Woodinville, WA (February 16, 2010) – As consumers across the U.S. look for signs of an economic recovery, members of leading luxury travel network Virtuoso® have confirmed that travelers are once again spending. Karimah Dossa of Hill Barrett Travel, located in Woodinville, Washington, recently participated in the polling of members during Virtuoso’s Western Regional Meeting, held January 23-25 at The Grand Del Mar, San Diego. Dossa reports that forecasts for 2010 were overwhelmingly positive.
Highlights include the following findings:
· Compared with the same time last year, 84 percent of respondents reported that their agency’s future bookings are up
· In the shorter term, 98 percent of respondents reported that their agency’s completed transactions and advanced bookings have either increased or stayed relatively flat during the last three months
· International leisure business has been the most insulated against the economy, according to 34 percent of respondents. In a close second is the sale of three- to five-day vacations, with 23 percent of respondents reporting it as most insulated against economic effects
· Regarding employment, 85 percent of respondents have reported that the number of full-time advisors on staff has either stayed the same or increased in the last three months
“As was the case for most retailers, our agency did see a decline in bookings during the recession,” said Karimah of Hill Barrett Travel. “However, for many people travel is not a luxury. Travel provides a time to enjoy the presence of loved ones, to relax with friends, and to experience fulfillment within the wider world. In fact, travel may well generate the highest value for the investment… after all, people can re-earn money, but they cannot recover time.”
Karimah Dossa was among 116 travel advisors in attendance for Virtuoso’s annual Western Regional Meeting. During the three-day event, she participated in trend analysis and training, supplier reviews, and technology developments, all centered around delivering better value and service to travelers.
“Virtuoso holds these regional meetings at the beginning of each year to enable face-to-face discussions among travel industry experts,” said Virtuoso CEO Matthew D. Upchurch, CTC. “Many people are not aware that travel represents the world’s largest service industry; that it makes up 9.4 percent of the world’s GDP and 220 million jobs worldwide. Travelers benefit the world economy and deepen world understanding. Karimah Dossa of Hill Barrett Travel was part of a select group who attended the meeting, and as a result, she leaves better prepared to make 2010 a year for travel.”
During the January & February booking wave at Hill Barrett Travel, the most popular destinations booked have been Islands (South Pacific destination of Bora Bora, the Cooks, Lanai Hawaii, and Greece in the Mediterranean), personalized travel itineraries around France, Active Travel (Antarctica, Peru, Galapagos) and Safaris in East African. Karimah was recently appointed to the Advisory Board of the ISLANDS Magazine.
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About Hill Barrett Travel. Hill Barrett Travel is a member of the Virtuoso network, the most prestigious name in the travel industry. As a result of its excellent relationship with the finest hotels, resorts, spas, cruise lines, and tour operators in the world, Hill Barrett Travel’s clients become the beneficiaries because they receive recognition when they arrive at the resort and frequently receive special amenities that often are exclusive to Virtuoso clients.
About Virtuoso
As the industry’s leading luxury travel network, Virtuoso® comprises over 300 agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel advisors in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations. The network’s member agencies generate over $5.1 billion annually in travel sales, making it the most powerful group in luxury travel. Virtuoso is also the exclusive network of travel services and benefits provided by MasterCard® for participating World Elite MasterCard® programs.
Media Contacts:
Alnoor, Hill Barrett Travel
Tel: 425-489-8585
press@hillbarrett.com