Frank DeMarinis

Travel industry veteran Frank DeMarinis is back with a brand new retail travel site.

The co-founder of Belair Travel and Redtag.ca, and former President & CEO of TravelBrands, DeMarinis has announced the launch of shoptravel (www.shoptravel.com).

The company’s team calls the site “a transformative new venture set to redefine how travel is discovered, booked and experienced.”

DeMarinis stepped down from his role as head of TravelBrands two years ago. His decades-long career in travel first began in 1983 when he and his brothers, Joe and Enzo, started Bel Air Travel. In 2001, Bel Air was bought out and brought into the fold of what would later become Thomas Cook Canada. The DeMarinis brothers returned in 2004 with Redtag.ca. Their 2013 acquisition of the North American segment of Thomas Cook Group plc also included their very own Bel Air Travel / belairtravel.com, which later folded into Redtag.ca.

In 2019 H.I.S. Japan acquired TravelBrands’ parent company, Red Label Vacations Inc., with DeMarinis staying on as TravelBrands President and CEO until July 2023.

In this latest update, DeMarinis says his two-year sabbatical gave him an opportunity to step back and observe the industry’s evolution through unprecedented challenges and rapid technological change. His take: travellers now expect smarter, more personalized ways to explore the world, while travel agents need innovative tools to operate more efficiently and build deeper personal connections with their clients to deliver a more holistic travel experience.

“This is not about recreating the past, it’s about reshaping the future,” said DeMarinis. “The market is ready. The technology is here, and the timing could not be better.”

The company says shoptravel ‘will deliver cutting-edge innovation, transparency, and trust across the entire travel journey. Its mission is to empower travellers to explore with confidence, while providing agents with powerful, technology-driven solutions to elevate their service and relationships. More than a platform, shoptravel is building a movement to modernize and transform the way travel is experienced by both travellers and the professionals who guide them.’

The company adds that Shoptravel Group Inc. ‘is a technology company that services the travel industry and is committed to transforming how travel is discovered, booked and experienced.’

Source: Travelweek