LAS VEGAS--Funjet Vacations' top sellers of Las Vegas have begun streaming into Sin City for a special agent appreciation event December 12. Of the 61 agents who qualified to attend, 42 made the trip. They will be entered in a drawing that takes place Wednesday night at the Fashion Show Mall for a number of big-ticket prizes, including the grand prize, a new GMC Acadia crossover SUV.
Travel Agent caught up with Ray Snisky, president of Funjet Vacations, at a welcome reception Monday night at Rouge in the MGM Grand. "It's great the way the Las Vegas hotel community, the Las Vegas convention and visitors bureau and Funjet have come together to create a really fun event for agents. With 42 agents in attendance, the odds are pretty good on winning that car," said Snisky (pictured above at center, with Jay Simpson, left, executive director, leisure sales and marketing, MGM Mirage, and John M. Meyer, leisure sales executive, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority).
Funjet has had a busy year, introducing a new tagline, "Do something you'll never forget," that reflects the company's acknowledgment that travel has become more experientially motivated and less of a commodity. The operator also has built an online community with the Vacation Memory Exchange on its web site, which encourages Funjet customers to post photos and stories from their vacations.
Sarah Patt, partner and destination marketing manager for Funjet Vacations, filled us in on the company's Hawaii business. "Even though Hawaii is predicting a slight downturn in their numbers, Funjet's Hawaii business is actually going up," she said, "although we have seen a slight decrease in flights from the East Coast." Patt pointed to several trends in Hawaii tourism: "Hawaiian culture is a larger component than it ever was, although it's hard to quantify. We've also noticed that active adventures such as hiking and mountain biking are up. Our customers are getting out and really experiencing the islands."
Check in Wednesday for a full report on the grand event and winners. Visit www.funjet.com . (MR)