Mickey Weill, vice president of advisor and partner engagement at Global Travel Collection, said his top skills are networking and connecting people. Weill has put those skills to work this week, helping GTC advisors and clients who have been impacted by the Los Angeles fires.
Weill, a former Los Angeles resident, today lives in Junction City, Ore. From his home, he’s been tracking those affected. Five GTC advisors have lost their homes in the Palisades fire, Weill said. He described one advisor as “still in a state of shock.”
GTC’s displaced advisors have different levels of need. For financial needs, Weill is pointing them to the Family Bonds Foundation, a nonprofit under the Internova Travel Group umbrella. The foundation is accepting applications for grants as well as donations to help those affected in the travel industry.
GTC also has a number of clients that have been displaced. One advisor alone has 10 clients who have lost their homes, said Weill.
Weill has been working the phones, reaching out to hotel partners, asking about evacuation rates. Hyatt, Hilton and IHG are among the hotel companies that have stepped up, he said. Midway Car Rental has offered vehicles to clients who need them, along with an offer to bill their insurance companies directly.
“I just want to unite our community, the entire hospitality community, and basically say, we’re in this together and we’ll get through this together,” Weill said. “My feeling is, the more we can support each other, the quicker we can help turn this around.”
Jerry Saxe, president of Carlisle Travel in Los Angeles, lives in Encino, north of the wildfires currently devastating the city. This week, like many other Angelenos, he’s been living in a state of limbo as wildfires have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
“This is heart-wrenching,” Saxe said on Friday, Jan. 10. “It’s absolutely the most devastating thing I’ve ever seen. To be living through this — I just can’t believe I’m even experiencing this.
“We’re on eggshells right now waiting,” he added. “What’s going to happen? We’ve all packed bags. We’re prepared and ready to move when we need to.”
On Friday evening, Saxe did evacuate his home, Travel Weekly learned on Monday.
Saxe lives on a hilly, wooded plot. Though he pays thousands every year to have brush cleared to lessen the possibility of fire, he’s concerned that high winds could send embers in his direction.
He also knows many who have been evacuated. A close friend in Malibu lost his house. One of Carlisle’s independent contractors evacuated from the Pasadena area, and the status of her home was unknown as of Friday afternoon, but she was safe. Saxe’s parents, who live in Sherman Oaks, haven’t had power for three days.
He described the past week as a very stressful one.
“Reach out, support us all and be there for us while we go through these really terrible times,” Saxe said.
The wildfires are happening at a time when the city is scheduled to host a number of major sporting events in the coming years: the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027 and the Olympics in 2028.
“We need to come together to make this happen,” Saxe said.
Update: Jerry Saxe did evacuate his home on the evening of Friday, Jan. 10.