Big Five Announces New President

Dec. 8, 2008 - PRLog -- I am proud and fortunate to be able to hand the baton to my son. He has earned this distinction through his diligence and hard work,' said Mahen Sanghrajka, 'and I expect him to continue to build on our solid foundation.'

Ashish Sanghrajka has been involved with Big Five in one way or another since his childhood
in Kenya, where the company was launched. 'My father frequently brought Big Five's guests to our home in Nairobi to have dinner with our family - a tradition he continues to this day. So I learned at an early age what it means to go that extra step for your guests to insure the quality and authenticity of the experience,' Sanghrajka stated.

The younger Sanghrajka attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, graduating with a degree in political science, with a special focus on international economics. He worked as an economic analyst and trainer in capital markets division for a Fortune 500 firm. But his passion for travel resurfaced, and he formally joined the family business, Big Five Tours & Expeditions, in 2002. He quickly took on a leadership role and came to serve the company as vice president of sales and partner relations. In that role, he has spoken across the country at consumer and trade events, organized workshops, and affiliated association gatherings about the benefits of custom-tailored luxury travel. His ongoing interactions with travel industry experts keep Sanghrajka current on the ever-changing tastes of Americans for exotic travel, especially in Asia and Africa, where he has traveled extensively.

Looking to the future, Big Five's new president sees the several challenges lying ahead for the travel industry including returning ethics to the travel industry, which has been plagued with many of the same issues as other areas of finance and business.

'We must also encourage younger people to enter the profession to avoid possible shortages of talent in the future. And, we must begin putting the guest first, once again,' said Sanghrajka. 'If we do not address these issues, our industry risks losing credibility with the traveling public. That could eventually lead to regulatory intervention. But I believe we can make the changes we need to flourish even in today's economy.'

Big Five Tours & Expeditions is a premium soft adventure tour operator offering luxury guided travel to Africa, Asia & the South Pacific, Orient, South & Central America, Arctic and the Antarctica. For more information, contact Deborah Kilcollins, Communications Liaison, (800) 244 3483, (772) 287 7995, ext. 2214, email: deborah@bigfive.com. http://www.bigfive.com

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Big Five Tours & Expeditions is a premier luxury travel company offering individualized vacations worldwide.