The Secret to Extraordinary Travel: Here's Proof That The WOW List ...
Avoya Travel Names Phil Cappelli As Chief Sales Officer
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avoya Travel®, one of the travel industry's most innovative brands, is thrilled to announce the engagement of Phil Cappelli as the company's Chief Sales Officer (CSO). The addition of Cappelli, a highly respected executive leader across the travel industry, will propel Avoya's ascension as it continues to deliver record-breaking results. The CSO role is a new addition to Avoya's Strategic Leadership Team and demonstrates Avoya's forward-thinking ambitions and tremendous opportunities for top-tier talent in the travel industry.
Cappelli's stellar reputation, relationships, and experience will play a pivotal role in ensuring Avoya continues to flourish in an evolving marketplace. As CSO, Cappelli will lead and accelerate the growth of the company through the planning and execution of high-growth initiatives such as expanding the company's Independent Agency Network, deepening partnerships with suppliers, opening doors for the company to make strategic acquisitions, and developing the products and services that set Avoya apart. Cappelli will oversee an extensive team of over 100 employees including Steve Hirshan, Senior Vice President of Sales; Ashley Hunter, Senior Vice President of Partnerships; and their respective teams.
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Phil to the Avoya Team and this marks another significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence," said Jeff Anderson, Co-CEO of Avoya Travel. "His unmatched qualifications and extensive experience will enhance operations and expand what we can deliver to travelers, Independent Agencies, and suppliers. Phil's past accomplishments and future potential put him in a category of one and I have no doubt he will embody Avoya's culture of excellence as he boldly pursues the vast ambitions we share together."
Cappelli enters his new role with 25 years of experience in the travel industry, most recently serving as the Senior Vice President, Preferred Partnerships at Signature Travel Network. Prior to that, he held the position of USA President at Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, as well as a number of management roles at Tauck World Discovery. Cappelli earned his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Mount Ida College. Originally hailing from Wilton, Connecticut, he lives in Belleair, Florida with his wife and their three children.
"I am incredibly optimistic about what the future holds for Avoya Travel and am absolutely thrilled to take on the newly created position of Chief Sales Officer," said Cappelli. "Avoya's peerless innovation, best-in-class marketing and technology capabilities, and pristine reputation in the industry made the opportunity a perfect fit. I'm honored to play a role in Avoya's long-term plans for aggressive expansion and look forward to working with all of the exceptionally talented staff, Independent Agencies, and suppliers that make up the Avoya Family."
Cappelli's appointment comes as Avoya continues to see historic growth across its platform. Avoya recently announced that year-over-year bookings have increased by an impressive 78% from January to July when compared with 2022. Contributing to this growth is Avoya's increasing investment in its people, leadership, and the development of talent from within the company to promote innovation in the future of vacation planning.
To learn more visit: www.AvoyaNetwork.Com
About Avoya TravelAvoya Travel® is a vacation platform company which is redefining how vacations are booked by providing unmatched resources, services, proprietary technology, and patented solutions to thousands of companies including cruise lines, tour companies, resorts, and the Independent Agencies in the Avoya Network. Through its innovative model and vast demand channels, Avoya utilizes powerful marketing technology and data intelligence, alongside its patented Live Leads™ program, to connect travelers with independent travel advisors who deliver personalized service and value throughout the vacation planning and booking process. Avoya continues to develop groundbreaking technology solutions to offer travelers access to exclusive discounts and amenities in partnership with travel suppliers. Avoya has won numerous awards for its technology and services, including holding multiple patents, and serves travelers in North America and beyond.
With the increasing complexities of planning and booking vacations, the travel agency profession has experienced an extraordinary comeback. Professionals interested in starting their own travel business should contact Avoya Travel at 800-521-2597 or visit www.AvoyaNetwork.Com. Travelers interested in booking their next vacation with an expert Independent Agency in the Avoya Network should call 800-753-1463 or visit www.AvoyaTravel.Com.
Media Contact:PublicRelations@AvoyaTravel.Com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.Globenewswire.Com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5701325b-a633-4b8f-8a49-0a723e52b623
Everyone's In Europe. Why Are U.S. National Parks Crowded?
Despite a drop-off in visitation this summer, overcrowding and congestion still dampened the visitor experience at many U.S. National parks.
But this time, Mother Nature was mostly to blame.
Yellowstone and Yosemite were among the parks where extensive traffic and long lines at entrances were a problem, despite a decrease in visitation compared with summer 2022. And while several factors were at play, the main one was the residual effects of last year's harsh winter and record snowfall in much of the Western U.S.
"There have been some significant weather challenges in snowfall and precipitation, which forced prolonged road closures in the region," said Jonathan Farrington, CEO of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau in California.
A number of major access roads to Yosemite that usually close only from November to May or early June stayed shut well into the peak summer travel season because of record-breaking snowfall and a melting snowpack that caused severe flooding and extensive road damage, Farrington said. Some roads remained closed into July, representing the park's latest opening date since at least 1980, Farrington said, leading to "less-than-favorable traffic conditions in Yosemite Valley."
The most significant impact came from the extended closure of Highway 120 and its Big Oak Flat park entrance, he added, "which forced vehicles to just two of the four entrances into Yosemite Valley."
Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon also had their fair share of weather-related issues, which Tauck said impacted the opening of some of the park properties.
"This year, a few of those properties have been faced with some challenges, mostly related to extreme weather events that damaged roads, limited access to some of the parks and delayed the openings of some of the parks' lodges where we stay," said Tauck COO Jeremy Palmer.
Among them is the Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim, which delayed its opening due to a 300-foot section of water main destroyed during a winter avalanche. In Yellowstone, Palmer said, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel was closed for the early part of the season because of weather-related delays to repair its wastewater treatment system.
Traffic congestion on a roadway at Yosemite National Park. Photo Credit: National Park Service
The crowding and traffic occurred despite tour operators and some national parks reporting a decline in bookings this summer.
Intrepid said Yellowstone trips were down 13% this past May compared with May 2022. The company said it experienced lighter crowds there this summer.
"We have definitely seen a softening of domestic national park travel and a shift toward international travel," said Scott Cundy, marketing director at Intrepid. "Coinciding with the 10% decrease in domestic bookings from 2022, we've seen a 17% increase in international bookings over last year."
The Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau said Yosemite visitation from January to June decreased compared with the same period of 2022.
Should those visitor levels return to higher levels, tour operators hope the parks focus on other reasons for congestion this year.
"Some national parks, such as Rocky Mountain National Park, implemented a timed entry system during Covid and have kept it in place, reducing crowding and improving the visitor experience into 2023," Cundy said. "Other parks, such as Yosemite, stopped using their Covid timed-entry systems, and it has been like opening the floodgates."
Yosemite ended the timed reservation system last year. While it was in place, tour operators said, there was no vehicle congestion in the Yosemite Valley and far fewer instances of overcrowding.
Seeing the stark contrast in visitors' experience prompted the park to seek out new visitor-management solutions. Park officials are currently working on a plan addressing road and parking congestion, long waits at entrances and vegetation impacts from cars parked in nonparking areas. Potential solutions include reservations for entrance during peak summer hours, parking lots, reservations for events and timed entrances.
Yosemite also opened a public comment period for its Visitor Management Plan, a move the National Tour Association (NTA) praised as the right step to improve the visitor experience at a community level.
"We actually mobilized some of our motorcoach and tour operators to provide comment," said Catherine Prather, president of the NTA.
Referencing photos Yosemite released illustrating park congestion, she said, "They were all single-vehicle cars. So if you take a motorcoach of 40 to 50 people, you're going to be replacing anywhere up to, say, 30 to 40 single-use vehicles. That can significantly help with congestion."
Intrepid's Cundy said he hopes Yosemite will start with bringing back its reservation system, adding that the one in place during Covid "had a tremendously positive impact on overcrowding, the quality of the visitor experience and the well-being of the park's ecosystems and infrastructure."
10 Best Tour Companies That Will Make Your Next Vacation A Breeze
Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images Why a tour company?As a rule, I consider myself an independent traveler. I love to explore new places and take my family on adventures around the globe. Sometimes, however, I just want to leave the proverbial driving—and organizing—to someone else. Which is how I discovered the joys of the best tour companies that have helped me find the best places to travel. I've been able to circle Ireland, explore national parks and hop around Italy, all with someone else at the wheel and a few dozen other friendly people along for the ride, and it's been a dream.
Think of group tours like the best all-inclusive resorts; there's one-and-done pricing that lets you know exactly what your vacation will cost, in advance, making it easier for you to keep to your vacation budget. Depending on which tour you choose, you can still have plenty of time to explore on your own, but during the day someone else will be in charge of figuring out all the logistics, including lodging, transportation, meals and activities. Of course, like resorts, tour companies have different personalities: Some run small, boutique-style group tours with just a handful of people, while others have multiple tour buses with every seat filled. Many companies cater to specific interests and age groups, some offer private access to top attractions and others include special classes and experiences. Basically, there's something for every type of vacation style and interest.
How we chose the best tour companiesTo come up with the list of the best tour companies, we reached out to travel planners and other travel experts for their top picks. We also used our personal travel experience and checked in with travelers who have vacationed with these tour companies to get their first-hand reviews. Finally, we cross-checked our research with Tripadvisor's star ratings to make sure we've picked the best of the best so that you can have the best group tour all-inclusive vacation no matter where you want to go.
Best for history buffs via nationalgeographic.Com National Geographic Expeditions Sample trip: Human History: Northern Spain and Southwest FranceFor curious travelers who love to explore history, culture and archeology, National Geographic Expeditions is tops in its field. Highly trained NatGeo experts accompany trips and share their insights and insider knowledge with small groups of equally curious travelers. One recent traveler called the 10-day guided Human History trip to Spain and France to see paleolithic art and cave paintings "among the best trips of our lives," also noting that the adults-only itinerary also felt like a romantic getaway.
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