Bell Orestes de Souza
Director – Vendor Partnerships & Luxury Travel Strategy
bdesouza(at)mansourtravel(dotted)com
Bell has over 35 years of senior management experience in the travel industry, bringing considerable expertise in marketing and strategy. Early in his career, he directed publicity and promotions for the World Wildlife Fund in India. He then became the Advertising Manager for Taj International Hotels, a leading global luxury hotel chain based in Bombay, India, during a period of rapid expansion.
In the 1980s, Bell directed marketing for two special interest publications in Los Angeles before embarking on his long career in the travel industry. He served as General Manager of Advantage Travel, an upscale boutique travel firm in Toluca Lake, California, before joining Mansour Travel Company in 1994. Currently, as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mansour Travel Company, he has instituted several innovative, customer-oriented business practices, including a company-wide commitment to state-of-the-art technology. His efforts in building a cohesive and effective team have yielded impressive results, with Mansour Travel Company being recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in LA by the Los Angeles Business Journal for 12 years and named by the Los Angeles Times as one of the Top-Rated Workplaces in Southern California.
Bell has also applied his marketing, promotions, and strategy expertise to his honorary work. He served on the executive board of SoCal ASTA and continues to serve on its luxury events committee. Additionally, he has served on the pre-opening advisory boards of several luxury hotels worldwide and on the Travel Agency Advisory Boards of a few well-known luxury hotel brands.
Awards & Honors:
- 2016: Named “Travel Agent of the Year” by the Southern California Chapter of ASTA and received a certificate of recognition from the State of California.
- 2018: Voted Travel Advisor Mentor of the Year by SoCal ASTA.
- Recognized as a “Top Producer” for the Dorchester Collection and the Ritz Carlton/Marriott Luxury Brands.
- Nominated by Virtuoso Travel as “The Most Admired Advisor in the United States” in 2018.