| Meet Paco Saldaña of Amelia Island: He’s the New Face of Travel! |
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| August 31, 2009 |
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I recently had the privilege of meeting Paco Saldaña, who is director of guest services at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island. Thousands of his peers selected him as the new 'Face of Travel' in a national contest earlier this year.
Paco’s a personable guy, and his humble attitude and dedication to serving travelers is part of his charm. He was selected as the industry spokesperson as part of this national campaign by US Travel, an organization representing the industry.
The travel industry creates thousands of jobs throughout Florida and the United States. (Did you know that 1 in 8 American jobs depend on tourism?) In fact, more than 16,000 people participated in the Faces of Travel contest, creating and voting on hundreds of videos submitted by people in the industry from around the country.
One of those was Paco’s. Seeing him speak and meeting him afterward, it’s clear that he embodies the vitality of travel and the opportunities in the field. He spoke of his early work as a bellman and about how grateful he was to have a wonderful career. He is proud to be an American, and to be raising his family in northeast Florida.
Paco, a native of Mexico, has lived and worked in the Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach areas since 1995. These are cities of significant charm. Their colonial history is accompanied by beautiful, large oak trees dripping with moss.
The area has been under eight countries’ flags and boasts Fort Clinch, an historic site that played a role in the Spanish-American War. Today its 1,100-plus acres offer nature lovers a memorable place to hike, fish and camp.
I think Paco’s going to continue making an impact on our industry and in his adopted land. Go Paco! |
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| Fort Clinch, which dates to the Civil War |
| Credit: VISIT FLORIDA |
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