Awards
For more than 30 years, Sundance Vacations has been bringing quality vacations to our travelers at a fraction of the cost. Although we do not seek to be awarded for doing what we love, it is nice to be recognized. We take pride in all of our accomplishments and look forward to the next 30 years of providing a great place to work, great destinations and great customer service to everyone who interacts with Sundance Vacations.
As mentioned above, the company has won a number of awards in different categories. Some of these include honors for customer service, business ethics, healthy workplace campaigns and best places to work. Check out a listing of awards Sundance Vacations has won below:
Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company
Sundance Vacations was honored for the fourth time as one of the fastest growing companies, http://www.inc.com/profile/sundance-vacations
The Inc. 5000 list is put out annually by Inc. Magazine. It ranks the top 5000 fastest-growing companies in the United States. Inc. uses details like, annual sales growth, number of employees and other comparison statistics to rank these companies.
Sundance Vacations was named to the Inc. 5000 list for three straight years under the Sundance Vacations Inc. division. Most recently, Sundance Vacations was named under the Sundance Vacations Network division.
Sundance Vacations Network:
2024 - Ranked 4,125 overall, 120 in PA, 70 travel/hospitality, 1 travel in PA, and 1 Scranton/WB (2 years in a row)
2023 – Ranked 2,460 overall, 64 in PA, 31 Travel/Hospitality, 1 Travel in PA, and 1 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Sundance Vacations Inc.:
2011 – Ranked 2,917th
2010 – Ranked 3,190th
2009 – Ranked 4,718th
2023 Philanthropist of the Year
Considered one of the highest honors in the hospitality industry, the GNEX Vacation Industry Awards recognizes companies and individuals for their achievements within the vacation industry over the past year.
On March 7, 2023, Sundance Vacations’ charitable efforts were recognized at the 13th Annual GNEX Vacation Industry Awards when awarded Philanthropist of the Year.
2023 Best Places to Work Pennsylvania
Conducted by the Best Companies Group, this annual list provides the “best places to work” for the state based on surveys taken by the employees of the company.
The “Best Places to Work Pennsylvania” list is created by the Best Companies Group. It is a study conducted in the form of a survey given to employees of all the nominated companies. The Best Companies Group compiles all the data from these surveys and ranks the winners on a final list of 100 businesses. Employees are asked to rank the company based on a variety of topics like: Benefits and Policies, Engagement and Satisfaction. The reason our employees love working here include: holiday parties, summer picnics at amusement parks, company T-shirts for events, fitness challenges, team building events like escape room and golf tournaments.
Named to in 2023 — Placed 43rd among large companies
Named to in 2019 — Placed 23rd among large companies
Named to in 2018 — Placed 24th among large companies
Named to in 2017 — Placed 17th among large companies
Named to in 2015 — Placed 21st among large companies
Named to in 2010 — Placed 40th among large companies
Named to in 2009 — Placed 27th among large companies
Named to in 2008 — Placed 12th among large companies
Named to in 2007 — Placed 8th among large companies
Celebrating 30 Years in Business
Sundance Vacations is overjoyed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company!
For thirty years, Sundance Vacations’ home office has been based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, but combined with multiple offices spread across the northeast, Sundance is home to over 300 employees located in Hazleton, PA; Harrisburg, PA; Allentown, PA; King of Prussia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Tamaqua, PA; Shamokin, PA; and Parsippany, NJ.
Sundance Vacations continues to be a leading provider of destination-based travel with a constantly updated national and international inventory. A dream once shared between an adventurous couple is now a successful travel company that defies the boundaries of traveling every day. The level of professionalism that exudes from each employee and the nurturing environment of the Sundance workplace has been noticed over-and over, especially in 2021 when Sundance Vacations was awarded the title of “Best Places to Work” from the Times Leader.
Sundance Vacations co-founders John and Tina Dowd have been working tirelessly since the company's founding in 1991 to reinvent the way travel companies do business. They are continuously expanding their horizons when it comes to vacationing. After seeing the limitations of other vacation companies, the Dowds decided to offer affordable travel options to vacation-lovers everywhere—a venture that has proven to be successful! Sundance Vacations services tens-of-thousands of consumers yearly who rely on their expertise and travel knowledge to deliver the best vacations for their families, which is why Sundance is constantly improving the quality and options of its services.
Prior to October of 2018, all reservations were serviced by Travel Advantage Network, or TAN. Sundance Vacations was in control of marketing and sales while clients would work with TAN to fulfill all the vacations that they purchased. Sundance Vacations wanted to expand its inventory and offer more global options and TAN wanted to offer boutique properties around the country with a focus on Ocean City, MD and New Jersey. The companies mutually decided to separate, and all new clients would be serviced by Sundance Vacations. In October 2019, clients were selected to be part of the Sundance Vacations package and travel with our inventory. Although clients could go back to TAN after an evaluation period, less than 1% did. Our client base and selection of destinations continue to grow, and we expect that to continue for the next thirty years.
Despite the hardships businesses have been facing since early 2020, the obstacles have proved that the Sundance team is stronger than ever. Tremendous company growth was shown in 2021 with the promotions of Denise Miller and Carrie Hausherr, replacing long-standing Vice President Joe Molitoris after his retirement. Sundance has also expanded its IT department to leverage technology for our clients and offer support when needed.
Sundance Vacations is determined to make significant strides in advancement within the company this year and the many years to follow. Our goal is, and will always be, to provide high-quality vacations for those who love to travel. At Sundance, we’re in the business of making memories that last a lifetime.
For more information on our history, visit Sundance Vacations Company.
Mauch Chunk Trust Company Community Heroes Award & United Way of Wyoming Valley Annual Corporate Award 2021
Mauch Chunk Trust Company of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania recognized Tina Dowd with their Community Heroes Award. A volunteer committee of the community annually selects four area recipients for this award. Dowd was recognized for her many contributions to the community, including:
- Founding both The Family Promise of Carbon County and Carbon County Community Foundation.
- Her work on behalf of Trinity Lutheran Church Council.
- Service to the United Way, Girl Scouts, Strategic Planning for Domestic Violence Service Center, and the Children’s Literacy Initiatives.
Aditionally, each year the United Way of Wyoming Valley recognizes one company that has demonstrated a year-round commitment to caring for the community through United Way Programs. Sundance Vacations contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the United Way of Wyoming Valley, making them the recipient of the Annual Corporate Award in 2021.
NEPA Best Places to Work - Platinum Winner 2022
Conducted by the Times Leader, this annual list provides the “best places to work” for the state based on surveys taken by the employees of the company. As 2021 comes to a close, the Times Leader Media Group is pleased to honor area businesses in its fourth annual NEPA Best Places to Work program. Since its inception, Best Places to Work has been a way to showcase local businesses. Employees and readers voted for each as a “best place to work” through print and online submissions during a
four-week period. In these trying times, many companies have pivoted and adapted, so it’s only fitting to honor these businesses with a special publication.
Named to in 2022 - Platinum Winner
Named to in 2021 - Platinum Winner
Named to in 2020 - Platinum Winner
Times Leader "Best of the Best" 2021 Award
Over the course of several weeks, the Times Leader invited the community to vote for their favorite businesses in over 200 categories and Sundance Vacations received a tremendous number of votes! Sundance Vacations was the silver winner for Best Employer over 50 Employees in the Times Leader's Best of the Best promotion!
“We’re thrilled that our clients and employees have voted for the company through the Best of the Best Award. We haven’t had as many opportunities to celebrate our successes during the pandemic so it is a wonderful affirmation to have Sundance Vacations recognized in this way. We believe that our company culture positively impacts the service we are able to extend to our customers. So congratulations, to the entire Sundance Vacations team for earning a Silver Award from Best of the Best.” – John and Tina Dowd
2019 Healthy Workplace Awards
Sundance Vacations was one of the earliest adopters of studio Be’s Signature Mindfulness Training, a progressive wellness program which seeks to promote mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety in employees. With the completion of their first 16-week session, Sundance provided their employees with the opportunity to continue their mindfulness training with additional professional enhancement trainings, and is currently moving through additional courses in Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. As a result of this training, Sundance has seen a marked improvement in the demeanors and engagement of their team. Sundance Vacations plans to continue the support of their leadership teams and call center employees with additional and more-advanced coursework in the future.
2020 Best Places to Work New Jersey
Conducted by the Best Companies Group, this annual list provides the “best places to work” for the state based on surveys taken by the employees of the company.
Sundance Vacations awards: Sundance Vacations received Best Place to Work awards in New Jersey for the past few years!
The “Best Places to Work New Jersey” list is created by the Best Companies Group. It is a study conducted in the form of survey given to employees of all the nominated companies. The Best Companies Group compiles all the data from these surveys and ranks the winners on a final list of 100 businesses. Employees are asked to rank the company based on a variety of topics like: Benefits and Policies, Engagement and Satisfaction. Other companies ranked on this list include: Mercedes Benz, Edward Jones and Esurance.
You can read the full article about Sundance Vacations Best Places to Work 2016 on our News site. See when we were recognized below:
Named to in 2020 – Placed 11th among large companies.
Named to in 2019 – Placed 19th among large companies.
Named to in 2016 – Placed 21st among large companies.
Named to in 2015 – Placed 12th among large companies. Read more about Sundance Vacations Best Places to Work NJ 2015 here.
Named to in 2014 – Placed 12th among large companies.
Named to in 2013 – Placed 29th among large companies.
Named to in 2012 – Placed 30th among large companies.
2019 Best Places to Work, A Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award Winner
Sundance Vacations has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award, recognizing the company is the 17th best place to work in the nation for small-to medium sized businesses. The Employees’ Choice Awards program, now in its 11th year, is based solely on the input of employees, who elect to provide feedback on their jobs, work environments and companies on Glassdoor, one of the world’s largest job and recruiting sites.
“We hoped that creating a company where employees love to work would translate into delivering the best service for our clients. Based on the Glassdoor.com results, it looks like that has been the key to our success for over twenty-seven years,” said John Dowd, Co-Founder and Owner.
“In today’s tight labor market, job seekers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to deciding where to work and they want to know the inner workings of a company before accepting a new job. To help people find the best jobs and the best companies, the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards recognize employers at the top of their game,” said Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor Chief Economist. “For employers, we know that a satisfied and engaged workforce helps drive financial performance. Glassdoor Best Places to Work winners are strategically investing in company culture, career growth opportunities and more, which also serves as a major recruiting advantage.”
On Glassdoor, current and former employees voluntarily and anonymously share insights and opinions about their work environments by sharing a company review, designed to capture a genuine and authentic inside look at what a specific job may be like at a particular company. When sharing a company review on Glassdoor, employees are asked to rate their satisfaction with the company overall, and key workplace factors like career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, senior management and work/life balance. In addition, employees are asked to describe the best reasons to work at their companies as well as any downsides.
For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work winners in 2019, please visit: https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Small-and-Medium-Companies-to-Work-For-LST_KQ0,43.htm.
Hotels.com™ 'Loved by Guests' award
Esplanade Suites, a Sundance Vacations Resort has recently received the Hotels.com ‘Loved by Guests’ global award for exceptional customer service in 2018!
Hotels.com ‘Loved by Guests’ award celebrate the properties that guests are excited to stay at and talk about. These awards are given to those who go the extra mile to delight travelers, the “best of the best.”
Celebrating 25 Years in Business
Sundance Vacations, headquartered in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of destination-based travel options across the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, and celebrated its 25th anniversary of operations in 2015. More than two decades of expertise has transformed Sundance Vacations from a new venture with big ideas into a successful travel company with an equally bright future.
In 1991, Sundance Vacations co-founders John and Tina Dowd had worked in the travel industry for a number of years. After seeing the limitations of certain vacation companies, the Dowd’s decided to change the way that the industry worked, by providing affordable travel options to the masses. Clearly that idea has proven a successful one as the company has grown from just two employees working from their home to a travel-industry leader that employs over 400 people — which includes 150-plus in the Northeastern Pennsylvania area — across 10 offices throughout the nation. Sundance Vacations services tens-of-thousands of consumers yearly who rely on their expertise and travel knowledge to deliver the best vacations for their families.
The company’s idea was, and still is, a simple one: providing amazing destinations and quality vacation experiences for less. Essentially, allowing consumers to buy their vacations in bulk to help lock in a price that will save them money for years to come. And let’s face it, Americans love saving money.
“We at Sundance Vacations are so thankful to our many customers and employees for making this anniversary possible,” said John Dowd, CEO of Sundance Vacations. “Their feedback has shaped our company through the years, and their faith in our our ability to deliver the highest-quality vacations has sustained us. We look forward to continuing to serve our valued customer for many years to come.”
For more information on our history, please visit Sundance Vacations Company.
A 2015 Glassdoor Highest Rated CEO
This list is based entirely on employee feedback and emphasizes reviews shared on Glassdoor over the past year. As part of the Glassdoor online company review survey, employees anonymously and voluntarily provide their opinion on whether they approve or disapprove of the way their CEO is leading the company. From there, Glassdoor uses a proprietary algorithm to rank the highest rated CEOs in various categories including Large U.S., SMB U.S., UK, Canada and Germany. Glassdoor is the most transparent jobs and career marketplace that is changing how people search for jobs and how companies recruit top talent. Glassdoor combines free and anonymous reviews, ratings and salary content with job listings to help job seekers find the best jobs and address critical questions that come up during the job search, application, interview and negotiation phases of employment. Sundance Vacations' CEO John Dowd finished 8th overall among small businesses around the United States with a 95% approval rating! Named to in 2015 (Finishing 8th overall with a 95% approval rating)
2015 Best Places to Work Illinois
The “Best Places to Work Illinois” list is created by the Best Companies Group. It is a study conducted in the form of survey given to employees of all the nominated companies. The Best Companies Group compiles all the data from these surveys and ranks the winners on a final list of 100 businesses. Employees are asked to rank the company based on a variety of topics like: Benefits and Policies, Engagement and Satisfaction. Other companies ranked on this list include: Edward Jones, Hyatt Hotels and CompTIA.
Named to in 2015 – Placed 9th among medium companies
Named to in 2014 – Placed 13th among medium companies
Named to in 2013 – Placed 25th among large companies
Named to in 2012 – Placed 15th among large companies
Named to in 2010 – Placed 9th among large companies
Named to in 2009 – Placed 17th among small companies
2014 Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Healthy Workplace
Awarded to Sundance Vacations for their continued effort toward promoting a healthy lifestyle among its employees. View the article here.
The Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce has been helping local businesses in the Wilkes-Barre area since 1884. In an effort to improve the area and its resources, the chamber is dedicated to helping local businesses network and grow. Each year the chamber recognizes a local business that is dedicated to helping their employees improve their overall health and well being. You can read the listing for Sundance Vacations on the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce site. Read more about how we won the award here: "Sundance Vacations is a Step Ahead of the Rest"
2014 Association of Fundraising Professionals “Outstanding Philanthropists”
The Association of Fund Raising Professionals have been inspiring global chance since 1960. The AFP’s nearly 30,000 members raise over $100 billion dollars annually to help charities and organizations. Each year, in conjunction with National Philantropy Day, the AFP presents certain organizations and individuals with awards. The Outstanding Philantropy Award is specially presented to those who are known for their charitable pursuits and prowess for giving back to the community. Read more about the Dowds and their charitable contributions here: "Dowds Named Outstanding Philanthropists" You can also check out the new Sundance Vacations Charities site, a place where we bring awareness to all of the charities that we support and sponsor, here: www.SundanceVacationsCharities.org Won by John and Tina Dowd (Sundance Vacations CEOs) in 2014
2015 American Business Award (Stevie Award)
- Customer Service Team of the Year
- Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year
- Contact Center of the Year
- Top Ten Customer Service Companies
Finishing 7th overall just ahead of Vizio, Sundance Vacations was honored with this award and finished in the company of Delta Airlines, Marriott and John Hancock. View the Stevies Award Blog
Sundance Vacations has received Stevie Awards for customer services and sales for the past 10 years. The Stevie Awards are billed as the world’s premier business awards competition. Operating both in the United States and internationally, the Stevies offer categories like the American Business Awards, Stevies for Sales and Customer Service and Stevies for Women in Business.[/one-half] Other companies that have been honored by these awardsinclude: Vizio, Delta Airlines, John Hancock and Office Depot. Discover what other industries we contend with on our Sundance Vacations News site. The Sales and Customer Service awards are designed to recognize businesses with the utmost attention to customer service and client experience.
Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service
Won in 2016- (Silver Category) Best Use of Technology in Customer Service - Wilkes-Barre (The Wilkes-Barre New Client Services Team) and (Bronze Category) Innovation in Customer Service - (Wilkes-Barre Customer Retention)
Won in 2015 – (Bronze Category) Contact Call Center of the Year – Hazleton (The Hazleton Call Center Team)
Won in 2015 – (Bronze Category) Contact Call Center Manager of the Year – Lisa Merola
Won in 2014 – (Gold Category) Customer Service Team of the Year – Recovery Situation (Client Resolutions Team)
Won in 2014 – (Bronze Category) Customer Service Team of the Year – Hospitality, Leisure and Transportation Industries (New Client Services Team)
Won in 2014 – (Bronze Category) Contact Call Center of the Year – Wilkes-Barre (The Wilkes-Barre Call Center Team)
Won in 2013 – (Silver Category) Sales Representative of the Year – Mike Calnon
Won in 2013 – (Silver Category) Field Sales Team of the Year – Sundance Vacations Resort VIP Team
Won in 2013 – (Bronze Category) Inbound Marketing Program of the Year
Won in 2013 – (Bronze Category) Sales Department of the Year
Won in 2013 – (Bronze Category) Contact Center Leader of the Year – Joe Molotoris
Won in 2013 – (Bronze Category) Customer Service Team of the Year – Recovery Situation (Client Resolution Department)
Won in 2010 – Sales Department of the Year – Hospitality and Tourism
Won in 2009 – (Silver Category) Contact Center Professional of the Year – Doreen Miller
Won in 2009 – Sales Department of the Year – Hospitality and Tourism
Won in 2006 – Best Overall Company
Stevie Awards for Women in Business
Won in 2010 – Employer of the Year
2008 ATSI Call Center of Distinction
Each year the ATSI has an independent panel of judges score the companies on call-handling skills, the top companies each year are chosen to receive the Call Center Award of Distinction. They focus on things like customer relationship management, etiquette, response time and accuracy and courtesy.
The ATSI represents more than 350 of the most sophisticated call centers and tele service companies in the world. These companies service more than 350,000 customers in the Unites States alone. Each year the ATSI has an independent panel of judges score the companies on call-handling skills, the top companies each year are chosen to receive the Call Center Award of Distinction. They focus on things like customer relationship management, etiquette, response time and accuracy and courtesy.
2015 Northeastern Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association Excellence Award
The Northeaster Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association Excellence Award is an annual event where companies are honored based on a number of different categories. In 2015, Sundance Vacations received the Excellence Award for Community Involvement based on the company and its employees amazing efforts to give back to the communities that they live and work in.
Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces
“The Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces award recognize the top employers in North America that display leadership and innovation in engaging their workplaces.”
Employee engagement is how in-tune a worker is with the company’s goals and helping the company’s customers. Other businesses that have been recognized on this list include: 3M, Zappos.com, Rogers, Royal Caribbean Cruises and MGM Resorts.
Won in 2013