BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Grand Expeditions created a super-luxury
division within its collection of eight luxury operators.
The new division, called GEI Luxury, comprises two Grand
Expeditions companies, Travcoa and TCS Expeditions, which both
inhabit the top tier of the luxury travel market.
"We have two divisions that really market to the same group of
people," said Grand Expeditions president and chief operating
officer Hans Birkholz. "When we looked at the customers and
suppliers and the channels they are marketing through, we saw a lot
of complementary attributes. We decided to get these guys to work
more closely together for greater revenue opportunities."
The companies will continue as separate operations, maintaining
their independent brands. But their sales teams will cross-sell the
products, share customer lists and combine their purchasing power
with suppliers.
Travcoa, which will reach its 50th anniversary in 2004, is a
veteran operator known for pioneering exotic destinations using the
best available accommodations and services.
It offers 150 itineraries to destinations around the world, and
in 1980 started running private jet tours that circle the world.
Travcoa was among the first American companies to take U.S.
travelers to East Africa, Easter Island, Bali, mainland China and
the Amazon. Travcoa's tours start at about $6,000 per person.
TCS Expeditions, founded in 1991, focuses exclusively on the
private jet tour concept. It developed an evolving roster of 15
itineraries, all with strong educational components.
"Lands of the Midnight Sun," for example, is scheduled for June
23 to July 8. It explores the cultures and visits cities in
Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Russia. The price
is $29,950 per person, double.
While Travcoa has a strong list of travel agents with which it
works, TCS Expeditions has stronger penetration in the affinity
market, with solid relationships with nonprofit groups like
National Geographic, the Harvard and Stanford alumni associations
and the American Museum of Natural History.
Some TCS trips already have been marketed successfully under the
Travcoa brand.
Both companies maintain their full staffs, and according to
Birkholz the intention is to keep it that way.
The president of the new GEI Luxury division is Fred Filippi, a
25-year industry veteran. Filippi will be based in Travcoa's
Newport, Calif., office. T.C. Swartz, founder and namesake of TCS
Expeditions, will act as advisor to Filippi.
Travcoa's former vice president of sales and marketing, Tom
Stanley, replaces Jim Holden as president of Travcoa. Linda
Wischmeyer will stay on as president of TCS Expeditions.
Grand Expeditions began in 1999 as the Luxury Travel Company
with the intention of acquiring high-end tour operators.
To contact reporter David Cogswell, send e-mail to [email protected].
Book it!
Grand Expeditions
Phone: (561) 347-7654
Web:www.grandex.com
TCS Expeditions
Phone: (800) 727-7477
Web:www.tcs-expeditions.com
Travcoa
Phone: (800) 992-2003
Web:www.travcoa.com