05 APR 2018: Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. Which is good news for TravelBrands, whose former owner has stayed on as president and CEO to lead the company after completion of its sale to H.I.S. Co. Ltd., the Japanese travel giant that also owns Merit Travel and Jonview in Canada, along with 275 travel outlets worldwide.

It’s a perfect scenario for Frank DeMarinis, who told TIT, “I get to do what I love to do, helping travel agents.”

He added, “That’s why I stayed. My passion will continue – and as long as I have that passion I will continue to stay on as CEO.”

DeMarinis, whose brothers (and co-owners) Enzo and Joe retired after the H.I.S purchase of Red Label Vacations (parent company of TravelBrands), is quick to point out that the rest of the TravelBrands executive team has stayed on as well and that it’s “business as usual” at the Toronto-based tour company.

“We’re going to continue to develop the Canadian market and speak for Canadians,” DeMarinis told an audience at the fourth annual TravelBrands’ Agent Appreciation and VIP event in Toronto on April 1, the first of a road show series that also included Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver. The events were expected to draw approximately 2,500 agents and featured 70-plus suppliers representing TravelBrand’s diverse product line, from destinations to airlines, hotel brands and cruise companies.

DeMarinis assured agents in Toronto that TravelBrands’ persona would not change under the new ownership, but that the benefits of H.I.S.’s global identity and clout would soon become apparent.

In the meantime, TravelBrands is forging ahead with some new wrinkles, including technological innovations and fresh designs, prompting DeMarinis to state: “We’ve updated many aspects of our business… to help agents work smarter, not harder,” said DeMarinis.

Among them:

• Travel agents now have the option of offering a monthly payment plan to their clients. Monthly payments are offered on all land and TravelGenie bookings with a booking value of $700 or more booked outside of seven days from departure. On approval clients will be able to split their payment over a 11-month period.
• New credit card fraud technology will help agents detect and mitigate fraudulent charges. The application uses the information associated with each booking and gives a score to determine the risk of fraud.
• TravelGenie packages are now available through SIREV, enabling agents to build custom packages for their clients to worldwide destinations using their existing GDS.
• Enhanced design and functionality of cruise booking tools and self-serve options for air.
• A new look for invoices.
• The TravelBrands app will enable clients to get instant info on their mobile devices, including itineraries, destination and hotel information, alerts, and more.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the shows, TravelBrands is also hosting an exclusive contest for agents in which one lucky travel agent can win $10,000 for themselves plus $10,000 for the agency. Agents must book at least two TravelGenie packages in the GDS between April 1 and June 30 to be eligible to win. Every additional booking serves as an additional entry.