Get a Jump on Summer Business Now
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Welcome to the April Newsletter. It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for wave season, and now it’s time to prepare for summer! As you know April and May are when travelers begin planning their summer vacations and are seeking your expertise. Travel industry reports show family travel will increase this summer. 2009 marked the birth of the ‘staycation’ where people were looking to stay close to home. With the economy shaping up, travelers may want to make up for the family vacations they did not take last year.
Now is the time for you to brush up on the latest trends, like Vietnam and Cambodia for high end clients, or tropical cruises for families. Whether your niche specialty market is weddings or group travel in the European countryside, it’s time for you to dust off your customer contacts and let them know what’s hot in travel this year and what great deals there are. They’re waiting for you!
To help get you started with your brushing up, take a look at this month’s featured destinations. These CCRA partners have special offers and great rates in South Africa, San Diego, the Grand Canyon and Paris! Don’t be afraid to take a little vacation yourself, visit the CCRA Travel Agent Specials page to see the great travel agents that are available to you.
Enjoy the newsletter!
Sincerely,
Your CCRA Team

CCRA Focuses on Both Rate and Reach to Bring You
Great Rates Around the World
CCRA Travel Solutions, a leading travel consortia, has 23,700 hotels enrolled in its 2010 negotiated rate program. What does this mean for GDS users? It means that regardless of where your client travels, you'll find competitive, negotiated rates - only available to CCRA linked agencies.
Look no further. With 18,350 domestic hotels and 5,350 International properties, CCRA is the right choice, as your first choice when looking for the best rate anywhere in the World. You can save time and save money when you include the ccr/ccra rate code on every search.
GDS |
Sample Booking Format |
AMADEUS |
HALAX21MAY-1/SR-CCR |
GALLILEO/APOLLO |
HOA21MAY-1NTLAX[]CCRA |
SABRE |
HOTLAX#CCR/21MAY-1NT1 |
WORLDSPAN |
HLLAX14MAY16MAY1/PC-CCR |
Not already linked to CCRA?
It's easy, just go to to: http://www.ccra.com/agents/travelagents.php.
All aboard to Grand Canyon National Park! Book your Grand Canyon vacation online and enjoy historic train travel on one of four classes of service on our vintage train from Williams to Grand Canyon National Park. Or, select hotel packages that include lodging at our own Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams and Maswik Lodge located in the Grand Canyon National Park. Learn about the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, or experience the magic of the Polar Express by visiting www.thetrain.com.12% Commission Policy
12% - This commission level excludes all package or stand alone products sold by the company that include stay in Grand Canyon National Park and/or Polar Express bookings, which are non-commissionable. Commission is paid after travel has occurred.
Booking Instructions
Our dedicated travel agent booking website is located at: www.thetrain.com/ccra.
You must register in order to receive commission checks and log in information to book online.
This information is outlined on our website.
For more information, click here.
Tourism Cares Wants You to Vote for a Site in Need
Tourism Cares, the premier charity in the travel industry dedicated to preserving the travel experience for future generations, announced the opening of the Save Our Sites grantee voting on the Tourism Cares website, www.tourismcares.org. The program, in its second year, invites the travel industry and traveling public to vote for a site in need of care they would like to see supported with grant funding.
The Save Our Sites program gives travellers an opportunity to make donations while on vacation to give back to preserve and enhance natural, historic and cultural sites around the world that are important to save for future generations. Multiple voting rounds will take place in 2010, with the first having a focus on US National Parks.
Read more about the following five organizations eligible for the latest Save Our Sites voting.
To vote for a site in need, visit www.tourismcares.org/save-our-sites. Voting ends May 14, 2010.
Tourism Cares is a 501c(3) non-profit public charity that benefits society by preserving the travel experience for future generations by awarding grants to natural, cultural and historic sites worldwide; by presenting academic and service-learning scholarships to students of hospitality and tourism; and by organizing volunteer efforts to restore tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. For additional information about Tourism Cares, visit www.tourismcares.org.
Featured Destinations
Taj Cape Town, South Africa, the new luxury international five-star hotel within the historic city centre, marked its official opening on 20th March, 2010 with all of its 177 rooms occupied.
The hotel had begun pre-opening trials several weeks ago taking limited room reservations. The Restaurants, Mint and the Bombay Brasserie, have been very well received to date and the third restaurant, the Twankey Bar, a contemporary seafood and champagne bar, is now also open. The Jiva Grande Spa, which offers a range of health and beauty treatments as well as traditional Indian aromatherapy and Ayurvedic treatments, is taking bookings.
“We’re now 100% ready to warmly welcome our neighbouring Capetonians and out of town visitors to the Taj Cape Town,” says General Manager, Michael Pownall. He says that every aspect of the hotel had to be ready before it was declared officially open because after an investment of over R500 million by Taj, Tata Africa and Eurocape, and two years of construction and the meticulous restoration of two historic Cape Town buildings, expectations were very high.
The hotel was delighted to be completely booked out for its opening week with an international company’s global conference attended by delegates from over 15 countries. Pownall says there has been a tremendous amount of interest and a steady flow of reservations since the soft openings, forward bookings for the next three months are better than expected with strong demand for the World Cup period and beyond. “We’ve had a great deal of positive feedback here and overseas. Taj has a reputation for creating iconic hotels in amazing locations and within heritage buildings, in addition to a very strong luxury service culture. Cape Town’s popularity as a world-class leisure destination and unique Hotel facilities such as the Jiva Grande Spa, stylish restaurants and Heritage banqueting and conferencing rooms all work strongly in our favour. But so too does our location in the historic heart of Cape Town, which provides an alternative to the Waterfront.”
Special Opening Offer For Taj Cape Town
Book 2 Nights Get 3rd Night Free With Our Compliments.
Please look for “Stay A Bit Longer” Promotional Rate.
About Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia' s largest and finest group of hotels, comprising 65 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East. From world-renowned landmarks to modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts to authentic Grande Palaces, each Taj hotel offers an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality, world-class service and modern luxury. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, has recently completed the centenary of its landmark hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is part of the Tata Group, India' s premier business house.
For all the best rates at the Taj Cape Town, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCRA rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCR in Galileo.
The Town and Country Resort hotel is located in the heart of San Diego, in Mission Valley. Our convenient, central location provides easy access to all of the city's sites, businesses and attractions. We are located 6 miles from San Diego Lindbergh Field and only ten minutes from Old Town, the Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World and beautiful bays and beaches.
On property stroll through our lush gardens or pamper yourself in our Bella Tosca Day Spa and Health Club. Dive into one of our three sparkling pools or enjoy a round of golf at the adjacent 27-hole championship course, Riverwalk. Preferred tee times and transportation are available to guests of the Town and Country.
Enjoy dining in one of our five delectable restaurants or libations and entertainment in our two lounges. For easy access to San Diego’s sites, hop aboard the San Diego trolley for travel to Old Town, Gas lamp, Seaport Village, Petcock Park, San Diego State or Tijuana.
Additional amenities include full service concierge, business center and gift shops.
CCRA Value added rate includes breakfast buffet daily for 2, beverage coupons nightly, complimentary parking, complimentary airport transportation and value-pak which includes discounts and savings on property.
Book today for that special family vacation, San Diego Getaway or business trip.
For all the best rates at The Town and Country Resort Hotel, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCRA rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCR in Galileo.
The hotel Le Littré, a four star hotel, is located in a quiet and small street on the Left Bank, between Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montparnasse and the Latin Quarter, the new areas for fashion designers and luxury shops.
It's also just a few steps away from antiques shops and art galleries, departments stores, theatres. Near the hotel you will also find numerous Metro stations and bus stops from where you can easily visit famous cultural interests like the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Orsay museums, Montmartre, and many more.
The hotel Le Littré is near Montparnasse train station and Air France buses direct to Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. It's a few minutes walk from the metro station “Montparnasse Bienvenüe.”
The exhibition and convention center “Porte de Versailles” is 10 minutes aways by metro. Take a walk in the Luxembourg garden and there you will enjoy the magnificence of a garden “a la Française.”
For all the best rates at the hotel Le Littré, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCRA rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCR in Galileo.
On a quiet street at the edge of the sophisticated and whirlwind Rive Droite rests the illuminating Hotel Astor Saint-Honoré. Built by Lord Astor in 1907, the Parisian luxury boutique hotel sumptuously seduces guests as an extraordinary and stately base for both business and pleasure.
The infinite facets of the City of Lights are reflected in the luminous and quiet atmosphere of the hotel’s 128 richly appointed rooms and suites. From classic rooms to regal suites, the Hotel Astor Saint-Honoré’s accommodations brim with considerable appointments. Guest can conveniently partake of complimentary wireless Internet access, large flat-screen televisions, and entertainment systems with CD players.
The gracious atmosphere flows through every area of the hotel. Beyond a stunning art deco ceiling at the entrance, the hotel’s signature restaurant delights guests with the innovative gastronomy of renowned chef Nicolas Clavier. The elegant establishment proffers traditional French cuisine, as well as classic club sandwiches and Caesar salads at lunch, and afternoon tea featuring fresh-baked pasties and the finest selection of the world’s best teas. At the Hotel Astor Saint-Honoré’s legendary bar, guests can enjoy a stylish cocktail in an authentic English clubhouse atmosphere, founded in honor of Lord Astor. Elsewhere, guests might opt to roam through the Hemingway library and peruse the epic antiques and furnishings.
Refreshingly, the hotel hosts business in equal parts to pleasure. The hotel is an optional choice for seamlessly combining seminars, conferences, and events with the best of Paris. Just beyond the Hotel Astor Saint-Honoré, guests can discover the world-famous Louvre, stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, and shop along the glittering Avenue des Champs Elysées.
For all the best rates at the Hotel Astor Saint-Honoré, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCRA rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCR in Galileo.
The Edgewater’s place in history was sealed on August 21, 1964 when The Beatles arrived in Seattle for their first world tour and checked into The Edgewater Hotel. During their stay, the Fab Four fished from the window of their suite, the photo of which has become famous. Since this
historic visit, The Edgewater has evolved to become a special place within the entertainment and music communities, welcoming some of the most famous names in music over the years, including Pearl Jam, The Village People, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Wings, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, Blondie, Jewel and many more.
The Edgewater, originally built in 1962 as a temporary structure for the World’s Fair, has become a Seattle icon and landmark - a beloved part of the city’s history. The very room immortalized by Beatles visit, Suite 272, today is The Beatles Suite, which features Beatles portraits, memorabilia, history and music.
All of its 223 luxurious guest rooms feature water or city views, gas fireplaces, custom-designed knotty pine furniture and overstuffed chairs, fully-stocked mini bar, in-room coffee maker featuring Starbuck's coffee and LCD flat-screen or plasma cable TV. The redesigned guest bathrooms include amber quartz slate flooring, glass surround European spa showers, and white vessel sinks atop absolute black granite counters. All guests also have access to the fitness room and business center.
Introduce your clients to “Cool Summer Savings at The Edgewater”! Make client reservations now through July 31st for travel June 1st through September 30th and save up to 30% off the regular price for all room types. Book for 2 nights and receive 10% off, 3 nights and receive 20% off, 4 nights and receive 25% off, or... book 5 nights and receive an amazing discount of 30% off our best available rate!
For all the best rates at The Edgewater, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCRA rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCR in Galileo.
