| Gail Sayadian is the director of marketing | | | | tourism development. Among the most pressing |
| and sales for Choice Hotels International, | | | | and pervasive are global terrorism, natural |
| Inc. (NYSE:CHH). A veteran with over 20 years | | | | disaster and economic recession. If travelers |
| of experience at Choice Hotels, Ms. Sayadian | | | | do not feel safe and secure traveling - they |
| oversees Choice's 22-person group and | | | | will not travel and the industry will suffer. |
| meetings department. She is responsible for | | | | |
| overseeing the group tour, wholesale and | | | | On the positive side, the potential affects |
| group meetings market segments of the travel | | | | of sustainable tourism could be positive and |
| industry for Choice Hotels' ten hotel brands. | | | | continue to grow the tourism industry in an |
| | | | environmental and culturally aware way. |
| MORE... | | | | |
| | | | When you're not in the office or traveling to |
| Why/ How did you become involved in the | | | | a show, where will we find you? |
| travel/ Tourism industry? | | | | |
| | | | You will often find me spending time with my |
| I have always loved to travel. During my | | | | husband and daughter in our lovely hometown |
| career as a ballroom dance teacher, I began | | | | of Montgomery Village, Maryland. I also enjoy |
| planning group travel to competitions around | | | | spending time with friends, shopping, reading |
| the country. At that time I began to | | | | and going to the movies. |
| understand the travel industry and decided to | | | | |
| make it a career. | | | | What is your most sought after group travel |
| | | | market at this time? |
| What advice would you give to a group travel | | | | |
| organizer to recruit someone who has never | | | | Consistently, students, SMERF and meetings |
| experienced a group tour and would like to | | | | are highly sought after markets. |
| try it? | | | | |
| | | | Do you expect to see anything new and |
| The key to group travel is catering to the | | | | exciting in terms of travel technology in |
| needs of your travelers. Knowing the | | | | 2007? Is there anything in the spectrum of |
| demographics and lifestyle patterns of the | | | | travel from searching for hotels and flights |
| people you are recruiting, will give you | | | | to a destination that technology has yet to |
| great insight into how to cater to their | | | | improve on? |
| needs. | | | | |
| | | | Currently most group travel bookings are done |
| Group travel is not only right for one type | | | | offline, while general travel bookings occur |
| of traveler -- tours are available that match | | | | more and more frequently online. In the next |
| any travel style and desire, from structured | | | | years I expect to see rapid growth of online |
| to unstructured, adventure, shopping or | | | | group travel bookings and offerings. This |
| ecotourism. | | | | will continue to increasing the ease and |
| | | | customization of group travel. |
| Let your previous travelers do the talking. | | | | |
| Share peer testimonials about the ease and | | | | The group travel industry is a very |
| freedom of letting somebody else do all of | | | | people-oriented industry. How do you see |
| the planning. Everybody can relate to making | | | | technology affecting the personal nature if |
| life less hectic. | | | | travel? |
| | | | |
| What are some of the most pressing tourism | | | | It will be even more critical for the hotels, |
| development issues facing the industry? | | | | attractions and venues to provide the very |
| | | | best customer service, resulting in a |
| Several hot issues directly affected current | | | | memorable experience for the guest. |