Travel Agent - September 10, 2007 - (Page 16)

OUR SUPPORT FOR TRAVEL AGENTS IS UNBEATABLE. Dear SuperAgency Partners, Introducing the Super-Inclusive Guaranteed Getaway. An iron-clad commitment, from us to you, that your clients’ SuperClubs Super-Inclusive vacation will be everything they expect it to be and so much more. This is not something we take lightly. It is a solemn pledge to ultimate guest satisfaction and a strong statement of the confidence we have in our product. 2006 Hurricane Policy In the rare instance that a hurricane should pass over a SuperClubs resort located in Jamaica, The Bahamas or Curaçao, guests at the resort will receive a reimbursement for the total value of disrupted nights. In addition, a voucher for a future stay will be issued for the same number of disrupted nights for use during the same month the following year, excluding airfare. For complete details of SuperClubs Guaranteed Getaways, please visit Vital Signs News You Can Use seeing an increase in U.S. travelers U.S. to Travel to Asia Rising A recent study by the DepartChina is ment of Commerce (DoC) strengthens what other organizations have been reporting: Asia continues to gain in popularity as a destination for American travelers. In 2006, 63.7 million U.S. residents traveled abroad, a 5 percent increase over 2005. Of this figure, 30.1 million was overseas travel. Breaking down the 30.1 million figure even further, 21 percent traveled to Asia. China and India showed the highest growth in U.S. outbound travel, with India surging 8 percent over 2005’s figures, and China increasing by 9.6 percent in 2006. In a bid to pump up its tourism arrivals even further, the Indian Tourism Office recently launched its “Incredible India” marketing campaign. Japan jumped 3 percent, while Thailand and Korea dipped 1 and 4 percent respectively, reflecting some of the perceived political uncertainty in the two countries. The future is looking particularly bright in China. The U.S. and China recently signed a landmark aviation agreement to expand air services between the two countries, doubling the number of commercial passenger departures by 2012. The Department of Transportation is presently www.superclubs.com/guarantee. We guarantee you can sell SuperClubs Super-Inclusive resorts with confidence! All that’s Super, John Issa Chairman evaluating carrier applications for six flights to launch in the next two years: one in 2007, one in 2008 and four in 2009. China reports that 58 percent of visitors stated leisure as the purpose of their trip. As the country counts down to prepare for hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, leisure travel will certainly spike again. The DoC survey backs up an earlier “Asia Travel Intentions 2007” survey conducted by Visa International Asia Pacific and the Pacific Asia Travel Association. The survey of 5,000 international travelers from 10 markets around the world found 52 percent considering Asia as their next travel destination, a 9 percent increase over last year’s survey. Thailand was rated the number-one destination, followed by Japan and China. —Mark Rogers Classic Continued from page 10 rekindled after representatives from both companies gave speeches at Valerie Wilson Travel’s 25th anniversary celebration. “They were basically saying the same things about their thoughts on the luxury travel market and afterwards Greg [Bernd, vice president of sales for Classic] said, ‘We really should be doing business together,’ and Matthew [Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso] said, ‘Let’s get working on it,’” he explains. Classic Vacations just returned from Virtuoso’s Travel Mart, where it hosted W W W. S U P E R C L U B S . C O M Restrictions apply. Not all guarantees are available at all resorts. Starfish Resorts, Rooms, and Negril Beach Villa are excluded from all Guaranteed Getaways. a lunch with 225 agents. “We couldn’t be happier with the warm reception that we received,” MacDonald says. “We’re such a perfect fit. The Virtuoso agents are the high-touch agents that we cater to.” In fact, it’s that segment of agents that MacDonald sees growing. “What’s been very clear to me is that the agents and agencies that are focused on high-touch service and delivering a luxury experience are the ones that are growing and doing very, very well,” he says. “We see continued demand for that service and that’s where Classic comes in—selling services that ensure a hassle-free experience.” —Jennifer Merritt 16 TravelAgent Interested? Request #008. September 10, 2007 http://www.superclubs.com/guarantee http://www.superclubs.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 10, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week South America Rising: COVER STORY EUROPE: Undiscovered Croatia PACIFIC/ASIA: Chiang Mai: Hotspot of Northern Thailand LAS VEGAS: Las Vegas’ Inside Man Las Vegas News & Notes Las Vegas: The New Frontier PACIFIC NORTHWEST: A Gem on Oregon’s Central Coast FLORIDA: Hyatt Regency Miami Spruces Up Ensemble Update Agent Outlook: Cruising Today Nantucket Island Resorts Classified Marketplace Home-Based Travel Expo Update Advertisers’ Information People & Places Thailand Planner

Travel Agent - September 10, 2007

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