WESTAMPTON, N.J., Aug. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Mark Murphy, CEO of Travalliance, today announced the acquisition of Destination Ventures, a leading provider of education and training services for retail travel agents, tour operators, OTAs and other sales intermediaries. From its headquarters in Bend, Oregon, the company works with tourism boards, federal tourism agencies, and top travel suppliers globally in the development of interactive e-learning solutions, with a significant stronghold in Mexico and South America. Destination Ventures’ client roster is a who’s who of worldwide suppliers and destinations, including Continental Airlines, Aeromexico, Travel Impressions, GOGO Vacations, American Express, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, PromPeru, Tourism Chile, Pueblo Bonito, Fiesta Americana, and numerous Mexico tourism boards. They are most recognized for their Mexico Tourism Board-sponsored “Magic of Mexico” portal and have received numerous awards for this program.

“Adding Destination Ventures to the mix will provide suppliers, especially those in key markets in Mexico, Central and South America, with unprecedented access to the full array of print and digital media, education and relationship marketing, and consumer engagement products and services across the Travalliance network,” says Murphy. “This will allow those brands to reach the agents who drive 80-90% of their business in a consistent and powerful way.”

“This milestone validates the Travalliance commitment to agent education and engagement for our Mexico and South American clients,” says Jane Custer, president of Destination Ventures. “It’s also gratifying that after 20 years, the Destination Ventures brand and programs have stayed relevant. We are thrilled to be joining forces with Travalliance at this pivotal stage in its growth.”

Destination Ventures will continue to operate from its headquarters in Bend, Oregon, under the leadership of Jane Custer, president, and Greg Custer, who will assume the role of managing director for Mexico, Central and South America for Travalliance.

For more information about Destination Ventures, visit www.destinationventures.com.

About Travalliance

Travalliance creates innovative solutions that support and promote the leisure travel industry by strengthening the agent profession, helping suppliers grow their brands, and providing travelers with valuable expertise to make their travel more rewarding. Our industry-leading brands reach more than 75% of the travel agent population and include Vacation Agent, a monthly magazine that focuses exclusively on leisure travel, Agent@Home, the only publication devoted to the rapidly growing home-based travel professional, TravelPulse.com, the world’s leading travel trade news source, and TravelTribe.com, an online community where travel enthusiasts get expert advice, share their experiences and learn about new destinations.

SOURCE Travalliance, formerly Performance Media Group