The World's Most Populous Nation+ 1
China News February, 2009
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Imperial Tours' last newsletter was published before the birth of Adan, Nancy and my first son. It's appropriate then that this one, the first of a quarterly series, is being sent just days after the birth of our second son, Lev.
This newletter features:
Closing The Gap Between Continents – Announcing the Travel Alliance, an association of top suppliers
A Room with a View – Imperial Tours' evaluation of the top hotels in Beijing and Shanghai
Taking a Bow – Imperial Tours honors its top travel consultants of 2008
In The Dream Business – dates of our upcoming FAMs and regular departure group tours
US Fed Guarantees Imperial Tours' Clients' Funds – Find out how We Keeps Client Funds Secure
Face Off With A Champ – Play tabletennis with Zhang Yi Ning, reigning Olympics Champion, and other champions & coaches
The Travel Alliance – Closing The Gap Between ContinentsThe Travel Alliance is an association of award-winning destination specialists, recognized internationally for their enlightened trip planning, insider access and exceptional guides. Leveraging the talents of like-minded tour operators across many countries, The Travel Alliance dedicates itself to delivering tailor-made itineraries of uncompromising quality. We invite only the best of our peers to join the alliance, and then constantly monitor performance to ensure its continued excellence. As separate companies within individual countries, we have changed the way people travel. As a world-wide travel alliance, we offer you the same expertise across the globe. When life calls…the world awaits. Please click on any company logo below to visit each company's website for further details.
A Room With a View: Finding The Perfect Accommodation In preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, the landscape of these two metropolises have been revolutionized with a panoply of new openings from the stylish quintessentially Chinese characteristics of the Aman Summer Palace in Beijing, to the characteristically stylish breeding of the Park Hyatt in Shanghai. Which should you select for your clients? Opting for a well-known brand guarantees a certain quality, but for some clients there is little value-added in securing a chain hotel which they could have selected for themselves anyway. Such clients seek excellence, and with such a broad range of hotels available in many major cities, this is defined as matching the right client to the right hotel. To make informed recommendations to your clients, inquire about the top properties here.
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Taking a Bow – Imperial Tours Honors Its Top Travel Consultants of 2008
Imperial Tours takes great pleasure in thanking all its sales partners for supporting our business in 2008 to make it our most successful to date. In particular, we are extremely grateful to the travel consultants below – our 2008 Travel Agents of the Year. Special plaudits go to Karin Hansen and Stuart Markus who also both featured on this list in 2007.
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"Best tour experience I ever had."
– Margot Halperin, Bee Kalt Travel |
Michele Cook (Mansour) and Karin Hansen (Frosch)
We thank you with signed copies of Jereme Leung's cookbook, New Shanghai Cuisine.
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"I have traveled often with exceptional tour companies but have never had an experience equal to this. Exceptional in every way!" – JanVerhage
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Did you know that Imperial Tours now offers over 40 nights of luxury travel experiences throughout China?
Besides our two regular FAM trips and well-known FIT services, we also arrange regular departure small group tours, perfect for travelers who enjoy meeting like-minded people as they travel in style. Like all our trips, the group tours offer unparalleled value:
FAM Tour
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"The food was amazing – I have the feeling the places you took us were not exactly typical. But as long as you take our clients to those places – that's what matters."
– Sharon Elsen, Cardoza-Bungey Travel |
We would love for you to join a FAM trip! How else can we open your eyes to how unbelievably amazing and interesting China was in its imperial past and is today – leading the world in some disciplines and way behind in others? By hook and by crook, sometimes depsite itself, this country is going places, and you won't find out how and why by reading the papers or watching tv. Come here, enjoy it and then sell it to your clients. Experience and understand:
Our next 11-night FAM trip to Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai begins on March 14. For availability information, please inquire with Margot Kong in San Francisco.
Imperial Tour
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"Laurie and I travelled 110 days last year with some of the best respected tour companies in the world. Imperial Tours was "THE BEST" company we travelled with in planning and executing the trip. Great job!!" – Kenneth Goodman
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Our benchmark tour, this 13-night itinerary covers the essential destinations in China. Our tours are limited to 20 people, VIP services are standard, and include such features as access to off-limits palaces in the Forbidden City, and more.
Upcoming Imperial Tours are April 14-27 and May 5-18. Both of these tours are guaranteed departure dates. Please see the Imperial Tour itinerary page for more 2009 dates.
Special in 2009: our July Imperial Tour will feature a unique Shanghai skyline breakfast-viewing of the longest Solar Eclipse for the next 130 years. For additional information on the eclipse, please click here.
Family Tour
Look at the photos below to choose a unique experience for your family!
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Our families explore landmarks at a pace that won't tire the young. The Family Tour's featured activities, such as Peking Opera-style face painting or a kungfu demonstration, will pique the adventurous, while optional spa treatment or shopping can delight any generation. Of course there is more to travel than just fun and games, and our family tour provides an excellent educational opportunity to learn about China.
This year's Family Tour begins on August 7, 2009. Find out more details on our Family Tour itinerary page.
For more information or availability on the above tours, Margot Kong in San Francisco is ready to take your questions.
In these uncertain times, it is reassuring to know that clients' funds are as safe as the US Fed. Imperial Tours together with many of its leading vendors, such as the St. Regis Hotel in Beijing and the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai, have participated in the Travel Funds Protection Plan (TFPP) operated by National City Bank since 2001. Recognized for its consumer protection benefits by ASTA and such strictly enforced Seller of Travel laws as that of California, TFPP can claim to be one of the most secure consumer protection plans in the world. 100% of clients' funds are deposited in separate escrow accounts – there is a separate account for each payee – and are held there until 5 days after the tour has finished. Whilst the funds are held, they are guaranteed in their entirety by the US Fed!
5 days after the tour has finished, on condition that all services were supplied, vendors are paid and the remainder of the funds pass into Imperial Tours' operating account. For further information on TFPP, please click here.
Imperial Tours invites you to play ping pong with the world's reigning Olympic and World champion Zhang Yining. Ms. Zhang, a 27 year-old Beijing native, caught the world's attention during the 1999 World Table Tennis Championship. Since then, she's been at the top of the sport and has won over 20 gold and silver medals. She has encountered stiff competition across the globe, but has yet to witness your nephew's "overhand double-cross-slam" that he perfected in the basement last summer.
Playing ping pong with the best of the best is an example of specialized activities we call "Imperial Moments." Imperial Tours can supplement any FIT itinerary with a variety of such unique experiences depending on your specific interests. Want to delve deeper into the Forbidden City? Why not explore it with a Sotheby's Expert. Trying to get into better health? What about a private Tai Chi lesson from a sixth-generation master.
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"Andy was the perfect China host, we really liked him hugely and he was endlessly thoughtful and interesting and took real care to ensure we got the most out of our time there." – Baroness Kate de Rothschild
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Looking for the perfect armoire? How about shopping with an antique dealer. Curious about doing business in China? Learn about the pitfalls from the first investment banker to come to China. Even when clients might have unusual requests, we'll do everything we can to accommodate them (In 2008 a guest was interested in nuclear power; and we arranged a tour of a rare pebble-bed facility for him!).
Because our operations are China-based, Imperial Tours has the insider-knowledge and flexibility that allows our guests more personalized experiences in China. For additional details on our special activities, feel free to contact Margot Kong in San Francisco or Kent Milne in Poole, England with your questions.
As the luxury market regains its foothold, China will be sure to extend its relevance as a destination for luxury travelers. Apart from the stunning organization of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, or the increasing significance of this industrious nation to the world economy, or the continous development of new destinations, better hotels and more sophisticated restaurants, there is the unchallenged value that China brings to the table.
If business is slow, why not use this time to learn more about China? If you haven't yet been on one of our FAM trips, treat yourself, surprise yourself, enjoy yourself.
Sending best regards,
Guy Rubin
Managing Partner of Imperial Tours
