Fran’s Blog
A Proud Moment
Aug 30th
I have never been prouder in my professional career than I was last Tuesday and Wednesday. We brought in Global Traveler‘s sales staff for an annual seminar. PowerPoint presentations were made by Alex Young and Kim Krol, covering everything from our competition and our obvious strengths to internal procedures and the fantastic success of eFlyer, GT‘s e-newsletter.
Alex presented, in a very artistic way, all the destinations she has traveled to in her eight-year tenure with Global Traveler — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Tokyo, Seattle, Montréal, London and Singapore were just the tip of the iceberg shown. I followed suit, covering my destinations, including Fiji, Norway, Korea, Thailand, China, Australia and Mexico — just to name a few. Dick Evans even talked about his near capture while on a horseback safari near the Afghan border.
We then presented and summarized our airline clients, pasting their logos on their home markets as we discussed routes and services. In between the presentations, we viewed videos and commercials from Thai, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Delta, United, Air Canada, Asiana, Korean Air and many more. Highlights from Emirates’ first class and Lufthansa’s A380 were shown.
We covered Global Traveler‘s new 2D barcoding capabilities and discussed the possibilities for linking these barcodes from Smartphones to any websites desired. We thought linking a GT 2D Barcode to Dale Moss’s video interview on our website was an interesting use for the new technology.
We ended the seminar in true Philadelphia fashion — with a trip to Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies take on the Astros. It was a great event and sure to be an annual gathering from now on. Maybe we should consider Palm Spring or Hawaii next?
– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO
World Economies
Aug 16th
It was just reported that China has passed Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy behind the United States. The Chinese economy represents a value of $1.33 trillion. To put this in perspective, the United States is valued at $14 trillion.
So, who moves and shakes the world? You guessed it — the United States, not China. When we sneeze, the rest of the world catches a cold. I think this is an interesting point when you look at the big picture and see how truly large the United States is in comparison to the rest of the world.
The European Union, if it were a country (and it’s not), would be valued slightly more than the United States. I think, however, that the events of the summer still prove that the EU is just an association tied more into a common currency than anything else.
So, threats of China’s world domination in the near term are untrue, but who knows what the future may bring!
– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO
Welcome to Houston
Aug 9th
I am here in Houston at the NBTA (National Business Travel Association) convention. It is a good time to hobnob with our airline and hotel friends and find out what is new in the travel industry. Continental is excited about their mock-up of the 787 Dreamliner interior . . . we can’t wait to see the real thing!
Saturday, a couple of us set up our booth of magazines and got a sneak peek at what the convention will offer. The trade show floor was abuzz with cranes lifting exhibits, from Emirates to American Airlines, into place. Looks like it will be an impressive show this year.
Yesterday, we kicked off the convention with a golf outing where I was able to catch up with friends from Singapore Airlines and Asiana Airlines. We came in fifth at 11 under — the winner was 20 under par!
I am sure the GT staff will have more to report over the next few days. Until next time, wish me luck in the sweltering heat of Houston!
– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO
Time for R & R
Jul 26th
It’s that time of year again! I am vacationing in the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk, NC, the birthplace of powered flight. Today we witnessed bottlenose dolphins swimming about 100 yards from the beach. They were circling back and forth, obviously finding a position full of fish to feed.
Today starts my annual two weeks down here, where we mostly hang out at the beach, enjoy local restaurants, jet ski, golf and enjoy each others’ company. Yesterday, I played a decent round at Seascapes Golf Course in Kitty Hawk. I was able to navigate the course in three-and-a-half hours, as Saturday and Sunday are the rental home change-overs and the courses are quite empty. People are either arriving or departing. Also, the temperature was 97 degrees with a 74 percent dew point, about as hot and humid as it can get.
Down here, it’s hot. If you don’t like swimming in the ocean, the Outer Banks probably don’t make much sense for you. On the beach, it is a constant back and forth between your beach chair and the sea, which is shared with the bottlenose dolphins, of course.
So make sure you take the time for some R & R and combine this with your other trips. In the coming months, I have flights to Finland and South Africa. This is my period of time to relax before my big trips.
Have a great summer!
– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO
