Travel Agent - December 8, 2008 - (Page 12)

Agent CONTRIBUTORS Insider Because you are always planning vacations for others, this time around we asked agents: “What are your personal travel plans for the holidays?” JOE PIKE is Travel Agent’s senior editor covering the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico and Central and South America. In this issue, Pike tells agents about some lesser-known properties in Chile, the Bahamas and Jamaica. Pike recently returned from Luxury Travel Expo 2009 in Las Vegas, where he spoke with some notable Caribbean luxury players. The next major show Pike will be attending will be the Caribbean Marketplace, sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, in St. Lucia in January. JENA TESSE FOX, a story editor for Travel Agent, recently attended the World Religious Travel Expo, which she covers in this issue. The event brought together some 500 travel agents, suppliers and destinations, and introduced surprising new angles to one of the oldest travel segments. Most impressively, she got to hear the tourism ministers from Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt talk about how tourism can help bring peace to the Middle East. She is pictured here at the Expo with Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the Bahamas’ minister of tourism, and Linville Johnson, the deputy director of the religious market for the Bahamas. “The day after Thanksgiving, I am taking a driving tour from San Francisco to San Diego,” says Vivienne Stanley of myguideIreland, which has offices in both Boston and Cork, Ireland. “I am driving down the coast and stopping in inns and cottages. I have never been to the West Coast. After that, I am heading home to Ireland for the entire month of December to work out of the Cork office and visit with family.” MARK ROGERS, senior editor, recently spent a week in Singapore attending the first-ever ITB Asia. In his free time he toured some of Singapore’s standout hotels, and files his report in this issue. He also gives readers a peek at Oahu’s North Shore. Rogers covers Hawaii, the South Pacific and Asia, as well as California, where he is based. He’s currently making plans to attend ASEAN Forum 2009, which will be held the first week of January in Hanoi. “I am staying home because of monetary reasons,” says Carina Wells of AMT American Express Travel in West Covina, CA. “You have to be careful with spending right now, and I don’t know of anyone in my office who is traveling for the holidays, except locally or doing family stuff.” MACKENZIE ALLISON is a story editor at Travel Agent and covers Florida, Africa and the Middle East. In this issue, she writes about the renovation to Miami Beach’s Eden Roc, A Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa. Allison says the new builds and renovations that are taking place in Miami and surrounding areas, despite economy troubles, were impressive. In an upcoming issue, she will report on the Travel Counsellors’ conference in Marbella, Spain. Allison is looking forward to a tour of Jordan when she covers the Jordan Travel Mart next February. “I will be in Mexico for Thanksgiving,” says Jessica Huyck of Liberty Travel Eastchester in Scarsdale, NY. “I am going to the brand-new Secrets Maroma Resort. I got engaged last November and we are going there to celebrate our anniversary.” NICK GOSLING, seen here on assignment—and on camel—took his first trip to Egypt in October to cover the American Tourism Society’s Annual Fall Conference in Cairo. During his trip, he saw the Egyptian Pyramids and Sphinx up close, took a cruise up the mighty Nile River and haggled for souvenirs in Cairo’s Old Bazaar. He’s still cleaning the dust out of his Shumagg (Egyptian head covering). 12 | TravelAgent December 8, 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - December 8, 2008

Travel Agent - December 8, 2008 Reality Check On the Web Contents Contributors From the Editor Europe: Scotland Begins a Yearlong Heritage Celebration Pacific/Asia: Singapore’s Hotel Scene is Vibrant, Inventive and Luxe Egypt: Building Tourism was the Key Topic at the ATS Fall Conference in Cairo Hawaii: Oahu’s North Shore has a Gentle, Laid-Back Ambiance Special Insert: US Airways Vacations—Universal Orlando Master Specialist Canada: The Hotel Le St-James Offers a Taste of Elegance Las Vegas: Sin City May Not See Deals this Good for a Long Time Florida: The Eden Roc Hotel Re-Emerges after a Major Overhaul Central & South America: Chile is an Emerging Hot Spot Caribbean, The Bahamas & Bermuda: Barbados Hotel Undergoes Major Renovation A Jamaica Tourism Official Shares the Island’s Plans Two Little-Known Caribbean Properties are Worth a Look Cruises: 10 Reasons to Love the Ruby Princess Cover Story: Religious Tourism - Faith-Based Vacations are a Growing Niche, and Are Taking Off in Surprising Ways Delta Takes Off: The Delta/Northwest Merger canReshape the Aviation Industry Tours: Traveling in Style with NWA WorldVacations Agent Profile: This Full-Service Agency Turns personalized Service into an Art New Web Trends: Services Aim to Increase Agent Sales Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Celebrity Solstice Hosts Forum for Economic Discussion Cap Juluca to Reopen in Anguilla Hawaii Seeks New Tourism Angles IWV: Scam or Opportunity? In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Special Supplement: South Africa: Your Journey Begins Here

Travel Agent - December 8, 2008

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