Published May 21, 2012 12:00AM
NEW YORK – May 21, 2012 – Celebrating 40 years as the premier association of tour and packaged vacation companies, the United States Tour Operator Association (USTOA) has partnered with four of its members – Pacific Delight Tours, Go Ahead Tours, Collette Vacations, and Globus – to launch the Around the World with USTOA Sweepstakes with $40,000 in travel prizes (including air) to China, Australia/New Zealand, South America, and the U.S. National Parks. From Tuesday, May 29th through Monday, June 25th, one of the four prizes will be awarded each week, and U.S. residents age 21 and over can enter to win at www.facebook.com/USTourOperatorsAssoc.
The sweepstakes is designed to showcase what “group travel” has come to mean today: ease of travel, expert knowledge, enriching experiences, and making the bucket list trip a reality. Says Terry Dale, USTOA president, “The tour and packaged vacation industry has completely reinvented itself in the past 40 years, offering elements like behinds-the-scenes access to coveted places, seamless entrance into exotic locales, and a wide range of experiences suitable for any budget and adventure palette.” In fact, the combined members of USTOA offer itineraries that touch nearly every country around the globe. Adds Dale, “Gone are the days where such vacations simply meant motorcoach transportation and a guide with a sign…these are not your grandmother’s trips.”
The Around the World with USTOA Sweepstakes underscores that point strongly, awarding prizes that transport winners to explore places like the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef, Machu Picchu, and the Grand Canyon. Each week during the sweepstakes period, a new prize will be offered and awarded.
Four USTOA members – each of whom meet the travel industry’s highest standards and participate in the USTOA’s $1 million Traveler’s Assistance Program – have supplied the bucket-list-worthy prizes that will be awarded through this sweepstakes, including:
From Pacific Delight Tours, this comprehensive tour takes winners from Beijing to Shanghai, exploring such coveted sites as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and historic Xi’an, the ancient capital of China. A combination of five-star hotels and a three-night cruise on the famed Yangtze River offer a variety of luxury accommodation experiences throughout the journey. Prize award is for two people, including transpacific air from major US airport (servicing Air China), three intra-China flights, all accommodations, most meals, English-speaking guides on all sightseeing tours, special cultural performances and culinary experiences, and more. www.pacificdelighttours.com
From Go Ahead Tours, this extensive tour begins in colorful Santa Fe, NM and journeys through the spectacular scenery of some of the country’s most dramatic national parks as it winds its way up to Jackson, WY. Winners will explore Mesa Verde National Park, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park, offering stops in historic towns along the way, and multiple opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Prize award is for four people, including round-trip air, 11-nights accommodations, daily buffet breakfast, four three-course dinners including wine or beer, private deluxe motorcoach transportation, and more. www.goaheadtours.com
From Collette Vacations, this exotic tour explores the unique cultures of Australia and New Zealand, with highlights worthy of any travel bucket list. Prize winners will visit the famed Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, Mount Cook National Park, Milford Sound, and a variety of colorful cities and sites along the journey, from a working crocodile farm to private dinners in local homes. Prize award is for two people, including round-trip air from the U.S., all accommodations, several meals, a variety of guided tours and hosted cultural experiences, and more. www.collettevacations.com
From Globus, this extensive tour traverses the richly cultural destinations of Brazil, Argentina, and Peru, showcasing South America’s intriguing blend of modern cosmopolitan cities and ancient historic sites. From the vibrant urban cultures of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires to the dramatic scenery and wonder of Iguassu Falls, Machu Picchu, and a host of ancient Incan locales, winners will make lasting memories every day of the journey. Prize award is for two people, including round-trip air from the U.S., all accommodations, daily breakfast and many other meals, several guided sightseeing tours, and more. www.globusjourneys.com
Entrants are permitted to submit one entry per week during the four-week sweepstakes period. Each week, all non-winning entries are carried forward to the next week’s prize period. Complete rules and regulations of the Around the World with USTOA Sweepstakes, as well as complete prize details are available at www.facebook.com/USTourOperatorsAssoc.
For questions and more information on USTOA, visit www.ustoa.com, call 212-599-6599, or email information@ustoa.com
About USTOA:
The member companies of U.S. Tour Operators Association provide tours, packages and custom arrangements that allow travelers unparalleled access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value and freedom to enjoy destinations and experiences across the entire globe. Each member company has met the travel industry’s highest standards, including participation in the USTOA’s Travelers Assistance Program, which protects consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes out of business.
As a voice for the tour operator industry for 40 years, USTOA also provides education and assistance for consumers and travel agents.
Contact:
Gina Sisco/Liz Carty
Redpoint Marketing PR., Inc.
212-229-0119
Sisco@redpointpr.com
Carty@redpointpr.com
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