WHY IT RATES: ALG President Ray Snisky believes travel advisors are critical to the industry and that it's important to provide the best tools for them to succeed. -Codie Liermann, Associate Editor
As the global COVID-19 crisis disrupts the travel and hospitality industry worldwide in unprecedented ways, Apple Leisure Group (ALG) continues to take measures to both safeguard its core infrastructure and strategically position itself for future success. Some of the more recent ways the organization has done the latter has been to rely on the strength of its team to both engage deeply in customer listening and reinforcing agent relationships.
It is this focus on putting advisor needs at the forefront that has led to a newly appointed leader with Ray Snisky named President of ALG's Vacations division.
"These have been difficult times for our industry. I have worked with travel advisors for many years and they are the foundation of our business," Snisky said, "and my team and I believe in their futures. Never before have travel advisors been more critical to the industry."
Supported by Jacki Marks, Executive Vice President of Apple Leisure Group Vacations, Travel Agent Brands, who has a tenured team with Mike Ehlers (groups), Scott Wiseman (travel agent brands strategy) and Jim Tedesco (sales)-all of whom have extensive backgrounds and notable reputations in service, innovation and travel agency business growth. The travel agent brands include household names such as Apple Vacations, Travel Impressions, Funjet Vacations, Southwest Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, and United Vacations.
Snisky's plans for the future center around increasing advisor satisfaction and business recovery. Areas of important focus will include the call center, service delivery and technological developments to help advisors to self-serve their reservations and customers.
Many of the future investments to help agents in their business recovery are already in the works, including a revolutionary virtual Ascend conference; industry-leading enhancements within ALGV's VAXVacationAccess booking system, such as refund and transfer status updates and new Future Travel Credit functionality. Other yet-to-be-launched self-service features to encourage advisor efficiency and independence are also slated for near-future launch. To further build confidence, there is FAM trip planning in place for August travel.
"I am proud to be leading a team of executives with a proven history of deep ties, commitment, and loyalty to agents," he added. "We need to be better at servicing and delivering the best tools for advisors to succeed. Together, we will be making tremendous investments toward ensuring their growth and success. Working with our team, travel advisors and suppliers to come back from this, which we absolutely will, is going to be the highlight of my career."
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