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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
What do you do when most of your product falls out of favor and you have a difficult time convincing prospects to buy? Well, you had better be flexible, nimble and very adaptable to change!
As the first licensed LDS guide in Israel, Daniel Rona has been very successful taking thousands of customers to the Holy Land with his "Israel Revealed" tours. Daniel is both an Israeli and an American citizen. His parents fled from the Holocaust and married in the British Mandate of Palestine where Daniel was born. He spent his first years in Israel and then went to New York City, and eventually to Salt Lake City.
Now, with his son Steven, they remain the only authorized and licensed LDS guides and tour operators in Israel. The "Israel Revealed" tours have been very popular, yet now with all the perception of the unrest in the area, the tours have been difficult to fill.
Daniel has now expanded his travel offerings to the "Book of Mormon Lands." As part of the new "Holy Lands Revealed," his goal is to open the eyes of participants to the "learning of the Jews as he reveals the Jewish origins of the newly unearthed glyphs, art and culture of Book of Mormon lands." The tour includes the countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Mexico, and features accommodations in deluxe 5-star hotels, excellent food and travel in luxury coaches.
I was impressed when Daniel showed me boxes of humanitarian items filled with school supplies, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, health-care needs, toys and clothing that the participants give to those in need in the small villages and towns included on the tour.
Yes, Daniel Rona needed to be nimble and expand his product line when the perception of the safety of Israel made his tours much less marketable. He has turned his 28 years of experience as a successful tour guide, his knowledge of Jewish history and custom, and his knowledge of LDS history into a new and successful product.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
