aving the name Trek
America has its advantages in the post-9/11 period,
according to the tour operator's North America sales manager,
Dore Antonello.
Already benefiting from the shift toward domestic travel, the
popularity of adventure travel and a weak dollar, the operator now
is targeting the family travel market.
The firm's first family-designated tour departed May 25, a
seven-night itinerary visiting Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon, Las
Vegas, Yosemite National Park and San Francisco.
Antonello said demand is "robust," so the program will be
expanded for 2004.
The company offers 60 programs in North America, ranging from
one-week itineraries to the nine-week Trailblazer, which crosses
the U.S. twice. Itineraries feature such activities as hiking,
horseback riding, rafting, bungee jumping and kayaking.
• • •
Intrav created an "Inventing Southern
Africa" department that will custom-design safaris and
itineraries for individuals or groups in southern Africa, including
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe .
The designing will be done by South African native Nicky Esson
in Intrav's headquarters in St. Louis. Ground operations are
handled at the destination by Grosvenor Tours.
Information is available at Intrav's Web site at www.intrav.com/southernafrica.
• • •
Trafalgar Tours' $1 companion fare special in
April and May "created double-digit growth in bookings and got
people traveling to Europe again," according to president John
Severini, so the company is following that with a new summer
promotion.
In collaboration with American,
United, Lufthansa,
Austrian Airlines and SAS, the
firm is offering a reduction of $125 per person on air-inclusive
packages for Europe.
The offer applies to Trafalgar First Class, CostSaver or
Breakaway programs to any European destination serviced by any of
the partner airlines.
Bookings must be completed with deposit by July 31 for travel
completed by Oct. 31. More information is available at www.trafalgar.com.
• • •
"We are getting very busy in India," said Big Five
Tours' director of Asia, Ashish
Sanghrajka. Tensions between India and Pakistan dampened
interest in the region in 2002, but Sanghrajka said, "Bookings are
starting to come in for the fourth quarter, which we didn't expect
to see until September."
A younger crop of travelers is showing interest in the
destination, he said, so Big Five is courting them with a new
nine-night program called Magical India, but which could be called
Introduction to India.
The itinerary provides an introductory survey of the destination
and is shorter than most programs Big Five has offered.