The two companies, which are privately-owned, will remain independent. New York-based Indagare, which was recently named “one of today’s top-grade services” by the Wall Street Journal, was founded six years ago by Bradley, the former editor of Town & Country Travel. ALTOUR founder, Alexandre Chemla, says, “This new partnership will combine ALTOUR and Indagare’s wealth of experience in the luxury market along with the best people in the industry and the strongest vendor relationships. This all adds up to the ultimate travel experience for each of our customers.”

ALTOUR, established in 1991, is one of the world’s leading independent travel organizations with a workforce of over 1,200 professionals in sixty offices on three continents headquartered in New York and with key offices in Los Angeles, Jeffersonville, Minneapolis, London and Paris. With $1.5 billion turnover in 2012, ALTOUR is ranked 13th on the Travel Weekly Power List, the #1 agency in Los Angeles by the LA Business Journal and among the largest agencies in the UK by Buying Business Travel and is recognized as an international industry leader providing essential travel and service solutions the world over. The company’s core remains its renowned business travel management capabilities, with divisions dedicated to such diverse fields as leisure travel, performance improvement, sports travel, entertainment travel, as well as meetings and event services. ALTOUR’s principal divisions are complemented by flexible sister companies providing private air charter services and limousine services. ALTOUR has been named to the “CMI 25″ as one of Corporate Meetings & Incentives’ best in the industry.

Life is good when you’re in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and even better when you’re staying in an overwater bungalow — that iconic, stilted, thatch-roofed symbol of a tropical paradise.

“It’s unique because there’s a million beachfront resorts in the world … but it’s much less common to have your room actually be [over] the water,” Leff said.

“There’s something neat to the story about climbing off your deck into the water, snorkeling right off your deck.”

You’ll probably have to travel far and open your wallet wide to stay at one of these exotic villas.

There are more than 90 overwater bungalow resorts in the world, but about two-thirds of them are in the Maldives, according to OverwaterBungalows.net, a website that tracks the properties.

The Caribbean has a few such resorts, but it doesn’t really lend itself to overwater construction because of hurricanes, said Terry McCabe, national director of leisure for Altour.

Read the full article, “Five spectacular overwater hut resorts“, over at CNN.

The Global Business Travel Association is seeking input from its members regarding their involvement with and benefits received from local chapters. The poll is part of the association’s work on the Chapter of the Future initiative, a program introduced last year and designed to govern GBTA’s relationships with individual chapters.

In light of push back from some chapters regarding cost and timing concerns, GBTA established a task force to propose modifications to the plan. More recently, to become better informed on member needs, the association hired Mariner Management and its research partner Whorton Marketing & Research to conduct the survey, which closes Feb. 7.

In a January email, Chapter Task Force co-chairs Donna Kelliher (also travel and corporate services director at Dominion) and Doug Payne (also senior vice president of corporate sales at Altour) asked members to complete the survey as a means to “investigate your needs and experiences at the national and chapter levels so that we can better understand what value you receive from membership and we can adjust programs/services, activities and policies to increase the value you receive.”

Members are being asked to rate their local chapters and the national organization as a whole on such topics as educational events and quality of networking; to describe the importance to them of their GBTA affiliation and chapter membership; to explain how those affiliations are funded (by themselves, by their employer or a mix of the two); to identify factors that “impede you from being more involved” in GBTA and its local chapters; and to describe how a member’s local chapter can “increase the value it delivers to you.”

Though GBTA declined to comment on why it decided to employ an outside firm to conduct the survey, it provided a written statement on why it specifically hired Mariner: “The task force chose a firm that specializes in chapter relations in order to leverage their experience and best practices. GBTA will use the results of this survey to help us ensure that we are offering the best services, activities and programs to all of our members. We take the opinions of our members very seriously and we use these surveys to shape our member offerings.”

In a document obtained by BTN, Kelliher and Payne told chapter presidents and leaders of GBTA’s Chapter Presidents’ Council that “many associations are grappling with similar issues particularly given the trends in communication, interconnectivity and a multi-generational workforce. There are probably an equal number of associations who have traveled this path successfully. So we move forward with some measure of relief and much confidence that we can find the right partnership for BTAs and GBTA.”

In a related development, the Georgia Business Travel Association last year opted to end “exclusivity” with the national organization, in favor of relationships with other industry bodies. That prompted GBTA to allege breach of contract against GeorgiaBTA, leading to arbitration, which according to sources familiar with conflict, has not been resolved.

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By: Ena Langford, An ALTOUR Specialist and an American Express Travel Insider in the Las Vegas office – Ena.Langford@Altour.com – www.AltourLV.com

The North Island is quite different from the South and mainly made up of volcanoes both active and dormant, this gives the north island its geothermal activity and mysterious aura. It’s not as mountainous and you will be amazed by the how many crops and fields you will see. Yes, the ever present sheep that outnumber people are everywhere. You will also see quite a few cattle farms. Milk is the largest export for this small country followed by lamb, wool and wine.

Long known as the adventurer’s playground with their Jet Boats, bungee Jumps, trekking over mountain ranges. But there is much more to this small country than meets the eye. The wines produced in New Zealand are world renowned. The North Island has two well-known wine regions, Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough. There are some lesser known areas and one that is worth a visit is Waiheke Island just across the bay from Auckland. For The enthusiast and adventurous, rent a car on this little island and stay here for a few days to get the true feeling of Waiheke. Try lunch or dinner at Mudbrick vineyard, 95% of all wine produced here is consumed on site, so you will not find this label in the States for sure. There are day tours to Waiheke if you’re not up to driving.

A trip to New Zealand’s North Island is not complete without a stop in Waitomo on your way to Rotorua to visit one of the caves full of glow worms. There are three caves here to explore depending on your comfort level. The most visited is Waitomo Cave which is easily accessible for most, but not wheelchair accessible. There are stairs but once inside it is quite flat and easy to get around. You will see the amazing caverns with stalagmites, stalactites and or course the beautiful glow worms. Another option is Ruakuri cave which is more intimate and when taking the spiral staircase deep into the earth you will understand just how adventurous your decision to visit has been. You will experience one of the most unique caves in the world here. While traversing the narrow corridors and huge caverns you can hear the rumbling of the underground waterfalls in the distance. This is also the cave for the Black Water Rafting experience where you raft down an underground river through caves and see the glow worms above you.

Any Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fans should stop at Hobbiton on your way from Waitomo to Rotorua. The film set is very well kept and look just like they did in the movie.

Next stop on the North Island is Rotorua, where you will learn the most about the Maori culture in New Zealand. To get hands on experience on day to day life a visit to Te Puia is a must. You can easily spend half a day here if not more. This is much more than a learning experience for travelers about the Maori people; it is the New Zealand Arts and Crafts Institute as well. So you will see classes going on for woodworking, weaving and much more. Another must is a Hangi, which is a Maori feast and celebration. My favorite is Tamaki because you are able to interact with the Maori people, ask questions, take photos (that’s me and the elder of the tribe!).

This is a great area for hiking and mountain biking. The mountain top lakes are great for boating and some even have hot springs to enjoy. If your pocketbook allows, take a helicopter to the top of Mt. Tarawera and hike across the top of a dormant volcano. What an amazing experience! Don’t forget the Rotorua history Museum which calls the over 100 year old Original Rotorua Bath house its home.

Our last stop of the more well-known areas of the North Island is the capital city, Wellington. Home to Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand and the wonderful Martinborough wine region, this little city on the tip of the South Island has so much to offer. There is Zealandia, a nature preserve just 10 minutes away that offers night tours to try and catch a glimpse of the elusive Kiwi bird, journeys to the rugged Pacific coast to witness the scenery, seals and sea lions in the wild. You also have several options to tour the beautiful local scenery and visit some the areas used for filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This city is a food lovers paradise with so many fresh ingredients there are so many restaurant options to choose form. Wellington is also the home to the North Islands port for the Interisland Ferry to Picton on the South Island.

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We’re barely more than halfway through January, and already many of us are longing for summer. If you’re
looking to escape to warmer temperatures, consider these tips offered by area travel agents for planning the
perfect winter getaway.

Think about the type of vacation experience you want to have and what locations fit the bill. Generally,
Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida top the list of most popular getaways when it’s cold, said Matt Lennon,
manager of The Travel Authority in Columbus.

If you’re considering an international destination, Australia and New Zealand are among the more unique
locales this time of year, since it’s their summertime right now, Lennon said. Just remember when traveling
outside the United States you will need a passport.

Don’t have a passport and you don’t want to wait the four to six weeks to get one? No worries. There are some
destinations outside the United States you can travel to without one, such as the island of St. Thomas in the
Caribbean and Puerto Rico, said Lori Smith, of Destinations Travel Agency in Columbus.

Do some research before packing your bags, Smith said. If you have a destination in mind, she recommends
checking out visitors guides and websites to find out what activities are available and the cost involved.

“You would hate to go somewhere, get home and learn you’d missed the best attraction there,” Smith said.

Think ahead. The further in advance you book your trip, the better off you’ll be, Lennon said. Not only will
you have better pick of accommodations, but your wallet will thank you.

Book your hotel and airfare together whenever possible, Smith said. And instead of scheduling your vacation
during the ever-popular Thursday to Monday time slot, make reservations for Monday to Friday.

“If you can move your days around, you can offset the cost,” Smith said. “You will save a couple hundred
right off the bat for the exact same trip.”

One advantage of scheduling your trip as a package is you know the total cost before you travel, Smith said.
Packages ensure everything is paid for or you have an idea of the anticipated cost upon arrival. All inclusive
resorts operate exactly as their name implies, Smith said. Even your tipping is included, so your only
out-of-pocket expense would be souvenirs.

If you’re not keen on booking with online travel sites, such as Travelocity and Orbitz, or you’re simply
undecided about what you’re looking for in a vacation, consult with a travel agent.

weather, etc., but is looking for recommendations,” Smith said. “We try to help decide this based on his
requested activities, budget and time frame.”

The upside to working with an agent is you have someone to talk to, not a computer screen, Smith said. You
also have someone to contact if a problem arises before, during or after your trip.

All content copyright (c)2013 The Republic, a division of Home News Enterprises unless otherwise noted.

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Read more about Kaelin Rybak

By Tom Stieghorst

January is world cruise season, and this year a dozen ships are sailing on three- to four-month voyages around the world. It’s a time-honored tradition, especially for luxury lines.

So leave it to one of the industry’s iconoclasts to question whether the tradition makes sense.

“In my view, the world cruise is the itinerary of last resort,” said Frank Del Rio, chairman of Prestige Cruise Holdings.

He said the long stretches of blue water and high costs make a world cruise less profitable than it might appear.

“We do very well in the winter without a world cruise,” he said.

Del Rio is swimming against the tide. At least nine cruise lines will offer world cruises this year, including six that will circumnavigate the globe. Three will last 115 days.

Proponents say a long, slow winter cruise to exotic ports is just the thing many cruise fans aspire to. Having the option of a world cruise cements loyalty with top customers, just as not having a world cruise opens the door for other cruise lines to steal a valued client, perhaps for good.

For travel agents, a world cruise sale is a nice bonus.

“It’s not that common an item, but it’s very profitable,” said Cruise Brothers agent Bob Newman, who has sold four world cruises in 15 years. “People love them.”

World cruises date at least to 1923, when Cunard Line’s Lanconia completed a 130-day trip that visited 22 ports. The institution remains strongest in the U.K., where two Cunard ships and three P&O Cruises ships leave Southampton, England, on world cruises this year.

The longest world cruises, at 115 days, are those operated by Holland America Line, Seabourn Cruises and Silversea Cruises. (Click here or on the image, right, for a view of a map of 2013 world cruise offerings.)

Last year, Crystal Cruises simultaneously offered for sale world cruises in 2013, 2014 and 2015, including a full 108-day circumnavigation in 2015 that will mark the line’s 25th anniversary.

Mimi Weisband, a spokeswoman for Crystal, said about 400 passengers have booked the full 2013 world cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity, while the balance are taking one or more segments of the cruise.

“There are hundreds of guests for whom Crystal Serenity is their winter home,” Weisband said.

Those guests tell other guests about the voyage and act as brand ambassadors, she said.

A full world cruise has a rhythm all its own, Weisband said. Lines offer progressive enrichment programs that encourage passengers to take all segments of the cruise.

Weisband said today’s world cruise customer often doesn’t fit the stereotype. Some are entrepreneurs who can operate their businesses remotely. Others have children and tutors in tow.

“Years ago the image was some elderly person sitting on a deck with the blanket in their lap,” she said, but today’s world cruise passenger “is active and engaged.”

An active and engaged passenger is just the kind of cruiser targeted by Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the two brands operated by Del Rio’s Prestige Cruise Holdings. And neither line is offering a traditional world cruise this year.

Del Rio said world cruises are hard to fill and that segments are more popular than the cruise as a whole.

“The most successful world cruise Regent had was only 40% full for the world cruise,” he said.

In 2011, Regent offered a world cruise from San Francisco to Southampton that ran from January to June. But this year, two of Regent’s ships are doing long cruises in South America and Asia, while the third is doing 10-day Caribbean trips from Miami.

Del Rio said that is a more efficient deployment than a world cruise, despite its eye-popping price. “Yes, it is a longer cruise, so they’re writing a bigger check, but the per diem yields are not as high,” he said.

For travel agents, a world cruise can be a big payday.

“We love them,” said Mary Kleen, general manager at Pisa Brothers Travel, New York. “There’s no better sale in cruise travel.”

Pauline Power, director of cruises at Altour in New York, said the commission on a Queen’s Grill cabin on the Queen Mary 2 can amount to $30,000 to $35,000. “Those sort of bookings don’t come along every day,” she said.

The trade-off is that agents must be knowledgeable about a large number of ports and supply the kind of detailed, personalized service clients expect when they’re spending $250,000 on one super-long sailing.

“If you don’t know what you’re talking about with the client, they’re just going to go elsewhere,” said Newman of Cruise Brothers.

And even Del Rio agreed that once a cruise line has eight or nine ships, it can afford to deploy one of them on a world itinerary. At Seabourn, world cruising started in 2009 when it doubled its fleet from three to six ships, said John Delany, senior vice president of marketing and sales.

“We do one a year,” Delany said. This year, the Seabourn Quest will make a 115-day, westward sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Venice.

Delany said it is not only the size of the fleet but the size of the ships that can determine the profitability of a world cruise. Seabourn only has to fill 225 cabins on the Quest, he noted.

“Because our ships are small, we may not have the challenge of filling them to the same extent as some competitors,” Delany said.

In attendance at the “Best of the Best” four-day event from ALTOUR were Lee Thomas and Linda Dean. On-site activities included presentations by senior American Express Vacations leadership on social media, digital marketing and web optimization, a private tradeshow and networking sessions with a broad group of key supplier partners, local excursions and other celebratory events.

The welcome dinner was hosted by the Cancún Convention & Visitors Bureau and The Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office, and included an appearance by the Governor of the State of Quintana Roo Roberto Borge Angulo who spoke about the impressive and sustained growth of tourism in his state and its vital importance to the region. Other sponsored events included a dinner reception by the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism, a gala cocktail reception hosted by the Mexico Tourism Board, a golf tournament at Playacar Golf Club and spa pampering at YHI Spa.

On the final night of the “Best of the Best” event, guests were entertained at the gala celebration by Grammy®-nominated recording artist Taylor Dayne, famous for her singles “Tell It to My Heart”, “Prove Your Love” and “Love Will Lead You Back”, among many others.

American Express Vacations

American Express Vacations (AEV) provides premium, customized leisure vacation experiences to over 200 destinations and more than 2,800 resorts and hotels worldwide, including the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, China, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Dubai, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Islands of Tahiti, Canada, Hawaii, Alaska and the Continental U.S. Vacation packages include concierge-style, pre-trip arrangements for dining, golf tee times, spa appointments and other activities, free international cell phone rentals, discounts on luggage delivery and passport expediting, and much more. AEV travelers are also eligible for alumni and friends & family awards for future travel with American Express Vacations.
American Express Vacations is managed and operated by Travel Impressions, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Travel Services, Inc. Travel Impressions has received multiple industry awards for outstanding customer service, best overall operations, best technology, most knowledgeable reservations staff and leading marketing materials – all dedicated to better serving travel agents and their clients.
American Express Vacations packages can be booked through any American Express Travel Office or Representative agency.

ALTOUR

ABOUT ALTOUR: Established in 1991, by seasoned industry leader Alexandre Chemla, ALTOUR has grown to become one of the most sophisticated and highly respected global leaders in the travel world today. With a travel volume of over $1.3 billion, ALTOUR is one of the largest agencies serving the luxury and mid-market travel niches today. It has 57 offices and more than 1,100 travel professionals throughout the United States, Europe and in Africa. ALTOUR is ranked within Travel Weekly’s Top Travel Agencies in the United States and ranked #13 on the 2011 Power List and also ranked #1 travel agency in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Business Journal, where the company is also cited as one of the “2010 Best Places to Work in Los Angeles.” ALTOUR is also among the Top Travel Agencies in the UK by Buying Business Travel. For more information, please visit www.ALTOUR.com.

Although some of the offices were physically “closed,” ALTOUR remained operational throughout Hurricane Sandy’s impact and aftermath. This is a direct result of the dedication of the ALTOUR team and our structure which enables our virtual agents to be connected. We are operationally structured and able to re-direct and manage east coast clients in our mid-west and west coast locations. Our agents worked together and despite personal challenges, maintained service levels throughout this period. We are so proud of our team!