EAST MEETS WEST – PISA BROTHERS & WORLDVIEW TRAVEL JOIN FORCES
Unifying creates a strong presence in New York & California
New York City, NY
Established in 1924, the iconic Rockefeller Center travel agency, Pisa Brothers Travel has merged with Worldview Travel headquartered in Southern California. The now combined strength of these agencies is evident with an estimated $200 million in annual sales.
At the helm of the agencies is Ricci Zukerman, President and founder of Worldview Travel. An industry veteran for 34 years, Zukerman has successfully grown Worldview Travel to six offices in Southern California and two in Florida, in addition to over 100 Independent Contractors located throughout the US. “Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most knowledgeable, experienced Travel Counselor’s in our business. The Pisa Brothers and Worldview Travel professionals are such a good match in so many ways and have much in common. We share a similar corporate culture where the emphasis is on luxury travel. Independently the companies are on a solid foundation, but together our combined talents and resources will position us to reach heights not possible until now.”
Both agency’s are members of the elite Virtuoso organization and will retain their own name identity that their client’s have known and trusted for years. Mary Kleen, formerly of Virtuoso in New York, has been appointed as the General Manager for Pisa Brothers. The unique combination of skills and experience Kleen brings to the organization will greatly benefit Pisa Brothers future plans and positioning in the marketplace. "My past travel industry experience in product management at Cunard Line, as well as in cruise and tour sales with American Express and Virtuoso have proven to be an ideal background for the retail agency business. I am delighted to have this unique opportunity to work with New York's best luxury and corporate travel specialists at Pisa Brothers, a legendary brand name in the luxury travel market, as we transition forward as a Worldview Travel company."
Zukerman has encouraged and developed her business based on Travel Counselors specializing in destinations and/or types of travel. “If you love a destination and immerse yourself in everything there is to know about it, you can’t help but do well. The Agents are fulfilled and love their jobs and your clients are well cared for and happy. You can’t lose with this winning combination.” Her Agents are from many different countries and speak more than a dozen languages, but the common thread joining their international team is service.
Another common thread is the long-term relationships both agency’s share with their clients. These relationships are not created just from the agency’s decades in business, but also by a commitment to provide service beyond expectations. According to Zukerman, this starts with collaborative planning. “Our travel experts delve into group or individual needs, personalities, and even outside-the-box dreams. This lets our Counselors customize travel experiences to fit not only destinations and sites, but also a client’s tastes and desires.”
It seems others share Zukerman’s opinion of the value of a good Travel Counselor, based on the current trend that shows travelers returning to these experts by the thousands. A Travel Agency was previously a home-town business usually limited to clients in their surrounding communities. However, the travel industry is now truly global in its reach. It is not uncommon to have clients from all parts of country, in addition to a healthy mix of international travelers. The electronic age of instantaneous information at your fingertips and email communications has actually grown the business of highly sought-after, knowledgeable Travel Counselors. In fact, the Quarterly Topaz Report, a source of comprehensive, unbiased data for travel professionals all over the world, reveals that travel agents can beat Internet prices 95% of the time. No longer does your address dictate the level of service and expertise available to the traveling public.
Management services for the newly merged organization will be provided from Worldview Travel’s headquarters in California. These include accounting, human resources, operations and marketing. “I work with the best in the business,” says Zukerman proudly. “Expertise, value, and integrity” is a byline we use at Worldview Travel that also fits Pisa Brothers perfectly. But it’s more than that to us – it is who we are.”
For further press information, please contact:
Judy Parker
Worldview Travel – VP, Sales & Marketing
Ph: 714 540-7400 or c: 714 319-0572
Email: Judy@worldviewtravel.com
