August 1, 2016 – Global Connections Inc. (GCI), a pioneer in the travel club industry is celebrating its twentieth anniversary. In addition to its core business as the travel club fulfillment and service provider of Global Discovery Vacations, GCI develops and manages resorts and vacation condominium properties. Based in Overland Park, KS, GCI offers its members robust leisure benefits to satisfy varying vacation experiences and recreational activities.
Tom Lyons
Tom Lyons, President and CEO, officially opened the privately held company on July 19, 1996 with a singular mission: to give families the opportunity to take affordable vacations. GCI is particularly well positioned in that its umbrella includes its own portfolio of five resorts further ensuring vacation options for its 75,000+ active members.
Over the years, GCI has fine-tuned its travel club services. As the number of travelers grew so did demand for resort locations and vacationing options. In 2004, GCI purchased its first resort, Sea Shells Beach Club, and turned a failing hotel into a thriving condominium resort location. Since that time, Global Connections has developed or rejuvenated five resort properties as well as owning numerous individual condominiums located in resort areas throughout the U.S. for use within the travel club. Additionally, GCI has expanded its cruise program offering its members the opportunity to vacation on the cruise line of their choice as well as themed cruises specific to the Global Discovery Vacation members.
Global Connections owns properties in some of the most desirable resort destinations in the country. Today Global Connections owns and operates Beso Del Sol (Huntington Beach, CA), Beso Del Sol Resort (Dunedin, FL), Sea Shells Beach Club (Daytona Beach, FL), White Oak Lodge and Resort (Gatlinburg, TN) and Lodge by The Blue (Breckenridge, CO). Its property management division works with resorts all over the continental United States and Hawaii as well as leasing vacation condominiums in Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.
With each resort development and management contract, the GCI travel club product has been masterfully designed to provide affordable vacation options and leisure benefits for its members. This natural progression resulted in the creation of one of the leading travel clubs in the industry—Global Discovery Vacations.
Today the company employs over 150 professionals at its corporate office in Overland Park, KS and three member fulfillment and property management offices in Clearwater, FL, Orlando, FL and Myrtle Beach, SC. Global Connections' travel club Global Discovery Vacations is marketed and sold through independent sales distributorships located in cities across the United States.
