4-1206-Niche Markets.qxp - Travel World News
4-1206-Niche Markets.qxp - Travel World News
4-1206-Niche Markets.qxp - Travel World News
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SECTION FOUR DECEMBER 2006<br />
R A I L T R A V E L<br />
S P A S<br />
RAIL TRAVEL GAINS<br />
IN POPULARITY<br />
A F R I C A<br />
CHARM AND COMFORT IN TANZANIA AT<br />
MOIVARO LODGES AND TENTED CAMPS<br />
S K I I N G<br />
INDIA: PEACE OF MIND & BODY –<br />
WELLNESS TOURISM EXPANDS<br />
EUROPE OR NORTH AMERICA<br />
–TWO TANTALIZING CHOICES<br />
THE PROFITABLE WORLD<br />
OF NICHE MARKETS
1270 Avenue of the Americas,<br />
Suite 1808, New York, NY 10020<br />
Tel: 1-800-953-9399•E-mail: ny@itonyc.com<br />
Or contact us at:<br />
www.incredibleindia.org<br />
What time weakens,<br />
Nature can strengthen.<br />
It can add years to life. It can ease<br />
the stress of modern living. And it<br />
can even improve immunity.<br />
It’s the ‘science of life’, and is as<br />
old as mankind. It uses selfknowledge<br />
and self-care to bring<br />
harmony to your mind, body and<br />
soul - with secrets gathered from<br />
leaves, flowers, roots oils and<br />
stones.<br />
Ayurveda will nourish you.<br />
Much like Incredible !ndia.
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
India: Peace of Mind and Body<br />
India’s Ancient Arts impact Modern Lifestyles. Wellness Tourism Expands<br />
across the Sub-Continent.<br />
By Helen Kitti Smith<br />
SOUKYA<br />
Soukya, a residential holistic health and integrative medical center on a 30-acre organic farm in the tranquil, unpolluted countryside.<br />
India’s sages of yore, her ancient rishis, bestowed<br />
an extraordinary spiritual legacy on civilization<br />
some 5,000 years ago. Their wisdom was transmitted<br />
through oral teachings that, over millennia,<br />
were passed from teacher (guru) to disciple<br />
(sisya). Once finally codified, the legacy<br />
came to reside in four distinct volumes. These are the<br />
Vedas. They form the backbone of Hinduism.<br />
Ayurveda and Yoga are two highly-developed “sister”<br />
systems that derive from this legacy. Their goal is to<br />
guide the individual to rediscover the essential spirit<br />
within through balancing the vital energies that comprise<br />
all life forces. <strong>World</strong>-renowned Yoga Teacher (Yogacharya)<br />
B. K. S. Iyengar states: "It is through the body that you<br />
reach the realization of your being a spark of divinity.<br />
How can you neglect the body which is the temple of the<br />
spirit?”<br />
Today, these two systems thrive around the world. They<br />
underpin what our industry terms “wellness tourism.” It<br />
is almost redundant to state that destination spas and<br />
luxury boutique properties the world over offer ayurvedic<br />
modalities and yoga workshops.<br />
But for the real essence, there is no more unique undertaking,<br />
no more exclusive experience ever, than to engage<br />
in these both at their very source. This is where you, a<br />
savvy travel agent on wellness tourism, will knowingly<br />
suggest that your clients be booked shortly on “A Passage<br />
to India” with all due respect to E. M. Forster.<br />
Ayurveda<br />
Ayurveda is considered the world’s oldest and most<br />
comprehensive healthcare system. In Sanskrit “ayus”<br />
translates as “life” and “ved” as “knowledge.” A rare combination<br />
of philosophy and science, ayurveda is a brilliant<br />
tapestry that defines life in equilibrium. Its warp and<br />
weft focus on spiritual health. Its texture upholds the<br />
fundamentals necessary to sustain mental and physical<br />
health.<br />
The Atharva Veda, one of the four Vedas, is specifically<br />
about ayurveda. It contains references to anatomy, physiology,<br />
surgery, herbs, diseases and cures. The Rig Veda<br />
is concerned with the real nature of health and disease,<br />
and includes herbal treatments and natural remedies. It<br />
defines the use of specific spices, their medicinal and<br />
therapeutic values, and is the genesis for Indian cuisine’s<br />
spiciness.<br />
In Ayurveda, the five great elements of creation - fire,<br />
water, earth, air, space – comprise the macro-cosm. Their<br />
Sanskrit name is the “pancha-mahabhutas” or five great<br />
elements. These very same elements co-exist in the<br />
micro-cosm that is each human body. They comprise its<br />
cellular and physiological structure. Three other elements<br />
(called “tri-doshas”) reflect these same elements of<br />
creation. They govern an individual’s state of being.<br />
They are “pitta”, the fire element; “kapha”, the water and<br />
earth element; and “vata”, the air and space element. Tridoshas<br />
are influenced by three qualities or states of mat-<br />
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THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
INDIA FROM PAGE 3<br />
ter (called “gunas”). The three gunas are “rajas”, the excitable,<br />
fiery, and spicy state; “tamas”, the sluggish, inert,<br />
and moribund state; and “sattva”, the enlightened,<br />
placid, and balanced state.<br />
Ayurveda is a balance between the pancha-mahabhutas<br />
and the doshas. For example, each individual’s constitution<br />
is a specific dominant dosha. Life’s experiences and<br />
emotions erode that constitution. This creates imbalances<br />
as the doshas shift into excess and shortage. At the<br />
same time, an individual is governed by being charged<br />
and intense (“rajasic”), or by being in the doldrums and<br />
sluggish (“tamasic”), or by being fully balanced and contented<br />
(“sattvic”). These gunas shift into excess and<br />
shortage as well, and impose more imbalances.<br />
The challenge for Ayurvedic doctors, then, is to<br />
determine the specific nature of these many overlays,<br />
and to prescribe a specific natural healing modality. It<br />
is through massage, exercise, oils, cleansing and<br />
nutrition that an individual can return to the balanced,<br />
sattvic state.<br />
Yoga<br />
Yoga is at once a philosophy, an art, a system for complete<br />
health in all its aspects, and a lifestyle. It is a brilliant<br />
spiritual system predicated on finding liberation<br />
from the mind’s trickery. Most succinctly, yoga is defined<br />
as stilling the mind’s chatter. Its holistic blueprint quiets<br />
the mind’s acrobatics and diffuses its ever-aggravating<br />
tricks. With a tranquil mind, one’s innate self-knowledge<br />
can become apparent. Spiritual growth and freedom<br />
can be attained.<br />
The sage Patanjali codified the Vedic knowledge (after<br />
several iterations through the centuries) into his eponymous<br />
and classical text, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.<br />
He provided the framework for yoga as we know it today,<br />
as an eight-limbed system.<br />
What has so enthralled adherents in the West about<br />
yoga is its third limb: asana. This practice of physical<br />
postures brings balance, strength and flexibility. Each<br />
asana has an underlying therapeutic benefit. Patanjali’s<br />
fourth limb is breath awareness, or pranayama. It is compelling<br />
with its calibrating effect on personal tranquility.<br />
Adapted as a physical exercise regime, yoga has grown to<br />
epic proportions. There are some 19 million practitioners<br />
in the U.S. alone - according to a 2005 survey undertaken<br />
by Yoga Journal magazine.<br />
But yoga is light years beyond mere physical exercise.<br />
The American Vedic scholar Dr. David Frawley tells us<br />
"Yoga is the practical side of the Vedic teachings while<br />
Ayurveda is the healing side."<br />
From Philosophy to Facts<br />
-According to the 2004 Spa Industry Study of the<br />
International Spa Association (ISPA), there are 12,100<br />
spas in the U.S., and 2,100 in Canada. The spa industry<br />
is the fourth largest U.S. leisure industry. The ISPA’s<br />
2700 members in 75 countries reflect a substantial<br />
global network of spa professionals, service providers and<br />
product manufacturers.<br />
-The Office of <strong>Travel</strong> and Tourism Industries (OTTI) –<br />
part of U.S. Department of Commerce’s International<br />
Trade Administration - recorded 28.8 million U.S. travelers<br />
who went abroad in 2005. This number reflects a<br />
5% increase over out-bound travelers in 2004. India experienced<br />
a 33% growth in U.S. visitation between 2004<br />
and 2005, also based on OTTI records.<br />
-The Pacific Asia <strong>Travel</strong> Association (PATA) noted a<br />
13.5% increase in international in-bound visitor arrivals<br />
to India from January - August 2004 (2,454,352 arrivals),<br />
to January – August 2005, (2,785,328 arrivals).<br />
-In the just-released 2007 Fourth Annual Spa Trends<br />
Report, (from Spa Finders Inc.) “Ayurveda” was listed as<br />
a “Spa Buzz Word.” It states, “Spa guests are … welcoming<br />
education about local cultures and healing traditions<br />
and looking for holistic commitment…”. It also states,<br />
“Medical wellness and cosmetic med spas are doing<br />
booming business by filling certain critical gaps in the<br />
traditional health care system. In 2007 more people will<br />
travel to another city, state or country for medical spa experiences<br />
creating a new trend: medical tourism.”<br />
From Facts to You<br />
What does all this mean to you – the North American<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> Professional?<br />
First, it urges you to be a wellness/spa traveler yourself.<br />
Renew your sparkle. Have an ayurvedic massage. Practice<br />
yoga at dawn. You will experience what the French mean<br />
by “feeling good in your skin.”<br />
Second, book your clients in the land of ayurveda and<br />
yoga. Send them to India. Advise them confidently with<br />
the following overview of wellness and spa hotels. And<br />
one day soon, book yourself to India as well. You shall encounter<br />
the truth behind its moniker, “Incredible India.”<br />
Wellness Tourism in India<br />
Abundant facilities and reasonable fares await in India.<br />
Her offerings range from tasteful boutique urban properties<br />
to princely residences atop mountain-peaks; from<br />
therapeutic centers to hideaways framed by the Ganges;<br />
and coastal retreats lapped by the Arabian Sea, Indian<br />
Ocean and Bay of Bengal.<br />
For <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>News</strong>, this writer covered two North<br />
Indian spas: Ananda in the Himalayas, in Uttaranchal<br />
state in March ’06, (named ‘2005 Best Destination Spa’<br />
by Conde Nast <strong>Travel</strong>er); and The Oberoi Wildflower<br />
Hall perched at 8200 feet in the lofty Himalayas, in<br />
Himachal Pradesh state in April ’06, (received ‘2005<br />
4 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
London <strong>World</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> Mart Award’). The following two<br />
North Indian retreats are very worthy of note, as are the<br />
two in Southern India. All are diverse, as is India herself.<br />
The Punjab<br />
In the northwestern state of Punjab, not far from the<br />
stellar Sikh Golden Temple is WH Ranjit’s Svaasa, an intimate<br />
luxury boutique spa. Svaasa means both ‘inspiration’<br />
and ‘breath of life.’ This inviting gem truly reflects<br />
its name. It is located on Amritsar’s prestigious Mall<br />
Road.<br />
Part of the WelcomHeritage Collection Group of<br />
palaces, forts, ancestral homes and resorts that reflect the<br />
architectural heritage of India, Svaasa is located in a<br />
haveli, Rai Bahadur Rattan Chand’s ancestral mansion.<br />
It dates back seven generations. Amritsar and this noted<br />
family are intertwined, and today, family trusts support<br />
a school for the blind, a cow-shed (with more than 200<br />
cows), a temple and a charitable clinic. WH Ranjit’s<br />
Svaasa is the elegant “home away from home” choice of<br />
diplomats, elites, and international travelers.<br />
But Ranjit’s focus extends beyond the inherent responsibilities<br />
of a recognized family. She is committed to<br />
Svaasa’s nurturing, non-smoking and organic environment.<br />
In the Svaasa Spa Pavillion, 15 ayurvedic therapies<br />
are offered, a large menu for a small facility. Solar<br />
panels heat water, and water-based, odorless paint covers<br />
walls. Fresh milk from the cow-shed arrives daily and<br />
complements her organic fare.<br />
Each of the 17 rooms features unique colors with patios<br />
or balconies, oriented to capture the essential energies of<br />
Indian ‘energy flow practice’ known as “vaastu.” WH<br />
Ranjit’s Svaasa is an oasis of quiet amidst the city’s roar.<br />
It is a small place with a big soul. (10-20% commissions<br />
on room tariff only).<br />
Along The Ganges River<br />
Snuggled below the Devprayag Road and banked by the<br />
revered Ganges River, the Himalayan Hideaway resides<br />
quietly. Its lush countryside embraces a handful of stone<br />
buildings that gently cascade across the property. They<br />
house the resort’s public areas and eight of its nine private<br />
rooms. Mine is the ninth, nestled in its own stone<br />
cottage closer to the Ganges.<br />
All is peaceful here. Nature’s acoustics resound: ‘gurgles’<br />
from the Ganges, insect conversations at night,<br />
high-pitched alarm of an Asian barking deer. (Their<br />
antlers and stature are smaller than North American<br />
deer.)<br />
Spacious bathrooms, tasteful furnishings, in-room<br />
heaters, and constant how water flow co-exist with the<br />
mellow, rustic design at Himalayan Hideaway. In Outlook<br />
<strong>Travel</strong>er Survey 2005, Himalayan Hideaway is noted on<br />
its “List of Worthies”, in the “Small Hotel” category.<br />
Svaasa’s beautiful north entrance courtyard.<br />
Stone-lined paths lead to a ‘sit-out’ near an open-pit fire<br />
that blazes now for winter warmth. Conversation, climate<br />
and laughter turn strangers into friends. These<br />
paths lead to the region’s first “eco-garden” - a plant collection<br />
of flora and fauna unique to the north-west<br />
Himalayas, and turns towards the Chakra Abode, a twostory<br />
cottage where simple ayurvedic massage reigns.<br />
Therapists are called from town. No rush, they arrive. All<br />
is in order. Everything is peaceful. Rural so refreshes,<br />
urban often depresses.<br />
“Environmentalist” is Himalayan Hideaway’s motto:<br />
“Take Nothing but Photos. Leave Nothing but<br />
Footprints.” A few days and I am ready to live here. But<br />
I do borrow a Ganges river rock until I return.<br />
Should I need to do anything else, kayaking, rafting,<br />
walking, climbing, bird watching, angling, rappelling,<br />
and hiking are offered. Their sister camp is the legendary<br />
Himalayan River Runners, India’s first rafting company.<br />
I can partake of these activities, but I don’t. I opt for this<br />
lovely quiet. Himalayan Hideaway is an organic abode of<br />
tranquility. (10% agent’s commission)<br />
Hi-Tech to Holistic Outside Bangalore<br />
Soukya is a residential holistic health and integrative<br />
medical center situated on a 30-acre organic farm in the<br />
tranquil, unpolluted countryside. It is sufficiently outside<br />
the urban high-tech mecca into which the pretty city<br />
of Bangalore has evolved (some 13 miles away). Its name<br />
means “wellness”. That is exactly what Soukya offers. In<br />
October this year Soukya was rated “Best Place for<br />
Natural Cure” by India Today, the Time magazine of<br />
India.<br />
The Chairman, Medical and Managing Director is<br />
Dr. Isaac Mathai, a renowned holistic physician and<br />
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SOUKYA<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 5
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
INDIA FROM PAGE 5<br />
health consultant. Dr. Mathai studied Chinese Pulse<br />
Diagnosis and Acupuncture at the W.H.O. Institute of<br />
Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanking, China, and<br />
received training at Harvard Medical School’s Mind-<br />
Body Medicine Program. His experience derives from 20<br />
years of holistic medical practice, and a 10,000+ patient<br />
network from 40 countries. Dr Mathai specializes in integrating<br />
medical systems and complementary therapies.<br />
Mrs. Suja Issac is Soukya’s nutritionist, (M.Sc., M.Phil<br />
in Foods and Nutrition), Executive Director, and Dr.<br />
Mathai’s wife.<br />
With its focus on health promotion and early intervention,<br />
Soukya offers highly-individualised treatments.<br />
The roster of medical and healing-related services - 7<br />
Integrated Medicine specialties; 21Complementary<br />
Therapies; 9 Medical Programs and Full Wellness<br />
Regimes - is extensive. Its full range of ayurvedic treatments<br />
is the “real deal.” So no wonder that the Duchess<br />
of York Sarah Ferguson and Reverend Desmond Tutu<br />
have experienced this center.<br />
Situated on lush grounds, organic farming reigns: orchards<br />
and vegetable gardens furnish the restaurant, organic<br />
fodder for cows and ducks produce milk and eggs.<br />
South Indian inner courtyards, thatched roofs, use of<br />
local granite, handcrafted tiles and decorative Gujarati<br />
mirror craft are framed by traditional Indian architecture.<br />
Sixteen very spacious guest rooms - 12 deluxe and<br />
4 suites - have open air showers and private gardens. Ecofriendly<br />
structures (solar panels, rain water harvesting,<br />
drip irrigation) underpin the infrastructure.<br />
The Soukya Foundation runs two charity homeopathic<br />
clinics. Above all, Dr. Mathai and Mrs. Isaac foster a<br />
great love for their guests through their commitment to<br />
better health. In addition, Dr. Deepak Chopra’s endorsement<br />
speaks volumes: “Dr. Mathai is one of the most<br />
competent and brilliant holistic doctors in the world<br />
today.” (10% agent’s commission)<br />
Portuguese India – GOA<br />
The Ayurvedic Natural Health Centre in Saligao,<br />
Caligute, Goa, operates two resort facilities as well as its<br />
fully-equipped ayurvedic hospital center, The Ayur<br />
Centre. Headed by Dr. Sunita, the Ayurvedic Natural<br />
Health Centre boasts a knowledgeable staff.<br />
Two of its goals truly reflect the caring approach that<br />
has brought acclaim to this facility: to make every individual<br />
understand the laws of nature and introduce the<br />
laws of nature in oneself to maintain perfect health, and<br />
to make the treatment accessible to every individual at<br />
the most reasonable price.<br />
Prainha Beach Resort overlooks the Zuari River, and in<br />
the distance, the Arabian Sea. It started as a small white<br />
cottage by the sea in 1963, situated over a private, secluded<br />
beach. Encircled by enormous palm trees and lush<br />
coastal vegetation, today, Prainha Beach Resort boasts 45<br />
rooms, framed in indigenous wood cottages, four of which<br />
are situated some 30 feet off the beach. These are the<br />
Madeira Cottages. The facility is a tranquil retreat where<br />
antique wooden furniture recalls the Portuguese culture<br />
in this part of India.<br />
Prainha is Portuguese for “little beach”. This little<br />
beach and its professional staff offer solid and caring<br />
ayurveda treatments, as directed through the Ayurvedic<br />
Natural Health Centre. (10% agent’s commission)<br />
WH Ranjit’s Svaasa, spa@svaasa.com, www.svaasa.com;<br />
Himalayan Hideaway and Himalayan River Runners,<br />
riverrun@airtelbroadband.in, www.hhindia.com, www.<br />
hrrindia.com; Soukya, info@soukya.com, www.soukya.<br />
com; Ayurvedic Natural Health Centre, info@healthand<br />
ayurveda.com, www.healthandayurveda.com<br />
TRAVEL, DISCOVER AND LEARN WITH BHARAT<br />
TRAVELS IN INDIA<br />
Bharat <strong>Travel</strong> Service Private Ltd. is a learning travel organization functioning<br />
from the historic city of Chennai in southern India. Started in<br />
1946, this is one of the oldest travel companies in this part of the world.<br />
Each of their theme-based travel learning programs is the product of<br />
several years of intensive library and field research combined to create a<br />
comfortable, enjoyable and memorable experience. Every program provides<br />
ample opportunities to observe and study specific facets of Indian<br />
culture, society, and economy, and also to interact with a cross-section of<br />
India’s friendly people.<br />
Each program is a mix of talks by experts, field visits and discussions<br />
with locals. Many of their programs include visits to rare and interesting<br />
places that are normally out-of-bounds for general visitors.While they<br />
offer the unknown and the offbeat,they certainly do not ignore the wellknown<br />
and the famous.<br />
Their Roman Trails in South India program provides glimpses of the<br />
Roman and St.Thomas the Apostle’s presence in South India and the influence<br />
of this presence on South Indian art, culture and society.Starting<br />
from the Kerala backwaters where the Romans first landed in India, the<br />
program includes visits to villages which once housed a huge population<br />
of Romans, Roman archaeological sites and harbors, ancient industrial<br />
sites where iron and steel were processed for export to Rome, and<br />
the UNESCO <strong>World</strong> Heritage sites of Brhadishvara Temple, Tanjavur, the<br />
monuments of Mahabalipuram and finally, Chennai’s Santhome Basilica<br />
where St.Thomas was originally buried.<br />
In addition to Archaeology and History Tours, they also offer Art<br />
Appreciation tours to North and South India and the Festivals of Kerala;<br />
Anthropology Tours including the Pathway to Divinity, Sikkim Heritage,<br />
Tribal Heritage of South India, and Culture of God’s Own Country; and<br />
Natural History Tours such as Wildlife Trails, Brahmaputra River Cruise,<br />
and a Tsunami Services Program. Besides the regular programs offered,<br />
they can also put together custom programs suited to specific needs, aspirations,<br />
time and budget.<br />
Bharat <strong>Travel</strong>s, suresh@bharattravels.com, mahesh@bharattravels.<br />
com<br />
6 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
WALTZ INTO THE NEW YEAR ON THE<br />
MAJESTIC IMPERATOR LUXURY TRAIN FROM<br />
TRAIN CHARTERING<br />
Spend the last hours of 2006 and the first of 2007 dining and dancing<br />
on board the Majestic Imperator Luxury Train in Vienna.The Train is<br />
based on the Imperial Train of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was inaugurated<br />
by Archduchess Maria Christina von Habsburg-Lothringen,<br />
descendent of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth.<br />
The philosophy of today’s Majestic Imperator Luxury Train is best reflected<br />
in the words of the Honourable Claudius von Klaudy, his<br />
Majesty’s Engineer at the end of the 19th century: "to provide the<br />
guests with an experience, which will forever remain a highlight in<br />
their travel memories."<br />
On December 31, the Majestic Imperator will travel through and<br />
around Vienna by night, allowing guests to enjoy the view while being<br />
pampered with fine dining at a black tie formal dinner, followed by<br />
dancing onboard at the New Year's Ball.<br />
At midnight, the Majestic Imperator will stop on a bridge on the<br />
Danube, thus allowing an excellent view of Vienna’s magnificent firework<br />
display. Guests will then be invited to dance a midnight waltz<br />
high above the Danube to the most famous Strauss waltz ‘The Blue<br />
Danube.’<br />
In the New Year, there will be live music in the piano bar, and<br />
continued dancing. Later, guests will be served goulash soup<br />
and Sacherwürstel, a traditional Austrian sausage. From 2 am, the Train<br />
will call at various Viennese stations before arriving back at Wien-Süd<br />
at 4 am.<br />
The Imperial New Year's Express costs approximately $357 per person.<br />
Rail ticket, dinner, drinks (Champagne, fine wines, beer, mineral<br />
water and soft drinks) and the most romantic evening in Europe are all<br />
included in the price.<br />
Train Chartering, www.trainchartering.com<br />
WANDERLUST’S CLASSIC STREAMLINER TRAIN<br />
RETURNS TO YOSEMITE<br />
Wanderlust, a travel and special events company, has announced an<br />
exclusive program for 2007 that offers, for the first time in over 35 years,<br />
comfortable and classic Streamliner train travel to Yosemite National<br />
Park. Not since the Santa Fe Railway’s famed San Francisco Chief made<br />
its last run in April 1971 have travelers been able to journey to this great<br />
national park in evocative ‘Streamliner Style’ with an elegant and comfortable<br />
atmosphere, attentive service and first class dining.<br />
The program can begin in many Bay Area cities including San<br />
Francisco/Oakland, Emeryville, Richmond, Martinez or Antioch where<br />
guests board the ‘Yosemite Limited’ for the scenic trip south over the<br />
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad to Merced.This is a scenic journey<br />
along San Francisco Bay, the Delta, through the orchards of the Central<br />
Valley and across the Merced River. All meals, wines and spirits onboard<br />
the train is included and an attentive staff looks after guests as they<br />
enjoy a nostalgic ambiance complete with comfortable club chairs and<br />
sofas, large picture windows, fresh flowers, souvenir maps and convivial<br />
company.<br />
Upon arrival at Merced,guests have a short but scenic ride over historic<br />
Highway 49 via the Gold Rush town of Mariposa to El Portal and<br />
Yosemite. Once in the park, there is a complete sightseeing tour including<br />
Half dome, El Capital, Bridal Veil Falls, and more. This program offers<br />
four distinct hotel choices, and there is plenty of time for guests to enjoy<br />
this setting at their own pace. On the return trip to the Bay Area, travel<br />
south to Fresno through Oakhurst and board the ‘Yosemite Limited’for a<br />
late afternoon departure and a farewell cocktail party.<br />
The train, together with the park hotels, offers a wide variety of meeting<br />
facilities, accommodations, dining and recreational activities, making<br />
it a perfect destination for family experiences, corporation and association<br />
meetings as well as a very attractive fund raising venue. The<br />
‘Yosemite Limited’ can travel to the park during any season. Dates in<br />
December fill up quickly so early confirmations are encouraged.<br />
Complete fares for this three-day ‘Explorer’ holiday begins at $495 per<br />
person, which includes round-trip travel aboard the ‘Yosemite Limited,’<br />
accommodations for two nights, a guided valley tram-tour, all transfers,<br />
a professional travel host and special select amenities.They also offer an<br />
‘Ahwanhnee Adventure’ package from $995 per person featuring the<br />
finest of Yosemite’s most celebrated hotels.<br />
And, for those with less time to travel they can off a one-day ‘Getaway’<br />
trip from the Bay Area priced at $295 per person including<br />
all the amenities of the Explorer package but without the need for<br />
hotels. Itinerary and pricing does vary depending on tour selections<br />
and amenities.<br />
Wanderlust <strong>Travel</strong> & Events, 877-625-1717, www.wanderlust<br />
events.com<br />
23nd YEAR<br />
2007 RAILROAD TOURS<br />
WINTER STEAM I & II / Feb 19, 22 - 23 – Durango, Colorado and East Ely, Nevada<br />
SNOWFLAKE EXPRESS / Feb 18 - 20 – Private dome cars SF Bay Area to Reno RT<br />
MINING STEAM OF CHINA / Mar 25 - Apr 7 – Last of the Industrial steam in China<br />
STEAM IN POLAND “100 YEARS” CELEBRATION / May 13 - 28 – Lots of steam<br />
WHITE PASS RAIL SPECTACULAR / June 13 - 18 – Skagway charters on the WP&Y<br />
GREAT SOUTHWEST TRAIN SPECTACULAR / July 1- 8 – Las Vegas “G” convention<br />
DOMES TO FEATHER RIVER RR DAYS FESTIVAL / Aug 24 - 26 – Portola festival<br />
RAILROADS OF EQUADOR / Sept 8 - 16 – Charter steam-diesel-railcars in the Andes<br />
GEORGETOWN LOOP RAILFAN DAY / Sept 21 – Steam charters with many run-bys<br />
RIO GRANDE DURANGO RAIL ADVENTURE / Sept 26 - 29 – Charters-all RG lettering<br />
RIO GRANDE LE VETA PASS RAIL ADVENTURE / Sept 23 - 24 – Starts in Alamosa<br />
MODOC RAIL ADVENTURE / Oct 5 - 8 – Former SP Modoc Line and Lake County RR’s<br />
NEW ENGLAND FALL COLORS RAIL SPECTACULAR / Oct 6 - 14 – MA-VT-NH-ME<br />
BLACK HILLS CENTRAL RAILFAN DAY / Oct 8 – Three steam locomotives-run-bys<br />
ROCKY MOUNTAIN EXPRESS / Oct 13 - 18 – Private rail cars SF Bay Area-Denver RT<br />
GREAT ARGENTINIAN RAIL ADVENTURE / Oct 26 - Nov 10– Four countries visited<br />
MEXICAN COPPER CANYON RAIL ADVENTURE / Nov 8 - 15 – Starts in Tucson, AZ<br />
RUSSIAN TRAIN TOURS / Former USSR-China-Hong Kong-Tibet-Pakistan-India-Canada<br />
Please ask for our 2007 all-color brochure<br />
TOLL-FREE: 1-800-359-4870 USA . 1-800-752-1836 CANADA<br />
PHONE: 530-836-1745 . FAX: 530-836-1748<br />
1105 TERMINAL WAY . SUITE 111 . RENO, NEVADA 89502 USA<br />
EMAIL: tut@PSLN.com<br />
visit our website: www.trainsunlimitedtours.com<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 7
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
TRAINS UNLIMITED, TOURS ANNOUNCES<br />
2007 RAILROAD ADVENTURES<br />
Trains Unlimited,Tours of Reno,Nevada has released their 2007 railroad<br />
tour adventures which include the United States, Mexico, Argentina,<br />
Chile,Paraguay,Uruguay,Ecuador,Poland,Germany,and China.Also,they<br />
have teamed up with GW <strong>Travel</strong> Limited of the UK to offer even more rail<br />
adventures in Canada,Tibet,Mongolia,Hong Kong,Ukraine,Russia,India,<br />
Pakistan, and other former USSR countries including the very popular<br />
Trans-Siberian Express.<br />
Trains Unlimited, Tours caters to folks that are hooked on trains, railroads<br />
and rail travel and they have been offering these rail adventures<br />
since 1985. They have now operated over 1,000 charter trains and private<br />
rail cars for the rail buff in 46 countries. Selling to rail buffs and folks<br />
that are into trains and rail travel has become big business.<br />
Year after year they have worked very closely with railroad clubs, museums,<br />
and historical groups to help promote train travel and preserve<br />
the rich history, rare documents and priceless equipment of railroad heritage<br />
around the world.<br />
One big growing market in the United States is rail travel onboard private<br />
luxury railroad cars that are coupled to the rear of Amtrak passenger<br />
trains. Private luxury railroad cars now give clients the chance to step<br />
back in time and recapture the romantic era of train travel that Amtrak<br />
cannot provide. Passengers are pampered by an onboard staff with unmatched<br />
personnel service. They enjoy cocktails and hors d' oeuvres in a<br />
first class setting. That, together with favorite music playing and the<br />
ever-changing scenery outside, makes for a very pleasant experience.<br />
Their award winning chef prepares fresh gourmet meals that are served<br />
in the dome car with custom marked china, crystal, crisp linens and cut<br />
flowers. Everything is first class with every detail included.<br />
Several private rail car excursions in the western states are being offered<br />
in 2007.<br />
Trains Unlimited, Tours, 800-359-4870, tut@PSLN.com, www.trains<br />
unlimitedtours. com<br />
GET A FREE EXTRA TRAVEL DAY IN EUROPE<br />
BY EURAIL<br />
The EURAIL GROUP G.I.E. is offering an extra day of rail travel on all six-<br />
, eight- or 10- day Eurail Selectpasses. This pass must be purchased by<br />
December 31, 2006.The first day of travel must occur within six months<br />
of purchase.<br />
“The Eurail Selectpass allows unlimited travel in three, four, or five<br />
European destinations out of 22 countries or country combinations.The<br />
added value to the traveler is being able to book Eurail Selectpass during<br />
the coming three months, and then plan the trip to Europe at<br />
leisure,” says Ana Dias e Seixas, International Marketing Manager of<br />
Eurail Group G.I.E.“Eurail Pass is the only one train pass that gives the<br />
traveler the freedom to travel, to experience, to enjoy Europe in comfort<br />
and style.”<br />
This offer applies to adult and child passes, to youth (those under 26)<br />
and saver (for two or more people traveling together) versions. Once the<br />
buyer has selected the favorite rail destinations and days of travel he is<br />
ready to go.<br />
The 22 countries or country combinations from which three, four, or<br />
five can be selected are: Austria (including Liechtenstein),<br />
Bulgaria/Serbia & Montenegro, Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands,<br />
Luxembourg), Denmark, Finland, France (including Monaco), Germany,<br />
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania,<br />
Slovenia/Croatia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.<br />
The EURAIL Group comprises 27 railways and shipping lines, as well as<br />
several bonus partners.<br />
Eurail, www.Eurail.com<br />
GOWAY GROUPSONLY DIVISION THE SPECIALIST<br />
FOR LONG HAUL DESTINATIONS<br />
Goway <strong>Travel</strong> is the oldest and largest travel company in North America<br />
specializing in long-haul group travel to the South Pacific, Asia (including<br />
China and India), to all parts of Africa and to their newest destinations<br />
in Central and South America including Antarctica.The company’s<br />
exclusive GROUPSOnly division specializes in both affinity and special interest<br />
group travel as well as business travel including meetings/conferences<br />
and incentives. Goway’s GROUPSOnly are also very successful in<br />
handling large passenger movements for major world events and are<br />
currently handling all North American bookings for such diverse events<br />
as the <strong>World</strong> Police and Fire Games in Adelaide in March 2007, the<br />
International Dragonboat Competition in Sydney in September 2007<br />
and the Breast Cancer Survivor Dragonboat Competition in Caloundra in<br />
September 2007. Goway’s GROUPSOnly will also be handling bookings<br />
for <strong>World</strong> Youth Day in Sydney in July 2008.<br />
The GROUPSOnly division also provides competitive pricing,innovative<br />
itineraries, assistance with promotions and advertising. Barbara Norton<br />
is the General Manager of GROUPSOnly and runs a team of 12 who are<br />
all experienced,travel planning experts that have traveled extensively to<br />
all of Goway’s destinations. Each year, senior Group Coordinators attend<br />
the important trade shows in the South Pacific, Asia and South Africa to<br />
keep updated on new product and new destinations.The GROUPSOnly<br />
team works closely with agents to ensure that from the initial planning<br />
stages to the group’s return their GROUPSOnly experience is stress free<br />
and profitable.<br />
All Goway GROUPSOnly proposals include a detailed itinerary and<br />
competitive land and air quotes in net U.S.dollars,and,depending on the<br />
size of the group, tour directors can travel free. Sample group movements<br />
by Goway’s GROUPSOnly over the past six months include<br />
pre/post cruise groups in Asia and the South Pacific, Dragonboat teams<br />
to Singapore, cultural interest groups to China, a general interest group<br />
to Vietnam, college study groups to Australia, African safari groups, a<br />
walking club to New Zealand and a business conference in Malaysia.<br />
GOWAY <strong>Travel</strong> Inc., 800-838-0618, www.groupsonly.com<br />
8 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
INDIA – VIVADA INTRODUCES LUXURY CRUISE<br />
TO SUNDERBANS<br />
Vivada Cruises, a Kolkatta based company, is introducing a luxury<br />
cruise from Kolkatta to Sunderbans. Nestled between the Ganga, the<br />
Brahmaputra and the Meghna Rivers, Sunderbans is the largest delta<br />
and the largest estuarine National Park in the <strong>World</strong>. This cruise combines<br />
the charm and allure of the jungle coupled with the comfort and<br />
amenities of urban city life. This cruise offers a journey to explore the<br />
wildlife, the culture, and traditions of rural Bengal. On board the cruiser<br />
vessel, MV Paramahamasa, guests will stay in either 20 twin sharing luxury<br />
rooms or 12 family rooms.The eco-friendly ship will offer Western,<br />
Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisines. Guests can also participate in Yoga,<br />
enjoy a massage,work out in the gym,or browse the gift shop which features<br />
local arts and crafts.During the cruise,the vessel will stop at a number<br />
of places of beauty and interest. See crocodiles and rare Olive Ridley<br />
turtles at the Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project.Kalas Beach is another stop,<br />
followed by Bonnie Eco-Tourism Camp and a visit to the Sajnekhali<br />
Forest Range and Bali Community Centre. At Burirdabri, take a canopy<br />
walk inside the forest, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.<br />
Vivada offers four tour itineraries. Option one is Friday to Sunday<br />
(three-days/two-nights) from Kolkata to Kolkata.Prices are $350 (Luxury<br />
Rooms) and $450 (Family Rooms). Option Two is three-days/two-nights<br />
Kolkata to Dhamakhali. Prices are $280 and $405. Option three is twodays/one-night,<br />
Wednesday to Thursday, from Dhamakhali to Kolkata.<br />
Price is $224 and $324. Option four is Monday to Thursday, Kolkata to<br />
Kolkata, four-days/three-nights. Price is $350 and $450. Rates are per<br />
person twin sharing and are inclusive of full board meals, sight seeing<br />
and entry fees in the National Park.<br />
Vivada Cruises, waterways@vivada.com, vivadakolkata@yahoo.<br />
co.in, www.sunderbanscruises.com<br />
FIRST-CLASS SHIPS.<br />
WORLD-CLASS<br />
DESTINATIONS.<br />
Introducing weekly 7-day cruises<br />
from Istanbul & Athens to<br />
the fabled Greek Isles<br />
1-800-881-2377<br />
3- and 4-day cruises also available<br />
350 East 54th Street, Suite 5F;<br />
New York NY 10022<br />
Ships are of EU registry.<br />
MSC CRUISES EXPANDS ‘KIDS SAIL FREE’<br />
EUROPE SAILINGS<br />
MSC Cruises’ “Kids Sail Free” offer has proven so popular in the<br />
Caribbean that the line is extending it to its 2007 European sailings.<br />
Youngsters ages 17 and under sail free (except for government fees and<br />
taxes) on all of the line’s Mediterranean and Northern Europe itineraries<br />
when sharing a stateroom with two paying guests. Cruise-only rates,<br />
which are dependent on stateroom category and sailing, begin at $795<br />
ppdo. MSC Cruises’ European itineraries allow families to savor the subtle<br />
pleasures of European life, history and culture while visiting magnificent<br />
destinations. Onboard, guests enjoy the ship’s elegant design, exceptional<br />
service, delicious cuisine, Kids’ Club activities, and<br />
European-style entertainment suitable for the entire family.<br />
MSC Cruises currently has a fleet of eight ships: MSC Musica operative<br />
since July 1,2006, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC<br />
Melody, MSC Rhapsody and MSC Monterey, offering itineraries in the<br />
Mediterranean all year round, as well as routes in North Europe, the<br />
Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, South America and South Africa.The MSC<br />
Cruises fleet is to increase to 12 ships by 2009: MSC Orchestra will be<br />
launched in 2007, MSC Poesia and MSC Fantasia in 2008 and MSC<br />
Serenata in 2009. MSC Cruises will be co-sponsoring Alinghi in the 32nd<br />
America’s Cup, to be disputed in Valencia in June 2007.<br />
MSC Cruises, www.msccruises.com<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 9
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
FREE AIR, EXTRA 10% SAVINGS<br />
AND 2-FOR-1 OFFERS FROM<br />
DISCOVERY WORLD<br />
During Winter 2007-2008, Discovery <strong>World</strong><br />
Cruises will once again offer the opportunity to<br />
cruise to fascinating destinations: Antarctica,<br />
the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon River and<br />
enigmatic Easter Island. Combined with exciting<br />
South and Central American cities,<br />
Discovery’s choice of 21 cruisetours,from 11- to<br />
40 -days including hotel nights and overnight<br />
stays in exciting ports, offers something to fulfill<br />
every dream.<br />
To launch the new season, Discovery <strong>World</strong> is<br />
offering an additional 10 percent off all winter<br />
2007-2008 cruises, for a limited time only. In<br />
addition, they are offering free air on all<br />
Amazon cruises and two-for-one fares on select<br />
sailings.<br />
Discovery <strong>World</strong> Cruises, 866-623-2689,<br />
info@mvdiscovery.com, www.discovery<br />
worldcruises.com<br />
AMERICAN DREAM VACATIONS<br />
OFFERS SPECIAL HEART OF<br />
BURGUNDY CRUISE<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> agents have the opportunity to make<br />
slightly more than 30 percent or pass savings<br />
onto their clients as a special promotion with<br />
American Dream Vacations. This is a package<br />
for two persons that includes one night hotel in<br />
Paris pre cruise, and one night post cruise plus<br />
an all inclusive cruise on the Burgundy Barge<br />
Litote with gourmet meals, wine with lunch<br />
and dinner, daily shore excursions, and admissions.<br />
The only thing not included on the cruise<br />
is bar drinks and tips.<br />
The rack rate value of the hotel portion is<br />
$720 for the two nights Paris hotel. The barge<br />
portion sells for $3,580 per dbl/twin cabin low<br />
season and $3,980 per dbl twin cabin normal<br />
season. Package value is $4,300 low season<br />
and $4,700 normal season for two persons.<br />
Agents set the selling price.<br />
Pay $2,985 net package price low season and<br />
$3,285 net normal season. Book before<br />
December 31 and receive an additional five<br />
percent. Low season cruise dates are April 14.<br />
Normal season cruise dates are May 5, 19; June<br />
2, 16; September 1, 15, 29; and October 6. Dates<br />
listed are cruise departure dates. Pre cruise<br />
hotel is one day earlier.<br />
Clients can take an optional First Class transfer<br />
from Paris to the barge side pick up point in<br />
Dijon. Cost is $200 non commissionable.<br />
The hotel used is the Duminy Vendome, a<br />
three-star plus hotel with a published rack rate<br />
of $360 per night for a double/twin room with<br />
full buffet breakfast included. Cruise details are<br />
available at www.frenchbargelitote.com/<br />
afindex.htm.<br />
Cabins used on these dates are Canal &<br />
Company timeshare investor cabins that the<br />
investor will not use this year. They are taken<br />
from the general availability.<br />
American Dream Vacations, info@americandreamvacation.com,<br />
www.canalandco.com<br />
ATHENS-BASED MONARCH<br />
CLASSIC CRUISES OPENS NEW<br />
YORK OFFICE<br />
Specializing in premium, destination-rich<br />
itineraries in the Aegean, Monarch Classic<br />
Cruises, headquartered in Athens, Greece, has<br />
opened an office in New York to support U.S.<br />
travel agent and tour operator sales.<br />
The line’s new collection of 2007 cruises,<br />
ranging from three to seven days, will sail<br />
round-trip from Athens or Istanbul every week,<br />
March – November. Monarch Classic’s two intimate<br />
ships, the 484-guest Blue Monarch and<br />
the 462-guest Ocean Monarch, are strategically<br />
positioned to afford a more personal, first-class<br />
cruise product catering to the U.S. market.<br />
An ideal centerpiece to vacations packaged<br />
with land tours and hotel stays, port-intensive<br />
three- and four-day cruises from Athens<br />
aboard the Ocean Monarch are the perfect introduction<br />
to the Greek Isles and Turkey.<br />
The three-day Aegean Discovery cruise sails<br />
from Athens (Piraeus) every Friday and features<br />
five ports of call—Mykonos, Kusadasi<br />
(Ephesus), Patmos, Crete and Santorini—before<br />
returning to Athens on Monday.<br />
The four-day Aegean Classic, which then sails<br />
from Athens each Monday and returns on<br />
Friday, also includes a full-day port call to the<br />
legendary island of Rhodes.<br />
For a classical seven-day cruise visiting the<br />
Aegean’s most fabled sights, the Blue Monarch<br />
sails round-trip from Athens every Friday.<br />
Highlights of her Golden Fleece itinerary include<br />
Istanbul with an overnight call, Mykonos,<br />
Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion and<br />
Santorini.<br />
Guests in Turkey may embark the Blue<br />
Monarch on Saturdays in Istanbul and enjoy an<br />
overnight stay onboard in this former capital of<br />
the Ottoman Empire. The ship then sails to<br />
Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion,<br />
Santorini and Athens before returning to<br />
Istanbul the following Saturday.Alternatively,<br />
as a special six-day option for Turkey tour packages<br />
which already include a stay in Istanbul,<br />
guests can embark the Blue Monarch on<br />
Sunday and sail from Istanbul that day, returning<br />
to Istanbul as scheduled on Saturday.<br />
With Greece as its home, Monarch Classic will<br />
feature an authentic Mediterranean flavor with<br />
an expertise for travelers wishing to immerse<br />
themselves in the culture of this region. The<br />
line was formed specifically to offer a dedicated<br />
Aegean deployment with a more personal,<br />
higher quality cruise experience than is<br />
currently available on a regular weekly basis.<br />
The ships’ intimate size evokes a spirit of hospitality,<br />
while staterooms are spacious and<br />
mostly outside with an ocean view. The continental<br />
cuisine is highlighted by homemade<br />
Greek specialties and entertainment includes a<br />
“Greek Night” celebration punctuated by folkloric<br />
music and dances.<br />
Monarch Classic Cruises, 800-881-2377<br />
10 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
Ski North America or Europe –<br />
Two Tantalizing Choices<br />
By Evelyn Kanter<br />
SWISS NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE<br />
Blue skies and powdery white snow in St. Moritz, Switzerland.<br />
FEEL LIKE A CHAMPION AT<br />
THESE OLYMPIC WINTER<br />
DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE<br />
The two legacies of hosting Olympic Games<br />
are the world-wide reputation a city receives<br />
and the additional infrastructure – new<br />
sports stadiums and other facilities, new hotels<br />
and restaurants, and upgraded transporation – that<br />
offer agents headline value long after the athletes have<br />
gone home..<br />
Turin, Italy – 2006<br />
Although it is one of Italy’s first modern ski resorts,<br />
built by Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli in 1934,<br />
Sestriere was relatively unknown outside Europe until<br />
two billion eyeballs on worldwide television broadcasts<br />
earlier this year made this resort close to the border<br />
with France the place to book clients. It sits in a snowbelt<br />
near the border with France, providing reliable<br />
depth and powder and more steeper, challenging terrain<br />
than its neighbors in the sunny Valle di Susa.<br />
With its easy access to Turin, skiers have the choice of<br />
staying in the charming and historic Piedmont city and<br />
commuting to the slopes, or enjoying the après ski and<br />
nightlife opportunities at the resort.<br />
It is several hours by car or rail, but just a few mountain<br />
passes as the crow flies to the Dolomites<br />
(Dolomiti), an extensive mountain range in the northeast<br />
corner of Italy, dotted with one dozen resorts linked<br />
together to form the 'Dolomiti Superski' network. The<br />
two best-known resorts here are the popular Madonna<br />
di Campiglio and Cortina d'Ampezzo, site of the 1956<br />
Games. In between are picturesque small mountain villages,<br />
including Moena and Pinzolo, with small familyowned<br />
hotels.<br />
Italian Government Tourist Office, www.italiantourism.<br />
com<br />
St. Moritz, Switzerland – 1948 and 1928<br />
This sophisticated destination celebrates the golden<br />
jubilee of the international horse races on its frozen lake<br />
as well as the 35th Bobsled <strong>World</strong> Championships this<br />
winter season, on the St. Moritz/Celerina course that is<br />
the only remaining run in the world fully made of natural<br />
ice. Home to some of the finest intermediate skiing<br />
in the Alps, with long, sun-drenched groomed trails,<br />
there also is enough advanced terrain to challenge the<br />
most accomplished downhill enthusiasts, Experts also<br />
head to Diavalezza, a separate resort a few miles down<br />
the valley. Its translated name – Little Devil – is a good<br />
description of the terrain.<br />
St. Moritz boasts several of the world’s most famous<br />
luxury hotels, including Badrutt’s Palace, Kulm and<br />
Suvretta, a glittering nightlife and top designer boutiques,<br />
many of which are clustered around the pedestrian<br />
plaza in the center of town. Your clients with<br />
more limited budgets can still enjoy the celebrity ambiance<br />
of St. Moritz by overnighting in Pontressina, a<br />
charming village filled with traditional houses, some<br />
dating to the 1600s, decorated with Romansch murals.<br />
Swiss National Tourist Office, www.myswitzerland.com<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 11
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
SKI FROM PAGE 11<br />
Innsbruck, Austria – 1976 and 1964<br />
The single most popular winter destination in Austria<br />
for Americans, in part for its easy access from Munich,<br />
one hour away, and for its seemingly unlimited choices<br />
of slopes and accommodations. Innsbruck is not a ski<br />
resort, but a cosmopolitan city with a rich history that<br />
includes a Hapsburg royal palace, a major university,<br />
museums and a zoo.<br />
The skiing is in the quieter villages surrounding the<br />
town. Igls, Tulfes, Mutters and Axamer Lizum, where<br />
the most famous Olympic slopes are situated, are connected<br />
to the city by tram and free ski bus. It is also<br />
easy for your clients to spend a day or more in the<br />
equally famous Tyrolean resorts of St. Anton and<br />
Kitzbuhel, and the lesser-known Kufstein.<br />
Another interesting daytrip side-trip is to nearby<br />
Wattens to the Swarovski <strong>World</strong> of Crystals, a combination<br />
museum and performance space of walk-through<br />
kaleidoscopes and exhibits of all things crystal, in the<br />
company’s headquarters town.<br />
Insbruck Tourism, www.insbruck.info<br />
Lillehammer, Norway – 1994<br />
The downhill slopes and extensive cross-country terrain<br />
of Kvitfjell, Hafjell, Skeikampen and Gala are accessible<br />
on a single skipass. Nordic, or cross-country,<br />
skiing is a family affair in Norway, and many groomed<br />
trails around Lillehammer feature picnic areas for allday<br />
excursions. This is the country’s premiere winter<br />
resort area, with a combination of long-standing snowsport<br />
traditions and a long season of dependable snow.<br />
New this season is a skier-cross course at Kvitfjell,<br />
where four skiers or snowboarders at a time race one another<br />
(this event made its first Olympic appearance at<br />
Turin this year as a snowboarder-cross). Off-slope activities<br />
include a ‘romperaciade’, racing downhill on<br />
old-fashioned wooden sleds, ice climbing lessons on a<br />
frozen waterfall, and dog sledding.<br />
Lillehammer long has been a favorite of British skiers,<br />
and has widened its appeal with Americans and<br />
Canadians since the Games a decade ago. Norway had<br />
such a good time hosting the festivities that they want<br />
to do it again. Your clients will be interested to know<br />
that Oslo and Lillehammer are is bidding for an<br />
Olympic return in 2018.<br />
Norwegian Tourist Board, www.visitnorway.com<br />
RESORTS WITH OLYMPIC<br />
CONNECTIONS: NORTH AMERICA<br />
It is likely that this year’s Winter Olympic<br />
Games in Turin, Italy, will keep interest<br />
in all things snow peaking this season<br />
for the U.S. and Canadian resorts where<br />
competitions have been held in past years.<br />
Salt Lake City – 2002<br />
Events were at resorts within a 30-minute drive of<br />
Salt Lake City, which capitalizes on its unmatched<br />
proximity to an international airport by offering free<br />
skiing to guests on day of arrival. Most skiers head to<br />
Park City, where there are three resorts, each with a different<br />
ambiance and an immense network of lifts.<br />
Park City Mountain Resort includes one lift from the<br />
town’s Main Street. Improvements this year include an<br />
expanded terrain park for snowboarders and improved<br />
snowmaking which will reduce both water and power<br />
consumption. Deer Valley, best known for its impeccable<br />
grooming and gourmet dining, has expanded its<br />
gladed terrain, through a forested area. There is also a<br />
new chairlift accessing intermediate terrain. Privately<br />
owned Deer Valley does not permit snowboarders.<br />
The third resort in Park City is The Canyons, which<br />
did not host events, although it garnered prominence<br />
and publicity as the location from where the NBC<br />
“Today” Show broadcast its coverage.<br />
Snowbasin, just north of SLC, had been a little-known<br />
favorite of locals for more than 60 years until it burst<br />
onto the national scene as the site of the men’s and<br />
women’s downhill races, with modern high-speed lifts<br />
that skiers love. Snowbasin has the same owner as Sun<br />
Valley, with similar spacious and elegant mid-mountain<br />
log lodges decorated with Venetian glass chandeliers and<br />
bronze animal sculptures. The town of Park City is<br />
lined with restored 1880s buildings, vestiges from its<br />
heyday as a gold and silver mining capital, although,<br />
today, most of the buildings contain boutiques or<br />
restaurants. This is where the Sundance Film Festival<br />
is held every January, started by Robert Redford, whose<br />
Sundance Resort is nearby, when the celebrities take<br />
over town, although not the slopes.<br />
Competitors train for future games at Olympic Park,<br />
where amateurs can take a ski-jumping lesson or take<br />
an adrenalin-charged 60-second ride on the bobsled<br />
run. The Soldier Hollow cross-country facility also is<br />
open to the public.<br />
Ski Utah, www.skiutah.com<br />
Calgary, Alberta – 1988<br />
Calgary gained international stature from hosting<br />
Canada’s first winter games, and is sure to pass on<br />
its experience to Vancouver, where the next event is<br />
being held in 2010. Downhill events were<br />
held in Banff, a pristine area within the Banff<br />
National Park, neighboring Lake Louise, where<br />
<strong>World</strong> Cup events continue to be held, and Mount<br />
Norquay, smallest of the three. The trio now<br />
markets itself as SkiBig3, with an interchangeable<br />
12 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
lift ticket that also includes Sunshine Village.<br />
Lake Louise is Canada’s largest single ski area<br />
(Vancouver’s Whistler-Blackcomb is two separate<br />
mountains whose sprawling base area and marketing<br />
have merged), with staggering views of the glacier and<br />
glacial lake for which it is named, and surrounding<br />
mountains. Most visitors stay in the lakeside Chateau<br />
Lake Louise. Fairmont also dominates the accommodations<br />
in Banff, with its Banff Springs Hotel, another<br />
historic property. The Olympic Oval, where hockey<br />
shares the ice with figure skaters, is in Calgary, less than<br />
one hour away, a cosmopolitan city with excellent museums,<br />
restaurants and entertainmnent.<br />
Ski Big Three, www.skibig3.com<br />
Lake Placid, New York – 1980 and 1932<br />
Surrounded by thousands of acres of Adirondak forest,<br />
Whiteface Mountain has the longest vertical in the<br />
East, with a plenty of steep and challenging Alpine runs<br />
and a gentler side with old-fashioned winding trails<br />
sheltered from the wind by thick stands of tall evergreens,<br />
also open for glade skiing. The resort averages<br />
168 inches of snow per season, one of the deepest snowfall<br />
totals in the east, so there’s reliable coverage for<br />
skiers and snowboarders.<br />
There are ample non-slope activities, as well. The<br />
Winter Olympic Museum, showcases historic uniforms<br />
and equipment, including from the memorable 1980<br />
“Miracle on Ice” hockey game between the USA and the<br />
Soviet Union. Visitors can take a few laps around the<br />
Olympic Speed Skating Oval and watch future<br />
Olympians train on the mile-long, 20-turn high speed<br />
track. Lake Placid has become an international luge<br />
center, and has just been awarded the 2009 <strong>World</strong><br />
Championships.<br />
Olympic Regional Development Authority, www.orda.org<br />
Squaw Valley, California – 1960<br />
There was a 12 foot dump of snow days before the<br />
Games, and local military troops were called in to bootpack<br />
the slopes. Much of the terrain here is wide-open<br />
bowls and slopes, with few marked trails, and the heady<br />
freedom and challenge of finding your own way down is<br />
what this skiing and snowboarding is really about. The<br />
view of Lake Tahoe, sparkling a deep cobalt blue in the<br />
sunlight, enhances the experience.<br />
Novices will find plenty of terrain at the High Camp<br />
area, named for a spectacular mid-mountain facility<br />
that includes an ice skating rink. The Resort at Squaw<br />
Creek has direct access to the slopes via its own chairlift;<br />
the similarly upscale Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe<br />
has a shuttle bus.<br />
Squaw Valley is at the north end of the lake, but the<br />
action is at South Lake Tahoe and Reno, each just about<br />
Taking time to relax on Utah’s slopes.<br />
30 minutes away, with slot machines, gaming tables<br />
and Vegas-style revues at the casino hotels. Or, take a<br />
sunset dinner cruise aboard one of the old-fashioned<br />
paddle-wheelers that ply the lake.<br />
Squaw Valley USA, www.squaw.com<br />
ResortQuest, with more than 3,000 condo units and<br />
rental homes in Utah, Colorado, Idaho and British<br />
Columbia, has a policy new this season allowing guests<br />
to relocate accommodations to another resort if snow<br />
conditions do not meet their expectations.<br />
ResortQuest, www.resortquest.com<br />
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DAN CAMPBELL<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 13
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
Charm and Comfort in Tanzania at<br />
Moivaro Lodges and Tented Camps<br />
Distinctive properties and exciting itineraries make for an unforgettable stay in<br />
East Africa.<br />
By Jennifer M. Lane<br />
The Moivaro Lodges and<br />
Tented Camps, in<br />
Tanzania, East Africa offer<br />
a variety of properties<br />
where guests will find a<br />
charming atmosphere together<br />
with every comfort, creating an ideal<br />
spot to enjoy the impressive flora and fauna<br />
of East Africa. Their properties include<br />
Moivaro Lodge in Arusha, Kia Lodge in<br />
Kilimanjaro, Fumba Beach Lodge, Lake<br />
Manyara Tented Camp, Serengeti Tented<br />
Camp, and Lake Natron Tented Camp.<br />
At Moivaro Lodge, guests are looked after<br />
in a unique, friendly and peaceful environment.<br />
These picturesque garden cottages<br />
each boast their own veranda and all modern<br />
comforts. Facilities include a swimmingpool,<br />
children's play ground, nature trail,<br />
massage room, internet facilities and room service.<br />
Guests can share the local experience of the Moivaro<br />
Village Tour which includes the great local banana beer<br />
brewery, locally operated biogas, the culture of the Maasai<br />
living in the village, a beautiful view of Namasi Hill, the<br />
Ngurumansi Crater, and the school and local shops.<br />
“Your Door to Tanzania”<br />
KIA Lodge in Kilimanjaro is located in the heart of savannah<br />
scenery typical of East Africa. Centrally placed<br />
between the northern towns of Moshi and Arusha, KIA<br />
Lodge is ideally situated for any journey, be it climbing<br />
the world's highest free standing mountain or starting a<br />
safari into the Serengeti National Park or Ngorongoro<br />
Crater.<br />
KIA Lodge has 40 en-suite air conditioned rooms.<br />
Designed to compliment the setting, each cottage is built<br />
in traditional style using thatch and Tanzanian arts and<br />
crafts, such as Tinga tinga paintings and Makunde carvings,<br />
giving it a distinctly African feeling.<br />
The swimming pool is located on top of a hill affording<br />
a breathtaking panoramic view of Mount Kilimanjaro,<br />
Mount Meru, the Maasai steppe and the blue mountains.<br />
Indulge Your Senses in Zanzibar<br />
Nestled in the southwest of the exquisite island of<br />
Zanzibar, Fumba Beach Lodge is a 30 minute drive from<br />
The swimming pool is located on top of a hill affording a breathtaking panoramic view of<br />
Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, the Maasai steppe and the blue mountains<br />
Zanzibar's International airport in Stone Town.<br />
Whitewashed Zanzibari style en-suite bungalows with<br />
their own verandahs are scattered along the beach ensuring<br />
private views of the ocean.<br />
Three naturally formed coves protect the beaches<br />
around the lodge and provide seclusion and tranquility.<br />
In the open air restaurant, enjoy fresh seafood along with<br />
an array of international and local dishes. For day time<br />
excitement, there is scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming<br />
with the dolphins, a sunset cruise, Stone Town tour and<br />
more.<br />
Tanzania’s Water Wonderland<br />
Lying in a shallow depression of the Great East African<br />
Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park spreads out<br />
across the valley, the alkaline lake dominating a vast<br />
landscape. Often called Tanzania's water wonderland due<br />
to the large number of birds and animals the lake supports,<br />
Lake Manyara is also famous for its tree-climbing<br />
lions often to be found dozing in the shade up in the<br />
branch of a tree - a unique phenomenon to the area.<br />
Lake Manyara Tented camp is a short drive from the<br />
park entrance through Migunguni Village. The camp is<br />
nestled away in a quiet corner of acacia forest, and A-<br />
frame style tents are placed around a central glade, offering<br />
privacy but still only a short walk to the restaurant<br />
and bar.<br />
MOIVARO LODGES AND TENTED CAMPS<br />
14 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
For a slightly more active stay, there are a range of activities<br />
available. Night Game Drives offer a chance to see<br />
nocturnal creatures such as porcupines, bush babies,<br />
bush buck, hippos, mongoose, civets and a number of<br />
nocturnal birds. Also at night, the famous 'tree climbing<br />
lions' will actually be on the ground, a much better way<br />
to view them. The guide will also call up frogs, teach<br />
guests more about the African night skies and point out<br />
night sounds in the forest.<br />
Guests can also enjoy Lake Manyara from the air<br />
(1,500 feet up) with a once in a lifetime experience Micro<br />
lighting across the Rift Valley. Mountain Biking and<br />
guided village walks or forest walks are also available.<br />
Comfort at a Bush Camp<br />
Set in the midst of a vista of savannah and skies, and<br />
sheltered in a grove of acacia trees is Serengeti Tented<br />
Camp. Ideally located along the path of the migrating<br />
wildebeest between Kenya and Tanzania, the camp is situated<br />
at the border of the world-renowned Serengeti<br />
National Park. Here is one of the best game drives in the<br />
area - along the western corridor of the park, taking in<br />
Kirawira and the Grumeti River - home to the infamous<br />
wildebeest-eating giant crocodiles. There is no better<br />
place to take in one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles.<br />
Comfort is the key to a relaxing and enjoyable safari<br />
- even in a bush camp. Each tent has its own en-suite<br />
bathroom, modern furnishings and private verandah.<br />
The central restaurant and bar area boast a large fireplace<br />
- an ideal spot to unwind after a long day.<br />
As the Camp is located just outside the national park<br />
boundary it is possible to do night drives and guided<br />
game walks. The night drives are a unique opportunity<br />
to see some of the nocturnal animals that one usually<br />
only hears about, such as leopard, aardvark and bat-eared<br />
foxes. A game walk with a ranger is an incredibly exciting<br />
and safe way to experience the bush and its inhabitants<br />
at close range. Choose an early morning walk followed<br />
by breakfast in the bush or sundowners at the close<br />
of the day.<br />
a cold drink and good food at the end of an arduous<br />
climb, or long days walking.<br />
Activities at Lake Natron Tented Camp include climbing<br />
L'Engai with an experienced guide. If a slightly less<br />
demanding walk would suit, they can arrange for a walk<br />
followed by either a picnic breakfast or sundowners by the<br />
lake. There is a nearby freshwater waterfall to swim, cool<br />
off and relax.<br />
Suggested Itineraries<br />
In addition to their distinctive properties, Moivaro offers<br />
exciting itineraries in the surrounding areas.<br />
Suggested seven-day programs could include: Day 1 arrival<br />
from the U.S. with an overnight at Kia Lodge. Day<br />
2: Arusha with an overnight at Moivara Lodge. Day 3:<br />
Safari in Tarangire National Park or Manyara National<br />
Park with an overnight at Lake Manyara Tented Camps.<br />
Day 4: Safari, with an overnight at Lake Natron Tented<br />
Camp. Day 5: A Serengeti Safari, with an overnight at<br />
Serengeti Tented Camps. Day 6: Safari to the Serengeti.<br />
Day 7: Return to Arusha and depart for home. There is<br />
also opportunity for an optional extension to Zanzibar<br />
with a stay at the Stone Town Hotel and Fumba Beach<br />
Lodge.<br />
Moivaro Lodges and Tented Camps, www.moivaro.com<br />
Nature at its Purest<br />
Wild and remote Lake Natron lies in the northeast of<br />
Tanzania in between the Ngorongoro Highlands and<br />
Serengeti Plains. It is situated at the base of Africa's only<br />
active volcano Oldonyo L'Engai (Mountain of God).<br />
Home to millions of tiny crustaceans, the lake is a haven<br />
for thousands of lesser flamingo's and it is one of the most<br />
important flamingo breeding grounds on earth.<br />
Unique in its setting, Lake Natron Camp is set back in<br />
a grove of trees slightly removed from the dusty terrain<br />
of the lake. Modern and clean A-framed safari tents offer<br />
showers, comfortable beds and a verandah with a private<br />
view. A fully stocked bar and restaurant ensure you have<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 15
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
ATA Gearing up for 32nd International<br />
Congress and Marketing Congress in<br />
Ethiopia in May 2007<br />
An interview with ATA executive director Edward J. Bergman.<br />
It may be only December, but it’s not too early<br />
to start thinking about Ethiopia next May.<br />
Ethiopia? May 2007? Yes. That’s where and<br />
when Africa <strong>Travel</strong> Association (ATA) will be<br />
holding its 32nd international congress and<br />
marketing congress. What’s ATA? An international<br />
travel industry association that’s been promoting<br />
tourism to the African continent and intra-Africa travel<br />
and partnerships since 1975. Its annual congress is held<br />
in a different country each year to spotlight the continent’s<br />
tourism as a catalyst of economic growth, and an<br />
instrument for sustainable development. In 2007,<br />
Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa will be the venue<br />
for the event. <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>News</strong> met recently with<br />
Edward Bergman, ATA’s new executive director, for a preview<br />
of the congress.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>News</strong>: Why is ATA’s annual congress important<br />
to mark on our calendars?<br />
K I A L O D G E<br />
K I L I M A N J A R O<br />
I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T<br />
L A K E M A N Y A R A<br />
e m a i l :<br />
r e s e r v a t i o n s @ m o i v a r o . c o m<br />
w w w . m o i v a r o . c o m<br />
M O I V A R O C O F F E E<br />
P L A N T A T I O N & L O D G E<br />
A R U S H A<br />
S E R E N G E T I<br />
F U M B A B E A C H<br />
Z A N Z I B A R<br />
L A K E N A T R O N &<br />
O L D O N Y O L E N G A I<br />
Edward Bergman: Well, one<br />
of our primary goals is to retain<br />
and expand our membership<br />
both here and in Africa.<br />
For those who’ve attended<br />
previous congresses in other<br />
parts of the continent,<br />
Ethiopia’s another very attractive<br />
African destination<br />
to learn about. And for tour<br />
operators and travel agents<br />
who haven’t attended yet, the<br />
congress is a great “on-site”<br />
way to experience how we<br />
EDWARD J. BERGMAN<br />
showcase ATA as the premier<br />
African tourism marketing organization. Plus, we’ve<br />
timed it around the same time as INDABA (in South<br />
Africa), to make it easy to take in both events. We’ve been<br />
working closely with our new ATA president, Ghana’s<br />
minister of tourism, the Hon. Jake Obestebi-Lamptey,<br />
along with Hon. Tadelech Dalacho, Ethiopia’s state minister<br />
of culture and tourism, to make our 2007 congress<br />
a “must” for travel professionals.<br />
TWN: 2007 will mark ATA’s 32nd annual congress, and<br />
your first as director – how will this upcoming one differ?<br />
EB: ATA is only US-based tourism association to hold<br />
annual congresses in Africa, and the 2007 congress in<br />
Ethiopia presents an extraordinary opportunity to draw<br />
from our association’s rich history and grow even<br />
stronger. Not only do we have US delegates attending our<br />
congresses, we draw African suppliers and tour operators<br />
from around the continent — it’s a perfect weeklong opportunity<br />
for serious — and actionable —networking!<br />
Plus, the timing of it — during Ethiopia’s Millennium<br />
celebration — adds to the excitement.<br />
TWN: Can you provide logistics – dates, venue for the congress?<br />
EB:The dates are May 6–10, 2007. Final program and<br />
lodging details are still being worked out, but I can tell<br />
you the program will involve rotating venues to showcase<br />
Addis Ababa’s world-class meeting and conference centers.<br />
Addis is headquarters to both the Organization of<br />
African Unity and the United Nations Economic<br />
Commission for Africa, which means a selection of excellent<br />
meeting facilities.<br />
TWN: How about getting there? Air access?<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18<br />
16 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
ATA Gearing up for 32nd International<br />
Congress and Marketing Congress in<br />
Ethiopia in May 2007<br />
An interview with ATA executive director Edward J. Bergman.<br />
It may be only December, but it’s not too early<br />
to start thinking about Ethiopia next May.<br />
Ethiopia? May 2007? Yes. That’s where and<br />
when Africa <strong>Travel</strong> Association (ATA) will be<br />
holding its 32nd international congress and<br />
marketing congress. What’s ATA? An international<br />
travel industry association that’s been promoting<br />
tourism to the African continent and intra-Africa travel<br />
and partnerships since 1975. Its annual congress is held<br />
in a different country each year to spotlight the continent’s<br />
tourism as a catalyst of economic growth, and an<br />
instrument for sustainable development. In 2007,<br />
Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa will be the venue<br />
for the event. <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>News</strong> met recently with<br />
Edward Bergman, ATA’s new executive director, for a preview<br />
of the congress.<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>News</strong>: Why is ATA’s annual congress important<br />
to mark on our calendars?<br />
K I A L O D G E<br />
K I L I M A N J A R O<br />
I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T<br />
L A K E M A N Y A R A<br />
e m a i l :<br />
r e s e r v a t i o n s @ m o i v a r o . c o m<br />
w w w . m o i v a r o . c o m<br />
M O I V A R O C O F F E E<br />
P L A N T A T I O N & L O D G E<br />
A R U S H A<br />
S E R E N G E T I<br />
F U M B A B E A C H<br />
Z A N Z I B A R<br />
L A K E N A T R O N &<br />
O L D O N Y O L E N G A I<br />
Edward Bergman: Well, one<br />
of our primary goals is to retain<br />
and expand our membership<br />
both here and in Africa.<br />
For those who’ve attended<br />
previous congresses in other<br />
parts of the continent,<br />
Ethiopia’s another very attractive<br />
African destination<br />
to learn about. And for tour<br />
operators and travel agents<br />
who haven’t attended yet, the<br />
congress is a great “on-site”<br />
way to experience how we<br />
EDWARD J. BERGMAN<br />
showcase ATA as the premier<br />
African tourism marketing organization. Plus, we’ve<br />
timed it around the same time as INDABA (in South<br />
Africa), to make it easy to take in both events. We’ve been<br />
working closely with our new ATA president, Ghana’s<br />
minister of tourism, the Hon. Jake Obestebi-Lamptey,<br />
along with Hon. Tadelech Dalacho, Ethiopia’s state minister<br />
of culture and tourism, to make our 2007 congress<br />
a “must” for travel professionals.<br />
TWN: 2007 will mark ATA’s 32nd annual congress, and<br />
your first as director – how will this upcoming one differ?<br />
EB: ATA is only US-based tourism association to hold<br />
annual congresses in Africa, and the 2007 congress in<br />
Ethiopia presents an extraordinary opportunity to draw<br />
from our association’s rich history and grow even<br />
stronger. Not only do we have US delegates attending our<br />
congresses, we draw African suppliers and tour operators<br />
from around the continent — it’s a perfect weeklong opportunity<br />
for serious — and actionable —networking!<br />
Plus, the timing of it — during Ethiopia’s Millennium<br />
celebration — adds to the excitement.<br />
TWN: Can you provide logistics – dates, venue for the congress?<br />
EB:The dates are May 6–10, 2007. Final program and<br />
lodging details are still being worked out, but I can tell<br />
you the program will involve rotating venues to showcase<br />
Addis Ababa’s world-class meeting and conference centers.<br />
Addis is headquarters to both the Organization of<br />
African Unity and the United Nations Economic<br />
Commission for Africa, which means a selection of excellent<br />
meeting facilities.<br />
TWN: How about getting there? Air access?<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18<br />
16 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
ATA FROM PAGE 16<br />
EB: We’re working with the national<br />
carrier – Ethiopian Airlines –<br />
to provide attractive air transport.<br />
More details to follow.<br />
TWN: What’s the average turnout for<br />
ATA congresses?<br />
EB: It’s been averaging around<br />
300, and we’re trying to increase attendance.<br />
TWN: What would you like buyers here<br />
to especially know about the congress?<br />
EB: While the congress is important<br />
for tourism across the continent,<br />
buyers and agents should know that<br />
there’ll be many Ethiopian suppliers<br />
and government representatives in<br />
attendance. ATA has already hosted<br />
two pre-congress events in Addis to<br />
attract attention and build excitement<br />
about the congress, and had<br />
large turnout from the travel community…we<br />
all recognize how the<br />
congress can be an important tool in<br />
helping tourism become an increasingly<br />
important source of job creation<br />
and revenue for Ethiopia.<br />
TWN: Who should attend the congress?<br />
EB: Since we’re a tourism-centric<br />
association, our membership includes<br />
anyone involved in selling or<br />
promoting the African continent as a<br />
destination…as the industry continues<br />
to grow and transform, we want<br />
to welcome an increasingly diverse<br />
group of attendees, including:Tour<br />
operators interested in or already<br />
selling Ethiopia/Africa; Individuals<br />
who lead tour groups (NGOs, religious<br />
groups, educational institutions,<br />
research groups, etc);<br />
Government agencies and leaders<br />
with an interest in expanding travel<br />
trade to their respective countries;<br />
Young people who have interest in<br />
working in tourism industry;<br />
Diasporans looking to reconnect<br />
with their homeland through building<br />
links with Ethiopia and a continent-wide<br />
gathering of representatives;<br />
Anyone with an open mind<br />
toward exploring a culturally rich<br />
destination.<br />
TWN: Can you describe the program of<br />
events?<br />
EB: Details are still being worked<br />
out…we’re committed to ensuring<br />
that all sessions will be not only interesting,<br />
but actionable…plans are<br />
to make this congress interactive,<br />
and combine general interest sessions<br />
with practical workshops to encourage<br />
real give-and-take participation<br />
among delegates. Session titles?<br />
Not finalized yet, but to give a general<br />
idea, previous congresses have<br />
included “Doing Business Together,”<br />
wherein African and North American<br />
tour operators, organizers and local<br />
ground operators tackled issues/obstacles<br />
to realizing the dream of a<br />
prosperous, tourism-based economy;<br />
“Open Skies & African Tourism<br />
Challenges,” featuring presentations<br />
by a continent-wide panel of airline<br />
executives; and “Marketing<br />
Africa”— a roundtable with US<br />
travel agents and tour operators, and<br />
African ground operators.<br />
TWN: Anything being planned that’s<br />
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totally new?<br />
EB: ATA’s congresses offer something<br />
unique — we’re always attended<br />
by a fair number of African<br />
tourism ministers from our member<br />
countries. We’re organizing roundtables<br />
with the ministers, which will<br />
allow buyers and suppliers to have<br />
actual one-on-one interaction with<br />
one another in a relatively informal<br />
setting. What a great way to get firsthand<br />
information and forge practical<br />
professional relationships! Also on<br />
the meeting “menu,” we’re exploring<br />
the possibility of having one day of<br />
the program devoted to concurrent<br />
sessions focused on different attending<br />
countries, again, providing real<br />
opportunities for up-close-and personal,<br />
results-oriented networking.<br />
TWN: Past congresses have included a<br />
“Host Country Day.” Will this be part<br />
of the 2007 program?<br />
EB: Of course — it’s the best way<br />
to give delegates a taste of<br />
Ethiopia…they’ll be shown some of<br />
the highlights in and around Addis<br />
Ababa. We’re also encouraging people<br />
to spend some time exploring this<br />
fascinating country before or after<br />
the congress on one of pre- and posttours<br />
that’ll be offered…. remember,<br />
this is the land of the Queen of Sheba<br />
and the source of the Blue Nile!<br />
TWN: So, what’s the goal of this next –<br />
your first as director – congress in<br />
Ethiopia?<br />
EB: Beginning in December, we’ll<br />
be intensifying marketing efforts to<br />
promote the congress. Besides wanting<br />
everyone who attends to feel the<br />
magic of the country — and continent<br />
—, our plans for the congress<br />
are right in line with our goal of making<br />
ATA truly a global organization<br />
that fosters public/private partnerships,<br />
along with strong government<br />
partnerships and growing public participation,<br />
as well as the premier<br />
African tourism marketing organization.<br />
Hope to see you there!<br />
Africa <strong>Travel</strong> Association, info@<br />
africatravelassociation, www.africa<br />
travelassociation.org<br />
18 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
TANZANIA<br />
N A T I O N A L P A R K S<br />
www.tanzaniaparks.com
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
CORINTHIA ATLANTIC HOTEL<br />
OFFERS THE EXPERIENCE OF A<br />
LIFETIME IN THE GAMBIA<br />
Recently refurbished and set in extensive<br />
gardens on The Gambia's coastline and a 10-<br />
minute walk away from the centre of the<br />
Country's capital Banjul, the four-star Corinthia<br />
Atlantic Hotel is one of the longest established<br />
and best renowned hotels in The Gambia.<br />
The hotel is located 20 minutes away from<br />
the International airport and provides opportunities<br />
for both a relaxing and a more adventurous<br />
holiday.<br />
The hotel's 204 well-appointed and air-conditioned<br />
bedrooms and suites, all with en-suite<br />
bathrooms,offer comfort and panoramic views<br />
of the great River Gambia, or of the surrounding<br />
tropical gardens.<br />
Amazing arrays of facilities in the hotel combine<br />
to offer a holiday experience of a lifetime.<br />
These include: a choice of two restaurants; waterfront<br />
pizza terrace & grill; pool and beach<br />
bars; freshwater swimming pool; children's<br />
pool; tennis, volleyball and squash courts; hairdressing<br />
salon; gift shop; laundry and drycleaning;<br />
baby-sitting service; safety deposit<br />
boxes; in-house entertainment; animation<br />
team; excursion programs; Crazy Golf; watersports;<br />
and 24-hour room service.<br />
An exciting trip up the river, a boat safari taking<br />
in traditional African villages, an excursion<br />
to nearby Senegal, bird watching in the hotel's<br />
own bird sanctuary, guided ornithological expeditions,<br />
beach-casting from a nearby beach -<br />
- all these options and more are readily available<br />
from the base at the Corinthia Atlantic<br />
Hotel.<br />
Guests wanting a more relaxed holiday can<br />
take a leisurely stroll round the hotel's six acres<br />
of landscaped grounds, enjoy a quiet swim in<br />
the pool, play a game of tennis in the hotel's<br />
court or a round of golf at the Fajara Golf<br />
course, which is 15 minutes away. Or guests<br />
may simply want to bask in the suns on the adjoining<br />
beach - a favorite pastime of many.<br />
The Hotel's ambience of tranquility has been<br />
achieved through many years' experience of<br />
serving visitors from all over the world.<br />
Corinthia Hotels, www.corinthiahotels.com<br />
CUSTOMIZED BLACK HISTORY<br />
TOURS AND EVENTS WITH<br />
SONQUA SOLUTIONS<br />
Sonqua Solutions is a black owned event<br />
management and tourism company based in<br />
Cape Town, South Africa. The company organizes<br />
and manages customized black history<br />
tours and events which promote the rich history,culture<br />
and traditions of the Black and indigenous<br />
people of the country.<br />
“We provide clients with an authentic and<br />
interactive Black South African experience,”<br />
says Marlene Bossett, CEO of Sonqua<br />
Solutions.“Our tours seek to highlight the reality<br />
of Black South Africans, and provides<br />
clients with the opportunity of learning about<br />
the South African slave trade and its similarities<br />
with the North American slave trade,”<br />
adds Marlene.<br />
Phill Bossett, an African American who has<br />
lived in South Africa for the past 12 years, coowns<br />
Sonqua, and is a registered South<br />
African tour guide. “Our tours also highlight<br />
the similarities between the African American<br />
experience and that of Black South Africans<br />
under apartheid,” says Phill.“All our services<br />
are individually tailored to cater for clients’<br />
unique needs.”<br />
Sonqua also secures historical, political and<br />
cultural venues for weddings and renewal of<br />
vows, book launches and promotions, birthdays<br />
and parties, corporate functions, conferences,<br />
workshops and think tanks, and turns<br />
them into authentic, unique and unforgettable<br />
African experiences. Sonqua’s product<br />
offering includes: all aspects of organizing<br />
and managing the event, Slave and Black history<br />
tours, authentic interaction with locals,<br />
Diversity Management workshops, Malaria<br />
free indigenous safaris, Black wine tours, an<br />
indigenous culinary tour, and accommodation<br />
and secure child care facilities.<br />
Sonqua, www.sonqua.com<br />
20 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
ZAMBIAN SAFARI COMPANY<br />
IS ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR<br />
ZAMBIA AND SOUTHERN AFRICA<br />
The Zambian Safari Company is a one stop<br />
shop for all travel to Zambia and Southern<br />
Africa. They can provide hotel/lodge reservations,<br />
conducted tours, incentive travel, package<br />
tours, fly-in safaris, budget and student<br />
travel, local and international travel, cultural<br />
travel, and specific/personal tour requirements.<br />
They are an IATA accredited travel<br />
agency and have been a leading Zambian Tour<br />
Operator since 1997. The company is fully<br />
Zambian owned and run, and licensed and<br />
sanctioned by The Zambia National Tourist<br />
Board.<br />
Mr. Nickson Chilangwa – AHCIMA, the CEO, is<br />
fully trained with 18 years of working experience<br />
in various aspect aspects of tourism industry,<br />
such as hotel management, tour operations,and<br />
travel agencies,and he has served on<br />
the examination panel for the Examination<br />
Council of Zambia for the last five years.<br />
The beginning of 2006 saw the launch of<br />
tourist coaches by ZAMSAF Coaches, part of<br />
their touring division between Lusaka and<br />
Livingstone (The Victoria Falls); Lusaka and<br />
Kawambwa (the least known tourist route of<br />
Zambia taking people to Chief mwata<br />
Kazembe’s area and the waterfalls of Northen<br />
Zambia); and coming soon will be a coach service<br />
between Lusaka and Mfuwe (The South<br />
Luangwa National Park).<br />
The Zambian Safari Company launched<br />
Mushroom Presidential House and Lodge at<br />
the 2006 WTM in London. Coming up in 2007,<br />
the company plans to launch of a coach safari<br />
to cover three countries, namely South Africa,<br />
Botswana and Zambia. It will be a joint venture<br />
between High Point <strong>Travel</strong> and Tours of South<br />
Africa and the Zambian Safari Company. They<br />
will also launch Lusaka – South Luangwa<br />
tourist coach service to cater for individual<br />
budget travelers, student travelers, group travelers<br />
and others.The launch of this service will<br />
reduce the cost of travel between Lusaka and<br />
Zambia’s premier Safari Park approximately 15<br />
percent of the current cost of air travel (about<br />
$316). They will also launch a Mutomboko<br />
Cultural Ceremony Tour from July 27-29, 2007,<br />
with options of other add-ons such as a tour to<br />
South Luangwa and Victoria Falls.<br />
The Zambian Safari Company, reservations<br />
@zamsaf.co.zm, www.zambiansafari.com<br />
EXPERIENCE NAMIBIA BY TRAIN<br />
WITH ABENTEUER AFRIKA SAFARI<br />
Until a few months ago, Namibia, which borders<br />
the Atlantic Ocean in Southern Africa, has<br />
been a well-kept secret to all but the most seasoned<br />
travelers.<br />
Now, it is sought by the cognoscenti – and<br />
adventure travelers – as word spreads of its<br />
captivating natural beauty, warm and hospitable<br />
people, and never-ending list of things<br />
to see and do.<br />
The ideal introduction to Namibia is with<br />
Abenteuer Afrika Safari’s four-day/three-night<br />
weekend tour that begins with an overnight on<br />
the Desert Express, which enables guests to experience<br />
the wide open spaces and sunrises<br />
and sunsets that manifest this destination as<br />
you traverse the country.<br />
Rates for this journey include transfers to the<br />
train, overnight on train with meals, accommodation<br />
in Swakopmund Hotel with bed and<br />
breakfast, and transfers back to airport.<br />
Depending on the time of year, rates start at<br />
$510 ppdo<br />
Abenteuer Afrika Safari, dorban@abenteuerafrika.com,<br />
www.abenteuerafrika.com<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 21
THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
GREAT MIGRATION IN TANZANIA<br />
NAMED NEW SEVENTH WONDER<br />
OF THE WORLD<br />
In a joint project undertaken by USA TODAY<br />
and ABC-TV’s Good Morning America, a multidisciplined<br />
panel has named the “Site of the<br />
Great Migration,” which includes Tanzania’s<br />
Serengeti National Park, as the Seventh New<br />
Wonder of the <strong>World</strong>.<br />
The announcement broke simultaneously on<br />
Good Morning America, with over 13 million<br />
viewers, and in the pages of USA TODAY, which<br />
has a daily readership of over 2,000,000.<br />
Author Bruce Feiler (Walking in the Bible),<br />
one of the panelists who selected the Seven<br />
New Wonders, notes in USA TODAY that “the<br />
An extraordinary Safari Experience.<br />
Operators of:<br />
• Kigoma Hiltop Hotel,<br />
Kigoma Town<br />
• Nkungwe Tented Camp,<br />
Mahale National Park<br />
• Gombe Tented Camp,<br />
Gombe National Park<br />
• Katuma Katavi Tented Camp,<br />
Katavi National Park<br />
Specialists in<br />
Safaris to<br />
Gombe,<br />
Mahale<br />
and Katavi<br />
National Parks<br />
KIGOMA HILTOP HOTEL<br />
AND CHIMPANZEE SAFARIS<br />
Email: info@chimpanzeesafaris.com<br />
Website: www.chimpanzeesafaris.com<br />
THOMSON SAFARIS/ANDY BIGGS<br />
Serengeti is not only a natural wonder that<br />
takes your breath away, but it symbolizes years<br />
of human endeavor to conserve the natural<br />
world.” He continues: “it transplants you to a<br />
time when humans were secondary on earth.”<br />
The annual Great Migration of one million<br />
wildebeest and 200,000 zebras is one of the<br />
most fascinating aspects of life on the<br />
Serengeti. Gerald Bigurube, Director General,<br />
Tanzania National Parks, notes that “the animals<br />
spend most of their time in the Serengeti,<br />
8-9 months a year,because of the availability of<br />
ample food resources.<br />
It is also in the Serengeti that they ensure<br />
their species’ survival by calving and nurturing<br />
their young.” The Great Migration begins from<br />
the northern hills to the southern plains every<br />
October and November, then moves west and<br />
north after the long rains in April, May and<br />
June.<br />
Tour Operators often prefer taking their<br />
clients to Tanzania for the best Great Migration<br />
experience.<br />
Tanzania, www.tanzaniatouristboard.com;<br />
Serengeti, www.tanzaniaparks.com<br />
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EXPERIENCE THE AWARD<br />
WINNING SERVICES OF GREEN<br />
LAND TOURS IN ETHIOPIA<br />
Multi-award-winning Green Land Tours of<br />
Ethiopia was established in 1997 and is staffed<br />
with experienced tour operators, guides, driver-guides<br />
and cooks, who have traveled<br />
widely throughout Ethiopia and beyond its<br />
borders. Their well equipped transportation<br />
fleet includes 4x4 Land Cruisers and 4WD<br />
buses in excellent condition, suitable for<br />
Ethiopia's climate and road conditions both<br />
within and across Ethiopia's boundaries.Their<br />
cooks,experienced professionals trained in certified<br />
colleges throughout the country, are able<br />
to prepare delicious local and international<br />
meals. In addition to running a tour and travel<br />
company, Green Land Tours manages several<br />
resorts,hotels,eco-lodges and campsites in different<br />
parts of the country. These include<br />
Swaynes Hotel (Arba Minch), Evangadi Lodge<br />
(Turmi), Wenney Eco-lodge (Langano Lake)<br />
and Yemereha Hotel (Lalibela).<br />
They are members of the Eco-tourism<br />
Association of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Hotels<br />
Association, the Ethiopian Tour Operators<br />
Association, the African <strong>Travel</strong> Association, the<br />
Association for the Promotion of Tourism to<br />
Africa and the International Ecotourism<br />
Society. Their award winning services include<br />
leisure tours, business travel, educational tours,<br />
car rentals, hotel reservations, flight tickets, excursions,<br />
safaris, mountain and desert trekking,<br />
horse riding and camel safaris, bird-watching,<br />
fishing, and honeymoon vacations. Other services<br />
are also available upon request.<br />
Green Land Tours, booking@greenland<br />
ethiopia.com, angela@greenlandethiopia.<br />
com, acfairbank@shaw.ca, www.greenland<br />
ethiopia.com, www.acfairbankconsulting.<br />
ca/glt.htm<br />
EXECUTIVE OFFICE<br />
50 Washington Street • South Norwalk, CT 06854-2710<br />
Voice: 203-853-4955 • Fax: 203-866-1153<br />
www.travelworldnews.com<br />
Charles Gatt, Jr., Publisher<br />
charlie@travelworldnews.com<br />
Peter C. Gatt, Associate Publisher<br />
pgatt@travelworldnews.com<br />
Jennifer M. Lane, Editor<br />
editor@travelworldnews.com<br />
Linda Rogers, Design Production Manager<br />
production@travelworldnews.com<br />
For Online Subscription, Renewal or Change of Address:<br />
www.travelworldnews.com/subscribe<br />
COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Trains Unlimited, Tours; Moivaro Lodges and<br />
Tented Camps; Ayurvedic Natural Health Centre; Lee Cohen, Ski Utah.<br />
22 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • DECEMBER 2006
PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS<br />
resource directory<br />
ACCESSIBLE/DISABILITY<br />
SATH<br />
800-513-1125<br />
www.sath.org<br />
ADVENTURE<br />
Amazon Explorama Lodges<br />
800-707-5275<br />
amazon@explorama.com<br />
www.explorama.com<br />
Crillon Tours<br />
www.titicaca.com<br />
Dubai<br />
www.dubaitourism.ae<br />
India Government Tourist Office<br />
800-953-9399<br />
ny@itonyc.com<br />
www.incredibleindia.org<br />
Inka Natura <strong>Travel</strong><br />
postmaster@inkanatura.com.pe<br />
www.inkanatura.com<br />
Prom Peru<br />
866-661-PERU<br />
www.peru.info<br />
AFRICA CULTURAL/SAFARIS<br />
Africa <strong>Travel</strong> Association<br />
212-447-1357<br />
info@africantravelassociation.org<br />
www.africantravelassociation.org<br />
Association for the<br />
Promotion of Africa<br />
info@apta.biz<br />
www.apta.biz<br />
Chimpanzee Safaris<br />
info@chimpanzeesafaris.com<br />
www.chimpanzeesafaris.com<br />
Congo <strong>Travel</strong> & Hotels (CTH)<br />
cthcongo travel@yahoo.fr<br />
www.travel-congo.com<br />
Ethiopian Tourism Commission<br />
info@tourismethiopia.org<br />
www.tourismethiopia.org<br />
Gambia Tourism Authority<br />
info@gta.gm<br />
www.visitthegambia.com<br />
Goway<br />
800-387-8850<br />
www.goway.com<br />
Green Land Tours<br />
info@greenlandethiopia.com<br />
www.greenlandethiopia.com<br />
Hatari Lodge<br />
marlies@theafricanembassy.com<br />
www.hatarilodge.com<br />
Moivaro Coffee Plantation<br />
Lodges & Tented Camps<br />
reservations@moivaro.com<br />
www.moivaro.com<br />
AFRICA CULTURAL/SAFARIS<br />
Ngorongoro Conservation<br />
Area Authority<br />
www.ngorongoro-crater-africa.org<br />
Tanzania National Parks<br />
www.tanzaniaparks.com<br />
Tanzania Tourist Board<br />
safari@ud.co.tz<br />
www.tanzaniatouristboard.com<br />
The Zambian Safari Company<br />
reservations@zamsaf.co.zm<br />
www.zambiansafari.com<br />
CRUISES<br />
Cruceros Australis<br />
877-678-3772<br />
australis@bellsouth.net<br />
www.australis.com<br />
Discovery <strong>World</strong> Cruises<br />
866-623-2689<br />
www.discoveryworldcruises.com<br />
Louis Cruise Lines<br />
www.louiscruises.com<br />
Monarch Classic Cruises<br />
800 881 2377<br />
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises<br />
800 327 2601<br />
info@windjammer.com<br />
www.windjammer.com<br />
DIVE<br />
Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas<br />
800 327 6709<br />
info@maduro.com<br />
www.maduro.com<br />
Sunbreeze Hotel<br />
800-688-0191<br />
www.sunbreeze.net<br />
Turneffe Flats<br />
888-512-8812<br />
tflats@rapidnet.com<br />
www.tflats.com<br />
FISHING<br />
Turneffe Flats<br />
888-512-8812<br />
tflats@rapidnet.com<br />
www.tflats.com<br />
ECOTOURISM<br />
Amazon Explorama Lodges<br />
800-707-5275<br />
amazon@explorama.com<br />
www.explorama.com<br />
Inka Natura <strong>Travel</strong><br />
postmaster@inkanatura.com.pe<br />
www.inkanatura.com<br />
Prom Peru<br />
866-661-PERU<br />
www.peru.info.com<br />
GOLF<br />
Dubai<br />
www.dubaitourism.ae<br />
LUXURY<br />
Marbella Options<br />
800-293-9709<br />
marbella@marbellaoptions.com<br />
www.marbellaoptions.com<br />
Riviera Maya Tourism<br />
Promotion Board<br />
info@rivieramaya.com<br />
www.rivieramaya.com<br />
RAIL<br />
ACP Rail International<br />
866-9E-URAIL<br />
www.eurail-acprail.com<br />
DER<br />
800 782 2424<br />
www.der.com<br />
Eurail Group<br />
www.eurail.com<br />
Flight Centre<br />
www.flightcentre.com<br />
Gullivers <strong>Travel</strong> Associates<br />
www.gta-travel.com<br />
India Government Tourist Office<br />
800-953-9399<br />
ny@itonyc.com<br />
www.incredibleindia.org<br />
Rail Europe<br />
800 4EURAIL<br />
www.raileurope.com<br />
Trains Unlimited Tours<br />
800-359-4870<br />
530-836-1745<br />
tut@psln.com<br />
www.trainsunlimitedtours.com<br />
SPA<br />
The Alexandra<br />
800-704-9424<br />
info@alexandraresort.com<br />
www.alexandraresort.com<br />
Ceiba Del Mar Spa Resort<br />
877-545-6221<br />
info@ceibadelmar.com<br />
www.ceibadelmar.com<br />
Hacienda Vista Real Destination Spa<br />
info@hvr.com.mx<br />
www.hvr.com.mx<br />
Hotel Parador<br />
info@hotelparador.com<br />
www.hotelparador.com<br />
India Government Tourist Office<br />
800-953-9399<br />
ny@itonyc.com<br />
www.incredibleindia.org<br />
For additional listings please visit the online resource directory: www.travelworldnews.com/agent<br />
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 23
The best way to see Europe