Alex Sharpe, President and CEO of Signature Travel Network, was able to grow his business by 75% during the COVID-19 pandemic. How? By serving others first. That philosophy not only helped the company thrive in a time when no one was traveling, but also cultivated a workplace that was one of the best in the state.
Signature Travel Network recently completed its 2023 program of Regional Meetings with agency owners and managers, hosting more than 200 attendees in five cities. Following these meetings, Signature held Travel Exchanges and training for travel advisors and agency managers in Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, and Los Angeles, hosting over 600 delegates from the network and 350 travel partners.
Approaching International Women’s Day (March 8) this year, Alex Sharpe, president and CEO of the Signature Travel Network, realized that most of his leadership team was composed of women; incredibly successful and innovative women who have been a major part of the network’s success.
The luxury traveler has changed quite a bit over the last decade-plus, but none more so than since the COVID-19 pandemic. Things that were once considered “wants” are now “needs”— and a lot is falling onto the plates of luxury travel advisors and suppliers. Signature Executive Vice President Ignacio Maza led a discussion at the travel network’s annual meeting in Las Vegas in November 2022, centered around luxury clients, their asks, and how advisors and suppliers can better work together.
Signature Travel Network has announced its 2023 Hotels & Resorts Collection. This year’s portfolio includes 1,175 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas in over 600 destinations worldwide. A total of 115 new properties joined Signature’s Hotels & Resorts Collection for this year.
Signature Travel Network’s EVP of luxury business development, Ignacio Maza, has visited all seven continents and well over a hundred countries. He is always in search of what’s next in travel. “Travelers are ready for new frontiers, seeking destinations that are unique, authentic, and well worth visiting,” said Maza. As the world continues to reopen, here is his list of places to visit in 2023.
Ignacio Maza’s passion for far-flung places has inspired his career as executive vice president of Signature Travel Network, a consortium of travel agencies. As well, his self-admitted sense of wanderlust for travel near and far has taken him to more than 100 countries. He’s sailed on 80-plus cruise ships.
Travel advisor burnout is a real concern in the industry today. Monika Leuenberger, president of Avenues of the World Travel in Flagstaff, Ariz., well knows that. She called it a "huge issue" in the industry, one that has driven capable people to different careers.
Luxury Travel Advisor recently caught up with Ignacio Maza, executive vice president of the Signature Travel Network, to get his intel in how luxury travel advisors can create sophisticated itineraries for demanding clients.
