Brett Asbury Named One of Phocuswright's 35 Under 35 in Travel

DENVER, Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Gray Line Worldwide announced today that Chief Operating Officer Brett Asbury was selected as one of Phocuswright's 35 Under 35 in the Phocuswright Young Leaders Summit. The Young Leaders Summit recognizes rising stars in the travel industry and encourages executive development through experienced guest speakers, networking and an incubatory environment.

The summit showcases the important role young leaders play in the future growth of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. The 35 people selected represent an elite group of ambitious professionals under the age of 35.

This year's summit will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., today, November 16, through Thursday, November 19^, in conjunction with The Phocuswright Conference – the top travel industry event.

"Literally since the dawn of leisure travel, explorers have been drawn to the local experiences, culture, history and activities the world's best destinations have to offer – things people can do and see are the reasons people go – and Brett has an intimate, unique understanding of this market," said Brad Weber, president and CEO, Gray Line Worldwide. "He is a big thinker, an innovator, and a hard-working leader within our organization, as well as the larger $100 billion global industry of tours and activities.  Due in part to Brett's interminable pursuit and the work of the greater Gray Line family, there is now an easy way for travelers to focus on and buy these destination activities in advance and at the front of the booking process."

Brett Asbury is a 12-year veteran of the tours and activities space.  Prior to his current role at Gray Line Worldwide, Asbury helped build the global supply of destination services at Orbitz Worldwide's Chicago headquarters.  He graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a bachelor's in business management.  Asbury is an avid snowboarder and, of course, world traveler, and lives with his wife and two kids in Denver.

The young professionals selected to participate in the summit are true achievers. Phocuswright's committee looks for smart, dedicated young people that are excited about working in travel. The Young Leaders Summit provides the platform for these key travel industry professionals to network with and be part of a collaborative and diverse community of peers.

About Gray Line Worldwide
Since 1910, Gray Line has been a trusted provider of traveler experiences and sightseeing tours in the world's most sought after locations. Helping millions of travelers discover a new destination each year – that's the Gray Line passion. With hundreds of local offices on six continents, the global Gray Line team of on-site experts connects people with destinations with a warmth, wisdom and authenticity unique to our guides.

About Phocuswright Inc.
Phocuswright is the travel industry research authority on how travelers, suppliers and intermediaries connect. Independent, rigorous and unbiased, Phocuswright fosters smart strategic planning, tactical decision-making and organizational effectiveness.

Phocuswright delivers qualitative and quantitative research on the evolving dynamics that influence travel, tourism and hospitality distribution. Our marketplace intelligence is the industry standard for segmentation, sizing, forecasting, trends, analysis and consumer travel planning behavior. Every day around the world, senior executives, marketers, strategists and research professionals from all segments of the industry value chain use Phocuswright research for competitive advantage.

To complement its primary research in North and Latin America, Europe and Asia, Phocuswright produces several high-profile conferences in the United States and Europe, and partners with conferences in China and Singapore. Industry leaders and company analysts bring this intelligence to life by debating issues, sharing ideas and defining the ever-evolving reality of travel commerce.

The company is headquartered in the United States with Asia Pacific operations based in India and local analysts on five continents.

Phocuswright is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northstar Travel Media, LLC.

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SOURCE Gray Line Worldwide