01/07/09, 23:59:23 UTC

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SPORTS TRAVEL EXPERTS NAMED LEADING TRAVEL AGENCY IN NORTH AMERICA

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Dallas, TX – According to the World Travel Awards, the “leading travel agency in North America” makes its living providing travel services to universities and sports teams across America.

Anthony Travel (ATI), a nationally recognized leader in university and sports travel management services, added yet another feat to its already impressive list of accomplishments on Monday night, when it was crowned North America’s Leading Travel Agency at the World Travel Awards held in New York City.

Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the "Travel Industry's equivalent to the Oscars," the World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the enormous achievements in all sectors of the global travel industry. Candidates for nomination are based upon the previous year's voting, with votes cast by travel industry professionals in more 190 countries around the world. In the tourism trade, being nominated and winning a World Travel Award means a personal and reliable endorsement from thousands of travel professionals around the world

“I’m still in a bit of awe at this award,” said John Anthony, President and CEO. “Receiving an industry wide award of this magnitude is an incredible honor for all of us at Anthony Travel. This award is a testament to all of our associates who make servicing our customers a priority each day. Our caring staff is responsible for all of our success, and they deserve all of the credit for this illustrious award.”

Servicing many of America’s leading universities, such as Notre Dame, North Carolina, Stanford, Indiana, Georgetown, Washington and Purdue, ATI has emerged at the head of the industry, adding three new Division I clients, USC, UCLA and UNLV in the past six months.

“Anthony Travel continually provides service that is way above and beyond the call of duty,” said Notre Dame Director of Athletic, Kevin White. “With their attention to detail, professionalism and responsiveness, it is easy to see how John and his team have received such a prestigious honor.”

ATI also serves as the official travel partner for a variety of amateur sports organizations around the country including US Youth Soccer, Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex and the South Bend Regional Sports Commission. In addition to providing support for daily staff travel, the company administers housing services and plans for major events.

“Anthony Travel has proved to be of great assistance to US Youth Soccer in maintaining our organization’s standards of top notch events,” said Gale Heubach, US Youth Soccer Events Manager. “Their staff works incredibly hard on our behalf to ensure our tournaments succeed at every level.”

“The team at Anthony Travel works to continually exceed our guests’ expectations,” said John Bisignano, Manager of Sports Account Development at Disney Sports Attractions. “We value their outstanding commitment to guest satisfaction and their ability to create magical experiences for the athletes and fans they serve. We congratulate them on their achievement.”

“The need to provide travelers and fans with excellent service is paramount for the South Bend Regional Sport Commission,” said Mark Eagan, President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County. “The services and level of attentiveness provided by Anthony Travel is exceptional. We are proud to have such a nationally respected travel company based here in South Bend.”

Amadeus, provider of global travel distribution services for ATI, nominated the company for the award based on ATI’s outstanding record of customer satisfaction and market growth.

“From the time Anthony Travel and Amadeus formed our partnership in 2005, we have been impressed with their tremendous execution and service efforts,” said Tom Cates, Senior Vice President of Amadeus. “Anthony Travel understands its niche and has effectively dominated their market by providing services for their customers in a relevant and effective manner. Based on their growth and record of success, we felt their nomination for the North American Travel Agency of the Year was more than deserved. We are proud of our relationship with Anthony Travel and pleased so many of their fellow travel professionals think as much of them as we do.”

Anthony Travel also ranks in the top tier of clients for many major global hospitality providers including Hilton Hotels and United Airlines.

“Anthony Travel is a Hilton Family Top National A Account and one of the top producing sports accounts in the Nation.” said Mike Hill, Director of Sales for Hilton Hotels Worldwide. “An outstanding producer for our sports vertical market and our business as a whole, Anthony Travel provides excellent service that makes it a pleasure to partner with them on events.”



“Anthony Travel is our number one domestic group travel producer in the country,” said Patricia Snelling, Supervisor of the Group Special Handling Desk United Airlines. “Their staff is incredibly strong when it comes to servicing both the customer and the vendor – making it both easy and pleasurable to do business with them.”

ATI is no stranger to awards, the company has been named to the Dallas 100 six times in the past thirteen years, most recently in 2007, 2006, and 2005. The Dallas 100, presented annually by SMU's Cox School of Business Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, recognizes the 100 fastest growing privately held businesses in the North Texas area. Covering all industries, businesses are chosen solely on increased growth in sales, giving weight to percentage growth and absolute dollar growth between specific years.

This most recent accolade cements ATI’s position at the head of the industry. By providing extraordinary service, excellent prices and creative travel solutions, the company has established a strong client base and excellent platform for growth. In the past six month, ATI has added three new Division I collegiate athletic accounts and opened three new offices across the nation. The company expects open its 14th office within the month.

ATI also announced a new partnership with New York Road Runners in 2007. The company serves as the official and exclusive travel partner for the ING New York Marathon, NYC Half Marathon Presented by Nike and More Magazine Marathon and Half Marathon.

“Our commitment to customer service has allowed our company to experience tremendous growth in recent years, and our associates have embraced a can-do attitude that allows us to continually make people happy,” said Anthony. “Everyone likes to be a part of a winning team. This is a very special day for Anthony Travel and I am thankful to be a part of such a superb team of individuals.”

Since 1989, Anthony Travel has specialized in providing extraordinary service, excellent prices and creative travel solutions for the unique needs of university officials, collegiate athletic programs, youth sports programs, event organizers and U.S. national teams. Anthony Travel offers comprehensive travel solutions that save clients time and money, while providing unforgettable travel experiences. Serving many of the nation’s most prestigious universities including the University of Notre Dame, Stanford University Athletics, University of North Carolina Athletics, Purdue University Athletics, Indiana University Athletics and Georgetown University Athletics, Anthony Travel is based in Dallas and has ten offices nationwide.



Other collegiate clients of Anthony Travel include the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The company is also the official travel partner for the Harlem Globetrotters, Ford IRONMAN® World Championship, Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex, ING New York City Marathon, National Senior Games Senior Olympics, U.S. Youth Soccer and other top amateur sports organizations around the country.

 Printable Version  | published Sep 26, 2007