Left to right: Yasutake Tsukamoto, executive
director, Japan National Tourist Organization;
Annie Cuevas, director, Philippine Tourism
Office; Xinhong Zhang, director, China
National Tourist Office; Catherine Cordero,
sales and marketing coordinator, Macau
Government Tourist Office; Jing Wang,
account executive, Saeshe Inc./Tourism
Malaysia; Santi Chudintra, director, Tourism
Authority of Thailand.
It was a packed house for the annual Asia Travel Update media dinner, held in Los Angeles’ Chinatown earlier this month. The dinner, cohosted by the China National Tourist Office, Japan National Tourist Organization, Macau Government Tourist Office, Philippines Department of Tourism, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia, gave local media and tour operators the opportunity to find out the latest details about traveling to the various countries.
Signature Owners Meet
Carnival Cruise Lines senior vice president sales & marketing, Vicki Freed (left), former president and CEO Bob Dickinson (second from left) and vice president national accounts Edie Bornstein (far right) join Signature Travel Network’s president Michelle Morgan (second from right) at the luxury network’s annual Owners Meeting at the Lake Las Vegas Resort.
Ligurian luncheon
Left to right: TravelAge West Publisher Michelle Rosenberg, Angelo Berlangeri, director of the Ligurian Regional Tourism Board, TAW Senior Editor Ana Figueroa and Pompilio Fabrizi, U.S. western director of the Italian Government Tourism Board, attend a luncheon presentation highlighting the Italian region of Liguria.
Hirshan
Steve Hirshan has been appointed director of sales at America’s Vacation Center (AVC). In his new position, Hirshan will assist independent affiliates with training through America’s Vacation Center University, JoinAVC, the My AVC Mentor program, AVC regional chapters and sales support, including the Live Leads program.
Hirshan has been an AVC independent affiliate for the past two years. He has also served as vice president of sales and marketing for MSC Cruises, director of cruise marketing for Liberty Travel and vice president of sales for both Regency Cruises and Bermuda Star Lines.
Eager to join the full-time staff in AVC’s new Florida office, Hirshan states that he looks forward to working with both AVC Support and independent affiliates to “further position the company as a host travel agency leader.”
Lama
Irvine Company has announced that Giuseppe Lama has joined The Resort at Pelican Hill, in Newport Beach, Calif., as managing director. Lama, who most recently served as General Manger of Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, will lead the resort’s restaurant, catering, wedding, culinary and villa services operations.
“Our intent is to create a destination that is as exceptional as its spectacular coastal setting,” said Ralph Grippo, president of the Irvine Company’s resort division. “We selected Giuseppe in order to ensure that every aspect of our culinary, catering and wedding operations are the finest they can be. He is a consummate professional, with great passion for what he does. His leadership will help ensure that we reach the standards of excellence we have set.”
