INDUSTRY NEWS
USTOA Member Tours Target Special-Interest Buffs
A
s tours have become increasingly sophisticated, they are targeting life interests more and more, according to USTOA President Terry Dale. He notes that today travelers can find tours focused on adventure, culinary and wine, photography, wildlife, cultural explorations, and more. Best of all, the hard work is taken out of the trip by the tour operator, oftentimes at significant savings to the traveler. “All you have to do is enjoy the experience,” he adds. Here are some attractive selections offered by members of the U.S. Tour Operators Association, ranging from 4 to 12 days.
‘Tasty’ tours Brendan Vacations is offering a 4-day/3-night Colombian Coffee package to those who want to get to the real essence of coffee. Priced at $918 pp, the package includes roundtrip flights from Bogota to Armenia, a full-day coffee farm excursion featuring coffee tasting and coffee plant tours, an excursion to the Corcora Valley, and a trip to ACAIME Nature Reserve. The package is available through December 31, and provides a savings of 10% over making the same arrangements on one’s own, according to Brendan. 800-421-8446, www.brendanvacations.com Guests will learn to prepare paella Argentinian-style on the 2-week SITA’s Gourmet Tour to Chile & Argentina. Visiting Santiago and the Casablanca Valley in Chile and Mendoza and Buenos Aires in Argentina, the 15-day/14-night tour includes accommodations, meals, sightseeing, local guides, transportation, culinary experiences and more. Priced from $5,312 ppdo, it’s available for booking through September with travel available through November 15, 2011. 800-421-5643, www.sitatours.com Wines and Wonders of South America by Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures includes a full-day excursion on the “tren del vino” from Santiago to the Colchagua Valley wine-producing area, wine tastings and education, accommodations, and 15 meals with wine at lunch and dinner, plus the services of a professional tour manager. Also available are an optional empanada cooking demonstration and a tango dance lesson. The tour must be booked by March 15 for travel through April 11, 2012. The $2,199 ppdo price represents a savings of 30% compared to arranging the same vacation on one’s own, according to the company. 800-528-9917, www.collettevacations.com Travelers will dine alfresco on the terrace of historic Villa Tritone overlooking the Bay of Naples, along with personally Travel World News • www.travelworldnews.com
Cinque Terre, Italy. selected wines by the villa’s owner and hostess, on an intimate tour from General Tours World Traveler’s Italy: The Amalfi Coast to Cinque Terre that tops out at 16 guests. Visiting Italy coast to coast, this 9-day/8-night tour takes in Sorrento, Pompeii, Rome, Florence, and Cinque Terre. First-class and deluxe hotels; 15 meals including fine local wines at lunch and dinner; lunch and wine tasting on an Umbrian estate, extensive sightseeing and all on-tour transportation are included. Priced from $6,995 ppdo, the tour is valid through October 14 and can be booked until departure. www.generaltours.com Sicilian wines and restaurants in Palermo, Segesta, Erice, Agrigento, Siracusa, and Taormina are highlighted on Travcoa’s Splendors of Sicily, a 10-day/9-night luxury tour. A Dine-Around program allows guests to dine independently wherever they wish. Price includes accommodation, all meals, comprehensive sightseeing, transportation, services of a travel director and local guides, and more. Starting at $4,199 ppdo if booked by September 20, this tour is valid through October 18. www.travcoa.com Guests will charter their own barge and cruise Burgundy visiting medieval Noyers, one of the most beautiful villages in France, on a 6-night Chocolate & Wine cruise from Abercrombie & Kent featuring onboard tastings and dessertmaking demos. Included are accommodations for six, three gourmet meals daily, guided sightseeing and entry fees. Onboard chefs prepare meals with ingredients often bought the same day at a farmers market, paired with local wines. CONTINUED ON PAGE AUGUST 2011 •
8 7