There are millions of consumers who are moving on to the next stage in their travel lives, with a tendency toward trips that emphasize adventure and experience, as opposed to the traditional sun-and-fun vacation. That’s not to say that sun and fun are going out of style. Indeed, as the ...

Practically everyone is an adventure traveler. Sure, it’s nice to soak in the sun and relax, but most people want to mix it up a little while on vacation. I’m no hard-core adventurer, but I’ve zip-lined in Costa Rica and Mexico, swum with sharks and sting rays in Bora ...

Learn about nexion and host agencies with this virtual travel seminar

Nexion is one of the most successful host agencies available to both new and experienced agents. A new virtual travel seminar, launched this spring, is currently available on-demand, which can help you decide whether Nexion is the right ...

This third annual event goes “live” online on June 23-24

Anticipation is growing for the third annual Virtual Home-Based Expo, scheduled to take place “live” on June 23 and 24 at www.VirtualHomeBasedExpo.com.  This interactive online event also will be available on-demand for 90 days following the “live” expo ...

Industry experts tell you How to sell adventure cruises

Everyone seems to agree: adventure cruises are growing in popularity. So what can you do to increase your sales in this lucrative arena? Here is some advice from executives who specialize in the field.

Mine your database. You have ...

How to match clients with the right expedition-style cruise

Adventure/expedition cruising has many meanings, depending on the client. To some it means visiting remote lands without getting too dirty, then returning to a luxury cruise ship. To others it means roughing it to the fullest extent possible. In between ...

Knowing these far-flung escapes can make you an adventure expert

Sometimes life just calls for an all-out retreat. For some clients, it’s only a far-flung, pampering getaway that will truly allow them to disconnect from the chaos of their everyday life. For others, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—perhaps ...

Ten top ways you can better sell adventure package programs 

Adventure travel holds huge potential for travel agents. That’s because it’s a complex, varied and highly individualized travel product. Its customers are knowledgeable, but often overwhelmed by all of their choices and options. They need an expert to guide ...

A  roundup of top companies specializing in adventure travel

All tour operators will tell you that today’s travelers are looking for authentic experiences and discovery. They may not all want strenuous activities, but most travelers today are seeking adventure of one kind or another, including exploration of new places, ...

Pamela Conover of the Yachts of Seabourn talks newbuilds and adventure itineraries

Pamela Conover, president and CEO of the Yachts of Seabourn, knows how to introduce high-profile new ships. As president and COO of Cunard Line Ltd.—which formerly ran both Seabourn and Cunard—Conover oversaw the hugely successful launch ...

Sea Cloud’s River Cloud II offers a great way to sail the Danube

There’s something inherently relaxing about a river cruise—time seems to slow down as you take in the passing landscape, enjoy the charms of riverside towns, and reflect on how the waterway being navigated has influenced the ...

Compagnie du Ponant carries on a grand French shipping tradition in style

Once upon a time there was a legendary transatlantic shipping giant known as Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, more commonly known in the U.S. as the French Line. Over the years its fleet featured such iconic ocean liners as ...

Cartagena’s popularity with cruise lines and travelers is rising dramatically

For most North Americans, Cartagena, Colombia, is little recognized. Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a colonial walled city, historic 17th-century fortress and lively streets that bustle 24 hours a day, Cartagena remains unfamiliar to many.

Follow these seven strategies for successful cruise sales

Good agents are forever devising methods and tools to sell cruises effectively and consistently. After much observation and discussion with leading travel sellers, I’ve identified seven techniques that successful agencies use.

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1. Work with partners. Look ...

Cruise options are plentiful to the unique destination of Alaska

From June 2 to 6, a sell-out crowd of travel agents—1,400 of them—will gather with CLIA-member cruise lines, hundreds of industry suppliers and cruise destinations from all over the world for cruise3sixty 2010 in Vancouver. They were scheduled ...

Iberostar’s Luis Hérault talks up his company’s new ad campaign starring Antonio Banderas

For the first time in the company’s history, Spain-based Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a consumer advertising campaign. Developed by Spanish agency Sra. Rushmore, the ads feature Spanish actor Antonio Banderas and include television spots, ...

Radisson sports a new look as part of carlson’s “Ambition 2015” strategy

During the opening session of Carlson Hotels’ Global Business Conference at the Gaylord Palms Hotels & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla., this past February, President and CEO Hubert Joly announced a new five-year strategy called “Ambition 2015.” ...

The Ritz-Carlton, Highlands is the first of its kind in North Lake Tahoe

North Lake Tahoe’s first luxury ski-in/ski-out hotel opened last December when the $300 million Ritz-Carlton, Highlands was completed at Northstar-at-Tahoe. The mid-mountain property is the icing on the cake of a slew of recent developments at ...

Cambridge Beaches offers a quiet respite on Bermuda’s western edge

Couples seeking an adults-only intimate resort experience in Bermuda should head for the AAA Four Diamond Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa. Oozing with romance, the property sits on a 30-acre peninsula and features panoramic views, four private beaches and ...

The Zoëtry Paraíso de la Bonita Resort defines boutique-style all-inclusive luxury

In October 2008, Philadelphia-based AMResorts announced a third, new brand, Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts. Aimed at the highest end of travelers seeking a romantic getaway, the first property to join the collection was the Zoëtry Paraíso de ...

Adventurelink puts thousands of travel properties and products at your fingertips

Agents have long known that one of the most profitable ways to book hotels for their clients is through a tour operator. In that way, you can book a variety of activities, giving your clients a better and ...

General Tours’ Bob Drumm provides a look at his company’s new offerings

When General Tours began operating tours to the Soviet Union in 1955 at the height of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, it was as adventurous as the travel industry got. More than half a century later, the ...

Debra LEE Nashed sells the travel she loves to like-minded clients

Debra Lee Nashed’s clients collect experiences. And she helps them do it—booking them on trips to Madagascar to see the lemurs, primates that are unique to that island nation; setting up shark diving in cages off the coast ...

Austin-Lehman Adventures expands its programs and destination offerings

Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA), a multi-sport tour operator based in Billings, Mont., is on the move. Even as it negotiated its way through the rough waters of 2009, the worst year for business in recent memory, the 35-year-old company kept moving forward ...

USTOA BEGINS THE 21ST CENTURY LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

In my column in Vacation Agent’s April issue, I talked about the formative years of USTOA, from its founding through the 1980s. In this month’s column, I’d like to take you to the present.

In my earlier column, ...

Kauai provides an active vacation for your clients at all levels

Kauai, geologically the oldest of the major Hawaiian Islands, is a treasure trove of adventures for people of all ages. Your clients won’t find heart-pumping nightclubs and major designer boutiques here. What they will find on the Garden ...

Austria’s diversity and authenticity appeal to a wide range of clients

When it comes to destination marketing, diversity can actually be an obstacle. Countries benefit when the travel market has a clear, unambiguous profile of what that country represents. Travelers know that whether they’re sailing on Lake Garda or ...

Korea is launching a brand new campaign to attract more american travelers

Last summer, when the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) named German-born, naturalized Korean Charm Lee its new president and CEO, it chose the first non-Korean to ever hold the position. Lee may not have been born in Korea, ...

  Tour operators are marketing egypt tours at value prices

Egypt is a happening destination. According to a consensus of the packagers who operate tours there, the popular country is having an especially good year on the heels of the financial meltdown and 2009. Demand is back up, and ...

Send your clients Beyond the standard attractions to rediscover exotic nature

Though most of us think of India as a cultural destination, the country is also home to some 59 national parks, 372 sanctuaries and a multitude of wildlife species, including 1,200 types of birds and 350 mammals. The ...

A sample tour of the city’s top attractions, accommodations and dining

A first visit to Beijing should take in well-known attractions but also provide a sense of the city as it exists today. That’s exactly what Imperial Tours, an upscale operator offering FIT and small-group programs, provides in ...

Keeping tabs on airline fees is tricky but getting easier

Ancillary fees can make a big difference in the price of an airline ticket. Spirit Airlines generated headlines and prompted a Congressional bill when it started charging up to $45 for carry-on bags.

Fees are maddening, not just ...

Rail Europe’s website now offers you a complete rail booking solution

For years Rail Europe was the place to get European rail passes for your customers. Nearly four years ago, however, it began selling point-to-point rail tickets in Europe, as well as on its travel agent-dedicated website, offering direct ...

Suppliers wishing to have their fam published in Vacation Agent must submit the information to Mimi Kmet at mimik@pmgemail.com  at least three months prior to the departure date of a fam tour or the expiration date of a fam rate.

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