WRTA Debuts Special Offer for World Religious Travel Expo: “Bring Agent/Planner, Both Go For Free”

LEXINGTON, Ky.– The World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) announced its “Bring an Agent/Planner, Both Go for Free” campaign for its upcoming Expo. Travel agents seeking new sources of revenues and clientele, while being mindful of their budgets, can bring a fellow travel agent professional or group planner, such as a religious leader or travel ministry organizer, to the November 13-16 World Religious Travel Expo in Montreal. Both will receive complimentary registration; regular admission for a travel agent or planner is $35.

“We are very excited to roll out this new special offer for Expo buyers and attendees,” said Kevin J. Wright, WRTA president. “The promotional campaign is in response to hearing from many travel agents and planners that finances are their top concern. If we can somehow help alleviate this challenge for them, they’ll then be able to successfully attend the upcoming World Religious Travel Expo.”

Wright views the program as a win-win arrangement. “If a travel agent brings another travel agent or planner, not only do they both go for free, but it also helps WRTA and our Expo by increasing the overall number of qualified attendees for sellers,” Wright said. “Everybody wins in this scenario.”

To take advantage of the special offer by WRTA and the World Religious Travel Expo, the following criteria must be met:
• A sponsoring travel agent must contact WRTA staff and provide registration information for the travel agent(s) or planner(s) he or she wishes to bring to the Expo.
• The travel agents and planners who are accompanying the sponsoring travel agent will be contacted by WRTA to verify their contact information and affiliation with the sponsoring travel agent.
• Once the sponsoring and contact information of all parties is verified by WRTA staff, the registrations will be processed (and Expo registration fees waived).
• The “Bring an Agent/Planner, Both Go For Free” offer is valid ONLY through the pre-registration period, ending on Friday, November 5, 2010. The offer is not valid after November 5, 2010, or on-site in Montreal.

The World Religious Travel Expo is the world’s pre-eminent faith tourism marketplace gathering, with hundreds of professionals and tourism organizations from more than 30 countries in attendance. November’s Expo will be held in conjunction with the NTA Convention for the second consecutive year, providing a combined gathering of 2,000-plus travel professionals and tourism organizations. Through this collaboration with NTA, the leading association for travel professionals, both associations can offer its members opportunities for education, business expansion and networking, along with access to new markets.

For more information about the special offer, contact the World Religious Travel Association by phone at 888.255.WRTA (9782) or +1.859.219.3529 or by e-mail at headquarters(at)WRTAreligioustravel.com. For more information about the WRTA Expo, visit http://www.wrtaexpo.com/. You can also find WRTA and the World Religious Travel Expo on Facebook.

The World Religious Travel Association is the leading global network for the $18 billion faith tourism industry. WRTA's primary purpose is to guide, enrich and expand religious travel and hospitality around the globe. WRTA membership includes travel agents, tour operators, tourism boards, attractions, accommodations, suppliers, media and other organizations involved in tourism. For more information visit http://www.wrtareligioustravel.com/ or http://www.wrtaexpo.com/.

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

CTV News Channel Regarding Brother Andre's Canonization as Canadian Saint

Here's the link to the article featuring my interview on CTV News Channel (Canada):

Read full story here: http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101017/brother-andre-canonized-101017/20101017/?hub=OttawaHome

Selections of article:
His elevation to sainthood will carry some worldly benefits for St. Andre's hometown, according to Kevin Wright, the president of the U.S.-based world religious travel association.

"When an individual is declared a saint, their shrines attract significant numbers of visitors," Wright told CTV News Channel. "And we're going to see that in Montreal."

He said that while the oratory that St. Andre founded is not as big a draw as sites like the French shrine at Lourdes, it already attracts an estimated one million pilgrims a year.

And Wright said that St. Andre's sanctification will only boost those numbers.

"Over the next couple of years we could see that double and get up to three, four or even five million people. And that's incredible."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement that the newly canonized St. Andre was "a great Canadian."

"Brother Andre's canonization is an important inspiration to us all, and the Oratory will continue to serve as a central landmark of spiritual strength and faith for Quebecers and all Canadians."

WRTA President to Appear on CTV News Channel Sunday

As part of the media attention garnered by Brother André’s canonization by Pope Benedict this weekend, WRTA President Kevin J. Wright will be interviewed on CTV News Channel Sunday about how this great event and the upcoming World Religious Travel Expo will boost faith-based tourism in Montréal.
CTV News Channel: http://www.ctv.ca/newschannel/

Canonization will boost Montreal tourism

Read full story at
http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/life/article/653171--canonization-will-boost-montreal-tourism

MONTREAL - Having a newly minted saint in town isn't just good news for Montreal's faithful — it will also likely bring a few hallelujahs from the city's travel industry.

The canonization of Brother Andre by Pope Benedict on Oct. 17 will not only spur some special events in Montreal but will also have long-lasting effects on the marketing of the city as a religious tourism destination, observers say.

"Once somebody is canonized, that really shoots it through the roof," says Kevin J. Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association, which is holding its annual trade show in Montreal in November.

Wright said besides all the media attention Montreal will get because of the canonization, the papal nod to one of its local sons will be an incentive for faith-based tour operators to push Montreal itineraries in their packages.

Read full story at http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/life/article/653171--canonization-will-boost-montreal-tourism

40-plus Industry Experts Headline Industry’s Largest Faith Tourism Business Seminar Program at Expo 2010

For Immediate Release
September 30, 2010

LEXINGTON, Ky.– The World Religious Travel Association business seminars for the November 13–16 World Religious Travel Expo 2010 will serve as the industry’s most comprehensive educational program on faith-based tourism and hospitality. The two-day curriculum will feature 40-plus industry experts, including several published authors. For the third straight year, travel agents and providers can earn up to three continuing educational units through The Travel Institute www.thetravelinstitute.com by attending and participating in the Expo business and educational seminar program.

“As sharing business acumen and education about the religious travel market is a key mission of WRTA and our annual Expo, we are ecstatic about this year’s lineup of speakers and seminars,” said Kevin J. Wright, WRTA president. “The topics cover virtually every segment of the industry from product development to sales to consumer service to word-of-mouth-marketing and much more. In addition, we’ll host several open forums whereby delegates can ask their own questions and share stories of success with fellow religious travel professionals, colleagues and experts.”

The business and educational seminar topics for the World Religious Travel Expo 2010 include:

• Who is Today’s Religious Traveler Consumer? How Can You Best Serve Them?
• How to Most Effectively Market and Sell to today’s Religious Travel Consumer.
• How Can You Find the Right Tour/Ground Operator for Your Religious Travel Program—and Why is it Key to Your Success?
• Discover the Holy Land and Enrich Your Biblical Lands Portfolio.
• Develop a Winning and Diverse Portfolio to the World’s Most Visited Religious Sites.
• Discover Faith-based Vacations, Attractions, & Events—Right Here in North America.
• Enrich Your Religious Travel Program with New Faith-based Vacations: Cruises, Volunteer Vacations, Local Getaways, Attractions and Much More.
• Open Forum: Q&A with Biblical Lands Representatives.
• Open Forum: Q&A Plus Discover New Ideas for Your Religious Travel Program.
• Open Forum: Q&A with International Ground Operators for Your Religious Travel Program.

In addition, two prominent published authors, Keith Powell and Greg Stielstra, will host the following business and educational seminars at Expo 2010:

• Igniting the Creative Spark for Your Faith Based Business—Keith Powell, The Business Revivalist and Author of The Transforming Power of Achievement
• Discover the Principles of PyroMarketing—Greg Stielstra, Author of Pyromarketing and Faith-based Marketing

The World Religious Travel Expo is the world’s pre-eminent faith tourism marketplace gathering with more than 500 travel professionals and tourism organizations from over 30 countries in attendance. This November’s Expo will be held in conjunction with the NTA Convention for the second year, providing a combined gathering of 2,000-plus travel professionals and tourism organizations. Through this collaboration with NTA, the leading association for travel professionals, both associations can offer its members opportunities for education, business expansion, networking and access to new markets.

For more information about attending the World Religious Travel Expo, contact the World Religious Travel Association at 888.255.WRTA (9782) or +1.859.219.3529 or by e-mail at headquarters@WRTAreligioustravel.com. For more information about the WRTA Expo, visit http://www.wrtaexpo.com/

Catering for Religious Tourism (The National)

By Rebecca Bundhun
Read full article at http://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?l=2&articleId=54087

In the past, pilgrimages lacked the trappings of luxurious trips, with travellers organising their own arrangements. But that is rapidly changing.

“Only now is the global travel industry beginning to recognise the tremendous impact and opportunity of assisting and servicing the millions of people who travel to the Middle East for religious purposes,” says Kevin Wright, the president of the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA).

About 300 million religious tourists travel annually. Apart from Muslim pilgrimages, millions of visitors travel regularly to religious sites in France, Italy and India. 

“This has resulted in more major tour operators, hotels and other suppliers entering the marketplace than ever before,” says Mr Wright.

To capitalise on the demand for religious trips to Saudi Arabia, there are now scores of tour operators all over the world that specialise in selling packages for the Haj and Umrah.

Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?l=2&articleId=54087

Israel names new North American Tourism Commissioner

Article link: http://www.travelpress.com/PHP/news.php?sid=11726

Haim Gutin has been appointed Israel Tourism Commissioner for North and South America, taking over from Arie Sommer who returns to Jerusalem at the completion of his second term in the post. Prior to his posting to New York, Gutin was the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s senior deputy director-general for Human Resources and Logistics, based in Jerusalem. During his tenure in Jerusalem at the headquarters of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Gutin served in a variety of posts including director of the marketing administration’s European department; supervisor of the domestic tourism promotion and marketing department and supervisor for the Jerusalem District’s Tourism Product Department.

Expo 2010: Your Registration Goes Further

This November, the World Religious Travel Expo will co-locate with the NTA Convention.

This means your WRTA Expo registration dollars go further, providing access to the largest gathering of religious travel providers and suppliers in the world, as well as the tour operators, suppliers and destinations at NTA’s Convention—all on one tradeshow floor!

With a combined 2,000-plus travel professionals in attendance, this incredible opportunity of two shows in one destination is a “one-stop shop” for all your planning and religious travel program needs.

Highlights of Expo 2010 include:
• Back by popular demand, North America’s top faith marketing expert Greg Stielstra will keynote at Expo 2010 in Montreal. Stielstra is co-author of Faith-based Marketing and the mastermind behind the strategy of “PyroMarketing.”
• Meet and network with tour operators, suppliers, and destinations from across 30 countries.

• Attend the industry’s most comprehensive educational program in religious tourism and hospitality.
How Can You Receive a FREE Expo Fam Trip to Quebec’s Shrines?
The first 25 buyers to register for Expo 2010 will enjoy a complimentary VIP Fam tour of Montréal valued at $500.

How to Register for Expo Today?
Register online
Register by Phone: 888.255.9782, Ext 101 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.219.3529
Register by e-mail: headquarters@WRTAreligioustravel.com

World Religious Travel Expo 2010 to Feature Greg Stielstra

World Religious Travel Expo 2010 to Feature Greg Stielstra
Article link http://www.vacationagentmagazine.com/Editorial.aspx?n=75516

North America’s top faith marketing expert Greg Stielstra will keynote for the second year at the World Religious Travel Expo 2010. Stielstra is the co-author of “Faith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers” and the mind behind the strategy of “PyroMarketing” to help businesses reach and retain markets. Stielstra also served as the marketing director behind “The Purpose Driven Life,” a faith-based marketing phenomenon and the fastest selling hardcover book in American history. Stielstra worked in marketing for Christian publishers for 17 years where he planned the promotions for dozens of bestselling books. An expert in word-of-mouth, faith-based and social network marketing, Stielstra is the author of two books – “PyroMarketing: the Four-Step Strategy to Ignite Customer Evangelists and Keep Them for Life” and “Faith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers.”

“People have long known that word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of advertising,” said Stielstra. “What they may not realize, however, is that faith communities spread word-of-mouth more effectively than any other group. What’s more, people of faith represent the largest demographic segment in the world. When you combine the size and connectivity of the faith community with new social media technologies, you can create incredibly powerful opportunities to promote religious travel that are also affordable. I look forward to sharing this good news with religious travel professionals and seeing them use it to further advance religious travel worldwide.”

The World Religious Travel Expo has developed into the pre-eminent faith tourism marketplace gathering with more than 500 travel professionals and tourism organizations from 30-plus countries in attendance. This November’s World Religious Travel Expo will be held in conjunction with the NTA Convention for the second year, providing a combined gathering of 2,000-plus travel professionals and tourism organizations. Through this collaboration with NTA, the leading association for travel professionals, both associations can offer its members unprecedented opportunities for education, business expansion, networking, and new market opportunities. For more information, call 888-255-WRTA (9782), email headquarters@WRTAreligioustravel.com or visit www.WRTAexpo.com.

Source: TravelPulse.com - Aug 20, 2010 / © 2010 Performance Media Group