great experiential product, combined with outstanding service to the trade, Brendan will be able to establish itself as the clear market leader in the provision of Celtic vacations in the United States,” Wiseman wrote in an email.
Prior to joining Brendan, Moore owned his own Irish specialist company, Brian Moore International Tours, for more than a decade. Most recently he had served for many years at another strong Ireland player, CIE Tours International.
“He has established an unrivaled reputation with the travel community, particularly on the East Coast of the United States,” said Wiseman, who is based, along with Trafalgar and Brendan, in Southern California.
Ultimately, Wiseman is hoping that by putting the full and direct support of the Trafalgar sales and marketing muscle behind Brendan, the operation will better be able to compete with the other Ireland specialists, including Brian Moore International Tours and CIE.
Travel Corp. acquired Brendan Vacations from its founding family, Jimmy and Gary Murphy, in 2006. Gary Murphy, son of founder Jimmy Murphy, remained president of Brendan until 2009, when Don Cooper took over as president. Zenner was named president in June 2010.
Follow Michelle Baran on Twitter @mbtravelweekly.