In This Issue

• CCRA's Hotel Program Offers You Exclusive Discounts
• Shock Your New Clients Into Booking With You
• Several CCRA Top Hotel Partners Receive Awards
• Tourism Cares Awards Professional Development Scholarships

Featured Destinations

• Enjoy a Special Summer Savings Offer at the Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club in
  Redondo Beach, CA
• Discover Hospitality and Luxury at The Fairmont Dallas hotel in Texas

CCRA's Hotel Program Offers You Exclusive Discounts

Dear Partners in Travel,

As we enter the last month of summer, it's time to start gearing up for your clients winter vacations. Maybe you've already started. If not make sure you check the CCRA rates in the GDS or at CCRAtravel.com. Thousands of the hotels in the CCRA hotel program are offering exclusive discounts and offers just for you!

We at CCRA have been busy the past few months making appearances at various trade shows and conferences. Next month is no different, we will be attending ASTA's "THETRADESHOW". This is our last major show of the year, if you're attending please stop by our booth and say hello, or ask us your questions. We're always happy to meet you and introduce to you the new things from CCRA and CCRAtravel.com.

This month Bill Todd has written an interesting article about how to increase bookings from your current client base. Bill's articles are always so helpful in increasing your business know-how, client base, and income. We hope you are using his tips throughout the year to continue to build a successful travel agency. As CCRA agents, your feedback is especially important to us; we are always happy to hear from you. If you have some ideas about what you would like to see included in our monthly newsletters, just email us at marketing@ccra.com with your article or ideas.

We also want to congratulate our hotel partners who won awards from J.D. Power & Associates for overall guest satisfaction. We're proud to bring you more award winning hotels every year. Please check out the list for 2011 below.

Enjoy the newsletter!

Sincerely,

Your CCRA Team

Shock Your New Clients Into Booking With You

Let's face it: in 2011 e-mail remains the easiest yet least effective tool for targeting new customers. Today, the average businessperson will receive 100 e-mails each business day. Your prospective customer will not open 77% of these based solely on what they read in the "From" and "Re" fields.

I was sharing these facts with a group of national sales directors I coach for a global lodging chain when suddenly, everybody got a look of shock and alarm on their face. As I was speaking, a dark gray and very dusty device (about the size of a kitchen microwave) began to make strange noises in the back of the room. Very small lights came on and went off. The device seemed to be coming to life. Then without warning it started printing out paper.

For the first time in ages, the company's slumbering fax machine began working. It caught almost everyone by surprise. Those over the age of 40 got a nostalgic look across their face. We all gathered around to see what was printed across the paper.

Almost a week later, I called each of these busy sales professionals and asked if they remembered the message printed on the fax. Amazingly, 18 out of 24 sales directors remembered exactly what the message was. In 2011, most of your prospects still have a fax machine. Sending a fax will frequently catch your prospect's attention.

If you don't have a fax machine and would like to test this marketing tactic, just Google "eFax, 30 day free trial". Take my word for it: instead of singing in the jam-packed choir of e-mail you can deliver a loud solo with your fax machine.

Bill Todd
Bill Todd is one of the travel industry's most sought-after sales and marketing speakers and coaches. He is the co-author of the new book Speaking of Success which also features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) and Jack Canfield (The Secret and Chicken Soup for the Soul). Todd has served as vice president of sales and industry marketing for the 5000+ franchises and seven global brands of Choice Hotels International, and was vice president of sales and marketing for Marriott International's Corporate Lodging Division. BTodd@BTodd.com | www.BTodd.com | 301.633.5856

Several CCRA Top Hotel Partners Receive Awards

Last month J.D. Power and Associates released its annual "Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study for North American Hotels". We're proud to have several of CCRA's top hotel partners on that list!

Now in its 15th year, the study measures overall hotel guest satisfaction across seven hotel segments: luxury; upper upscale; upscale; mid-scale full service; mid-scale limited service; economy/budget; and extended stay. Seven key measures are examined within each segment to determine overall satisfaction: reservations; check-in/check-out; guest room; food and beverage; hotel services; hotel facilities; and costs and fees.

The following hotel brands rank highest in guest satisfaction within their respective segments:

• Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton (for a second consecutive year) – CCRA partner

• Upper Upscale: Embassy Suites Hotels – CCRA partner

• Upscale: Hotel Indigo – CCRA partner

• Mid-Scale Full Service: Holiday Inn – CCRA partner

• Mid-Scale Limited Service: Drury Inn & Suites (for a sixth consecutive year)

• Economy/Budget: Microtel Inns & Suites (for a 10th consecutive year) – CCRA partner

• Extended Stay: Homewood Suites (for a second consecutive year) – CCRA partner

To view the entire press release and list of award winners, and their ratings click here: http://www.jdpower.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2011106

Featured Destinations

Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club offers guests an authentic SoCal lifestyle experience in a casual, nautical-chic environment, inviting them to relax and let loose, embracing their "endless summer." Vacationers explore sun-drenched seaside locales and sandy beach strands with complimentary beach cruisers. A recent $11 million renovation offers guests the perfect place to relax and enjoy the Los Angeles beach communities.

Seven miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and adjacent to its own newly refurbished marina, Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club is ideally located near such enduring attractions as the Redondo Beach Pier, glass-bottom boat tours, Pier Avenue, Trump National Golf Club, Catalina Island, whale watching, deep-sea fishing, the Farmers Market, the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and area shopping in Riviera Village and South Bay Galleria.

Deep hues of blue, sea-inspired shades of green and bright whites create a beautiful and inviting interior with an underlying nautical theme. The light-filled Living Room Lounge features dramatic three-story windows embracing the Pacific Ocean, splashing the cool blue reflection of the water against the walls. Plush upholstered furnishings, glass tables and high-back chairs are placed in private alcoves by each of the windows.

As Los Angeles' only waterfront hotel, the 161 guest rooms feature private balconies perfect for viewing awe-inspiring sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. All guestrooms are designed in an elegant, yet laid-back California style. Bathrooms are outfitted with sleek, modern features, including counter-mounted vessel bowl sinks, black granite countertops and stylish glass shelves offset by warm, alabaster-colored marble floor.

Perched on its own private peninsula on King Harbor known for breathtaking pink sunsets and famed sport fishing, guests enjoy nearby marine attractions such as the Redondo Beach Pier, whale watching and Catalina Island, as well as experience neighboring surfing towns Hermosa and Manhattan Beach.

Summer Savings Offer! Receive up to 25% off when booking CCRA Rates. Stay two nights and receive 10% off each night, three nights and save 20% each night and stay four nights or more and save 25% off per night. Subject to availability.

To book this hotel, visit CCRAtravel.com and book the C rate category. For the best value in GDS rates, select CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan or CCRA in Galileo.

The Fairmont Dallas hotel in Texas is ideally located in the heart of the downtown Dallas Arts District offering fine dining, shopping, arts, and entertainment, and combines hospitality and elegance with Texas flair. The Fairmont Dallas is a few blocks from the Central Business District and the Financial District, less than one mile from Victory Park (home of the American Airlines Center) and the West End Historic District, known for its shopping and lively restaurants and two miles from the exciting upscale boutiques, eateries and nightlife of nearby Uptown / West Village.

Combining hospitality and luxury, The Fairmont Dallas hotel can accommodate your lodging needs for business or leisure, grand events, weddings, conferences, or intimate meetings. Enjoy our lobby level Starbucks coffee house. Treat yourself to four star fresh market fine dining at the sleek, contemporary Pyramid Restaurant & Bar. Experience distinguished service and 545 newly redesigned accommodations, which include iHome iPod docking stations in deluxe rooms and suites. Immerse yourself in Fairmont Gold, an exclusive lifestyle hotel experience including private check-in, Bose music systems in the guestrooms and all the comforts of home and more. Nothing compares to The Fairmont Dallas hotel. After all, we've been Turning Moments into Memories for our Guests since 1969.

To book this hotel, visit CCRAtravel.com and book the C rate category. For the best value in GDS rates, select CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan or CCRA in Galileo.

Tourism Cares Awards Professional Development Scholarships
Advancing future leaders in travel, tourism, and hospitality

Tourism Cares, the tourism industry's premier charitable organization for preservation, conservation, restoration and education is pleased to award $10,500 in Professional Development Scholarships to 11 graduates of travel and tourism or hospitality certificate programs across the United States. The scholarships are made possible by funding from the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN), and International Tour Management Institute (ITMI). They are offered annually to students and professionals, who have completed travel and tourism or hospitality certificate programs at accredited or state-licensed educational institutions in the United States, Guam, Puerto, or Canada.

"We and the funders take great pride in providing financial assistance and encouragement to these students and professionals as they pursue their educational and professional goals, in travel and tourism or hospitality," said Bruce Beckham, Executive Director at Tourism Cares.

Jean Charles Odele Gruau, Regional Director of the Americas for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) added, "Congratulations to the recipients of this year's IATAN Scholarships. The criteria for the awards tie in with IATAN's mission to promote professionalism, create strong business standards, and grow the travel and tourism sector in the United States. It is with great pleasure that we support the present and future leaders of our industry in their educational paths."

Tony Gonchar, Chief Executive Officer at the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) said, "ASTA is extremely pleased to be able to contribute to the ongoing education and career development of tomorrow's industry professionals. The opportunity to provide educational assistance through the ASTA Scholarship programs is paramount to ensuring that the travel agent community remains relevant and an integral part of the travel equation."

The Tourism Cares Scholarship Selection Committee, which includes travel and tourism educators and professionals from across the country, selects the professional development scholarship recipients each year. We will also be announcing the Tourism Cares – Luxury Travel Advisor Professional Development Internship recipients soon. In addition, Tourism Cares recently awarded $88,500 in academic scholarships and internships to undergraduate or graduate students of travel and tourism or hospitality. Award amounts vary annually. Interested students or professionals are encouraged to check the Tourism Cares website for details on the 2012 offerings and application information at www.tourismcares.org/scholarships early next year.

Please click here to view the Tourism Cares 2011 Professional Development Scholarship recipients.

About Tourism Cares
Tourism Cares is an innovative nonprofit organization formed in 2005 through a consolidation of the National Tourism Foundation and the Travelers Conservation Foundation. The organization works to preserve the travel experience for future generations through a three pronged approach. We award grants to natural, cultural, and historic sites throughout the world. In addition, we host unique volunteer restoration projects designed specifically for travel professionals. Recognized as the most innovative "give-back" program in the industry, Tourism Cares volunteer project and Volunteer Day draw thousands of corporate leaders and individuals together to share in the conservation and preservation of treasured cultural and historic sites. We also help assure a knowledgeable tourism workforce by granting academic and professional development scholarships to tourism and hospitality students and professions.

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