Fairfax, Va., February 17, 2006 – Travel management company Omega World Travel heads the latest Top 500 Diversity-Owned Business chart—known as the “Div500”—as the number one woman-owned business in the U.S., representing the nation’s top multicultural earners.

According to Kenton Clarke, CEO of DiversityBusiness.com, the source of the list and the largest organization of diversity-owned businesses, “The Div500 companies [like Omega World Travel] are the heroes of diversity-owned business in America.”

“We’re pleased to accept accolades from DiversityBusiness.com as a reinforcement of an effective corporate philosophy centered on the value of a diverse workforce,” said Gloria Bohan, President, CEO, and Owner of Omega World Travel. “We look forward to continuing our successful path as a diversity employer.”

Omega World Travel will be honored at an awards ceremony at the DiversityBusiness.com Sixth Annual Multicultural Business Conference, beginning March 29, at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas.

The Div500 is a classification that represents the top 500 diversity-owned businesses in the U.S., in trade sectors such as technology, manufacturing, and professional services.

In a recent article in The Chief Executive: “Reaping the Rewards of a Diverse Company,” Gloria Bohan spoke of the value of diversity and how it relates to the market. "One of the ways to think about diversity is to look at the customer base you're trying to reach and how it's changing,” she said. “Our work force should reflect that."

Along with many other business awards throughout her illustrious career, Bohan has been relatedly recognized as “Business Woman of the Year” by Diversity Best Practices, an organization involved in networking nearly 8 million business women.

Omega World Travel has been certified as a women-owned business enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and National Minority Business Council, and designated by the National Women Business Owners Corporation as a private and public sector contractor and supplier.

“It is no longer just ‘the right thing’ to do business with diversity suppliers,” said Clarke. “Major corporations are realizing that having a diverse supplier base positively impacts their business revenue.”

About Omega World Travel
Ranked by Business Travel News as the third largest travel management company, Fairfax, Va.-based Omega World Travel provides online travel solutions—as well as personalized service at 200 locations worldwide—to a diverse clientele: from individual leisure travelers to Fortune 500 enterprises and the federal government. Omega World Travel owns TravTech Inc. (Travtech.com), a travel technology provider, and Cruise.com, the Internet’s largest cruise specialist.

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