Adventure travel — and travel ers — are changing

Time was when the adventure traveler had one overriding goal: to conquer.
Today’s adventure tour operators are dealing with a more sophisticated client.

P. 62

www.travelweekly.com

Arnie Weissmann:
Is The Donald building a hotel, a
condo tower or a 46-story cabstand?

P. 12

THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
SEPTEMBER 24, 2007

C ma^ht^ate^tr^ts^{e r}

Many hotel managers are obsessed with what people
are saying on the Internet about their hotels.
Their next step is to join the online conversation and
turn cyber chatter into real-world business.
BY JERI CLAUSING PAGE 46

Industry lobbying gets more frenzied
as House, Senate prepare to adjourn

By Michael Milligan

WASHINGTON — It’s been one of those kinds of months on Capitol Hill when it’s probably better to wear running shoes than wingtips.

Consider a day in the life of Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership, an inbound tourism advocacy group. Starting with meetings in the House on one side of Capitol Hill, then dashing to the other side to parlay with members of the Senate, Freeman figures he spent at least nine hours bouncing back and forth on a recent Thursday.

Nor is he alone. Many travel industry lobbyists have been spending their days like this since Congress returned from its summer recess on Sept. 4.

Freeman and his counterparts at other travel groups have been trying to drum up support for the Travel Promotion Act, legislation that would fulfill one of the industry’s

long-sought objectives by creating a $100 million campaign to promote inbound tourism to the U.S.

It’s just a first step, but at least the industry has been successful in getting bills introduced in both houses of Congress.

See CONGRESS on Page 14

WORLD BEAT

^Kuala ^{Lumpur: Voluntourism} ^Fowl ^CayMalay tradition still wanted is ^‘home to meets 21st and needed in Sandals’ century cool. New Orleans. newest resort.

P. 82 P. 73 P. 66

[ COSTS SHIFTING TO PASSENGERS ]

New distribution models seen
in growth of low-cost carriers

By Andrew Compart

LONDON — Low-cost carriers from around the world could be trying out a new distribution model.

The hallmarks of the new model include no-cost GDS participation and easily booked, non-interline connections between two or more low-cost carriers — with customers asked to assume some or all of the cost and risk.

For now, migration to the new model is tentative, as few low-cost airlines have yet to sign on for these newly emerging options, and many may remain resistant. Ryanair, the European low-cost juggernaut, for example, still considers even the mention of possible GDS participation offensive.

“We’re very happy to distribute through Galileo provided they pay us $5 per segment,” Ryanair COO Michael Cawley quipped in his

speech here at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress, which covered a host of LCC issues on Sept. 18 and 19.

But it became clear at the conference, with more than 80 airlines represented and more than 550 airline and industry-related attendees, that the industry had reached the stage where products had been developed to make broader distribution and easily booked “ no-frills connections” possible — and that some airlines would give it a try.

The LCC market penetration is still growing, but its maturation reached the point where many carriers are beginning to look for more options to increase ticket revenue and to fill seats at non-peak times. Various GDS and connecting flight options are being offered or attempted, and a session on distribution overflowed with attendees.