Wholesalers and Tour Operators Articles

Caradonna Worldwide Dive Adventures Announces Change of Ownership.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 18, 2013) -- On December 16, 2012, Caradonna Worldwide Dive Adventures, Inc. was acquired by Rose Point Holdings, Inc. of Seattle, WA.

Over the past few years, TUI Travel’s growth strategies have evolved with a greater focus being placed on leisure and mainstream business models. This development provided Rose Point Holdings, Inc. with the opportunity to acquire Caradonna from TUI Travel and return the company to private hands while retaining the same management and staff.

“We have benefited greatly from our time with TUI Travel,” stated Caradonna President Timothy Webb, “We look forward to working closely with Rose Point Holdings and are excited for the opportunity to grow our brands under this new ownership.” read more »

Kids Sea Camp in Bonaire this Summer

(Dive Travel Business News - May 23, 2012) -- BONAIRE -- A complete family adventure designed to give every family member the ultimate an memorable experience of a lifetime, Kids Sea Camp events are hosted at family friendly PADI dive dedicated resorts. This summer Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire has dedicated the entire resort to Kids Sea Camp July 21-28th.

Special features of the Bonaire Kids Sea Camp include: Unlimited shore diving, 4 dives per day are scheduled with 2 am and 2 pm dives as well as guided night dives each evening. Programs for kids from age 4-17 are provided each day. Special guests are Annie Crawley from Dive into Your Imagination, providing photo and video seminars, as well as slideshows and presentations on the Pacific Garbage patch and sharks. Randi and Tomar with Titan CCR will be presenting rebreathe demonstrations and classes during the week. SeaLife will host our main slide show as well as Demos for adults and kids of their newest line of digital cameras. read more »

Maduro offers Exclusive Group Opportunities for 2012

(Dive Travel Business News - April 25, 2012) -- Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas is offering Exclusive Group Opportunities (EGO) with leading dive companies until June 29 for travel from August to December 2012. Dive Retailers and Group Leaders looking to add a dive trip or begin selling group dive travel in 2012 , as little as 5 people are needed to book a profitable group trip. The EGO offers are commissionable up to 12% and include Free Spots to use or sell.

Here is a summary of the EGO 2012 Participants and offers: read more »

Family Dive Adventures Announces 2012 Kids Sea Camp Schedule.

(Dive Travel Business - January 28, 2012) -- Kids Sea Camp has announced its Family Dive Adventure destinations for 2012: The list includes eight family-friendly dive holidays in Yap, Palau, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, Galapagos, Bonaire, Utila and St. Vincent.

Kids Sea Camp gets kids excited about the ocean when they are young. Established by Dive Travel Pro Margo Peyton in 2001, the objective of Kids Sea Camp is to promote an awareness of marine related issues, with a strong focus on conservation. During Kids Sea Camp, students enjoy multiple activities and the enthusiasm of a staff dedicated to teaching new and fun things about the oceans with both education in a classroom environment as well as hands-on programs that teach age appropriate curriculum.

The Kids Sea Camp Line-Up for 2012 is: read more »

Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas Launches Free Online Tool for Dive Travel Sellers

(Dive Travel Business News - January 26, 2012) -- Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas has launched a new, free online application called PAW, which is available for industry pros to review online. PAW stands for Profit Application Widget and was designed to provide dive travel distributors a proven method to enhance profits on individual dive travel sales, merchandise while maintaining complete control of their clients and retaining customers on their own website at all times.

According to Debran Nielsen, Dive Travel Specialist with Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas, the initial comments from distributors that added PAW to their website have been overwhelmingly positive. Beta-testers of PAW said they are realizing more profits from travel, instruction and equipment sales. Fresh content and new specials are motivating clients to return more frequently to the distributor's website. read more »

Turquoise Travel Adventures Inc. Opens its Doors

(Dive Travel Business News - June 1, 2011) -- Dive Travel veteran Terry Peralta is heading up the team of the new Turquoise Travel Adventures Inc.. Terry has over 16 years service in the travel industry, with 12 of those as top Group Dive Travel Specialist with PADI Travel Network. She has extensive experience working with dive shops on group and individual client needs, helping dive retailers build a travel profit center within their business.

Based in Southern California, the new dive travel company has a combined 52 years of diving experieince, offering dive travel services to a variety of dive destinations around the globe. Turquoise Travel team members have traveled extensively in order to offer first-hand dive travel guidance to their customers.

Call (949) 335-9055 or toll-free (877) 553-5395, email terry@ttadiver.com or visit Turquoise Travel Adventures.

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2012 Edition of Dive Travel Guide Excellent Resource for Trip Planning.

(Dive Travel Business News - December 18, 2011) -- Caradonna Worldwide Dive Adventures has launched the 2012 edition of its Dive Travel Guide. Available in both print and downloadable enhanced eBrochure format, the 132-page Dive Travel Guide showcases the world’s best dive resorts, liveaboards, and dive operators. An excellent resource for dive vacation planning, the guide is filled with “bucket list” caliber dive destinations throughout the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Caribbean, and other exotic destinations such as the Red Sea.

For this year's guide Caradonna has included some additional information that will help greatly in planning trips both near and far such as maps, calendar of events (both natural and manmade), and temperature charts (both air and water). Each page is easy to read and identify key amenities available such as shore diving, nitrox, WiFi, underwater photo support, etc. read more »

Industry Pro's New Position Encourages Responsible Travel and Adaptive Adventure Programs

(Dive Travel Business News - November 8, 2011) -- After seven years of business, and twice being recognized as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Businesses in the Philadelphia area, Indian Valley Scuba is changing leadership. Founder David Valaika recently announced his decision to turn over the reigns of the Northeast’s leading dive center to the team he built.

The change will allow Valaika to focus on projects closer to his heart, especially his altruistic work in developing Adaptive Diving Programs through the non-profit charity he founded in 2006, IAHD-Americas (www.iahd-americas.org). read more »

Caradonna offering Pre-DEMA Specials, Travel Guides, Seminars at DEMA 2011

(Dive Travel Business News - September 17, 2011) -- In anticipation of DEMA Show 2011 to be held Nov 2-5 in Orlando, Florida, Caradonna Worldwide Dive Adventures has put together its annual DEMA Specials brochure that includes specials and incentives already available now, prior to the dive industry's largest trade show.

Pre-DEMA Specials include a wide variety of destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, the Pacific, and exotic destinations including Southeast Asia, the Red Sea, and the Maldives with an extensive selection of dive resorts, dive operators and live-aboards offering special travel incentives in conjunction with DEMA Show 2011. Group and individual travel incentives are on offer. read more »

Sustainable Dive Tour Operator with a Difference Debuts at DEMA

Adventure Voluntourism for Dive Travelers

(Dive Travel Business News - September 26, 2011) -- Dedicated to sustainable and accessible travel, Indian Valley Travel will be exhibiting at the DEMA Show 2011 from November 2-5, 2011 in Orlando Florida. The company will be offering "deliberately different" dive travel packages where all trips 100% based on new and existing volunteer projects throughout the world. These unique packages are geared to the burgeoning "Adventure Voluntourism" market where dive travelers head to an exotic dive destination and become directly involved in a volunteer project that helps the local community, while still having plenty of time for diving and exploring local culture and attractions.

Co-founder David Valaika explains,“At the heart of everything we do at Indian Valley Travel is our vision … to be the global leader in providing sustainable and accessible adventure "voluntourism" opportunities for purpose-minded travelers” read more »

Industry Loses Longtime Dive Travel Specialist

Longtime Dive Travel Specialist Terri Dold of Scuba Travel Ventures

(Dive Travel Business News April 14, 2011) -- A long time Travel Agent and friend to many in our industry, Terrie Dold passed away most unexpectedly, shorty after five p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2011 after suffering a cerebral aneurysm on Sunday morning from which she was unable to recover. Terri and her husband Gene became Travel Agents for Scuba Travel Ventures in San Diego after owning and operating their own business, Aqua Dreams Travel, for many years.

Terri was born in Fontana, California and defined the term, "A Lust for Life." She traveled the world as a travel industry professional and avid diver. Terri and Gene, well known in the dive industry and have been selling adventure dive travel since 1994. A love for adventure and a spirit of fun abounded in Terri, whether it was for traveling, scuba diving, or motor cycle riding.

Reef & Rainforest "Greening" Its Operation

(Dive Travel Business News - November 14, 2010) -- This month Reef & Rainforest is relocating its business headquarters to Portland, Oregon. The relocation to Oregon supports the adventure travel company’s plan for growth in the scuba travel market.

“While we have enjoyed ten years in the Bay Area, location isn't the most important factor in running our business. Advances in technology are allowing us to manage operations from anywhere we want. Portland is a green business-friendly city which appeals to me on both a personal and professional level.” says owner Jenny Collister, Reef & Rainforest.

The company’s management team will be based in Portland and the travel agents will work remotely. “Implementing a paperless office favorable to e-commuting has been a primary focus over the past six months.” says Chief Operating Officer, Julie Clarke. “Not only are we moving to an environmentally friendly city, we are also “greening” our work flow processes.” read more »

Unlicensed Tour Operators Thrive on the Internet

(DiveTravelBusinessNews.com - Nov 30, 2009) -- UK Telegraph reporter Gill Charleton recently caused a stir in the travel world when he reported that the popular TripAdvisor website was promoting questionable tour operators. While the ground tour operators cited were located in Florence Italy, the story raises questions about unlicensed tour operators using trusted sites on the Internet to advertise their services. These ground operators lack basic public liability insurance and should something unfortunate happen, travelers using such tour operators are usually not covered under their own travel insurance.

The source of the problem lies with reviewers at the TripAdvisor.com website, and travelers in general, who are unaware that many guided ground tours are operating outside the law and without insurance. Many of these tours are picked up outside a hotel, the traveler pays cash and the company works from a cellphone, not a bricks and mortar operation. Travelers should check to see if a company is legitimate and has insurance before booking.

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Delta scales back international bag fees.

(May 28, 2009 - DTN) - Seattle Times — Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's largest airline operator, said Wednesday it is significantly scaling back its plans for a $50 fee for a second checked bag on international flights, as some major competitors so far have refused to match it.

The Atlanta-based airline said the fee will only apply to travel between the U.S. and Europe. When Delta made the initial announcement April 21, the fee was to apply to all international travel.

"We constantly monitor the industry landscape to ensure our fares and fees are competitive," spokeswoman Betsy Talton said in an e-mail.

Delta has said previously the new fee was expected to generate more than $100 million annually for the airline. It did not provide a new figure Wednesday.

The fee is effective for travel beginning July 1. The first checked bag on all Delta international flights remains free.

First and business class passengers, elite frequent fliers and active military are among those fliers exempt from paying Delta's fee for a second checked bag on flights between the U.S. and Europe. read more »