June 28, 2009

Religious Travel set for "banner year" of special celebrations

Religious Tourism is expected to have banner year in 2010. Many celebrations and events are taking place at shrines and pilgrimage places around the world. The following are amonng the top 3 religious events and celebrations in 2010:

(GERMANY) The every-decade Passion Play takes place in 2010 in Oberammergau, Germany.

(SPAIN) Santiago de Compostela to celebrate its Holy Year in 2010. An estimated 10 million pilgrims and visitors are expected.

(ITALY)The Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Christ, is scheduled for the first time in 10 years to be displayed for the public in 2010.

If you are a travel provider for people of faith, be sure to integrate these itineraries into your portfolio. If you're a traveler, you might consider traveling to the Passion Play, Sanitago de Compostela, or to Italy to see the Shroud of Turin.

June 25, 2009

WRTA Announces Expo Theme: "Make 2010 Your Best Year Ever"

WRTA Announces Theme of Fall Expo
“Make 2010 Your Best Year Ever”

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 25, 2009) – The World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) has announced “Make 2010 Your Best Year Ever” as its official theme for this fall’s World Religious Travel Expo. The newly chosen motto will serve as the guiding principle and overall purpose of the three-day event.

“Our theme serves as an invitation to tap into the flourishing religious travel and hospitality industry,” said WRTA president, Kevin J. Wright. “We all know this is a very trying time for many companies. However, as faith tourism provides new market and revenue possibilities, the World Religious Travel Expo provides organizations with a renewed opportunity to experience their best year yet.”

Faith-based travel and hospitality has become an important new market segment for many tour operators, travel agents, destinations and suppliers in the industry. In the past year alone, the religious market has taken on even greater significance, due to its recession-proof and groups-dominated attributes. An estimated 75% of faith-based travelers prefer to travel in group settings while 80% would like to repeat their religious travel experience. Challenging times only serve to bring people of faith together in greater numbers for travel or convention purposes; providing a much needed “stimulus” to the industry.

WRTA recently opened registrations for the Word Religious Travel Expo & Educational Conference 2009, which will be held November 14-16, 2009, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada (USA). Serving as the most important meeting and tradeshow in the religious travel and hospitality industry, the event is expected to draw tourism organizations and travel professionals from 30-plus countries.

A new highlight for the Expo includes co-locating with the National Tour Association Annual Convention, offering members of both associations unprecedented opportunities for business growth, networking, and access to new market opportunities.

For more information about attending or exhibiting at the World Religious Travel Expo, contact the World Religious Travel Association at 888-255-WRTA (9782) or +1-859-219-3529 or by email headquarters@WRTAreligioustravel.com. For more information about WRTA and the Expo, visit www.WRTAreligioustravel.com and www.WRTAexpo.com respectively.

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June 23, 2009

New printing of Catholic Shrines of Western Europe just released


An updated version and printing of Liguori's Catholic Shrines of Western Europe - A Pilgrim's Travel Guide, was just released. It features a beautiful new book cover with a photo of the Basilica of Assisi (Italy), as well as provides fully updated contact info, websites, and email addresses for the shrines. In addition, a new section on how to build a travel ministry is included. The new version can be purchaed direct from Liguori publications. For more info or to buy your copy today, call Liguori at (800) 325-9521 or click here http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?sku=801020

June 21, 2009

Spotlight on Members: Travelbound, McAllen CVB, Ed-Ventures, Decatur Travel Agency

WRTA's (Month of June) Featured Spotlight Members - Meeting the 'Who's Who' in Faith Tourism
- Travel Bound
- McAllen Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Ed-Ventures, Inc
- Decatur Travel Agency

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Travel Bound

If you could summarize your organization in one sentence, what would it be?
Selling exclusively to the travel trade, Travel Bound is a leading wholesale FIT and group tour operator, offering more than 90,000 hotel rooms every night in over 110 countries worldwide plus a wide range of sightseeing tours, excursions, transfers and other travel services.

How is your organization involved in religious travel and hospitality?
Offering flexible tours to a wide variety of religious destinations to all religious faiths.

What specific products and/or services does your organization provide for faith-based travelers, groups and organizations?
Besides Hotel and services, Travel Bound can arrange religious services as part of the tour experience.

What is your organization's competitive advantage in the marketplace, and more specifically, within religious travel?
As a brand of GTA by Travelport, Travel Bound maintains a global network of over 25 offices to ensure local coordination and assistance.

Tell us about the "people behind your organization." What makes your personnel among the best in the industry for both the travel trade and consumers to work with?
The Travel Bound team comprises of 21 different nationalities spread across all continents around the global. All staff are highly knowledgeable and well travelled to the destinations on offer to the religious tour operator.

If there is one thing about your organization that you would like for every travel professional and planner to know about (and remember you by), what would it be?
Flexibility - Travel Bound is flexible to the needs of every group. We have a wide database of contracts and can adapt any pre-set tour to suit the needs of any religious group.

Contact Information
Tommy Ryder
Director
Travel Bound
Email: tommy.ryder@gta-travel.com
Tel: 212-376-5413
www.booktravelbound.com



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McAllen Convention & Visitors Bureau

If you could summarize your organization in one sentence, what would it be?
The McAllen Convention & Visitors Bureau is ready to make your next stay or meeting a positive and memorable experience.

How is your organization involved in religious travel and hospitality?
We assist religious conventions with various complimentary incentives if 500 room nights are booked at McAllen hotels while utilizing the New McAllen Convention Center.

What specific products and/or services does your organization provide for faith-based travelers, groups and organizations?
If they qualify, we would offer an array of awesome incentives.

What is your organization's competitive advantage in the marketplace, and more specifically, within religious travel?
Great weather, wonderful restaurants, and airport is 3 minutes from the New McAllen Convention Center.

If there is one thing about your organization that you would like for every travel professional and planner to know about (and remember you by), what would it be?
We are friendly, hard-working, and ready to assist in the planning of your next event in McAllen, "The Texas Tropics".

Contact Information
Ernesto D. Arredondo
Director of Sales
McAllen Convention & Visitors Bureau
Email: ernie@mcallencvb.com
Tel 956-240-8033
www.mcallencvb.com


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Ed-Ventures, Inc.

If you could summarize your organization in one sentence, what would it be?
Ed-Ventures is a family owned and operated company specializing in worldwide tours with a purpose.

How is your organization involved in religious travel and hospitality?
Ed-Ventures has been customizing tours for operators and travel agents for over 30 years. In recent years our focus has shifted to faith-based travel with a special emphasis on the Passion Play, Footsteps of Paul, the Holy Land and Egypt, and the Reformation era. We have also arranged travel and volunteer opportunities for mission groups in Central America and pilgrimages to Italy and other destinations.

What specific products and/or services does your organization provide for faith-based travelers, groups and organizations?
We are operating many tours to the Oberammergau Passion Play, Foot Steps of Paul, Egypt, Rome, the Holy Land, and the lands of the Reformers. In addition, we are cooperating on the promotion of university classes on the Sea of Galilee and have operated several tours to Catholic World Youth Day.

What is your organization's competitive advantage in the marketplace, and more specifically, within religious travel?
Our advantage in the marketplace lies in the relationships we have established throughout the world. Our office staff is diverse in church affiliations and active within their churches. Most of our twelve member staff are bi-lingual and all are sensitive to cross-cultural and inter-religious issues. We have contacts in several countries that have approached us about promotion of faith based travel.

Tell us about the "people behind your organization." What makes your personnel among the best in the industry for both the travel trade and consumers to work with?
Our company is special because of our staff. They are culturally informed due to the fact that 98% of our tours are international. Most of our staff are bilingual and 50% have spent extended time in foreign lands. Our approach to travel arrangements is collaborative. We view the planning process as a dialogue between us, our travel partners, and our suppliers. In so doing, we can make special things happen. A tour becomes a life-changing experience. It is our goal that those who travel with Ed-Ventures learn not only from "ancient stones," but from "living stones."

If there is one thing about your organization that you would like for every travel professional and planner to know about (and remember you by), what would it be?
We would like them to know we are a company of integrity. What you see is what you get! What we promise is what you will receive!

Contact Information
Paul Larsen
Vice President
Ed-Ventures, Inc.
pcl@ed-ventures.com
Tel 800-658-7128
www.ed-ventures.com


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Decatur Travel Agency

If you could summarize your organization in one sentence, what would it be?
Our clients are my priority to plan their dream vacations.

How is your organization involved in religious travel and hospitality?
Getting involved in our community.

Tell us about the "people behind your organization." What makes your personnel among the best in the industry for both the travel trade and consumers to work with?
We speak different language, world travelers and have many years experience in the travel industry.

If there is one thing about your organization that you would like for every travel professional and planner to know about (and remember you by), what would it be?
We are patient and trustworthy.

Contact Information
Luz I. Rosario
Travel Agent Group Planner Specialist
Decatur Travel Agency
Email: prbon1414@aol.com
Tel: 404.308.9501
http://decaturtravelagency.com/

New "Discover the World of Faith Tourism" video released on YOU TUBE

WRTA released in June its new video on YOU TUBE: "Discover the World of Faith Tourism". To view the video, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcElYcOxVrc

June 3, 2009

World Religious Travel Expo video released

WRTA just released its inspriational World Relgious Travel Expo video on YOU TUBE. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c25vbpwqQ1o