Latest news with #JackEzon
Travel Weekly
10-08-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Embark Beyond's priority list has technological and interpersonal pieces
ALLENHURST, N.J. — Stepping away from the fourth annual Embark Day pool party at the Jersey Shore, Embark Beyond founders and partners Jack Ezon and Julie Danziger offered a look into the travel agency's current focuses: a new AI-powered platform, partnerships with luxury brands and their desire to move away from being known as a New York-based agency. "We've really been focused on two main courses in our prediction of how to stay relevant in the next chapter," Ezon said, pointing to technology and "clienteling" -- the retail strategy of cultivating personal relationships with clients. On the technology front, Danziger stressed that Embark sees it as additive for advisors. "Agencies that don't embrace technology -- I think they're going to struggle in the next couple of years," she said. "But the ones who embrace it and figure out how to utilize it in the right way are really in for a treat." In September, the agency will launch an AI-powered platform, Embark Blackbook, that takes its intranet "to another level," Ezon said. The platform, being built in-house, will be able to match client profiles with product profiles that Embark is currently building. It will also include a clienteling dashboard. Ezon defines clienteling as "the luxury retail term for proactive, relationship-based marketing," and right now at Embark, "everything we're trying to do is build a clienteling mindset." He wants advisors to be more proactive with customer relationships, something with which Blackbook will assist. It might suggest an article to send to a client because they love fishing, for example. "It's not only about selling your product, it's about connecting with people," he said. To that end, the agency has been bolstering its partnerships with luxury brands and creating experiences exclusive to Embark clients. For instance, they can go to Italy and meet with members of the Missoni family, who run the eponymous fashion house. Embark is also working automotive brands, food and wine, among others. The agency is considering experiences with dogs as well as instituting a mahjong program surrounding the game that is enjoying a surge in popularity. Advisors can also take advantage of new revenue sources negotiated by Embark for nontravel sales, like jewelry. Ezon said Embark is delivering high-end clients to activities like shopping experiences, so its advisors should make money on the transactions, too (commissions weren't a hard sell for the brands Embark has partnered with, he said, as "luxury brands have seen hospitality, more and more, as a perfect collaboration"). "We're trying to give our advisors more tools to talk to their customers in a deeper way, to things that they're passionate about," Ezon said. "So we have the technology, and we're creating the product to work around, to put marketing campaigns around, so that we can get a deeper trust and relationship with our clients that AI won't replace." While Blackbook is in development now, Ezon said it likely always will be. He said it was designed to keep changing. Hola, Mexico Outside of technology and clienteling, Danziger said Embark is focused on developing new travel advisors and growing the agency. She is particularly excited about the diversity in new advisors. "They're all bringing something so different to the table, and it's refreshing and it's exciting," she said. "The more we grow outside of a bubble, and the more different people, different cultures, we invite into our environment, the more exciting it is." The agency also wants to expand its reach outside of the United States, and be less known as a U.S. or New York agency. "I think that's where things are going within our industry," Danziger said. "It's more global and everything is more connected." According to Ezon, Embark's first expansion will be into Mexico.
Forbes
10-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Luxury Travel Advisors Help Clients Avoid Price Gouging, Spotty Service
If lackluster service is giving you pause as a luxury traveler, the answer could be tapping into the expertise and relationships of an experienced travel advisor. Travelers continue to complain about paying more and, if not getting less, at least finding spotty service and other letdowns that make them feel underwhelmed. A survey released last week with travel advisors revealed that while booking trends continue to point upwards, high-net-worth clients are in some cases switching hotels and even destinations they see as not delivering value. Jack Ezon, CEO of EmbarkBeyond, says while the travel agency's safari business has seen 91% year-over-year growth, Botswana is down 18% in peak season. He attributes it to 'exorbitant rates—at almost US$10,000 a night.' At the same time, Italy, which grew 4% year-over-year, lost its perennial number one spot to France. Greece was down 4%, its second year of declines. Travelers aren't staying home, Ezon explains. Overpricing is 'shifting market share to other destinations.' St. Tropez saw a 26% increase, while the Côte d'Azur grew 21% and Portugal stole share, rising 28%. However, the over 4,800 travel suppliers and travel advisors gathering this week in Las Vegas for the annual conference of Virtuoso, whose member agencies sell around $30 billion in luxury travel annually, say they know there are issues despite continued demand. They also have ways to reduce the likelihood of disappointment. Zankhana Shukla, founder of New York City-based Zenzi Luxury Travel, says deep relationships with suppliers who have proven worthy of her agency's trust mean reducing those disappointing experiences where what's on the website doesn't match what's delivered. Shukla says savvy travel advisors help clients who want value, want to miss the masses, but don't want to miss main attractions. While it's possible to arrange a VIP visit to Le Louvre in Paris after hours for $10,000, the museum is open until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. For around $1,500, she can get a top guide specialized in the particular galleries that are of interest to her clients. Clients save money and still have a memorable experience, she says. Of course, the key is finding a top guide. Nancy Ebel of Hill's Travel Service in St. Petersburg, Florida, says there is a shortage of quality English-speaking guides in Japan. Melissa Novick of Remote Lands says while some consumers are rebelling against high prices, when it comes to guides, who are typically independent contractors, it is often a case of you get what you pay for. She says the best guides align themselves with the companies that pay the best. Remote Lands is the company behind Aman's private jet trips, which cost around $15,000 per couple per day. Novick says they hired a person dedicated to making restaurant reservations in Japan to ensure clients get those hard-to-get tables. At each destination, each couple (trips typically have a maximum of eight or nine couples) gets their own private driver and guide. She says this enables clients to create a pace in tune with their personal interests. An executive with A&K, which offers similarly priced private jet tours, says part of the value is time savings. She says a typical A&K round-the-world tour means just over 50 hours of flying. To do the same itinerary with the airlines would require nearly 200 hours, including connecting flights, but not including the time spent at the airport on departure and arrival. The A&K jets typically use private terminals. In other words, you save about six days of travel time on a single trip. The A&K tours also include a private photographer, so you don't have to stress between enjoying the experience or snapping away. You get all the photos taken by the photographer at the end of the trip. Advisors say a pain point is when clients must keep taking out their wallets after they've already laid out lots of money. Micato Safaris, which specializes in small groups, says part of its formula to avoid letdowns is being truly all-inclusive. Ebel says from arrival to departure, her clients never have to touch their Black card. However, being all-inclusive is not a panacea. Regent Seven Seas Cruises includes shore excursions as part of its cruise fare. It found passengers were often frustrated that their desired excursions were already booked. The line has recently begun overbooking its excursions by 10%. Customers who book their cruises and shore excursions more than half a year in advance, but later change their minds, were often no-shows. This adjustment allows the line to accommodate more guests. An executive during a Virtuoso Travel Week session says so far, the change is yielding the desired results of enabling more guests to partake in the excursions they want. While 5-star hotels have been criticized since the post-pandemic travel rebound for lackluster service, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, has a unique approach during its annual Cayman Cookout. The hotel only sells rooms tied to the event, even if the event doesn't sell out. This prevents bookings by guests who would find themselves massively outnumbered by festival attendees. Destination Marketing Companies, the local companies in the places you visit that coordinate the ground transportation, guides, after-hours access, and unique experiences, are also trying to ensure a more consistent experience in a world plagued by post-COVID labor shortages. Karim Fehry Fassy, co-founder of Alizes Private, is a former hotelier who launched the Moroccan DMC in 2017. For each client and their travel advisor, he creates two WhatsApp groups. One includes the guide and driver, Fassy and the travel advisor, so the travel advisor can see how the day is going for their client and get real-time updates if plans need to be changed. The other group consists of the client, Fassy, and the travel advisor, allowing the client to share any concerns with them discreetly, also in real-time. He says that by acting quickly instead of waiting for feedback after the trip, there is usually a quick fix that satisfies the client. Other DMCs say they maintain standards by using their own cars and drivers instead of outsourcing. They also stop taking bookings when the guides they trust are not available. Fassy says he finds the best way to address price questions is transparency, saying he happily shares with travel advisors how much the services he is arranging cost his company. Of course, if money is no object, Access Italy says for 10,000 euros, you can have 30 minutes in the Sistine Chapel after hours. One client recently used his time there to propose to his girlfriend. She said yes. Ewelina Kula says relationships matter for DMCs. Access Italy was founded by the current CEO's father, who was a driver at Rome's famed Hotel Hassler, where he made numerous location connections. She says some of the most memorable experiences don't need to cost four or five figures. They include getting behind the scenes to see how gelato is made or accessing wineries that are not open to the public. Still, one hotel executive says service delivery comes down to investment in training. Nigel Page of South Africa's The Royal Portfolio, which includes The Silo Hotel in Cape Town, says finding a top-notch pastry chef or sommelier can be challenging, but there is no shortage of potential workers for restaurants, bars and housekeeping. He says the key is to hire for attitude and then support employees with training and opportunities to advance. Managers who come up through the ranks, he says, naturally want to mentor new starters to find similar success. Pace says while hardware matters, in an environment where consumers are paying more than ever, the small touches from employees who are genuinely committed is more important than ever. EmbarkBeyond's Ezon says even if prices seem to be reaching the stars for your bucket list destination, there's hope. He says his advisors often find by shifting dates several weeks, there can be significant savings.
Travel Weekly
23-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Embark Beyond
2024 sales: $340 million Previous ranking: 48 Employees: 54 full-time, 13 part-time 307 Fifth Ave., 16th Floor New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 542-4500 Website $340 million4854 full-time, 13 part-time307 Fifth Ave., 16th FloorNew York, NY 10016Phone: (212) 542-4500 Executives MANAGING PARTNER/CEO: Jack Ezon CO-FOUNDER/MANAGING PARTNER, EMBARK COLLECTIVE & LEISURE: Julie Danziger CO-FOUNDER/MANAGING PARTNER, EMBARK EVENTS: Eli Ashear MANAGING PARTNER, EMBARK SAFARIS: Justin Huff MANAGING PARTNER, EMBARK ACADEMY: Anne Scully COMPANY FACTS * Privately held direct sales and host agency. * Julie Danziger, Eli Ashear and Jack Ezon are majority shareholders. * Sales: 65% leisure, 30% destination events, 5% business. * Works with 300 independent contractors. * 72% of sales completed by hosted advisors. * Owns Embark Events (with sales of $100 million not included in Embark Beyond's total) and Embark Safaris ($8 million not included in Embark Beyond's total) and Embark Blackbook. * A member of Virtuoso. DEVELOPMENTS * Beta tested the Embark Blackbook platform, an AI tool that enables advisors to match experiences and market opportunities with an explanation of why they would match. * Released a new version of ServeTa, an online booking tool for advisors. * Enhanced its tool for social event reservation. * Grew the number of hosted advisors outside of the U.S. by 31% and Embark Safaris by more than 250%. LOOKING AHEAD * Launching the Embark Blackbook and social event platform; client access to the ServeTa online booking tool; and the Embark app. * Developing more collaborative content across luxury verticals outside travel. * Introducing brand activations and insider experiences in the fashion, art and event space. * Expanding in Latin America and Europe as well as its Luxury Salon Series, bringing together luxury brands and hospitality leaders. * Expect 2025 to be flat although it was 22% ahead in the first few months; cautiously optimistic, though concerned with the political atmosphere.
