Passport Online Inc. is reporting increased activity on consumer-facing travel agency websites and social channels. With increased demand on agencies and need for expanded digital presence, Passport Online has restructured its management team along with considerable focused investments in advisor and supplier resources and tools.
Long time Passport Online executive Jeanne Colombo has been named president of the company. Colombo was most recently vice president of strategic partnerships and brings more than three decades of travel industry experience and nine years with Passport Online to the role.
In addition, Passport Online co-founder and board member Randy Goodrich is returning to the company as senior vice president. He will spearhead new destination and supplier programs to help deliver content directly through travel advisors to the traveling public. Goodrich will also lead an expansion of Host Agency programs for the organization.
Lastly, Andrew Borst has been promoted to vice president of technology and Christina Lynch has been promoted to senior manager, business development. Borst is charged with bringing new tech innovations to the advisor community to support their increased customer needs. Lynch, on the other hand, will manage all travel advisor programs, including NexCite, VacationPort and ESP sales and service. Lynch is assuming some of the roles previously held by 20-year Passport Online team member Cynthia Juhnke who is retiring this month.
About that increased web activity: Consumer search activity on Passport Online -powered travel agency websites jumped significantly in April. Detailed offer views, which represent a customer clicking through to a specific supplier offer on a website, were up 53 percent over March searches. Cruise made a strong comeback in search activity, as well. In April, Cruise represented 53 percent of all searches. Tours represented 26 percent and packaged travel 20 percent.
U.S. travel topped the destination searches, with Las Vegas in the lead. Traditionally Alaska would top the searches this time of year. Additional search leaders included Europe and Mexico. Consumers viewed nearly 300,000 destination pages on travel agency websites in April.
Visit www.passportonlineinc.com.
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