On The Write Team

On the Write Team

NUMBER CRUNCHING

Meet the Contributors to This Issue joe

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12

veneto

kari

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kamin

Joe Veneto, the “Opportunity Guy,” is a travel industry consultant, speaker and trainer whose areas of specialty include sales development, destination marketing, innovative product development and customer service. His clients have included government tourism agencies, hotels, restaurants, and historical and cultural attractions. See his column on experiential travel on page 12.

Editorial intern Kari Kamin is studying fiction writing at Columbia College in Chicago. Her favorite places to travel are to Madison, Wis. to visit her family or anywhere close to water. Her next trip: the Dominican Republic. She enjoys cooking, embroidery and exploring Chicago. See Kari’s article on Maryland festivals on page 42.

marty

sue

14 sarbey de souto see page

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cindy

dave

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lance

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bodle

Cindy has 15+ years of cruise expertise in sales marketing and training, with an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. Her cruise blog, “Cindy’s Inside Cruise Track,” can be found at Premier Tourism’s Marketing’s Group Cruise Directory. She can be contacted at cindy@ptmgroups.com.

See Cindy’s river cruise industry article on page 20.

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Cactus League stadiums in Arizona

30,000

arko

Based in Gilbert, Ariz., Sue is owner of Free Spirit Vacations and Events and co-owner of Travel Alliance Partners. She earned her bachelors and masters degrees in recreation and public administration at Arizona State University. See her article on Arizona Baseball Spring Training on page 46.

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Cows at Indiana’s Fair Oaks Farm

Based in El Cerrito, Calif., our long-time columnist is the author of How to Plan, Operate and Lead Successful Group Tours, an e-book available from Premier Tourism Marketing’s educational website, groupuniversity.com. She founded the travel industry program at Berkeley City College, where she taught all aspects of group travel for 32 years. Enjoy Marty’s column on page 14.

bertram

Senior editor Dave Bodle, a former publisher of travel trade publications, heads up our Southern editorial coverage. He operates David’s Tour Connections, a receptive operator that serves Myrtle Beach, the Carolinas and Virginia and offers outgoing tours as well. See Dave’s Tennessee article on page 49 and marketing column on page 54.

59,610 Population of Rapid City, South Dakota

1867 Year that Nebraska entered the Union

40 Miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in Indiana

25

harrell

Lance Harrell is the director of online operations at Premier Tourism Marketing.

A molecular geneticist by training, he also has over a decade of web design, online marketing and SEO experience. A lifelong student and explorer at heart, he seeks remote, nature-filled destinations where he can immerse himself in the local biology and culture. See Lance’s article on student travel on page 25.

Become a fan of ours on Facebook and we’ll keep you informed of the latest news in the industry by sending you Facebook updates when news breaks. Simply search for “Group Travel” and look for the Premier Tourism Marketing logo! Leisure Group Travel is also joining the Twitter craze.

Go to Twitter.com/LeisureGroup to get the latest “tweets” from the Leisure Group Travel staff.

8 December 2011

42

1,600 Bears living in Great Smoky Mountains NP

43 Percent of Maryland covered by forests Bottom Two Photos © 2011 JupiterImages Corporation

LeisureGroupTravel.com

Schynige-Platte cogwheel railway

Train travel in Switzerland.

Switzerland’s public transportation network is second to none. It’s fast, efficient, frequent and connects even the most remote places. Explore Switzerland with a single ticket for trains, busses and boats: the Swiss Pass.

Lucerne - in the heart of Switzerland.

Lucerne has it all: the great transport museum, the first and the steepest cogwheel railways, a narrow-gauge panoramic train, and historic steamships on Lake Lucerne.

Thanks to its attractions, its souvenir and watch shops, the impressive mountainous panorama and the nearby excursion mountains of the Rigi and Mt. Pilatus, the town is a destination for many travel groups on their journey through the Lake Lucerne Region. A train buff‘s paradise!

Engadin St. Moritz UNESCO World Heritage site.

The UNESCO World Heritage recognition of the high-altitude engineering wonderland through Switzerland’s Engadin Valley honors one of the most spectacular, technically innovative and harmonious narrowgauge railways. Since the extension of the road system through these passes,

the construction of the Rhaetian Railway and the Bernina Express, which reaches as far as Veltlin, Upper Engadin has been accessible to the entire world - and people from all over the world love this valley, which delights visitors with its incomparable nature at all times of the year.

Sunstar Hotels - Alpine Emotions.

Sunstar, founded in 1969, is the only genuinely Swiss Hotel Group, with nine first-class hotels nestled in the Alps and offering a total of over 1,670 beds in 915 rooms. Arosa, Davos, Flims, Klosters, Lenzerheide, Grindelwald, Zermatt and Wengen are the best-known resorts.

Whether you come for a walking or winter sports vacation, to visit a spa center or to attend a meeting or other special event – at Sunstar Hotels, guests with varied interests will feel at home and enjoy “Alpine emotions”.

For information on Switzerland, please visit MySwitzerland.com/steam For bookings, call Rail Source International: 1-800-551-2085