Cuba Cultural Tour Gets Green Light

Govt. OKs Collette’s Cuba People-to-People Trip
Collette Vacations announced that it has been granted a limited People-to-People license from the U.S. government to offer its Rediscover Cuba: A Cultural Exploration tour. “Cuba represents the educational travel opportunity of a lifetime,” said Dan Sullivan, Collette’s president and CEO. “I believe it’s a place many American travelers are eager to learn about and the demand we’ve seen proves that.”

The tour is built around educational exchange activities in Cuba and includes stays in Trinidad and Havana. Meeting a Cuban family in their restaurant, visiting an orphanage, meeting with primary school students in Havana, and taking a harbor cruise with local fisherman are highlights of the tour, according to Collette’s announcement.

New Concierge Service in Peru for Latour Clients
A concierge service for clients touring Peru is now available from Latour. As part of the service clients will be sent a pre-arrival questionnaire about their likes and dislikes and will be provided with a local cellphone, preloaded with phone numbers of tour guides, hotels and the Latour concierge, with unlimited local calling. The concierge will be in touch with clients to review daily programs and make changes or suggestions. The concierge program is $107 per person for five days or less, or $143 per person for six days or more; prices are based on two guests.

Funjet Offers Seat Assignments at Booking
Travel agents can now select their clients’ seat assignments when booking Funjet Vacations through VAX VacationAccess. Agents can select best available seats or shop for a flight with better seat assignments, before completing the purchase. Additionally, with the new seat assignment function, agents can view each flight leg in their customer’s itinerary.

Pleasant Adds to Caribbean Program
Pleasant Holidays’ expansion to 23 Caribbean islands and 182 resorts is highlighted in its 2012/13 Caribbean brochure. Martinique, St. Vincent and The Grenadines are among new destinations in the program, which also includes more Caribbean activities. Travel sellers can order the new Caribbean brochure online at PleasantAgent.com.

Third Generation Sullivan at Collette
Representing the third generation of Sullivans at the Collette Vacations helm, Dan Sullivan IV is the new director of sales, focusing on national accounts and the travel agency community.  Sullivan’s experience at the Pawtucket, R.I., company includes working as a sales rep from 2001 to early 2007, and, subsequently, in the product division, where he oversaw the South Pacific product line and managed the U.K., Ireland and South American product lines.

New Journese Brand Customizes Tours
Journese, Pleasant Holidays’ new brand name for the former Hawaii World Distinguished Resorts, offers concierge-style tour planning to an expanded lineup of destinations and resorts. Travel agents work with Journese destination experts to customize all aspects of clients’ itineraries, based on a portfolio of four- and five-star properties in Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Las Vegas. Also available, starting new month, are new Italy products.

A&K Marks 50 Years of Safaris
A special 50th anniversary departure to Kenya on Sept. 28 will mark Abercrombie & Kent’s 50 years of offering African safaris. The 10-day trip will include  “insider access” experiences, like adopting a baby elephant, planting a tree in the Masai Mara, or having a private meeting with wildlife documentary filmmaker Alan Root.