Randy Garfield receiving industry’s top honor
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., August 7, 2013 - The U.S. Travel Association will induct Disney executive Randy Garfield into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders in November. The Hall of Leaders recognizes top travel and tourism professionals for their “sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry, stimulated greater achievement, and raised industry-wide standards.”
Now working in the fifth decade of his travel industry career, Garfield is Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Travel Operations for Disney Destinations and President of Walt Disney Travel Company. He has long served as an advocate for travel and tourism at the local, state and national levels, serving as a member of the U.S. Travel Association board of directors for more than 25 years and as its national chair in 1997. As co-chair of the U.S. Travel Association Leisure Travel Council, he has been instrumental in developing the recently launched Travel Effect campaign to promote the benefits of travel to policymakers, consumers and business leaders. He earlier helped develop the Meetings MeanBusiness campaign that promotes the value of business travel to the U.S. economy.
Garfield and other Disney leaders also helped advocate the Travel Promotion Act and now serves on the Brand USA board of directors, dedicated to expanding international visitation to the United States and growing America’s share of the global travel market.
At Disney, Garfield leads all sales, convention services and distribution marketing efforts for Disney theme parks and resorts worldwide, plus Disney Vacation Club, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Golden Oak, Disney Institute and Aulani. He oversees the company’s reservations operations at each Disney resort destination, provides strategic and tactical business direction to Disney Sports Enterprises and is the president of one of the country’s largest tour operators, Walt Disney Travel Company.
With this induction, Garfield will be among 88 travel industry professionals named to the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders since its creation in 1969.
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $2 trillion in economic output and supports 14.6 million jobs. For more information, click here.
