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| TRAVELHOTNEWS PROFILE: CRIS DAVID, CONTIKI PRESIDENT |
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| Cris David with Contiki team | | Former ‘Bus Boy’ now a capitalist, remains a liberal at heart
Charmaine Pang
For this month’s profile, TRAVELHotNews conducted an exclusive interview with Cris David, the president of Contiki. Born and raised in South Africa, educated in the United States, he then immigrated to Canada with his wife and has stayed ever since. David and his wife, a dietitian, have two boys, aged 2 and 5. For the past nine years, since July 1998, he has worked at the Travel Corporation, home to other brands such as Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Busabout and AAT Kings. David, one of four brothers, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and grew up in the time of apartheid. His upbringing and environment has informed much of his outlook on life today.
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| SEEAMERICA SAYS, “CANADA IS STILL #1” |
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| Richard Carret | | Canada remains the most important market in the U.S. inbound tourism industry, says Mark Brown
Charmaine Pang
Canada is still number one in the eyes of American tourism industry officials. The Yesterday afternoon, the SeeAmerica Committee-Canada brought “Mr. Canada” Mark Brown to Toronto share the latest statistics about the Canadian impact on the U.S. tourism market. The sponsor for the meeting, held at the Westin Harbour Castle, was TravelSouth USA, a destination marketing group made up of 12 U.S. southern states. Richard Carret, President of the SeeAmerica Committee-Canada introduced Brown, who is a senior market research analyst with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries.
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| INDONESIA TSUNAMI WARNING |
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| Indonesia | | Tsunami warning after powerful earthquake hits Indonesia
A wave between one and three metres high has hit the Indonesian town of Padang following today's powerful earthquake. Officials say the wave hit about 20 minutes after the magnitude 7.9 quake was reported at about 6:10 p.m. local time. A spokesman with Indonesia's meteorological says communications with Padang are poor and that he has no other details. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center earlier issued a tsunami warning for much of the Indian Ocean region.
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| DELTA NON-STOP LAUNCH |
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| Delta Airlines | | Bonaire announces Delta Airlines non-stop service launch
Tourism Corporation Bonaire announced that beginning February 9, 2008 Delta Air Lines will launch a weekly non-stop flight from its Atlanta hub to/from Bonaire. Delta Air Lines flight #371 will depart Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. arriving into Bonaire’s Flamingo International Airport at 3:10 p.m. The return flight #370 will depart Bonaire Saturdays at 4:15 p.m. arriving into Atlanta at 7:55 p.m. Delta will use a 150 seat, 737-800 Boeing aircraft with 16 first class seats and 134 economy seats for these flights.
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| AIR CHINA EXPANDS TO EU & US |
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| Air China's, B777-200 | | Air China plans expansion to Europe and United States in 2008-2009
Air China announced an expansion of its international network comprising 12 new routes to Europe and the US in 2008 and 2009, as well as more frequencies on nine additional routes to the West. According to the long-haul routes distribution program released yesterday by CAAC, Air China will begin serving Berlin, Istanbul and Warsaw from Beijing in 2008. The following year it will begin flying daily from the capital to Toronto, Washington Dulles, Manchester, Zurich, Dusseldorf, Vienna and Milan and from Shanghai to San Francisco and Rome.
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| RCI NOW ONLINE |
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| RCI's ms Empress of the Seas | | Encore CruiseEscapes launches RCI power brochure online
Encore CruiseEscapes has now launched its RCI power brochure online at encorecruiseescapesagent.ca. Available today, this brochure features 2008 and 2009 itineraries, including those aboard the brand new Independence of the Seas that is scheduled to debut in May 2008. The move to digital brochures came about following demand from consumers for paperless alternatives, as well as extensive market research that indicated travel consultants tend to look for customized cruise brochures when selling a cruise vacation to their customer.
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| 2007 RATES FOR CIT IN 2008 |
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CIT Tours is offering 2007 rates for 2008 bookings until the December brochure launch
CIT Tours is offering agents a head start on 2008. They are accepting reservations for 2008 at 2007 rates without the need for the 2008 brochure. With the exception of rail passes, the Early Booking Promotion is valid for all destinations and products featured in CIT Tours’ Enchanting Italy & the Best of Europe 2007 brochure – Italy Rail Tours, Escorted Coach Tours, Self-Drives, Gourmet & Wine Packages, Hotels, Villas, Transfer Services, Excursions & Mini Tours, Pre & Post Cruise Packages and Private Cruise Transfers.
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| TOUR TURKEY WITH KUMUKA |
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| Istanbul, Turkey | | Kumuka Worldwide offers 10-day tour of Turkey
Kumuka Worldwide announces journey to Turkey. Cities visited include: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Selcuk, Kusadasi, Fethiye, Pamukkale and Busra. Tour highlights will feature: Sultanamet Square, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, a boat trip on the Bosphorus Strait, Chunuk Bair, Tour of Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus and Artemis Temple, Sirince Village, St. John’s Basilica, a boat ride on the Dalyan Canal and Cotton Castles of Pamukkale. Limited space is available. For more details call 1-800-517-0867 or 1-800-262-6818.
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| TOURISM REALLY CARES |
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Tourism Cares Live Auction will donate Sunliner Coach
Tourism Cares, will auction a motorcoach donated by Stallion Bus Industries at the 2007 NTA Annual Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The SLC 936 Sunliner Coach will be the featured item in the live auction during the Convention Nov. 2-6. The deluxe 36-passenger coach will be on display on the Convention floor throughout the Convention. It will be auctioned Monday, Nov. 5, during the live auction by auctioneer Shane Ratliff. "It's very exciting to once again auction a motorcoach at the NTA Convention and have this beautiful Stallion Bus Industry deluxe coach as a centrepiece of our auction display," Tourism Cares Executive Director Bruce Beckham, CTP.
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