FTFc: Team of Experts

TEAM OF EXPERTS

FTFc is new baby of Family Travel Forum Inc. (FTF), which has served a global network of travelers with children since 1996. FTF brings print and online publications, trip-planning consultation, a vast library of destination research, and discounts from preferred vendors to frequent traveling families around the world. For its understanding of this market, FTF expertise has been recognized with the National Parenting Seal of Approval and ‘Best of the Web’ awards from both Forbes and Condé Nast Traveler magazines, as well as by CNN, ABC, The Travel Channel, American Baby, Child, Diversions, Family Life, Kiplinger’s, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Frequent Flyer, Time, Travel Weekly, Travel Age, USA Today, Wall St. Journal, Yahoo! Internet Life and other media.

Family Travel Forum Consultants (FTFc) now makes this recognized expertise available to the trade. From our team of experts, meet:

Before founding Family Travel Forum Inc., Kyle McCarthy authored a dozen travel guidebooks for the ‘Frommer’ series and contributed to such publications as Child, Condé Nast Traveler, Departures, Wired, Cosmopolitan and Backpacker on Europe and Asia destinations. She has been a frequent voice on the airwaves for Air Canada’s “Travel Update,” USA Network’s “Travel News,” and NPR. In addition to speaking to travel industry, media and consumer groups on the topic of family travel, Ms. McCarthy, editor at FTF, has done several TV interviews and satellite media tours and served as a Family Travel Expert for Discovery Channel Online and Netscape’s Open Directory Project. Residing in New York City, she takes every opportunity to travel with her husband and 12-year-old son.

Felicity Long
is a Boston-based travel analyst whose areas of expertise include ski, luxury travel, hotels and cruise, as well as the family market. Ms. Long, who has commented on travel trends on Bloomberg Radio and New England Cable News, is a senior contributor to Travel Weekly’s annual series of “TW Focus” analyses. She writes regularly for PowWow, the trade conference for inbound travel and tourism, as well as for ASTANetwork magazine, examining all aspects of the industry from an insider’s point of view. Ms. Long’s unique perspective has made her a sought-after expert within the hospitality field, and moderator for hotel industry panels with travel agents and hoteliers. Her consumer journalism has appeared in publications as diverse as Child magazine, Family Circle, Boston Herald, and Bloomberg. A member of the New England Writers and the North American Ski Journalists Associations, Ms. Long has been honored with the Cacique Award (2000) for excellence in travel writing and the Yo Leonardo International Travel Writer's Award (1997).

Kaleel Sakakeeny is the family travel editor at Travel Weekly and a contributor to the award-winning Boston Parents Paper, e-Turbo News and FamilyTravelForum.com. Additionally, he is travel editor at Metro/Boston, on-air travel correspondent for Business Radio 1060, and has advised family viewers of “American Baby” at WCVB, Boston; WBZ-TV, Boston and WFX-TV, New England. As a writer/producer for the Travel Channel, he was part of the award-winning show "Designs on Travel," and has himself been honored with national awards from both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Public Broadcasting System. While Director of Marketing and Sales at PowerProse.com, Mr. Sakakeeny helped international clients define, promote and brand their organizations through on and off line strategies. He frequently conducts world-wide marketing presentations for the travel industry identifying market trends and consumer travel preferences.

Keith McCarthy joins Family Travel Forum consulting after 13 years at Sony Music Entertainment, where as Vice President of Communications at world headquarters in New York City, he imaged and branded Sony as the Number 2 global music company. In this role he garnered extensive coverage for Sony Music and its senior management across business, financial and entertainment channels in more than 60 countries. Prior to joining Sony Music, Mr. McCarthy was a sough-after copywriter and editor working with such agencies as Markham/Novell, Borden & Company and Cove Cooper & Lewis and contributed to the Frommer Guides to Southeast Asia, Greece and Turkey. He looks forward to revisiting his salad days working with travel and tourism clients.

Between them, the FTFc team brings years of experience and a global outlook on the family travel marketplace, as well as invaluable contacts, insights and proven track records.

Family Travel Forum Consulting FTFc
891 Amsterdam Ave, ste 001a, New York, New York 10025 USA

212-665-6124; Fax 212-665-6136

“Numerous professionals in the family travel tourism sector have been consistently pleased with the outstanding quality of information in the Family Travel Forum reports and Web site. Kyle McCarthy should be congratulated on the way in which the FTF team has helped to illuminate family travel trends in this complex international marketplace.”
Luanne Cheney
President,
Global Business
Development Corp.

"The assistance Sakakeeny's team provided in helping me to define and articulate a solid family travel package was exceptionally helpful."
Ticki Winsor, CEO
Eastover Resort
Lenox, Mass.