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| Larry Kwan // Photo by Pacific Delight |
Pacific Delight Tours has announced the retirement of company president Larry Kwan after a career of over 50 years in the travel industry.
Kwan was president of Pacific Delight since 2009. He will be succeeded by Eric Oborski, former InConTra chief and founder, who has held various leadership positions at prominent companies from Orient Paradise Tours to Japan Airlines.
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Kwan joined Pacific Delight as senior VP in 1973, working with late founder Francis Luk to grow the company into the industry leader it is today. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), where Kwan played a pivotal role in the organization's Membership Committee.
"Larry's visionary leadership, hands-on approach and inspirational management style leaves some extremely large shoes to fill," said Oborski, who assumes control as Pacific Delight's new president effective immediately.
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| Eric Oborski // Photo by Pacific Delight |
"We will continue to apply Larry's time-tested strategy for providing uncompromised luxury, value and service as we expand into new geographical markets and build upon the fiercely loyal travel agent following Larry's integrity has garnered," Oborski said.
Oborski brings decades of experience to Pacific Delight Tours with significant expertise within the Asia-Pacific region as well as global markets. He launched his career in 1969 as a travel consultant and outbound manager for Joe Grace's Travel Center of Japan in Tokyo. He moved to New York in 1971 to become sales and operations manager - and later, general manager - at Orient Paradise Tours, Pacific Delight's main competitor throughout the 1970s.
Oborski was approached by Japan Airlines in 1978 to take charge of the organization's JAL Friendship Tours to China as staff manager for the company's New York headquarters with responsibility for North and South America. He established Visitours, Inc. in 1981 and remained president of the corporation after it was acquired by Japan Airlines via its subsidiary Jalpak in 1986.
In 1991, Oborski founded InConTra, Inc. as a joint venture with Jalpak until 2007, when he assumed full control of the company.
He joined Pacific Delight Tours in 2013 as executive consultant - global destinations, where he's guided the high-end operator's expansion into new markets.
As president, Oborski plans to strengthen Pacific Delight's business in several key markets including Japan. He will also explore the possibility of reinstating some of the global destinations in which Pacific Delight had once been a leading operator, such as Scandinavia and Africa.
"Larry and his team have cultivated a great relationship with the retail community and we will continue to build on that as we roll out new destinations," said Oborski.
"Retiring from Pacific Delight after all these years is a bittersweet feeling, but I am confident in Eric's ability to build new in-roads and take us to new heights," said Kwan. "Pacific Delight could not be in better hands."