It takes a lot for members of a family to be able to work together, because there are so many dynamics that come into play. But as Debbie Strong conveys in her cover story "Family-Run Travel Businesses," those that keep their working relationships professional are those who are the most successful.
It makes perfect sense that the travel industry would spawn so many family-run businesses, because the act of selling travel is actually a very intimate one. Creating the "wow factor" for each client requires an innate sense of what that individual will enjoy.
But first, to get into the minds of their clients, the travel agent or tour packager must often become their alter ego of sorts, their phantom sibling or spouse, as they analyze what the client has liked or disliked about their past vacations and then perceptively pull all of this intelligence together to create a knockout itinerary.
Enterprising Families
In this article, we touch upon four: Sandals and Beaches Resorts, Valerie Wilson Travel, Tauck World Discovery and Casto Travel. However, there are many others out there. When I think back over all of the travel agents I've met, I realize just how many of them are involved in family enterprises.
I've just met Maureen Jones of All Horizons Travel in
I also just met Malaka Hilton of Admiral Travel in
Working and Traveling With Loved Ones
Other great examples of successful family ties include Jack
Bloch of JB's World Travel Consultants in
And then there is Bill Fischer, of Fischer Travel
Enterprises in
In all of these cases, the personal and business relationships intertwine intuitively, and the benefits can be extremely bountiful. These joined efforts can create financial success, but they can also generate a thousand once-in-a-lifetime memories as these families travel together throughout the world, exploring new options for their clients to enjoy. If you ask Jack Bloch, he'll tell you that his 12-year-old daughter is on her third passport; she and her sister have logged more miles traveling the world than most adults ever will.
And so the reality is that the quintessential experience of running a family business in this industry is an intimate circle of working—and traveling—with the ones you love the most. Is there any better job in the world than that?
Ruthanne Terrero, CTC EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
[email protected]