Gifts for Travel Ease
Location. Location. Location. An Incentive Dream.
From the Field: Hotel Palomar, Dallas
Poll: How do you holiday shop?
Around the Industry
Krisam & GEP News

Gifts for Travel Ease, Comfort, Health, Safety...and Style

From a blouse that “invites admiring glances from handsome strangers” to a jacket with 39 pockets...from slipcovers for your airplane seat to a hand-powered cell phone charger, the web is alive with apparel and gear for travelers. Adding more comfort to outdoor adventures or cramped airplane flights, many ingenious--and some distinctly odd-- items are out there in cyberspace.

You’re bound to find a treasure you’ll personally love, plus gifts for your friends and family. Some items can even be ordered in bulk as company gifts. For your browsing pleasure, here are some useful, some unusual, and some stylish gifts...

Location. Location. Location. An incentive dream.

“Safe. Exotic. Fabulous. A great value. One of the most friendly and fascinating places in the world.”

These superlatives come from an industry professional who has visited 52 countries in her travels. She was obviously impressed when she added this country to her life list.

Factor in inexpensive lobster dinners, some of the world’s most historic places, and fantastic logistics for an incentive. The result: a journey to impress, please, and awe even the most well-traveled audience.

It borders the Mediterranean...is roughly three times the size of New Mexico...and claims the world’s longest river. The country is...

From the Field: Hotel Palomar, Dallas, Texas
"I love this hotel!” the Krisam field representative wrote, quite full of enthusiasm for the new Hotel Palomar that opened in Dallas in September. And what’s not to love about a gorgeous hotel that lets you bring your puppy with you, or loans you a bowl of gold fish if you have no pet to bring! And they even care for the fish for you. Other extra touches include complimentary coffee in the “living room” lobby in the morning and complimentary “Wines Around the World” from 5 to 6 in the evening. With a Retro look and all the modern amenities, The Hotel Palomar invites you to be both pampered and productive. Learn more about The Palomar.

Poll: How do you handle holiday shopping?

It’s holiday time. There are personal parties and business parties. Work continues regardless of the season and may in fact increase. Yet, presents must be bought, wrapped, and often shipped. This joyous time can be hectic, with a shade of panic thrown in. More and more people are reporting that they are cutting back on gift giving, drawing names within a family, or at the office, shopping almost exclusively on line, or choosing gift certificates. How about you? How do you handle most of your holiday shopping? Take our poll and have a Happy Holiday.

Last month's poll results: How many vacation days have you taken in the last 12 months? According to surveys, US workers are given an average 14 vacation days a year, while those in France get 39. And one-third of US workers don’t take all they are given. Based on last month’s survey, it looks like at least 51% of you don’t reach that 14- day mark. Nearly 20%, however, do take over 15 days, while 35% skimp at between 5 and 10 days. If you haven’t used your year’s vacation, now’s the time to take it and go do some gift shopping. Complete results are below.

How many vacation days have you taken in the last 12 months?

• 5 to 10...35%
• 10 to 15...30%
• 15 to 20...11%
• 20 or more...8%
• Less than 5...8%
• None...8%

Around the Industry

• Shanghai best city in Asia-Pacific MICE Awards
  The 17th TTG Travel Awards 2006 Ceremony and Gala Dinner was held in October in Pattaya Thailand to honor the best travel and tourism organizations and personalities in Asia-Pacific. Winners of the BT-MICE awards included Business Class Emirates as Best Airline; Shanghai as Best City, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre as Best Centre; and Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, as Best Bureau.
• What Should I Wear, Where?
  Want advice on what to wear when going abroad anywhere? What Should I Wear, Where? is a useful section on the journeywoman.com website where female travelers offer apparel advice in an alphabetical listing of countries. Advice covers cultural and religious concerns as well as climate needs and even “Don’t wear white, it will be covered with dust in minutes.” Here’s what to wear where.
• Zagat surveys name favorite cities and cuisine.
  In a recent survey by guidebook maker Zagat, respondents named New York their favorite city to visit, followed by Washington, DC, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Chicago. In a Zagat restaurant survey just released this month, more than 123,000 people took part and once again named Italian as their favorite cuisine. Other key findings were:
  * Texas cities led in frequency of dining out at 4.2 times a week
  * Orlando, Philadelphia and St. Louis produce the biggest tippers
  * Italian was the favorite cuisine cited by 27% of respondents followed by American at 16% and French in third with 12%. Although individual Asian flavors cuisines score below 10% each, when combined, Japanese, Chinese and Thai run a close second to Italian cuisine with 25% of the vote.
  * 63% of respondents nationwide say they'd be willing to travel 45 minutes or more each way for a good meal. And 40% say they'd travel an hour or longer.
• US travel guide planned for European market
  The Travel Industry Association (TIA) and Small World Publications have announced plans for a Discover America-USA Travel Guide to the reach the European travel market in January 2007. The inaugural Guide will be a full-color, 1 million-issue lure piece printed in English, French, German and Italian. It will be distributed at consumer and trade shows, through travel agents and Visit USA committees throughout Western Europe. TIA reports that almost every country in the world has a travel guide but the U.S. has not had such a publication since 1994. The association further reports that the United States has seen its world market share of international travelers fall 36% since 1992. The European market accounts for 28% of the USA’s international visitors, and these visitors stay longer and spend more. The guide will also have a website: available January 2007 - www.eusatravelguide.com.

Krisam & GEP News
Get updates on Krisam member properties & GEP partners here. For more information on any of the partners below, contact your Krisam or GEP representative directly or email us today.

New Krisam Hotels
* Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies
* Cliveden House, United Kingdom
* The Royal Crescent, United Kingdom

New GEP Partner
* Cypriot DMC named GEP partner

Hülya Aslantaþ to be President of Skål International in 07
Hülya Aslantaþ, managing director, Universal Travel Services, Istanbul, will be the president of Skål International during the 2007 World Skål Congress that will be held in Antalya, Turkey on November 4-9, 2007. Hülya is currently serving as senior vice president, having been elected during the 67th Skål World Congress held in Pattaya, Thailand last month. Skål International is an international association of travel and tourism professionals founded in 1934

Destination Nashville Named to Top 25 DMC List for Third Time
For the third year in a row, Special Events Magazine has named Destination Nashville as one of the "Top 25 DMCs." The list was announced in the December issue of the magazine. Rhonda L. Marko, CMP, CMM, DMCP, is president and CEO of Destination Nashville.

In citing the DMC, the magazine reported that big events for Destination Nashville this year have included its "Black Tire Affair" for 2,200 guests of a nationally known tire manufacturer, a 1,200-person dine-around visiting a total of 22 restaurants and--for the ninth consecutive year--the VIP pre-party and other elements for the Country Music Association Awards show.

Conde Nast Traveler readers name Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Top U.S. Resort
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (Paradise Valley, Ariz.), has been named the “top resort” in the United States according to the Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards. This prestigious annual listing appears in the November 2006 issue.

“Sanctuary as a destination and an experience has always been customer-driven,” said Mike Surguine, general manager of Sanctuary. “To be recognized by our guests as the top resort in the United States is immensely rewarding for our team.”

The 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards is a compilation of 21,000 responses evaluating a record 3,120 properties, destinations, airlines, cruise lines and car rental agencies across the globe. Sanctuary received a total score of 95.9 based on the evaluation criteria, including facilities, dining options, location, design, accommodations and services. Of special note is that Sanctuary garnered a perfect “100” rating for service.

Since its January 2002 opening, Sanctuary has amassed other Condé Nast Traveler awards including multiple-year mentions on the annual Gold List.

New flights give greater access to Dubai
Wolfgang Hartmann of Golf Dunes, Dubai, reports that several new flights will make it easier to get to Dubai from the United States. Delta Airlines will relaunch a direct flight to Dubai in May, flying five times weekly from Atlanta. A third Emirates flight is now operating from New York, and Etihad Airways, has added service from New York to Abu Dhabi, an easy 60-minute transfer to Dubai. Etihad also has flights from Toronto. Hartmann says he expects a connection from San Francisco in the near future.

Stage a surprise dinner in Prague
An evening at the Prague State Opera can turn into a unique surprise dinner thanks to the creative efforts of GEP partner, Motiv. Even before the dinner, the evening is special as guests partake of local champagne and canapés in a private area during intermission.

After the performance guests are invited for a short cocktail reception before leaving for their dinner place. They will be told that a short tour of the Opera has been arranged for them. During the time guests have enjoyed their cocktails, the stage has been prepared for dinner (approximately 20 minutes is needed).

When guests enter the auditorium, the room is all dark and the curtain is down, but suddenly it starts rising and tables, set between the decorations from the opera, appear. A piano player entertains with soft music during this special dinner on the stage. Motiv recommends that the dinner be kept a secret. Up to 100 guests can enjoy dinner at the opera.

Donald Trump seeks investors for Finnish holiday resort
Trump Mortgage LLC, a company owned by Donald Trump, is looking for investors for a 37-million-euro holiday resort project in Finnish Lapland, according to a report in business daily Kauppalehti.

An advertisement for the project, titled Lapland Chalets & Condominiums, says the resort will be built one and a half hours' driving time from Rovaniemi, the capital of the Finnish province of Lapland. Next Travel, GEP’s partner in Helsinki, reported the news.

BBC helps return penguins to New Orleans
BBC recently partnered with Fed Ex to bring the Audubon Nature Institute's nineteen penguins back to the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas from their temporary home at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

BBC produced the welcome on the tarmac as well as the grand gala held at the Aquarium that evening where Fed Ex donated $100,000 to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

BBC also reports that Denise Pugh, the DMC’s director of operations, has been named President-Elect for ISES, the International Special Event Society New Orleans Chapter.

Amelia Inn and Beach Club Plans Interior Renovations
Amelia Island Plantation, Florida, has turned to an award-winning interior designer to renovate the Amelia Inn and Beach Club rooms. The new look is a contemporary tropical design customized for the resort and will feature:
* granite counters on the vanities and cherry wood finishes
* crisp soft ivory linens and summer weight duvets on the beds
* neutral color scheme of aqua blues, lime greens and warm browns to mimic the natural tones of Amelia Island.
* High Definition, Flat Panel televisions on sleek cherry wood chests replacing the traditional armoire and conventional television which take up so much space
* A modern cherry and granite desk incorporating data ports, power and phone combines with high speed internet access

Rita Scholz ASID, the renovation’s lead designer says that “The entire redesign will focus on the floor-to-ceiling windows in each room giving the guest a breathtaking view of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean”

Renovations on the 249-room Amelia Inn and Beach Club are expected to start at the end of 2006 and will be scheduled in such a way as to not inconvenience resort guests. The Amelia Inn project will be completed by March 2007.

Temecula Creek Unveils Redesigned Guest Rooms
Temecula Creek Inn's recently renovated 130 spacious Guest Rooms and Guest Suites are designed for relaxation. Plush bedding, comfortable lounge chairs and inviting entryways are subtly touched with a Native American influence - from the framed artifacts to fabrics and furnishings in natural hues. The recent renovations include:
* Custom furnishings – pillowtop mattresses, leather easy chairs, wet bars with granite countertops
* New technology – 42” plasma televisions, iPod-ready stereos
* Fine details – crown molding, custom carpeting, handmade lamps
Temecula Creek Inn is located the heart of Southern California's wine country.

Destination Nashville joins forces with William Morris
Destination Nashville and The William Morris Agency, the largest and most diversified talent agency in the world, have formed a partnership that will “insure our clients will be the ultimate winners when booking local and national artists for their events in Nashville,” according to Rhonda Marko, CMP, CMM, DMCP, president and CEO of Destination Nashville. Barry Jeffrey vice president of The William Morris Agency arranged the agreement with Rhonda.

Upcoming Industry Events - 2006