he two new entrants into ASTA's Travel
Hall of Fame, Mario Perillo and Gordon "Butch" Stewart, would
appear to have little in common.
One is a leading tour operator whose name is closely linked to
Italy and whose face and voice have become familiar as a result of
his starring in his own television and radio commercials.
The other is the founder of Sandals, which rapidly became a
household name in the Caribbean inclusive-resort business and
continues to be a powerful player in that market.
But Perillo and Stewart, both worthy recipients of ASTA's
highest honor, share a few important common denominators that serve
as object lessons for anyone aspiring to build a successful
business.
Both men created companies with very specific goals in mind, and
when their vision of establishing themselves in their respective
markets came to life and prospered, they didn't change their
mission statements.
Perillo experimented with tours to places other than Italy and
has had some success in destinations such as Hawaii; Stewart
expanded beyond his initial concentration on Jamaica to several
other Caribbean destinations. But their variations-on-a-theme were
minimal because they knew why they had succeeded, and they weren't
about to wander far from their original concepts.
Another common denominator that establishes a link between the
new inductees is their focus on taking care of vacation clients
while in their custody.
The escorted tour operator and the proprietor of an inclusive
resort share a belief in the importance of caring for clients
morning, noon and night. They understand how important it is that
the vacationers come home and tell their friends and relatives what
a good time they had. That's money in the bank for future
business.
And there is one final, and perhaps most important, credo that
Perillo and Stewart share. Both have been staunch supporters of the
retail travel agency distribution system from day one of their
operations.
Despite all of the consumer advertising and promotions both
organizations have sponsored, they have never lost their
concentration on the agency market as the conduit to the
public.
Both have supported the agency system and bolstered it by
providing quality products in a financially sound business
structure.
So this "odd couple," Mario and Butch, may have been frying
different fish all these years. But they really are a lot alike in
many ways.
And the retail travel agency business certainly is better off
because of both of them.