In 2008, more than 30,000 travelers embarked on a Mayflower vacation with any one of its other divisions, including Faithful Holidays, which specializes in escorted tours to the Biblical sites of the Middle East.
Despite the current economic crisis, Stachnik is convinced that the travel industry is on solid footing. “It has been in this predicament before,” he says. “Most recently, the events of 9/11 stunned the industry—then made us stronger. I see many parallels here—being a member of several industry organizations I have the opportunity to speak with many of my peers. As bad as it is for certain segments of the marketplace, we’re seeing more enlightened decisions by the heads of tour companies, and a quiet determination to ‘survive’ until it is time to once more ‘thrive.’”
What lies in the future for Mayflower?
Stachnik says the goal is “more of the same. We feel we have an excellent business model that we can continue to improve upon. We wish to continue enhancing the quality and the value of our present tours. We are always on the lookout for new destinations—or different ways of experiencing existing destinations. We don’t care to be all things to all people—we want to be the best—not the biggest.”
