January 24, 2004
LTG becomes Signature Travel Network
CENTURY CITY, Calif. -- The Leisure Travel Group changed its name to Signature Travel Network,
and unveiled a wholesale division called Insignia Vacations at its 26th annual sales meeting here.
Insignia Vacations will be sold strictly through the consortium's nearly 300 member agencies, which
will market the product through walk-in, telephone and Web distribution channels.
The operation will be headed by Larry Flinders, former executive vice president of Classic Custom
Vacations.
Insignia will take over the net packaging of cruise and land elements that the consortium has been
doing since 2002. It also will offer high-end packages to Hawaii, a move intended to fill the market tier
of Classic Custom Vacations, which the consortium dropped as a preferred supplier last month.
Signature members will continue to buy mid-market Hawaii packages from Pleasant Hawaii and its
sister company Hawaii World, which are still preferred suppliers.
Insignia plans to expand its cruise-package product, which so far has been offered in the South Pacific
and South America.
"We are looking at more exotic destinations," said Signature's executive director Michelle Morgan. "It
is not our intent to package the Caribbean."
In terms of land packages, Hawaii is it, for now.
"We're not talking about adding any other destinations," Morgan said. "We're just talking about doing
a superb job in Hawaii."
Because Insignia will be sold only through Signature agencies, it will not have the marketing expense
of traditional wholesalers, Morgan said.
"The financial model is altered dramatically from traditional wholesalers," she added.
The rebranding has been in the works for "well over a year," Morgan said, while the board has
debated the wholesale business for three years. She added that the changes have been "extremely
well received" by the membership at regional council meetings.
Insignia will be structured as a limited liability corporation whereby each member of the consortium
will have an ownership stake. Members also will be given the opportunity to make larger personal
investments in the corporation.
Travel Weekly – January 2004 – Page 1