Industry Officials Outline Goals for '98

Industry Officials Outline Goals for '98

Travel Weekly asked some of the industry's executives about their goals for 1998. A selection of answers follows:

Michael Barker, president, Time consortium:
"Our one and only goal is to put together programs that will increase our members' profits."

Rick James, senior vice president, Princess Cruises:
"The major goal of the company is to further solidify the concept of Grand Class cruising, which is really all about choice and options aboard our ships. In 1998, we'll take delivery of the world's largest ship, the Grand Princess, as well as the Sea Princess."

Sandy Miller, chairman and chief executive officer of Budget Group.
"In recognition of the valued business that travel agents bring to the car rental industry, Budget Rent a Car plans to further enhance its popular travel agent loyalty program, Unlimited Budget, and to maintain other lucrative programs designed to reward travel agencies for booking budget."

Peter Yeung, president, Pacific Bestour:
"We'd like to make the public aware that the economic problems in the Far East are actually benefiting travelers. U.S. travelers can find tremendous bargains with shops and restaurants because some of the currencies have been devalued as much as 50%."

James Godsman, president, Cruise Lines International Association:
"CLIA has two main goals for 1998. The first is to encourage more travel agents to take part in CLIA's exceptional sales training. And the second is to continue building new business exclusively for CLIA-affiliated agents through referrals from our $8 million advertising campaign and from our recently revised Web site."

Bob Dickinson, president, Carnival Cruise Lines:
"My goal for 1998 is to help as many travel agents as possible fine-tune their selling skills so that they'll sell more cruises, become more profitable, derive greater enjoyment from their jobs and reap all the other benefits -- both tangible and psychological -- that come with being highly successful individuals."

A National spokesman:
"National's goal for 1998 is to continue to provide our customers with familiar, reliable, rock-solid service as we strive to be the global brand of choice in the car rental industry."

Nigel Osborne, president, Insight International Tours:
"To try to convince travel agents that a combination of direct marketing, communication and trust is a simple way to grow their commissions. Agents have to get off their panic mode and get together with tour operators to develop marketing campaigns."

Martin H. Charlwood, president and chief operating officer, Uniglobe Travel International:
"A key goal for Uniglobe in 1998, and through 2000, is to use our Internet expertise in conjunction with our 'brick-and-mortar' travel agencies to accelerate cruise sales and integrate the Uniglobe CruiseShipCenters program into our U.S. operations."

Gerald Greenwald, chairman and chief executive officer, United Airlines:
"United is looking to the future, using what we've called our Quality Flight Plan, [a strategy] designed to make sure we are a long-term, attractive investment by improving quality in the workplace; on-board products; in our fleet, and on our balance sheet, where we are strengthening our company's financial standing."

Gary Hogan, president-Hawaii division, Pleasant Holidays:
"We're focusing on personal service with a new concierge program that gives clients more personal attention and extras. Pleasant's goal is also to work with the state of Hawaii to get some proper funding so we can compete with other destinations, some of which outspend us 10 to 1."

James Murphy, president, Brendan Tours:
"We want to increase travel agent awareness of our programs so that they recognize we do more than Europe and the South Pacific, especially that we have extensive programs to Africa and South America."

Frank Olson, chairman and chief executive officer of Hertz:
"Our goal for 1998 is consistent with the vision we have had since our beginning in 1918: To be No. 1 in our industry by providing travelers and local renters worldwide with the highest quality car rental service and set the standard of excellence by which all others measure themselves."

Sandi Cottrell, president, Society of Incentive & Travel Executives:
"In 1998, SITE will continue to grow globally, with at least two additional chapters to be launched next year."

Wylie Whisonant, commissioner of tourism for the U.S. Virgin Islands:
"Our goal to increase visitor arrivals by 10% in 1998 over 1997 will be obtained. Our message continues to be that our destination has fully recovered from the 1995 storms and is back -- better than ever."

Art Sbarsky, senior vice president of marketing, Celebrity Cruises:
"It is our goal to fill up our available berths at the highest per diems we can. More directly, it is our goal to continue the integration of Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International into one spectacular vacation company. Agents will begin to see the benefits operationally of one sales force selling a very broad range of cruise vacations."

Daniel Sullivan Jr., chief executive officer, Collette Tours:
"We want to aggressively grow our business by a minimum of 15%, or $15 million in 1998. And, we want to do that on a worldwide basis, meaning all our products and destinations grow by at least that much."

Paul McManus, executive vice president, the Leading Hotels of the World Ltd.:
"A top priority for 1998 will be to heighten global awareness of the Leading Hotels of the World brand. To further strengthen our position, we will strategically increase membership in our organization."

Michael Youngman, director, Caribbean Tourism Organization:
"We'd finally like to make a big success of the ACCT [Agency Coalition for Caribbean Tourism] program in the U.S. and to launch it in the U.K. in 1998."

Bob Drum, owner of General Tours:
"To launch the sales of the last world's fair in the 20th century, which will be in Hannover, Germany, in 1998."

Imad Khalidi, president, Auto Europe:
"A smooth, across-the-board, 10% growth with excellent service. But I'm at the mercy of the airlines, which must grow capacity by 10%."

Mike Gunn, senior vice president, marketing, American Airlines:
"American Airlines has several key goals for 1998: To build on our strong brand image by delivering quality, value and customer satisfaction. To remain the airline of choice for the industry's premium customers. To ensure that the AAdvantage program remains the industry's best and most innovative frequent flyer program."

A Thrifty spokeswoman:
"Growth will be the year's mantra at Thrifty Car Rental, accomplished through the addition of territory, both U.S. and international, increased sales at existing outlets, and an intense focus on superior customer service. We'll place an increasing amount of attention on furthering our travel agent relationships."

Rufus Schriber, senior vice president for Marriott lodging brand management and brand vice president for Residence Inn:
"We are actively pursuing an aggressive development program that will result in significant global expansion. Our goal is 2,000 hotels by the year 2000. In early 1998, we will reach the 1,500 hotel milestone.

John Bell, executive vice president, Caribbean Hotel Association:
Bell said his goal is to learn more about "the impact of new technology on how we do business and the relationships with the trade in all its different forms."

Peter McCormack, vice president, sales and marketing, Trafalgar Tours:
"To get more travel agents to understand the benefits of selling escorted motorcoach tours to Europe. This is especially important in light of the fact that airlines have cut commissions and we haven't."

Ivan Michael Schaeffer, president and chief executive, Woodside Travel Trust:
"Woodside Travel Trust expects to consolidate and reap the benefit of its significant membership additions during the previous year. An area of immediate impact should be with respect to our pursuing and winning multinational account business."

Jeff Harrow, president, Travel One:
"In 1998 our goal is to push the envelope on both the client consulting side and on the service side, really asking a lot of our people to prove themselves invaluable to our clients."