Key Takeaways
- Lori Cassidy and Pam Kressley have launched Gift A Trip, a platform for easy travel gifting.
- The service offers turnkey travel certificates without purchase minimums or expiration dates.
- Certificates cover accommodations, taxes, fees, and gratuities, and are redeemable directly with service providers.
Orlando, FL–30-year hospitality veterans Lori Cassidy and Pam Kressley, who have held top positions at Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, have launched Gift A Trip, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for both corporate buyers and consumers to source, purchase and deliver turnkey individual travel certificates from the biggest resort and cruise brands with just a click.
Streamlined Gifting Experience
According to the press release, there are no purchase minimums, no sourcing or booking fees, no expiration dates, and year-round validity with limited blackout dates — all at pre-negotiated rates.
Unlike dollar-denominated gift certificates or gift cards, these travel certificates are fully inclusive of accommodations, taxes, fees, and gratuities. Since all certificates are priced at the exact amount for the chosen length of stay, no trip is ever underfunded or overfunded, which takes out the guessing when it comes to travel gifting.
Certificates come in a variety of lengths of stay, price points, and destination options. All certificates are redeemed directly with the resort, hotel, or cruise line, offer the ability to upgrade, and are delivered digitally (or via a personalized gift box for those who’d prefer an actual gifting experience).
Customization and Flexibility for Corporate Buyers
Gift A Trip also provides corporate buyers with customization opportunities, including:
- Airline Credit Voucher Add-Ons
- Customized White Label Sites
- Flex Trip Collections
- Corporate Branded Gift Packaging
As Cassidy explains in the press release, “The level of support from our supplier partners has been overwhelming, as they recognize the value in and need for such a widely accessible reward and gifting solution. We’re now able to bring this portfolio of diverse products directly to the public from one centralized source. These certificates can be used in countless ways — to increase sales, reward performance, to celebrate life’s many milestones, and so much more.”
Individual travel certificates provide a solution to another trend: The desire for the younger generations of travelers, Millennials and Gen Z, to travel where, when and with whom they want, vs. traveling with their co-workers in a group setting. “It’s important for organizations to recognize the needs and desires of the employees they’re seeking to motivate, reward and inspire,” notes Cassidy in the release. “It also provides a way to address the need for personalization without having to do so within a group setting.”
Most recently, employee retention and recruitment has become a hot topic. “With the ‘Great Reshuffle’ still ongoing in the workplace, employers are thinking about new ways to recruit and retain talent without necessarily having to increase wages. Gifting them a fully paid vacation can deliver a greater level of satisfaction and appreciation for the employee while minimizing long-term financial impact to the employer,” notes Founder Pam Kressley in the press release.
The gift of travel is one of the most highly desirable and memorable ways to motivate, surprise, and reward. Individual travel certificates are an ideal option for:
- BUSINESSES: Reward and recognition programs; service milestones and employee engagement; retention and recruitment; big-ticket incentives, and rebate alternatives.
- NON-PROFITS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND CHARITIES: Fundraisers, raffles, and auctions.
- PERSONAL GIFTING: Anniversaries, landmark birthdays, and holidays.
What We Think
Gift A Trip is revolutionizing the gifting sector by offering all-inclusive travel packages. Their service provides ease and adaptability, catering to the preferences of younger generations who prioritize personalized travel.
These travel certificates respond to the corporate challenge of talent retention with creative, non-monetary rewards. By facilitating unique travel experiences, Gift A Trip stands at the forefront of evolving employee and consumer gifting practices.
The platform’s approach could significantly influence future trends in both personal and corporate gifting, offering memorable and highly desirable rewards that extend beyond traditional incentives.
Check out the original press release for more.
