In This Issue

• CCRA Works to Bring You Great Travel Agent Specials
• The Official Cruise Guide of the Travel Industry
• CCRA Returns to the Vacation.com Trade Show
• 300 Tourism Cares Volunteers ‘Clean Up Well’ in San Francisco

Featured Destinations

• Enjoy a Cool Offer at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel
• Enjoy Location, Amenities and a Rich Ambience at the Hotel Viking in Newport, Rhode Island
• Now Offering Great Rates for Travel Agents and Clients at the Millennium Hotel St. Louis
• Reflecting the Very Best in Swiss Hospitality: Swissotel Kolkata, Now Open!

CCRA Works to Bring You Great Travel Agent Specials

Our July newsletter is packed with value savings for your clients, and great information for agents like you! This month we bring plenty of detail on cruising with our link to the on-line OCG – the Official Cruise Guide. This guide is a virtual encyclopedia of resources for rates and availability, travel agent specials, how to market cruises, and much, much more! Make sure you bookmark this information, since Wave Season is just a few months away.

Last week CCRA was delighted to return to the 12th Annual Vacation.com International Conference & Trade Show, where we had the opportunity to share with travel agents the best ways to make money using CCRAtravel.com. Once again our 15% COMMISSION/Express option was a big hit! We were also proud to return with our sponsors to the CCRA Pavilion! Like us, these nationally recognized travel companies enjoyed the chance to meet travel agents face-to-face and chat about what they can offer agents and their clients. Take a look at the Vcom article.  A picture is worth a thousand words, and our photos really tell a story about the success of this show.

Also, in this issue’s Featured Destinations look for summer offers in Qatar, at the Sheraton Doha; travel agent specials in St. Louis at the Millennium; a message from the Viking Hotel in historic, scenic Newport, RI, and the grand opening of Swissotel Kolkata! These travel partners truly value your business and understand your needs.

Where are you going next? Maybe you can find the perfect destination on CCRA’s Travel Agent Specials page.

Finally, not to rush through summer, now that it’s in full swing, but it’s never too early to start looking for some great holiday deals. Get ahead of the competition and save money by booking your clients’ holiday travels early. The best place to do that is at CCRAtravel.com. But don’t forget to enjoy the sunshine too!

Sincerely,

Your CCRA Team

The Official Cruise Guide of the Travel Industry

Featuring continually updated details on more than 15,000 cruise sailings, 361 ships and 93 cruise lines, Official Cruise Guide is an essential online tool for travel agents seeking information on a wide range of ships and cruises, including amenities, deck plans, rates and availability, regional destinations, ports of call, agent reviews and more.

As the Official Cruise Guide of the Travel Industry, OCG is a comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date source on cruises worldwide. OCG offers a wide range of features “for travel agents only.”

The Official Cruise Guide also offers cruise marketing tools available exclusively to registered travel agents. In additional you'll find a comprehensive list of cruise lines with contact information, visa and travel documentation requirements, plus additional resources like a currency converter and country dialing codes.

Learn more by visiting this on-line tool. Just log onto CCRAtravel.com and click on “The Portal” tab.

CCRA Returns to the Vacation.com Trade Show

CCRA was proud to return to the 12th Annual Vacation.com International Conference & Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, June 26th-July 1st.

During the conference we met some new and some not so new travel agents. If you were there, you might have met Liz Badras in the Experience Room, where she was showing live booking demonstrations on CCRAtravel.com. You also probably visited our CCRA Pavilion and met with our fifteen suppliers! We at CCRA and our sponsors always enjoy attending this show, as it gives us all a chance to really get in touch with you, the travel agent.

As a thank you for your support, our generous sponsors donated over $20,000 in hotel stays and gift certificates for our special prize drawings. We want to say a special thank you to our travel suppliers for their support of CCRA and the travel agent community. Thanks to their appearance at this year’s trade show, we can put it in the books as another successful show!

Our sponsors were:

We hope to see you next year, when the 13th Annual Vacation.com Int’l Conference & Trade Show returns to the fabulous Las Vegas!

Here are some pictures from the show:

CCRA's own Bill Lawrence with agents.	Toni from Gaylord Hotels
Ryan Sieroty from Fairmont Hotels	Anthony Faso and Chevelle Campbell from Millennium Hotels

View more of our photos by visiting our Flickr page.

Escape the summer heat with the cool offers at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.

Deluxe Room Special Summer Rate:
Short Stay QR 750.00
Long Stay (minimum 14 nights) QR 685.00

Additional Benefits:
10% discount on Food & Beverages
15% discount on Laundry Services (in-house)

Terms and Conditions
Rates are subject to 17% service charge and tax. A supplement of QR 150.00 will be applied for double occupancy. Early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability. Offer valid from June 1 - September 17, 2010.

The Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel is a convenient and luxurious choice for business travelers.

Known as the "Pyramid of the Gulf" the hotel features 371 guest rooms including 220 spacious Deluxe Rooms. Our extensive leisure facilities of 70 acres landscaped gardens by the beach offer the perfect setting to unwind after a long day at the office.

We look forward to welcoming you and making you feel right at home here at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel. Book via GDS or CCRA Travel!

For all the best rates at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCR rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCRA in Apollo/Galileo.

Built in 1926, the Hotel Viking has been offering gracious hospitality for over 84 years. Within walking distance to shops, restaurants, historic attractions and the waterfront, the hotel is nestled in the famous historic hill neighborhood. Turn of the century glamour combines with modern conveniences and amenities to create a rich experience that is befitting this world class resort destination.

Summer activities abound at the Hotel Viking! Guests enjoy live entertainment on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at Top of Newport, our rooftop lounge overlooking this famed yachting community. Events take place all summer long, such as our Cigar & Wine Dinner, Spirits and Stogies Wednesdays and Charity Nights, where guests enjoy live music and receive complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres, while their admission fee is donated to the charity of the week.

Professional service and attention to detail have made the Hotel Viking consistently popular throughout its history. One Bellevue Restaurant serves three meals daily plus Afternoon Tea. Recently awarded the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, One Bellevue is known for fine cuisine and an extensive wine list.

Chosen ‘Best Spa’ in Newport by the readers of Newport Life Magazine, Spa Terre offers relaxing body treatments, massage, facials, manicures and pedicures. Indulge in the Seaside Salt Glow or Hot Stone Massage for complete relaxation. The spa also offers a Prince and Princess menu for those less than 16 years of age.

A member of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America, the Hotel Viking is the right choice for savvy visitors or those that are new to the charms of Newport. Location, amenities and a rich historical ambience combine to create a memorable getaway or vacation in this would famous New England coastal city.

For all the best rates at the Hotel Viking, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCR rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCRA in Apollo/Galileo.

Stay during the summer and receive complimentary breakfast for two
plus 50% off parking starting at $119.00

Millennium Hotel St. Louis is within walking distance to the best dining, sports and entertainment venues!

• Gateway Arch
• Busch Stadium
• City Museum
• Laclede's Landing
• Edward Jones Dome
• Scottrade Center

Now offering complimentary Internet in guest rooms!

Come see St. Louis for yourself!
Travel Agent Rates Starting at $69.00

Rates are 10% commissionable. Valid until 9/6/10. Two night minimum required. Based upon availability. Rate based upon double occupancy. An additional $10.00 per person.

Bookable through the GDS (chain code MU). Call 1-800-325-7353 or book online with promo code SSAVINGS at www.millenniumhotels.com/stlouis

200 S. 4th Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63102

For all the best rates at the Millennium Hotel St. Louis, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCR rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCRA in Apollo/Galileo.

Swissotel Kolkata, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts’ flagship and first 5-star deluxe hotel in India is
open for business from 15th June 2010. With contemporary and luxurious styling throughout,
Swissotel Kolkata is suitable for both leisure and business traveler alike. This new deluxe hotel is located only 3km from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

• 147 guestrooms and suites.
• Four restaurants and bars providing both local and international gastronomy.
• Rooftop swimming pool and spa.
• Comprehensive conference and meeting facilities.

Now Offering the Discovery Package.
Available from July 1 to September 30, 2010.

• INR7500+ per package (2 nights) for weekends and INR8500+ per package (2 nights) for weekdays
• Daily complimentary buffet breakfast for 2 at Cafe Swiss
• Complimentary buffet dinner featuring International, Swiss & Indian cuisine for 2 at Cafe Swiss (once during your stay)
• Complimentary upgrade to Swiss Advantage Room (subject to availability)
• Sightseeing trip to the Victoria Monument

Terms and Conditions
Rooms are subject to availability. Rates are subject to 5% government tax. Credit card details are required for room guarantee upon reservation. A non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking.

GDS codes: Galileo 04106, Sabre 61076, Worldspan SLSKO, Amadeus CCUSKO

For all the best rates at the Swissotel Kolkata, visit CCRAtravel.com. For the best rates in the GDS, select the CCR rate code in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan, or CCRA in Apollo/Galileo.

300 Tourism Cares Volunteers ‘Clean Up Well’ in San Francisco

On Friday, June 4, hundreds of travel industry volunteers from 100 different companies representing 30 states, and 4 countries, joined forces to help make a difference at Angel Island State Park in San Francisco Bay for the 8th annual Tourism Cares for America restoration event.

Tourism Cares for America volunteers represent all facets of the travel industry; tour operators, hoteliers, destination marketing organizations, airlines, cruise lines and attractions, who recognize the importance of protecting and preserving travel destinations for the benefit of future generations of travelers.

“We want to eliminate the use of the words ‘there used to be’ by parents and grandparents when they tell their children and grandchildren about the world’s natural, cultural and historic sites,” said Bruce Beckham, Executive Director of Tourism Cares. “Places like Angel Island need to be restored and preserved so their stories can continue to be told.”

At Angel Island, volunteers were involved in a number of projects that would have taken park staff months to complete. Limited financial resources have curtailed the maintenance of Angel Island’s many natural and historic sites. Angel Island is listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s ten most-threatened historic sites. The island’s immigration station and military facilities dating back to the Civil War have suffered from the elements. Volunteer projects ranged from painting restroom facilities to replacing walkways to stacking the firewood that heats the buildings on the island, saving thousands of dollars in fossil fuels.  Most of the tasks helped to improve aesthetic appearance to the thousands of visitors who come each year.

According to Angel Island State Park staff, Tourism Cares volunteers accomplished the following:

“The work that got done and the attitude of the people who pushed that work to completion was just fantastic,” said Roy Stearns, Deputy Director for Communications for California State Parks.  “It was obvious from the start that these folks came to work, and work they did. In one day, they did tens of thousands of dollars worth of work and during these tough budget times, that is immensely valuable to our park system. We would welcome them back anytime!”

The Tourism Cares for America event has been held in 7 different locations across the United States, the Angel Island project being the first held on the West Coast. Tourism is San Francisco’s largest industry and the third largest source of employment in California, and so therefore a project of this scope to help one of the more historically significant state parks in the state was of major importance to not only California natives, but to the tourism industry itself.

“We are grateful to Tourism Cares for selecting San Francisco for this year’s event. Angel Island State Park is a beloved part of San Francisco’s history and the TLC delivered by the hundreds of volunteers was remarkable,” said Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO, San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This event goes to show that you don’t have to live here to be a part of ‘the cool, grey city of love.’”

Tourism Cares will continue to give back through volunteer initiatives this fall with the Tourism Cares for America Volunteer Day event to be held in Washington, DC on September 10.

Tourism Cares is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity that benefits society by preserving the travel experience for future generations by giving grants to cultural, historic, and natural sites worldwide: by awarding academic, professional development, and service-learning scholarships to students of travel, tourism, and hospitality; and by organizing volunteer restoration events at tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. For additional information on Tourism Cares, please visit www.tourismcares.org.

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