“My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each other’s negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are not done by one person, they are done by a team of people.”
That insightful quote comes [...]
I recently sat down with Dan Sullivan, Collette’s traveling CEO (and, incidentally, my dad) – to give you insight into his travel wishes, favorites and philosophies. Here’s a glimpse of what he talked about:
Most Interesting Recent Travel Experience: I recently went to Vancouver during the Olympics (pictured, above). It was such a cool experience – the energy [...]
Paula Twidale is the Executive Vice President of Collette Vacations. She serves on the board for United States Tour Operators Association, The Canadian Tourism Commission for U.S. Leisure Travel and is an active member of the Wings Club in New York.
Travel Agent Magazine has nominated her five times as one of the most powerful women [...]
Kevin Kramich, executive vice president of international sales, has worked at Collette Vacations since 1985 where he began selling student tours and tour guiding. He now oversees our global sales force of over 60 outside sales personnel.
I’ve known Kevin since I was about four-years-old and it was my pleasure to pick his brain a little [...]
John Galvin, Chief Financial Officer for Collette Vacations, serves on the company’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. He has held the position of CFO since joining Collette Vacations in 1989.
All-Time Favorite Destination: The lake crossings from Southern Chile to Argentina. It is a pristine and beautiful destination.
Favorite Pastime: In my free time I enjoy [...]
Meet Melissa Famiglietti Snape, Collette’s Executive Vice President of Product. Here, she discusses her favorite places in the world, thoughts about family traveling together and why she thinks her job is the dream job.
All-Time Favorite Destination: Peru! I’m a product person, so I think every destination is amazing, but Machu Picchu, at sunrise, that is pure magic. [...]
Bill Dziura is the Executive Vice President of Information Technology for Collette Vacations. Bill has been with Collette for 18 years, starting as the company’s Controller in 1992, and during that time has had the opportunity to do a fair share of travel.
Here are some of his “favorites”.
All-Time Favorite Destination:
I have too many destinations [...]
Twenty five years is a long time for anything. In today’s business world, the quarter century mark is quite a feat.
Today, my colleague and friend Kevin Kramich celebrates 25 years of working at Collette Vacations. As the executive vice president of international sales, Kevin oversees our global sales force of over 60 outside sales personnel and defines [...]
The Jatson Chumig Welfare Special School (our foundation site in Tibet) is located in the center of Lhasa. Established in 1993, the Jatson Chumig School accepts orphans and the physically challenged as well as children from poor families. The more than 150 students are given a stable environment, a good education, and the opportunity [...]
Imagine your are Retired, sitting at home and dreaming of traveling to Europe. You fought in WORLD WAR II, or grew up during the freeze of the Cold War: East Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw – ALL OFF LIMITS. You yearn to go to all those magnificent cities that lay locked in mystery behind the [...]
I had the pleasure of meeting this all-star cast at our Tour Manager Symposium in Florida last week.
These folks log plenty of frequent-flier miles escorting Collette customers to some of the most fascinating places on Earth.
During the week, I spent time with many of them conducting video interviews and snapping a few photos (including this [...]
Recently, Collette Vacations recognized 52 employees for Milestone Anniversaries ranging from 5 years to a whopping 45 years!
Denise Orlik and Betty Sullivan have combined years of service totaling 75 years! Denise and Betty, who both work in Collette’s air dept, celebrated 30 and 45 years of service respectively. The two women were honored for these milestone anniversaries on [...]
Recently the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce awarded our President and CEO the first ever Ben G. Mondor Award.
Established by the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Northern RI Chamber of Commerce to honor the late owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox, the award recognizes individuals who like Mondor, support charitable work throughout the state [...]
In a post last month, I told you about two Collette employees whose combined years of service totaled a whopping 75 years! In that write up I focused on Denise Orlik, a 30-year Collette veteran who began her career before computers were around and airline tickets were hand written.
Today, the spotlight is on Betty Sullivan, [...]
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Wald Zoller, Collette Vacations district sales manager, to discuss his recent trip to France. When I asked him what made this trip so special, he explained, “It is rich in history and second to none in culture.”
Here are a few other observations – in no particular [...]
Sometimes when business overwhelms, and you find yourself wading through far too many emails and voicemails, when even a recent family vacation finds you schlepping through airports dragging bags that are bursting at the seams (it’s the shoes, of course), and feeling like TSA and the travelers going through airport security behind you are getting [...]
In case you missed it, please check out this “on location” video of the Collette team at the recent Tourism Cares event in Mystic Connecticut.
It’s not only nice to see our team hard at work but it’s beautifully shot.
Be sure to support Tourism Cares, whose mission is to preserve the travel experience for future generations.
Oh, the perks of working at a travel company… there are many but travel to New Zealand has got to rank up there with the best of them – unless you dislike long flights.
Collette Vacations’ bi-annual global sales meeting was held in New Zealand from May 9 – 19, 2011, and100 or so Collette employees made [...]
Collette’s Tour Managers have rich backgrounds that connect them to cultures and societies around the world. They also have the most challenging job in the company. Yet, you couldn’t ask for a better companion on the road.
Check out this video that captures their passion for travel and for helping our customers experience the world. Plus, [...]
I’d like to share a few customer testimonials we’ve received.
Our team is always striving to put together the best Collette Tours. So much goes into putting a successful escorted tour together.
Below are a handful of Collette Vacations Reviews.
Comments like these make it all worthwhile.
“Just a note to say how much we enjoyed our trip [...]
This guest post comes from Paula Twidale, executive vice president, Collette Vacations; and active Board Member of the United States Tour Operator Asscociation (USTOA). USTOA is a professional association representing the tour operator industry, composed of companies whose tours and packages encompass the entire globe and who conduct business in the U.S.
I just returned from [...]
“Bask in the warm culture and majestic scenery of two remarkable lands.”
That about sums it up for this exciting new journey. In case you aren’t convinced, here are five highlights that make this escorted tour special. Welcome to – Exploring Scotland & Ireland featuring Northern Ireland.
Witness the splendor of Ireland’s most famous natural sight, the [...]
Wanda Leas, one of our seasoned Tour Managers, has been a Tour Manager for over 25 years. She leads tours to New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and throughout the USA, has traveled to 28 countries and lived in 25 of them. She wants to take you on a virtual trip through some of her [...]
This guest post comes from Kateland Dittig, an intern at Collette Vacations. She is currently studying Communications and Journalism at Keene State College.
When I was given the opportunity to join the Collette videographers for a day and film Newport, I was more than enthralled. I never thought I would be given the chance to leave [...]
Our Tour Managers are the backbone of the company. Take a second and learn about their passion for travel right from the source.
From China to Australia to the Canadian Rockies and beyond, they are with our travelers every step of the way, handling all the details.
Brett Couvillion of Travel Pulse talks to Daniel Smart, Collette Vacations’ national accounts manager, about Collette’s small group tours.
Our Explorations brand represents a new kind of tour created for travelers who want to explore in small group settings.
For more Collette “in the news” be sure to check out our Newsroom.
Traveling Well readers know that Halloween is a big deal at Collette.
Check out these pumpkins carved in honor of the 7 Wonders of the World. Amazing work.
Come back next week. All our departments are hard at work decorating and getting ready for the kids from local schools who visit each year – bags in hand.
This guest post comes from Cassie Stetkiewicz our Product Specialist for the UK, Ireland and France.
That’s right. I just returned from a British Landscapes tour and I was surprised too. It is not something I thought that would have been a highlight, but it was a wonderful discovery.
The homemade soups were creative, the pastries were [...]
This brilliant guest post comes from Jenny Rose, an Account Executive in our Groups Department. Previously she studied the Mayan culture of Latin America and taught English abroad in Mexico and Phuket, Thailand.
In the 1800’s, Washington Irving once wrote of the disconnect one experiences in seeing your familiar native land disappear behind you and [...]
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