After successful exploration runs in 2013 and 2015 the Dutch polar cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions has announced two new expeditions to the Ross Sea in 2017. The ice-strengthened vessel “Ortelius” will be accommodated with helicopters for the two Antarctica cruises, sailing from the South-American continent to the Antarctic Peninsula, crossing the Polar Circle, further west to Peter I Island, sailing in the Bellingshausen sea along the ice-edge of “deep Antarctica” into the Ross Sea. The voyage continues to the uninhabited sub-Antarctic Campbell Island and ends after 32 days in New Zealand. The second cruise offers the same itinerary, but in reverse.
The Ross Sea Challenge
The Ross Sea region of Antarctica has always presented a dream but also a challenge to visit to explorers. The Ross Ice Shelf prevents a full seasonal operation and distances are enormous. Apart from the extremes, landing sites are still difficult to reach. “With the advantages of the “Ortelius” in combination with the use of helicopters, our travelers are having some great opportunities exploring Antarctica’s most fascinating sites”, says CEO Michel van Gessel.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7726051-oceanwide-expeditions-new-ross-sea/
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. Gifts are perfectly wrapped, cakes and cookies are baking in the oven, and people across the country are making final preparations to visit their loved loves. In fact, Americans spent an average of 7.3 hours and $560 on holiday travel alone last year, which can also lead to chaos, stress and precious time spent in busy airports and jam-packed highways. That’s why Ziploc® brand is offering a variety of festive products, a surprise-and-delight experience and helpful tips to give travelers a chaos-free holiday.
When hundreds of people along the Ohio Turnpike got to the tollbooth at Mile Marker 71 before their Thanksgiving celebrations began, they were surprised that instead of being asked for the toll, they received an array of gifts—from snacks packed in Ziploc® brand bags and containers to a chauffeured limo ride home.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7707651-ziploc-chaos-free-holiday/
Extended Stay America – one of the largest owner operated hotel chains in the U.S., announced an exclusive partnership with The Noerr Programs, the premier provider of authentic Santa Experiences to nearly 300 of America’s top shopping centers. Extended Stay America hotels was hand-selected by The Noerr Programs and Santa Claus himself, for its comfort and home-like conveniences, and named “Santa’s Official Hotel,” while he travels away from the North Pole in his seasonal tradition of listening to children’s holiday dreams and wishes this season.
“We’re excited to partner with The Noerr Programs and Santa Claus, to help light up the holiday for travelers,” said Chief Marketing Officer, Tom Seddon. “Santa has been staying with us for years. As an iconic symbol of kindness and generosity, we believe Santa is perfectly aligned with our brand’s personality and the spirit you’ll find in our associates. During the holidays it is easy for travelers to get caught in the frenzy of the season and often times become stressed with balancing it all. Our Extended Stay America family, with a little magical help from Santa, looks to help ease holiday woes through the best way we know how -- extending the creature comforts of home so that guests can focus on enjoying time with loved ones and creating lasting memories.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7617751-extended-stay-santa-s-official-hotel/
As 2015 starts to wind down, Americans are already starting to make travel plans for 2016. But what are Americans–particularly Baby Boomers–looking for in their 2016 vacations?
A new survey released today from AARP Travel (http://travel.aarp.org), a valuable resource for America's 76 million Baby Boomers who spend over $120 billion annually in leisure travel, provides some great insight into how Americans want to get away in 2016, from desired destinations to lodging options to favorite trip planning tools.
“The vast majority of Baby Boomers are planning to drive, fly or set sail on leisure trips in 2016, with an average of 4 or 5 trips already in the works,” said Stephanie Miles, VP, Products & Platforms, AARP. “Boomers make up a large segment of the traveling public, and so it's particularly important for the travel industry to be aware of what Boomers are looking for in their vacations going into 2016. This new survey finds that their travel desires often differ greatly from younger travelers.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7488431-aarp-travel/
Royal Caribbean International sails 23 ships to more than 250 destinations around the world delivering the world’s best vacation for adventure seekers on the most innovative vessels at sea. The cruise line is launching a new brand campaign inviting these seekers to “Come Seek” their own experience filled with adventure, exploration and discovery.
“Come Seek” reflects the brand’s adventurous spirit by placing the traveler’s personal experience and point of view at the heart of the campaign. It also showcases the essence of the experience that the brand has been delivering for more than 40 years. Known for its innovation – including the revolutionary Oasis- and Quantum-class ships – and delivering many industry-firsts from ziplines and rock climbing walls, the FlowRider surf simulator and the RipCord by iFly skydiving experience, to leading technological breakthroughs like VOOM – the fastest internet at sea, Royal Caribbean continues to transform the cruise experience offering an active adventure with an immersive experience and connectivity that all travelers desire.
“Our mission is to challenge misperceptions and invite the next generation of travelers to experience the unique Royal Caribbean adventure,” said Michael Bayley, president & CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Our loyal guests recognize that Royal Caribbean is an adventure designed to inspire and excite the senses. With our new campaign, we will show these new travelers what our guests already know and love.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7657051-royal-caribbean-come-seek/
Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County is in the midst of unprecedented economic development, with new research revealing an influx of affluent visitors as the driving force behind new travel and hospitality-related construction and investment.
The average annual income of domestic travelers to the destination has reached $112,563 – almost 25% higher than the national average, according to a comprehensive analysis of the domestic travel market in the United States by research firm D. K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd., commissioned by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
That is a dramatic 15.5% increase from the destination’s average in 2012 of $97,517, placing Greater Fort Lauderdale among the top leisure destinations in the U.S., and well above the national average visitor income of $90,591.
This increasing appeal to affluent travelers has led to a record-breaking 14.3 million tourists spending $11.4 billion annually in the destination, which is situated along Florida’s famed Atlantic Ocean coastline between Miami and Palm Beach.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7640751-greater-fort-lauderdale-development-boom/
Today, Suzhou Tourism launched its first-ever campaign to directly target North American travelers – the “Experience Suzhou: The Venice of China and the City of Scholars” sweepstakes, open for entries now through October 23, 2015 at www.TraveltoSuzhou.com/Sweepstakes. Available to residents of the Continental United States and Canada, the online promotion will award 18 travelers (nine winners plus one guest each) a six-day visit to Suzhou between November 2015 and January 2016.
Situated just west of Shanghai, Suzhou is deeply rooted in culture and heritage as one of the oldest cities in the Yangtze Basin dating back more than 2,500 years. With its narrow streets and winding waterways, Suzhou truly lives up to its nickname as “Venice of China.” Taking advantage of this hidden gem location, sweepstakes winners and their guests will enjoy a six-day package inclusive of round-trip coach airfare, accommodations at one of the city’s top hotels, three meals daily, and a guided trip through the city each day. The trip itinerary will offer a quintessential Suzhou experience featuring visits to a selection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden, as well as Tiger Hill, Suzhou Museum, Pinjiang Road, Silk Museum, Tongli, and authentic experiences at iconic restaurants such as Songhelou and Deyuelou. The trip is the ultimate vacation adventure for anyone who wants to visit China and experience true Chinese culture.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7584351-suzhou-tourism-sweepstakes/
America’s traffic congestion recession is over. Just as the U.S. economy has regained nearly all of the 9 million jobs lost during the downturn, a new report produced by INRIX and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) shows that traffic congestion has returned to pre-recession levels.
According to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, travel delays due to traffic congestion caused drivers to waste more than 3 billion gallons of fuel and kept travelers stuck in their cars for nearly 7 billion extra hours – 42 hours per rush-hour commuter. The total nationwide price tag: $160 billion, or $960 per commuter.
Washington, D.C. tops the list of gridlock-plagued cities, with 82 hours of delay per commuter, followed by Los Angeles (80 hours), San Francisco (78 hours), New York (74 hours), and San Jose (67 hours).
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7430751-inrix-2015-urban-mobility-scorecard/
Concur, the world’s leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions and services, today announced partnerships with Lyft and HotelTonight. These partnerships continue the company’s commitment to meet modern business travelers’ needs for on-demand services, while also providing finance and travel managers greater visibility and manageability for business expenses.
A 2015 survey of travel managers found that more than 50 percent say the booming on-demand and sharing economies are a top trend impacting travel programs. Supporting this observation, Concur saw a 7x increase in amount of spend by Concur customers expensing Lyft. Also, data from HotelTonight shows that more than 40 percent of people who book with the app have used it for business travel.
To view the multimedia news release visit
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7203652-concur-lyft-hoteltonight-partnership/
AARP Travel, a valuable resource for America's 76 million baby boomers who spend over $120 billion annually in leisure travel, today announced new insights into Multi-Generational family vacations (www.aarp.org/multigenvacation) - trips that include three generations or more, such as kids, parents, aunts/uncles and grandparents all traveling to one destination to vacation together.
The new research conducted by AARP Travel of people 45 and older offers valuable insights into multi-generational vacations including why families are going, where they're going, what they do on these family vacations, the challenges to plan them and why they create memories of a lifetime. AARP is also giving away a family vacation for six for an Alaskan cruise, Grand Canyon adventure, or Hawaiian getaway to one lucky sweepstakes winner. A daily prize drawing is also held and each day one winner will receive a gift card. Visit http://www.aarp.org/travelsweeps to participate in the sweepstakes.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7488431-aarp-travel/
Booking.com, the world’s number one accommodation site, today announces the launch of the Booking Now app for the Apple Watch. Booking Now, which draws from Booking.com’s vast selection of over 625,000 properties in more than 75,000 unique destinations, is the first and only travel app to enable users to book a stay directly from their Watch, and in just one touch. Through the use of Apple’s new pressure sensitive ‘force touch’ technology, spontaneous travelers are now able to choose and book the nearest relevant hotel in one simple gesture.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7504251-booking-travel-app-for-apple-watch/
For the first time in Crystal Cruises’ history, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will each embark on World Cruises in 2018 – offering travelers four separate global itineraries aboard the award-winning ships.
The concurrent world cruise routes for 2018 begin in January, with both ships simultaneously arriving in Sydney on February 17. This rare meeting allows the exciting opportunity to combine the itineraries of the two ships, as guests can switch vessels for a new odyssey. Ranging from 97 to 129 days, the innovative voyages will travel to a combined 111 destinations in 45 countries, featuring 16 maiden calls and 50 overnights. During the ship’s rendezvous in Sydney, full World Cruise guests will be treated to a spectacular gala celebration.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7444851-crystal-cruises-world-voyages-2018/
