Note from Torre Ossmo of Faithful Holidays

From the Desk of Torre Ossmo
Vice President & General Manager, Faithful Holidays

Hey, did you see this news story?
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20101017/brother-andre-canonized-101017

This means travel to Montréal is going to be booming soon, especially for religious groups (which is an $18 billion industry!).

I’m heading to the World Religious Travel Expo in Montréal Nov 13-15. It’s just $35 for travel agents, you’ll get one free hotel room night, plus the entertainment is going to be great – 12 Broadway Show acts at just one of the luncheons. Plus there are some great seminars there too.

Best yet.....if you bring a fellow travel agent or religious planner (i.e. religious leader) - BOTH of you receive FREE Expo admission. Can't beat that!

Join me at Expo 2010. You can register here:

http://www.wrtaexpo.com/WRTA+Expo/About+Expo/Registration.htm

Hope to see you in Montréal soon!

Torre
=================
Torre Ossmo
Vice President & General Manager
Faithful Holidays
1225 Warren Avenue
PO Box 490
Downers Grove, Illinois 60515
630.435.8272
torre@faithfulholidays.com
http://www.faithfulholidays.com/

Faithful Holidays is a division of Mayflower Tours, Inc. Based in the Midwest, Mayflower Tours is in its 31st year of service to the traveling public. Over the years Mayflower recognized a need for a more specialized type of travel – one where all the happiness and excitement of a destination is enhanced by emphasizing attractions and events that reinforce our beliefs.

Faithful Holidays (through its parent Mayflower Tours) is well suited to accomplish this. The company is family-owned and operated. Its employees cumulatively represent hundreds of years of experience in hospitality management. Mayflower posts a $1,000,000 Travelers Assistance bond with the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) as sign of good faith that travelers’ monies are secure.

We offer churches, organizations and other affiliated groups the opportunity to travel together to those places that will enhance their beliefs. We also make available to travelers who do not belong to such a group the chance to be with like-minded people.

Clergy and group organizers are encouraged to contact us. Faithful Holidays can enhance the experience of faith-based travel while contributing to the overall well-being and enthusiasm of your spiritual family.

PyroMarketing - A New Way to Think About Marketing

"The era of mass marketing is ending. The promotion of a single product or service to everyone through undifferentiated media reached its peak in the 1960's and its success convinced most marketers it was the only way." (from www.pyromarketing.com). Join Greg Stielstra at the World Religious Travel Expo in Montréal to discover his revolutionary PyroMarketing principles and apply them to your business! Learn more about PyroMarketing by watching this quick video from Creo Productions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N339VkrzNTA

Kanon Cultural Tours invites you to World Religious Travel Expo 2010

THE 2010 WORLD RELIGIOUS TRAVEL EXPO

November 13 – 16 in Montreal, Canada

The World Religious Travel Expo is the largest annual gathering of its kind in the industry.
The Expo has become ‘the place to be’ for any organization or travel professional that wishes to buy, sell, and network in the religious marketplace.

Kanon Cultural Tours* will attend the 2010 WRTA Expo in Montreal, Canada and will present the newest product in religious tours in Greece, Turkey and the Mediterranean.

The route of St Paul in Greece.
The route of St Paul in Turkey.
The route of St Paul in Syria & Cyprus.
The Holy Land.
Mt Athos monastic state.
The religious monuments in Greece.
Land of Saints and Martyrs.
The holy island of Tinos.
The holy island of Patmos & the Revelation.
Miraculous icons and other holy objects.

We’ll be happy to see you there and discuss our new itineraries.
Please check the attachment.

Best regards
The Kanon* team

*ΚΑΝΩΝ (English: kanon or canon, pronounced: kanɔ’:n ).
Rule, norm, general principle, model, paradigm, the Holy Scripture.
Canon[s] may refer to:
The body of canonical legislation of the Church.
The Biblical canon.
Canon (hymnography).
Canon of the Mass.
Canon (music).
Aesthetic canon.
Canon law.

KANON CULTURAL TOURS & EXPEDITIONS
P.P. GERMANOU 22
THESSALONIKI 54622
GREECE
PHONE: +30 231 0237066 & +30 231 0274045
FAX: +30 231 0263334
EMAIL: info@kanon.gr
WEBSITE: www.kanon.gr

Announcement: Passport Health and Rethink Africa

What: Save $30 in your admission ticket to Rethink Africa.

Swab Your Cheek, Save a Life.
Attend Rethink Africa, Learn, be Inspired, Network and Possibly Save a Life

Exclusive offer for WRTA members, friends and family for Rethink Africa.

When: Now until 10/12/10.

Who: Passport Health has facilitated a 60% discount for those who are interested in Networking with private/public sector business leaders and helping support There Goes My Hero Foundation. All who are also interested in learning more about business opportunities, tourism destinations and volunteer opportunities in the African Continent and supporting There Goes My Hero Foundation should attend.

Why:
24,690 men and 18,360 women will be diagnosed with Leukemia in 2010.
21,840 men and women will die of leukemia in 2010.
A bone marrow transplant could save their lives

Join Passport Health to support There Goes My Hero Foundation On October 12th, 2010 at McGuire Hall, Loyola University Maryland during Rethink Africa. There will be a station where you could be registered with a simple cheek swab.

Save $30 off your ticket, attend a fantastic networking event and help There Goes my Hero in its mission of providing nourishing meals and support to those fighting leukemia and their families—as well as raising awareness for and increasing the size of the bone marrow registry.

How:
1. Go to http://rethinkafrica.eventbrite.com/?discount=
3. Enter special code “WRTA”
4. Discount Applies to regular price only
5. Print your ticket and get ready for the networking event of the year.

Key Tours Debuts Explore Our Journeys of Faith Brochure

Key Tours Newsletter - October 6, 2010

Explore Our Journeys of Faith Brochure

View our E-Brochure
http://issuu.com/keytours/docs/journeys_of_faith2

Order your Copy Online
http://www.keytours.com/Brochures/beforeOrderBrochure.asp

For customized groups please call : (800) 576-1784 opt. 5
Key Tours International can arrange all your travel needs
in Europe and the Mediterranean:

Hotel Accommodations from Superior Tourist Class to Exclusive Deluxe properties
3, 4, 7 day Greek Islands Cruises
Yacht Cruising in the Mediterranean
Pre and Post Cruise Stays
Shared and Private Transfers
Regular and Private Sightseeing tours
Customized Private Shore Excursions
Unique Themed Tours, Special Dinners, and Event Tickets
Train Tickets, Ferry Tickets, Domestic Flights, Car Rental

Key Tours Destinations:
Italy & Croatia
Greece & Turkey
Egypt, Israel & Jordan
Spain, Portugal & Morocco
France, The Netherlands & Belgium
United Kingdom
Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria) & Germany

Key Tours Int'l difference:
· Tailor-Made Travel
· Flexible Custom Packages
· Private Group Tours
· Financial Security (100% of funds in Escrow)
· Knowledgeable Destination Expert Travel Consultants
· Local Experts in All Destinations
· Excellent Value for the Price

Key Tours Int'l - European Travel Experts
e-mail: info@keytours.com
voice: 800-576-1784
web: http://www.keytours.com/

New Webinar! Discover Switzerland for Your Faith-based Groups & Clients

Did you know Switzerland is recognized as one of the great European destinations for religious groups and travelers? Monasteries, saints, reformers, cathedrals and the like comprise the remarkable events, peoples, history, and places of Switzerland. In this fascinating and engaging webnar, discover what Switzerland can off your faith-based community or clients. Learn key tips, hints and other invaluable information for designing a winning and memorable itinerary—plus much more! Your Webinar host is Kevin J. Wright, WRTA president, and your Webinar guest expert is Mirko (Mike) Capodanno of Switzerland Tourism.

Visit the homepage of WRTA (www.WRTAreligioustravel.com) to view the newly released Switzerland Webinar.

Tourism Cares Donates $20,000 to National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information, please contact:
Jessica Ahern, 781-821-5990 x212, jessicaa@tourismcares.org

Tourism Cares Donates $20,000 to National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Canton, MA-September 15, 2010-Tourism Cares, the non-profit organization in the travel industry dedicated to preserving natural, cultural and historical sites throughout the world, brought 250 tourism industry volunteers together to honor 9/11, a day of service in remembrance, by performing much needed painting projects on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Volunteer Day was created to honor the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009, which was enacted to expand the mission of national community service and to recognize September 11 as a national day of remembrance and service. To further pay tribute to the day, Tourism Cares awarded a $20,000 travel industry grant to the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The grant is part of a $161,000 pledge to fund a display case that will be used to house one of the last remaining large scale models of the World Trade Center. The model will serve as a centerpiece at the museum, being built at Ground Zero in New York City.

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 http://www.tourismcares.org/.

Rethink Africa Press Release

Rethink Africa
Business Leaders, Public Sector Officials, African Embassies to Attend One-of-a-Kind Event

BALTIMORE—09/13/2010–Passport Health (www.passporthealthusa.com), the nation’s largest private provider of travel medical services and immunizations, in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Africa Travel Association (www.africatravelassociation.org) (ATA), and Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business and Management (www.loyola.edu/Graduate/Sellinger) officially announced John McDonough, Secretary of State of MD as the keynote speaker for Rethink Africa (http://www.rethinkafrica.net/).

"We are honored that Secretary McDonough will be presenting the keynote address," announced Jorge Castillo, Corporate Director of Business Development and Marketing at Passport Health. "We know that Africa is a beautiful destination and continues to attract leisure, volunteer and business travelers alike. Nevertheless, much of what people see or hear about Africa is negative. We want to showcase the good things Africa has to offer and the business opportunities which exist there."

According to Mr. Castillo, Rethink Africa has 3 main goals:
1. Shift the paradigm and reshape the perception of Africa
2. Expose business leaders to economic development opportunities in the continent
3. Connect public and private sectors with business leaders and potential international travelers

Eddie Bergman, Executive Director for the ATA, stated that "Africa is often mistakenly perceived as a country—not a continent—and one plagued with disease, wars and famine. Our goal is to change this inaccurate perception of Africa. ATA International Headquarters encourages the Mid-Atlantic Chapter to engage the Baltimore and surrounding communities in the Rethink Africa event to promote Destination Africa."

Rethink Africa will take place at Loyola University Maryland (McGuire Hall) on October 12, 2010.

"Lifelong learning and a global perspective are core elements of a Loyola education," said Karyl B. Leggio, Ph.D., dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management ―We understand the importance of serving as a resource to our students and to the greater community for opportunities that will open doors and transform perspectives," she continued. "This pivotal event will allow guests to learn more about international partnerships and enriching cultural and travel opportunities in Africa."

Rethink Africa will feature a special message from President Bill Clinton and Governor Martin O’Malley. Michael Unger, a senior associate at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard and associate professor of management and international business at Sellinger will also address the audience. Attendees will have an opportunity to network, enjoy African-themed hors d’oeuvres and be entertained by a grand musical production with African singers and dancers and a live band, conducted by Rethink Africa’s music director, Jimothy Rogers.

"All proceeds are going to two charitable organizations: The Carson Scholars Fund and the There Goes My Hero Foundation," added Mr. Castillo. "We are gearing up for a fantastic event and invite all to join us to rediscover the magic, reconnect with business opportunities and retrace our roots."

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Sponsors and exhibitors include Costco Travel, Travisa, Raptim Travel, the MD Governor’s Commission on African Affairs and Sanofi Pasteur, among others. Visit http://www.rethinkafrica.net/ for more information.

***
Jorge Eduardo Castillo
410.727.0556
jorge.castillo@passporthealthusa.com

Tourism Cares for America Volunteer Day a Huge Success

Contact Stef Komorowski: 508-698-6810, Stef@classic-communications.com

Canton, MA-September 10, 2010-Tourism Cares, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving natural, cultural and historical sites throughout the world, hosted a painting project at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC on Friday, September 10.

Volunteers associated with the travel, tourism and hospitality industries demonstrated their commitment to giving back by assisting with much needed painting projects at 12 locations, including the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and Lafayette Park. Their efforts upgraded the overall appearance of the benches and walkways. It also helped the National Park Service that oversees the area by providing this work at no cost, while also encouraging more participation in volunteerism and public service.

"The event was a huge success," said Bruce Beckham, Executive Director, Tourism Cares. "The weather cooperated and everyone had a great time. The 250 volunteers that participated in this project saved the financially-strapped National Park Service over $26,000." In addition, Tourism Cares presented a check for $20,000 to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Volunteers followed the lead of President Barack Obama who signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 to expand the mission of national community service and to recognize September 11as a national day of remembrance and service. Tourism Cares encourages people to visit the nation's capital and to perform much needed services.

Tourism Cares is a non-profit public charity whose mission is to preserve the travel experience for future generations. It accomplishes this by mobilizing the travel and tourism industry and travelers to give back to society through grants to natural, cultural and historical sites throughout the world; through academic and service-learning scholarships for students of hospitality and tourism majors; and through the organization of volunteer efforts to clean up and restore tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. For more information about Tourism Cares, please visit www.tourismcares.org.

Tourism Cares for America Volunteer Day

Tourism Cares for America Volunteer Day

300 volunteers to help beautify the National Mall and Memorial Parks on September 10
MEDIA
ALERT

WHAT:
Tourism Cares (www.tourismcares.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving natural, cultural and historic sites around the world, will host 300 volunteers in a painting project at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC.

Volunteers associated with the travel, tourism and hospitality industries will demonstrate their commitment to giving back by assisting with much needed painting projects at 12 locations at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. This important work that upgrades the overall appearance of the benches and walkways and the enjoyment and comfort of visitors also helps the budget conscious National Park Service that oversees the area.

Tourism Cares will present a check for $20,000 to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at 2:30 outside of the Lincoln Memorial.

WHEN:
Friday, September 10, 2010
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

WHY:
This day of volunteering demonstrates the intent of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 which designates September 11 as a national day of service and remembrance and assists the National Park Service in maintaining a high volume tourist attraction.

WHO:
Bruce Beckham, Executive Director, Tourism Cares
Julie Heizer, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, US Dept of Commerce
Lisa Simon, President, NTA

WHERE:
Constitution Gardens
Corner of 17 Street and Constitution Avenue, Washington DC

MEDIA CONTACT:
Stef Komorowski, Classic Communications
508-698-6810 x13
stef@classic-communications.com

ON-SITE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jamie Saults
732-580-0918
jmsaults@aol.com