1. Who are you?

I’m a passionate traveler and I LOVE what I do. I began my career spearheading sales and marketing efforts for Ritz-Carlton and Montana’s Triple Creek Ranch. In 2002, I founded JG Black Book of Travel (www.blackbook.travel) to give a voice to those boutique experiences that make travelers feel intimately connected to a place. Today the firm provides expert marketing, promotion and sales services to the world’s finest travel providers.

2. What do you like about what you do?

Having such a worldwide breadth of destinations makes every day unique. And I especially love finding smaller travel providers – true hidden treasures – and sharing them with the industry. Our partners are on par with the best and most-recognized travel brands in terms of service, style, amenities – you name it – but they don’t necessarily have the resources to get their names out there. We provide them with numerous services, including brand recognition from being a part of the collection, to give them a leg up in the field.

Every day I get to help connect people with the opportunity to live out their dreams with experiences they wouldn’t otherwise know about.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?

At JG Black Book of Travel, we believe the tourism industry is changing. Travelers and companies are much more involved in giving back and doing good, but the promotion of those efforts falls short of what it should be. There’s a real opportunity for the tourism industry to connect with the next generation of travelers, who are much more invested in social responsibility and want transparency from the companies they support.

The travel and tourism industries make up the world’s largest collection of service industries. They account for nearly 10% of GDP worldwide. But right now, we don’t do a great job of acknowledging our collective influence. At the end of the day, our voice is very powerful, and we should work to leverage it more effectively for change.

To that end, I’ve co-founded The Bodhi Tree Foundation (www.thebodhitreefoundation.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting environmental and humanitarian efforts related to travel and tourism sustainability. JG Black Book of Travel is a founding partner of the foundation, and our collection members have pledged to raise funds for select grassroots charities through their unique relationships with affluent and influential consumers.

4. Please tell us about ’JG Black Book of Travel’ and your aims.

Our goal is to build an intimate, exclusive collection of some of the world’s greatest gems, and to be ‘seen’ – to be more consumer-facing as a collection. When people first see our Directory it makes a BIG impact! And it inspires them to dream and plan their next great getaway. We want to see more of that in the future.

5. Are you working with other blogs and if yes, which ones and why?

We recently started our own blog, called the Black Blog of Travel (www.blackblogoftravel.com) a play on our signature Black Book of Travel. As frequent travelers by trade, we’re constantly asked, “Where have you been lately?” We saw an opportunity to share our own travel stories, tips, tidbits and photos. We’re having fun with it, and starting to see some traction. And it’s nice to be able to have that kind of personal connection and interaction online.

6. Your TOP 3 hotels within the collection of JG Black Book and why?

To be honest, every hotel and travel provider is a favorite. Our partners are hand-selected, geographically diverse and really spectacular! But adding new partners to the group is always exciting. We’re thrilled to have the Grand Hotel Wien and The Ring join our collection because they offer something for everyone – from classic to very modern experiences. I took a trip to Vienna about 10 years ago, and I fell in love with the charm and romance of the legendary city.

I’m excited to share some other recent additions, too: Huka Retreats – Huka Lodge in New Zealand, Dolphin Island in Fiji and Grande Provence in the Fransschoek wine country. I’ve known of Huka Retreats since the beginning of my career at Triple Creek (a fellow Relais & Chateaux property) and I look forward to working with them.

And speaking of New Zealand/Australia, we’re so proud to have Swain Tours join us. As a native Australian, Ian Swain has real local flair and great insider know-how. And much like JG Black Book of Travel, the whole team at Swain is very close-knit and passionate about what they do!

7. Your TOP 3 personal food/restaurant experiences and why?

1) Jules Verne – Imagine lunching in the Eiffel Tower, on a sunny day in Paris and enjoying a bottle of Rosé. It’s a truly singular and iconic dining experience.
2) Nautilus –I’ll never forget Nautilus in Port Douglas, Australia. I was there the evening after President and Hilary Clinton visited. You dine among the treetops, surrounded by wildlife. And the only light comes from candles and scattered candelabras – so extraordinary…so romantic! It was the single most incredible dining experience of my life.
3) La Colombe – La Colombe is just magical. Every sense is engaged while sitting in the midst of South Africa’s wine country. I dined with four girlfriends and we were all blown away by the aromas, the sounds, the ambiance … Pair that with delicious food and amazing South African wine, and you have an absolutely unforgettable evening.

8. What’s your opinion about future trends in the luxury travel industry?

The luxury tourism business as we know it from 2005 is gone. The consumer has changed. Luxury has been redefined. People want transparency; they want to have a dialogue with brands and companies, rather than be told what they should like by an “expert.” Technology is playing an important role in this movement. Generation Xers (ages 30-44) are using technology to research their options, but are tiring of Do-It-Yourself options. Instead, they want travel agents and providers to work alongside them to find their perfect fit. And Millennials (ages 15-29) are quickly becoming a viable market. They’re diverse, tech-savvy and socially conscious. We need to engage these consumers on their terms.

9. Any comments you want to share with us?

On that same subject of generational changes in travel habits, I think The Ring and Grand Hotel Wien are well-positioned to meet the needs of the market. The Baby Boomers, the Gen Xers and Millennials all have different needs and preferences, and between the two brands, there’s something for everyone.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your blog – this was fun!