TRAVELSAVERS' Mazza honoured by ASTA

Rick Mazza, founder, president and CEO of American Marketing Group (AMG), was recently honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Travel Agents.

A 50-year veteran of the travel industry, Mazza founded AMG to service the travel agency community. AMG encompasses TRAVELSAVERS, the first marketing group for travel agents, as well as NEST, the first and only marketing group for independent homebased agencies.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is recommended periodically by ASTA’s board of directors to honour a travel industry luminary “whose creativity, dedication and inspiration have advanced the travel and tourism industry.”

Mazza began his career as a travel agent and owner of a successful travel agency in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY, and co-founded the American Travel Affairs Council (ATAC).

Trafalgar Travel CEO Gavin Tollman was among the many congratulating Mazza calling him, “a great visionary of our industry, a true icon in every sense of the word. Your achievements are nothing short of remarkable.”

Arnold Donald, CEO and president of Carnival Corp., said regarding Mazza’s award, “This is a recognition of your career lifetime achievement but also a recognition of the many lives you’ve touched.”

Royal Caribbean International, Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Service Vicki Freed called the recognition well-deserved. “You’ve dedicated your life to our industry and you’ve made us a better industry,” Freed stated.