Travel Agent - September 24, 2007 - (Page 10)

News News & Notes From Travel Mart Latin America Travel Mart Latin America held in Cartagena, Colombia, where we spoke to many of the nearly 265 suppliers on hand. Here are some new highlights: Vital Signs Royal Caribbean to Cruise to Cartagena in 2008 Maria Jose Abuabara, tourism advisor for Proexport, the Colombia Tourism Board, told Travel Agent that Royal Caribbean (www. royalcaribbean.com) will call in Cartagena in 2008 when it makes trips from Panama, bringing about 600 passengers per week, she says. Although Cartagena will eventually be a homeport, there were no further details provided. Abuabara noted that Cartagena will have to make improvements to its infrastructure to accommodate the cruise ships. New Flights to Latin America Avianca Airlines (www.avianca.com), Colombia’s main carrier, announced that it will increase its flights out of Miami from five days a week to seven. Starting November 1, the airline will offer a daily nonstop flight to Cartagena. It will also be replacing its entire fleet, adding 41 Airbuses beginning in February 2008. Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com) will be kicking off new nonstop flights from Panama to John F. Kennedy International Airport starting in December. Gabriela Sommerfeld, executive president of AeroGal Airlines (www.areogal. com), an Ecuadorian airline, told us that the airline will be offering daily flights to the Galapagos Islands from Miami beginning in December. She also says the carrier will operate flights from Miami to Lima beginning in March of 2008. Agents meet suppliers at Travel Mart Latin America 2007 (above); Punto Islita, Costa Rica (right) resort, which will have 55 one-, twoand three-bedroom condominiums, offers a 10 percent commission. Agents can contact Wendling at 541359-1229. The property is currently taking bookings for Christmas. November Opening for Costa Rica Resort Adriana Castro, marketing manager for Punta Islita (www.hotelpuntaislita.com) in Costa Rica, sat down with Travel Agent and discussed plans for the opening of El Silencio Lodge & Spa (www.elsilencio lodge.com), which, like Punta Islita, is owned by Grupo Islitas. The new hotel is set on 500 acres of private forest and consists of only 16 rooms. To remain consistent with its natural setting, the hotel will have no TVs or phones in the rooms. It will offer a 10 percent commission. For more information, agents should contact Marinela Villavicencio, the property’s sales manager, at sales@hotelpuntaislita.com. —Joe Pike SuperClubs Hires New EVP International Lifestyles, Inc. (ILI), the U.S. representative of SuperClubs Resorts (www.superclubs.com), has announced the hiring of Tom Anderson as EVP of sales and marketing. A seasoned pro in hotel and airline management with in-depth expertise in the Caribbean and Latin America, Anderson was most recently EVP with The Continental Group. “I think the folks at SuperClubs have been very travel-agent focused and I plan on continuing that attitude,” Anderson told Travel Agent, noting that the company will continue to offer rewards and incentives for agents as it has in the past. Anderson says some markets from which he would like to see further growth include Florida and Chicago. Honduras Gets New Resort The Infinity Bay Spa & Beach Resort (www. infinitybay.com) in Roatan, Honduras, will open its doors by Christmas, according to Michael Wendling, resort manager. The 10 TravelAgent September 24, 2007 Photo by Joe Pike Travel Agent returned recently from the http://www.royalcaribbean.com http://www.royalcaribbean.com http://www.avianca.com http://www.delta.com http://www.superclubs.com http://www.hotelpuntaislita.com http://www.areogal.com http://www.elsilenciolodge.com http://www.areogal.com http://www.elsilenciolodge.com http://www.infinitybay.com http://www.infinitybay.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 24, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week Cover Story - Down the Stretch: Ramping Up 2007 Sales Central & South America: Anthony’s Key Resort, Roatan, Honduras Florida: Hotel Packages for Cruise-Bound Travelers Cruises: A Tale of Two Lines Agent Exchange Classified Marketplace Luxury Travel Expo Update Advertisers’ Information People & Places

Travel Agent - September 24, 2007

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