Dear Jeff, 

If you're looking for some can't-miss itinerary ideas, keep an eye out for our inaugural Itinerary Planning Guide, the highlight of June's Leisure Group Travel. Group buyers will find dozens of sample trips, foreign and domestic.

With the June issue we also launch LGT's redesign. In this freshly packaged print magazine will be a new section where readers, in response to a question, can share best practices and concerns.

To get the ball rolling, we'd like to solicit your answers to this question:

In researching itineraries, what challenges do you face and what resources do you use?

Feel free to email me your tips, recommendations and comments on itinerary planning. Since your words might appear in print in June, please give your name and company. 

We're hopeful that this section will invite our readers to pool their collective experiences and create a community spirit among group travel organizers.

I look forward to hearing from you - in the meantime, enjoy this week's InSite!

Randy 

This Week's News
From Group Travel Blog

White House Travel

InitiativeTourTech Systems' Client O.A.R.S. Upgrades to Real-Time Online

NTA Says Private Sector not Responsible for National Security

See more breaking news

Pennsylvania Potpourri
By Kitty Cayo 

East State, West State and all around the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, groups can always be certain there will be new diversions and adventures.  This year seems especially true.  Pennsylvania is a big place.  If there are groups out there that think they've seen it all, it's safe to say that's probably a miscalculation.

New casinos, shopping centers, ballparks, resorts and hotels are popping up everywhere.  Some of the most popular tourism sites are being reshaped for the 21^st century.  It's as if Pennsylvania were shedding a comfortable, old set of clothes and stepping out in brand new duds.  So, take a seat, sit back and marvel at the rebirth of the Keystone State.

Houston/Galveston

By Elizabeth VanderSpek

Cutting-edge ideas combine with rich history in Houston and Galveston. As the fourth largest city in the nation, Houston is a progressive and culturally diverse hub of activity, offering a number of attractions for any group, from parks and gardens to museums and shopping.  But when you need a break from the hustle and bustle, Galveston Island is conveniently located 50 miles south of the city.  Here history and enjoying the water is a natural way to rejuvenate.

Travel Tip: Determining Destination's Suitability For Your Travelers

By Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC

After climbing two imposing marble stairways at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, with a tour I was escorting, I had dropped back to help one of my elderly tour members who was slowly inching her way up. As we stopped briefly to catch our breath, I looked up as most of my group reached the top, only to hear them gasp, "Oh, No!"

They had made the turn, to discover another double stairway equally as challenging awaiting them. It was at that point that I reminded myself how important it is to evaluate where we take our tour participants, not only where in terms of destination, country or city, but where in terms of specific stops and sites we plan to visit and mode of travel we plan to use once we're there.

Those of us who may operate trips for seniors know that the senior market is not monolithic. We have active seniors and couch potato seniors. We have seniors who play golf and tennis and do yoga, and we have seniors for whom walking and standing for long periods of time are excruciatingly painful. Even so, there are many common denominators we need to think about when planning trips.

One denominator is Safety.  We may get a better hotel rate in a not-so-nice part of town, but do we really want our members' safety compromised?  They may not wish to be confined to their hotel grounds at night, but might like to take a stroll to a nearby café or do a little bit of window shopping after dinner.

You can find more examples of denominators to consider when planning your trip in Marty's book: How to Plan, Operate and Lead Successful Group Trips.

Still Booking Your Group Hotel Rooms the Old Fashioned Way?

Welcome to the 21^st Century, where booking hotels is as easy as 1-2-3. 

1. Visit our site and post your request on our automated system

2. Sit back and watch hotels bid for your business

3. Select the property that fits your needs and budget

Get out of the stone ages of booking group hotel rooms - with Group Travel Directory's hotel booking engine, you have one convenient online platform to manage your group hotel rooms.  Compare locations, amenities and prices.  Make the decision that's right for you!  With over 25,000 hotel & resort properties - you're certain to find the right property for your group.

Start now
 

Request Advertising Information and Win!    

Visit our Electronic Reader Service Center and obtain product information on dozens of group-friendly travel suppliers in just a few clicks. It's a great way to obtain new info without the hassles of multiple phone calls, emails and form completion.

Simply select those suppliers or destinations that have piqued your curiosity, complete the brief contact form and click Submit.

By doing so you will automatically be entered into our drawing to win an exciting getaway for two to Wild & Wonderful West Virginia.

Plan your tours

The End of Cheap Airfares Signals the
End of Cheap Group Travel
By Jeff Gayduk

Maybe it was a case of sensationalist journalism, but the above headline in the Chicago Tribune proclaiming that cheap airfares are a thing of the past is sending shockwaves through the travel industry. The article points to rising fuel prices, rapid consolidation and a shake-out in smaller carriers who've traditionally been more apt to price fares at below-market rates in order to spur demand.

Airlines have commoditized their product by stripping out service and selling on price. When we don't have price as a motivator, what's to encourage people to travel? If routinely, airfares to Florida are $300 instead of $150, what's that going to do to discretionary travel?

Read More

Tourism Cares is a Growing Event
By Hutson Lambert

Last Friday was a great day for the city of New Orleans and the 350 volunteers who participated in the 6th annual Tourism Cares for America event. Growing up in New Orleans and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I have come to expect an over-the-top experience each time I return to this beloved city. New Orleans did not disappoint.  We began our day with beignets and cafe au lait at the world-famous Cafe Du Monde and were led in a marching parade through the historic French Quarter by the Treme Brass Band and Chef Paul Prudhomme.

Our work day was a great opportunity for our industry to give back to this city that has provided so much to tourism professionals. We came from all areas of the country and represented every segment of tourism. Tour operators worked alongside travel writers in providing a long overdue facelift to legendary Louis Armstrong Park. We spent a long, hard day painting the perimeter fence, clearing debris that had piled up since Hurricane Katrina, and trimming hundreds of overgrown trees in giving the 33-acre park a new breath of life. While there is much left to be done in the park, Tourism Cares volunteers took a giant step for the city of New Orleans and inspired the local community to take pride in its rich history and one of its glorious attractions, Armstrong Park. I took away fond memories and a sense of satisfaction from the day, and I look forward to this city's continued rebirth.