Travel Agent - August 20, 2007 - (Page 21)

The Situation I The Word: Many cruisers are looking for new places of discovery. Stay up to speed on all of them so you don’t drop the ball when it’s time to book. I Don’t Be Afraid: Offer your own insight on less-traveled destinations and their allure. Your clients will want your opinion and commend you when they return with new lasting vacation memories. I At left, the Viking Century Sky on the Yangtze River; above, a lizard suns itself on a rock in the Galapagos Islands, a destination gaining more attention from cruisers popularity, because many cruises that call in Russia originate or end in those cities. In fact, some travel agents are saying that Baltic cruises are overtaking the Mediterranean in terms of following. “Baltic cruises are hotter than the Mediterranean,” says Ralph Cooper, vice president and general manager of Bon Voyage Travel in Tucson, point blank. For him it’s a fact: “Our daily bookings look that way.” Not sold? The cruise lines are in the same boat. “It’s one of our most popular itineraries,” says Joni Rein, Costa Cruises’ vice president of sales development for North America. “It’s the most North American friendly.” Carnival Cruise Lines (www.carnival. com) will be doing its first Northern Europe itineraries with the debut of Carnival Splendor, set to begin operations in July 2008. It’s already selling out. “Advance bookings are great,” says Terry Thornton, Carnival’s vice president marketing planning. “For 2008 and beyond.” might be one culprit behind the emergence of new cruise destinations. For many Americans, doing a land-based vacation in Europe (or almost anywhere overseas) is becoming price prohibitive. Jeanne Wyndrum, director of operations of Port Everglades, FL-based Cruise.com, has tried it. “I tried to put a land package together and it was difficult,” she says. So instead of doing South America by foot, she went by sea. Adds Bon Voyage’s Cooper, “People are using cruises as a means of exploring.” This doesn’t mean that it’s purely economic. Take, for example, traveling to any of the now Cold War relics. Twenty-five years ago these were places Americans did not travel to—yet curiosity is ingrained in most Americans DNA, so exploring new places, whether it is the Baltic states or parts of Asia, becomes a quest. “Many people like to visit places that, not long ago, were inaccessible to westerners,” says Jerry Vaughn, president and CEO of World Voyager, Inc., which operates two offices near Seattle. Keep an Open Ear: Because some of these up-and-coming ports have been less trafficked, stay alert on any new events and make sure to do some digging so you can offer your clients inside information on where to eat, shop and explore. world. Fifteen years ago, you’d be hard pressed to sell Dubai as any type of vacation. Fast forward: Dubai is red hot, attracting everything from hotel development, to golf course construction, to entertainment parks. Cruising, too. “I see a growing demand for Dubai,” says Prestige Travel’s Nissan. “Seems like people hear more and more about the economical growth there, and that it is a safe destination for Americans.” Yes, some Americans might find travel to the Middle East a bit disconcerting during these tremulous times, but Dubai, thus far, has gone unscathed. In addition, cruise ships become a built in safeguard for travelers visiting a new region. As much as they explore, they always come back to a familiar place at the end of the day. “It’s a great way to see an area you may have otherwise been afraid to go to,” says Anthony Hamawy, director of Cruise.com. Costa Cruises’ (www.costacruises. com) Romantica currently homeports in Dubai, and Costa’s Rein says demand has prompted the line to add another ship in the region—it will commit Costa Europa for the winter season. Continued on page 22 Weak Dollar Spurs New Destinations The almighty dollar losing its mighty title Dubai Case in point, look at Dubai, one of the most up and coming destinations in the August 20, 2007 TravelAgent 21 http://www.carnival.com http://www.carnival.com http://Cruise.com http://www.costacruises.com http://www.costacruises.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - August 20, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week Cover Story: Hot Cruise Ports: 2008 and Beyond Central & South America: Costa Rica’s New Resort Europe: Heathrow Upgrades Hawaii: Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa Caribbean: Westin’s Plans in the D.R. Still on Track Africa: Pacific Delight Tours’ South Africa Itinerary Hotels: West Virginia Icon Gets Makeover Tech Advisor: Search Engine Optimization 101 Spa Luxury Travel Expo Update Advertisers’ Information Classified Marketplace People & Places

Travel Agent - August 20, 2007

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