Alexandria, Va., June 23, 2008 – This Sept. 7-9 in Orlando, 16 of the travel industry’s top organizations bring you THETRADESHOW with niche travel educational opportunities for agents to enhance their areas of expertise and capture more sales opportunities.

“Niche travel is the buzz word these days and agents everywhere are booking more specialized and theme-focused vacations than ever before. Agents who want to keep up with and sell the latest vacationing trends should make plans to attend THETRADESHOW and check out the education seminars on niche travel such as green travel, Cuba, luxury and minority travel,” said Charlotte Haymore, president of THETRADESHOW partner, Travel Professionals of Color.

Agents looking to explore new markets in niche travel have the unique opportunity to attend the following five educational seminars on some of travels hottest topics:

The New Era of Faith Tourism: How Agencies Can Capitalize on This Robust $18 Billion Market
World Religious Travel Association
Presented by Kevin Wright
Join author Kevin J. Wright, in this fast-paced and interactive workshop providing you with actionable product, sales and marketing strategies to build a thriving and profitable faith travel program. Destinations such as Israel and Jordan are welcoming more visitors in 2008 than ever before, while travel experiences such as faith-based cruising, attractions and missions are enjoying some of their best years ever. The most recent industry research shows that faith-based travel has gone “mass market” with one in four travelers interested in taking a faith vacation.

Marketing Green: Promotional Narratives in a Greening World
Presented by Paul Bennett
This seminar, presented by journalist and travel entrepreneur, Paul Bennett, will look at how travel narratives are being reshaped by the green movement and what it might mean for travel businesses. Agents will learn about green measurement: who are the organizations that are measuring success in sustainability, what are the tools they are using and how do they help travelers make decisions? Bennett will explore innovative approaches that travelers might take to sustainability in travel and how they can be woven into narratives. Attendees will hear about today’s key issues that concern magazines and other media, the demographics of green travel and our current position in the green media cycle.

Beyond Green: Ecotourism becomes Sustainable Tourism Becomes…
Presented by Paul Bennett
Bennett will take share the history of sustainable tourism and discuss some of today’s key issues including carbon emissions, travel footprint and giving back. Agents will learn about green architecture and eco-resorts and the important concerns about economic justice. Also, Bennett will explore a whole host of strategies employed by tour operators and resorts to reduce the negative impacts of tourism on environments, cultures, economic systems and social structures. Bennett will offer concrete examples of organizations that he has researched and written about as well as his own internationally recognized travel company. It will uncover ways that tourism can be modified and shaped for the betterment of destinations and travelers alike.

Cuba:  The Next (Very Big) New Destination
Brought to you by Fund for Reconciliation
Presented by Christopher Baker
As a result of the November election, changes in United States-Cuba relations may quickly open the door to normal travel from the United States. This seminar is designed to answer questions for travel agents, tour operators and other sectors of the industry. How is Cuba preparing to add Americans to the 2 million Canadians, Europeans and other types of vacationers that it will receive this year? What special attractions does the country offer? What is the state of its tourism infrastructure and what can we expect from the role of familiar partners like Sol Melia? How is doing business there similar to and different from other destinations in the Caribbean? What are the US presidential candidates saying now, and what will they do after taking office? What can be expected from Congress? 

How to Reach the Flourishing Minority Market
Brought to you by Travel Professionals of Color
Presented by Charlotte Haymore
Agents should take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to reach the minority travel market and how their agency can profit by selling to what has now become a niche market. Information on the multicultural traveler and marketing techniques that can be used to reach the minority traveler will be discussed in this workshop.

Selling Customized Luxury Group Travel
Brought to you by European Incoming Services
Presented by Bruce Tepper, CITE, CTC
This course will teach agents how to create high-end luxury packages that will meet their clients specialized needs. It will discuss specific issues such as: creating the WOW experience for customized groups, finding (and marketing) to the right prospects and buyers, selling into the group to build numbers, pricing strategies; working with the right suppliers; developing your customized group trips and more.

Register today for THETRADESHOW and expand your knowledge of the many niche markets ready to be sold. To learn more about THETRADESHOW and to register, visit www.THETRADESHOW.org.  

 THETRADESHOW is created and supported by the travel industry’s leading organizations, including: ACTA, ATA, AirTran, ASTA, Adventures In Travel Expo, Canada Travel Press, CLIA, Destination UK Ltd, ETOA, eTurbo News, IGLTA, JAXFAX, ONLY Vegas, MailPound, NACTA, NBTA, NTA, ORLANDO, Recommend, SATH, TourismCares, Travel Age West, Travel Channel, The Travel Institute, TIA, TPOC, Travel Trade, TRAVEL WEEKLY, Turisver Trade Tourism Magazine, USA Today, USTOA and Vacation.com. Official media partners are: Agent@Home, vacationagent and ModernAgent.

THETRADESHOW (Travel Retailing and Destination Expo) is a 3-day, in-depth networking and educational event. Global and inclusive, THETRADESHOW unites under one roof travel suppliers and buyers from all over the world, representing every segment of the travel and tourism industry. It is the trade show event for travel decision makers. For more information on THETRADESHOW, please call 1.866.870.9333, visit THETRADESHOW.org or e-mail pr@thetradeshow.org

Contact: Kristina Rundquist/Laura Gajewski 703.739.8710