Travel and Tourism Industry Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Areas of Expertise • Travel Industry & Tourism Standards: Standard operating procedures, duty of care, fiduciary duties, consumer disclosures, and merchant-of-record compliance. • Travel Creation & Sales Lifecycle: Product manufacturing, packaging, pricing, distribution, marketing, and omni-channel sales (online and brick-and-mortar) for airlines, cruise lines, and tour packages. • Travel Sellers: Traditional retail travel agencies, Host Agencies, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), independent consultant (IC) programs, independent contractor agreements, commission structures, and consortia/host networks. • Travel Technology Systems: Global Distribution Systems (GDS), central reservation systems (CRS), booking engines, and proprietary travel management software. • Risk Management & Liability: Travel insurance, commercial liability, risk mitigation, and seller-of-travel regulatory compliance. Professional Profile & Capabilities Mr. Stone is a Cornell-educated travel industry executive and consultant with over 30 years of hands-on leadership experience. As President of Gestation, Inc., and a former CEO/President of two of the largest tour operations - one U.S.-based and one internationally-based, he provides authoritative analysis, litigation support, forensic document review, and expert testimony. His deep operational background spans airline distribution, tour and cruise manufacturing, and multi-location travel agency operations. Having founded two travel technology software companies, Mr. Stone brings unique technical insight to complex software, distribution, and data infrastructure disputes. Professional Credentials & Education • B.S., Hotel, Hospitality and Tourism Management – Cornell University • CTIE (Certified Travel Industry Executive) – The highest executive credential awarded by The Travel Institute. • CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) – Advanced credential in insurance and risk management frameworks. Litigation Support Services Available for both plaintiff and defense counsel nationwide. Services include comprehensive case evaluations, forensic analysis of travel transactions and invoices, deposition preparation, and trial testimony. Key Areas of Testimony & Consultation: • Breach of contract or commercial disputes between airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, host agencies, and retail travel sellers. • Evaluation of standard operating procedures, booking compliance, and corporate travel policy adherence. • Industry-specific risk management, liability assessments, and standard of care evaluations.