Tom first caught the travel bug during his soccer playing years at St. Louis University. Extended trips to South America and Europe opened the door to new cultures and natural beauty he had never encountered.
Tom joined INTRAV in 1984, a leader of deluxe world travel for professional organizations, as the Regional Vice President of Sales. During the course of his 17-year career at Intrav, Tom traveled the U.S. and the world. He was an integral part in establishing INTRAV as one of the premier companies offering unique "Small Ship" cruising worldwide and established relationships with some of the most prominent institutions in North America.
In January of 2000 Tom became President of Adventure Associates, the sales and marketing arm for Metropolitan Touring, the leading tour supplier in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The company owns and operates two vessels; M.V. Santa Cruz and Yacht Isabela II, which are based in the Galapagos Islands. He assumed full P&L responsibilities, and coordinated all sales and marketing efforts for the top Tour Operators in the United States.
In January of 2004 Tom established International Destination Marketing (IDM), along with his long time friend and business associate, Dick Burkemper. The premise of IDM is that International Tour Suppliers need better sales and marketing representation when offering products and services through the U.S. Tour Operator distribution channel. The days of an International Tour Supplier making their annual "token" visit is no longer productive in the travel environment of today. IDM provides consistent year round Marketing and Sales support in the market. Who else can do it better than someone who has "walked in the shoes of the Tour Operator"?
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