Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2008 - (Page 52) COVER STORY whose safari he has entrusted to Micato, we’ve received a thoughtful, original and enthusiastic missive from Bob upon the trip’s completion. In an industry where we’re all so stretched for time, Bob always takes a few minutes to pen a letter that reminds us why we’re in this business in the first place,” he adds. Pinto describes Malmberg as “a man who clearly loves the business of travel. It shows in everything he does. He’s a demanding perfectionist who does his research and knows his destinations inside and out.” Two destinations of which Malmberg is a noted expert are South Africa and Vietnam. He first visited South Africa 15 or so years ary that is absolutely wonderful.” As for his other love, Vietnam, “It comes to the table the same way that South Africa does in that it has the ability to present a ‘wow’ experience to the customer,” says Malmberg. “We see the same things every day and we feel we know it all, but when you go to South Africa and Vietnam, you find out that you don’t know it all. As for the people of Vietnam, how can they be so charming and sweet and gentle, how does that work?” he asks, with wonder in his voice. To stay on top of his game, Malmberg travels a good deal (when Luxury Travel Advisor spoke with him, he was about to embark on an 18-day cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity calling from Grand Cayman to Los Angeles, which he was co-hosting for Virtuoso’s Voyager Club). He also reads a great deal. “To remain at the top of your form in this industry, you have to be very well disciplined. You have to read, read, read constantly and even after that it’s not gospel, it’s just one person’s view.” Malmberg preaches to his staff the importance of having three hotels that they know well in every major destination that the agency serves: one luxury, one first-class and one superior. “Know those, use them all the time and support them; in fact, they’re probably Virtuoso,” he says, referring to the luxury consortium of which he’s been a member of since its early days. “When we get involved, we become liable for what it is that we are doing, so we cannot sell everything. If you see a hotel in an area that you know very little or nothing about and you decide to accept the responsibility [of sending someone there], it’s the worst option you could have chosen, to absorb the risk.” Malmberg Travel Companies, which employs 10 inside agents and two who work from home, reaps an annual volume of sales in “the $25 million bracket.” Although that figure might seem modest relative to what mega-agencies earn, Malmberg says that the “bottom-line income for us, frankly, is as much as what some [agencies] make on their $95 million. That is how we operate—we look at every opportunity as a revenue opportunity. Nothing is for nothing.” For that reason, the agency charges a fee for every trip it arranges for its clientele, with whom Malmberg maintains a close relationship. While some live throughout the country, many also live in his hometown of Boston. Malmberg has known many of them for years and even receives requests for assistance from them when they’re not traveling outside of the city. “One of our customers called from her car; she had forgotten that she’d promised to take the kids on a picnic, so we called the Four Seasons and said, ‘We need a picnic basket for six. The customer will be by in an hour.’ We billed her and she was so grateful. She could have called the Four Seasons herself, but she called us. You have to use your resources. Nothing is given away for free.” That was an unusual request; Malmberg, of course, is used to working with clients whose visions are set on more far-flung destinations. What frustrates him, however, is when clients try to resolve travel challenges on their own or micro-manage the trip-planning process. “I’ll say, ‘Do you go to a doctor and try to handle your medical problem as well? You come to the table with desire, but not with the education and background and experience that will enable you to solve that problem,’” he laughs. Despite the challenge of working with “do-it-yourselfers,” Malmberg is pleased to be seeing a new crop of younger, affluent clients spring up. In fact, he’s just booked an itinerary for a young college professor with a family of five (including the maid) that was flying via private jet. “They don’t want to deal with commercial airlines and the rat race of airports. They want luxury accommodations and they want them now. And we can do that easily,” says Malmberg contentedly. All in all, Malmberg is optimistic about the future of travel; he’s even considering expanding his business to include an inbound service for those who want to enjoy Boston on a luxury level. And clearly, Malmberg is happy to have created a luxury legacy that has covered a span of 50 years. “Am I pleased? I’m thrilled. I cannot think of another endeavor that is as gratifying as what it is that each travel professional does every day,” he says. ABOARD THE CRYSTAL SERENITY: Malmberg recently co-hosted an 18-day cruise for Virtuoso’s Voyager Club. ago, when he went to Indaba, the annual travel show. He fell in love with the land, and nearly purchased a wine estate there. He returns again and again (see sidebar), typically using Micato Safaris. “Dennis Pinto has to be one of the most respected men in the industry. He is enormously trustworthy, and that is what the business is built on,” says Malmberg. “The products and services are wonderful, and they have not failed me yet in producing an itiner- 52 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | February 2008
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