Popular industry veteran and travel advisor advocate keynotes InteleTravel’s 29th annual conference featuring seminars hosted by ASTA and CLIA, a trade show with over 75 preferred suppliers, and more than 80 education sessions for advisors and partners
Delray Beach, Fla. (November 7, 2023) — InteleTravel, the world’s oldest and largest host travel agency, today announced Dondra Ritzenthaler, a dynamic and admired industry leader with over 40 years of experience in both land and sea vacation sales, as the keynote speaker for its 29th annual InteleTravelQuest conference taking place December 9-12 at the Moon Palace All-Inclusive Resort in Cancun.
As one of the most popular sales executives and biggest advocates for the travel agency community, Ritzenthaler spent 20 years of her career at American Airlines followed by 20 years with Celebrity Cruises. Earlier this year, the longtime senior vice president of sales for the Americas for Celebrity Cruises announced her retirement and stated that she will now be dedicating her time to volunteer work, public speaking, and other passions. InteleTravelQuest will be just the second conference Ritzenthaler will attend as a keynote speaker following her announcement, despite numerous offers for other speaking opportunities.
“I have always had great experiences attending InteleTravelQuest in the past, and I’m honored to be the keynote speaker this year,” said Ritzenthaler. “InteleTravel is finding new ways to advance agent training through new technologies and practices that even seasoned industry leaders like myself can benefit from, and I’m excited to see what they have in store.”
Now in its 29th year, InteleTravelQuest has grown to become one of the travel industry’s largest and most comprehensive events, though hosted by just a single agency. The highly anticipated annual conference routinely attracts thousands of advisors and hundreds of travel brands, industry executives, and preferred suppliers for a four-day experience at a top destination. This year's theme is “Shoot For The Moon,” with Ritzenthaler’s keynote speech titled, “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude.”
“We’re excited to have Dondra keynote InteleTravelQuest this year, given her breadth of experience in travel marketing and sales, at a time when the industry is navigating significant changes and travel demand is at an all-time high post-pandemic,” said James R. Ferrara, co-founder and president of InteleTravel. “She has always been an incredible advocate for the travel agent community and expresses a deep understanding of how important agents are to the industry as a whole. Not only is having her at InteleTravelQuest a joy, it is bound to be profoundly educational and inspiring for other industry leaders and guests.”
In addition to keynote speaker Ritzenthaler, this year's event will feature: a trade show with over 50 booths, general sessions, entertainment on an arena stage, and a focus stage called “The Launching Pad”; more than 75 preferred partners and suppliers; 80-plus training and education sessions; guest speakers and presentations on the latest industry trends; award ceremonies for the top advisors and partners; excursions to resort inspections with ALG Vacations; and upwards of $250,000 in travel giveaways.
Executives and industry leaders from Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, Disney Destinations, Hilton, Blue Diamond Resorts, American Airlines Vacations, Delta Vacations, and many more will join from all over the world. Special guests and presenters include Adolfo Perez, the senior vice president of global sales and trade marketing for Carnival Cruise Line, as well as leaders from ASTA and CLIA. Additionally, some of the top sellers in the travel agent community, InteleTravel’s Ambassadors, will be leading workshops to inspire other advisors with valuable tips and insights to help them grow their skills and accelerate their businesses.
Through InteleTravel’s business model and technology, award-winning training and events, ongoing education programs for advisors, and its annual conference, the host agency aims to strengthen the agent community and travel industry. With an expected 50% growth in sales by the end of the year, InteleTravel has grown exponentially year over year due in part to its advanced training and technologies that help advisors expand their business. These sales include air, land, and sea bookings and are expected to surpass $850 million by the end of 2023.
