Traveltek Group Ltd has appointed cruise industry veteran Francis Riley to spearhead its expansion strategy in the Americas.
The former senior vice president, international sales, marketing and operations at Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has joined the global travel technology specialist as senior vice president sales, based at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Miami.
Riley is joined by three new U.S.-based sales executives with extensive cruise and leisure experience who will support Traveltek’s business development drive in North and South America, with more appointment announcements imminent, the company said.
Under Riley’s guidance, the company’s new Americas team will promote Traveltek’s dynamic packaging and cruise packaging technology for travel agencies.
“Traveltek is well placed to capitalize on growing demand for technology solutions in the North and South American travel markets with its vast portfolio of advanced tools allowing agents, tour operators and cruise specialists to customize vacation packages according to their customers’ unique requirements,” said Riley in a written statement.
Riley has more than two decades of professional experience, having held senior positions across several continents with companies including Thomas Cook, British Airways and Tourico Holidays, but predominantly NCL, where he served for 12 years.
Before joining Traveltek, Riley was responsible for sales, operations, passenger services and marketing for Europe, Middle East and Africa at NCL, as well as overseeing the company’s UK headquarters in Southampton, its European offices in Wiesbaden and Malta and its international consumer marketing operation in Miami, covering Latin America, Asia and Australia.
The three new business development managers joining Riley’s team are Ivonne Turcios and Yenedi Perez, who will both be based at Traveltek’s Miami headquarters, and Clarice Bongolan, who will be responsible for driving U.S. West Coast sales from the company’s Los Angeles office.
Between them the trio have several years of sales and marketing experience in the Americas’ cruise, travel and travel technology sectors, with Bongolan a former luxury travel advisor at Kontiki Tours in LA; Perez most recently working for Cruise & Tours Center and Doral Travel and, before that, NCL in Miami; and Turcios, a new business development manager at Amadeus in Miami.
Traveltek’s new focus on North and South America follows 12 months of expansion, which has seen the company grow its global footprint with new regional offices established in the Middle East (Dubai) and Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore).
The company said that it is targeting markets where it has identified strong demand for its dynamic packaging and cruise solutions – web-based technology that enables agencies and tour operators to package and sell complex itineraries that include flights, hotels, tours, transfers, car rental, cruises, attractions tickets and more.
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