Welcome to our annual adventure issue. We’ve traveled the world—well, sort of—just so we could bring you a first-hand experience of some of the more adventure-filled getaways ideal for those clients yearning to get out and commune with the great outdoors. We went heli-skiing in Europe (page 16), rode a camel along the Cabo shoreline (page 30), explored a tucked-away ranch up in the Colorado mountains (page 54), and climbed the pitons in Saint Lucia (page 73).
To complement those up-close adventures, we rung up Ian Swain, of Swain Tours, to get the scoop on Australia’s adrenaline-inducing must-do’s (page 60)—in fact, according to Swain, “Australia is one of the world’s great adventure destinations and will continue to grow as such.” We’ve also zeroed in on five active-laden vacations right here in our own backyard (page 57) and took to the seas with expedition cruise companies (page 12) such as Quark Expeditions, whose marketing manager pinpoints exactly which type of client you should be targeting for Polar region expeditions (the variety might surprise you).
And because an active vacation comes in all shapes and sizes, turn over to our masthead page, where our editorial staff has recommended even more adventures around the globe. What’s the greatest adventure vacation you’ve ever been on or booked for a client?
E-mail me to fill me in; we’d love to feature it in our Agent Speak column.
brazil travel planner
Brazil has hit a climactic goal, by hosting not one, but two major sporting events in the next few years: the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In this issue, we’ve included the Brazil Travel Planner, which highlights the 12 cities that will be your client’s home base during the World Cup—from Rio and Sao Paulo to Brasilia and Salvador da Bahia. You’ll get details on how to get there, what to see and where to stay, as well as information on tour operators selling the event. —Paloma Villaverde de Rico
guatemala specialist program
In this issue, you’ll find the Guatemala Travel Planner, an introduction to the more comprehensive Guatemala Specialist Program, which is available online at edu.recommend.com/guatemala. The planner focuses on the main tourism destinations, including Antigua, Lake Atitlan and the Western Highlands, and offers information on the myriad activities—from cultural to active—available for your clients in this Central American country.
The Guatemala Specialist Program covers the same destinations as the planner, but offers even more 4-1-1 on what your clients shouldn’t miss. Once you’ve read through the specialist program, and answered the 20-question exam, you’ll be a Guatemala Specialist Program graduate and receive a certificate.
Visit edu.recommend.com/Guatemala.
let’s get social
Hang out with us @Recommendmag and facebook.com/recommendmag. And if you want to see what our editors are up to away from the office, follow them @Paloma_RecMag, @EdWetschler, & @LaneMN.
