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New Royal Caribbean venture seeks bigger chunk of global tour business

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Weis to lead TourTech as managing director
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is close to launching a new e-commerce company in a bid to capture a larger share of the global travel market by offering quality destination experiences to all travelers, Seatrade Insider has learned.

The wholly owned venture, TourTrek, will develop, market and sell land tours in more than 90 countries. It will be led by Royal Caribbean executive John Weis, currently vp global tour operations, as managing director.

Known for his superior project leadership skills, Weis will be tasked with forging a best-in-class e-commerce travel company. He will continue reporting to Larry Pimentel, Azamara Club Cruises president and ceo and Royal Caribbean's corporate chief destination experience officer.

Pimentel has often noted Royal Caribbean is among the world's largest tour operators. It's also a sophisticated e-commerce company. Branching out with TourTrek is expected to broaden its reach beyond the cruise sector, capture new customers, build revenues and create shareholder value.

Since joining Royal Caribbean in 1998, Weis has held various executive positions, including leading private destinations such as Labadee. In 2010, he was seconded to former President Bill Clinton and Paul Farmer, the UN deputy special envoy to Haiti, to assist in earthquake relief efforts.

Most recently Weis has led global tour operations for Royal Caribbean's trio of North American brands. He will be succeeded in that role by former Carnival senior executive Roberta Jacoby.