Elite Travel’s Achievements, Awards & Accolades
Elite Travel Management Group began with an initial focus on Corporate Travel and Incentives, quickly earning industry recognition as an agency on the move. However, I soon realized that further growth was only possible by diversifying my company’s offerings, and opened us up for destination wedding, honeymoon and luxury travel, while simultaneously expanding our online services and new media campaigns.
More than 17 years later, Elite Travel Management Group owns more than two dozen websites, including eliteincentivetravel.com, eliteluxurytravel.net, and honeymoongiveaway.com, which ranks as one of Google’s top search results for “honeymoon travel information.” With more than 22 employees, and contractors throughout the United States, Elite Travel earned its reputation as one of the best travel management groups in the industry. Additionally, the agency’s Luxury Travel, Corporate Travel and Incentives Divisions are standard bearers for optimal efficiency, staff expertise and stellar customer service.
Because of our high level of service, Elite Travel was chosen to be an exclusive American Express Travel Agency. We are also a Platinum Preferred Agency Couples Resort for eleven years in a row, an American Express Vacations Global Award Worldwide Best of the Best Agency for twelve years in a row, a Best of the Best Sandals Agency, and we “Ranked 3rd” in the Fastest 50 growing companies in the Tampa Bay area in 2007, and 13th in 2008. Also in 2008, I was invited by the Tourism Commission of Barbados to speak to the country’s top hoteliers and resort leaders on developing the island as wedding destination, and Barbados officials chose Elite Travel Group to represent the country as it develops its new destination weddings and honeymoons plan.
Honors & Awards Include
• 2012 Feature in her first number one selling book – Women Who Mean Business
• 2012 Editors choice awards Women Who Mean Business
• 2011 Launch of her “www.WHIPitoutshow” (Women have infinite Power in Themselves) including I WHIP IT Workshops and Retreats
• Corporate Sub-committee of the Board for Ruth Eckerd Hall Foundation
• 2011 Featured in The Crave Book
• Advisory board for the Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation Alliance at the University of South Florida
• 2011 Inducted and honoree in the World’s Who’s Who
• 2010 Made it to a Million Award – National E! Women’s Network
• 2011 Speaker & Sponsor, 1st Tampa Bays Womens Conference
• 2011 Women Extraordinaire Award
• NSA – National Speakers Association member
• Member: CLIA, IATAN, Tahiti Tiare Certified agency, Certified Destination Wedding Specialists
• Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant for El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels as well as Azul Hotels by Karisma Elite Award Winner “Top 10 Selling Agency for El Dorado Royal”
• Official Travel Sponsor, Tampa PWG show sponsors, Elite Events in Atlanta
• Feature articles published in The Perfect Wedding Guide, Bride’s Magazine, Modern Bride, Florida Bride, For the Bride, The Robb Report, Conde Nast Traveler, Weddzilla.com, Tampa Style Magazine, Panache Vue, Pulse Magazine
• Platinum Preferred Agency Couples Resorts 14 years in a row
• Master Agent with AMResorts
• Travel Impressions/ American Express Vacations Global Award worldwide Best of the Best Agency 14 years in a row
• Best of the Best Sandals Agency
• 2005, 2006, 2007 Fast 50 top growing companies in Tampa Bay
• 2011 National Diversity Council -Finalist Glass Ceiling Award
• 2002, 2008 and 2012 Finalist Tampa Bay Business Woman of the Year
• 2008 Finalist TBBJ Ultimate CEO of the Year
• NBC Travel Show -Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Seminar presented by Tammy Levent
Featured on NBC’s Hollywood’s “Extra”
• 2001 to present Top 25 Women Owned Business, in the TampaBay Business Journal Book of Lists
As an expert on honeymoons and destination weddings, I have written many featured articles for national and local publications including The Perfect Wedding Guide, Florida Bride, For the Bride, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Travel Weekly Spotlights, PeterGreenberg.com, AOL’s Aisle Dash, and Brides.com, among many others. Additionally, I was the travel expert for Consumer Update on ABC Television in Tampa, Florida, and have partnered with NBC Travel Shows in Chicago and Miami where I coordinated the Honeymoon Pavilion and conducted seminars for brides-to-be.
Profession & Company
When I started working in the travel industry, the emphasis was on collecting quick money for trips that were only a picture, a reference chart of prices, and dates of availability. We were told to keep the information as general as possible to limit the chances of customers complaining, and then we left the customers alone once their tickets were in-hand.
That’s never been the way I do business. And early on, my dedication to giving my clients real service began to distance me from other agents and agencies to the point where they tried to reel me in. That’s when I decided it was time to form my own company around my ethics and style of customer service and support.
One of my first mandates was that every Elite agent had to have actually traveled to the destinations we
represent so they could honestly, and expertly, serve our travelers with personal knowledge. This not only re-assures our customers, many of whom are first-time travelers, but also helps prevent unwelcome surprises that could disappoint them on their trips.
Elite Travel’s honest approach to selling travel comes naturally to me and has been the foundation of my reputation with my customers and within the travel community.