New Merit Travel Coming
Merit Travel Group Inc. is reorganizing its key specialty travel brands, namely: The Adventure Travel Company, Merit Vacations, Merit Group Travel, Merit Ski and Golf Vacations, Ultimate Ski and Golf Vacations.
Over the coming months, Merit will be consolidating and enhancing some of its brands. This action will create Merit Travel, which, according to officials, will be immediately positioned as “Canada’s speciality travel leader, focused on providing clients with the highest quality travel planning experience.”
As part of this reorganization the retail locations of Travel CUTS, a long-time fixture on University campuses across Canada, will also join Merit Travel.
“We’re excited to bring this new brand to Canadian students and remain focused providing the best student discounts available,” says Lori Copeland, director of product development. “We are also thrilled to showcase Merit Travel’s huge range of products, services and expertise to the wider university community. This is a natural extension of the brand and we know university faculty and staff are going to love what Merit Travel has to offer.”
Travel CUTS will be refreshed and restyled as “travelcuts” and will move online. It will remain focused on searching out and delivering the best deals on everything from flights and hotels to all-inclusive vacations and tours. A Merit release stated that students will continue to access the same deep discounts they’ve always been able to, but will now find them where they prefer to shop — online.
“We are totally focused on our customer’s needs,” said Michael Merrithew (pictured), chairman and CEO of Merit Travel Group Inc., parent company of Merit Travel and travelcuts. “We are pleased to regroup our various speciality brands under the same umbrella to provide our clients with a far more comprehensive travel experience.”
Utilizing the sales and product development teams at Merit/Ultimate Golf & Ski Vacations, Merit Travel will continue to bring unique and customized ski and golf offerings to Canadians.
“Joining the Merit Travel brand is going to make it even easier for Canadians to hit the slopes or links,” says Doug Paterson, director of Ski and Golf Sales. “We’re thrilled with the increased national exposure of golf and ski products. Plus, our golf and ski vacation clients will have the benefit of easy access to a much wider product offering.”
Officials say Merit Travel will also be positioned as the leader in customized adventure travel, through the incorporation of The Adventure Travel Company.
“Adventure travel is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry and the expertise brought by The Adventure Travel Company to Merit Travel will be invaluable,” says Kristina Boyce, director of retail sales for Merit Travel.
