Eight Travel Consultants at Witte Travel & Tours recently earned the Destination Specialists (DS) Designation for Alaska from The Travel Institute located in Wellesley, MA. The program covered the geography, history, attractions, accommodations, cuisine, transportation, and unique cultural attractions of Alaska. The comprehensive, thorough curriculum and subsequent testing assures that everyone who completed the course is well equipped with the knowledge necessary to create memorable vacations for travelers to Alaska.
Witte Travel chose to add Alaska to its list of specialties because the state is so vast and travelers get overwhelmed trying to decide when and where to go. It’s also a destination that continues to grow in popularity, especially for people from the Midwest.
“Our Alaska specialists are trained to help travelers customize their vacation to exactly the places they want to see and the things they want to do. We provide price comparisons, early booking incentives, and availability,” says Karen Laux, Manager of Witte’s Vacation Department. “And while cruises are very popular, cruisetours as well as land-only vacations continue to increase in popularity.”
Although most people go to Alaska once, a number of travelers return again and again. Witte Travel is also seeing a rise in couples choosing Alaska as a honeymoon destination.
In 2009, cruise lines are celebrating Alaska’s statehood anniversary with a full season of cruise itineraries showcasing the best of Alaska. Cruise West for example, is celebrating the states 50th anniversary with special offers including giving guests who are celebrating their 50th birthday or 50th wedding anniversary a $50 shipboard credit.
Witte Travel & Tours is a retail vacation travel agency and an international tour operator. The company, locally owned and operated by Henry I. (Henk) Witte, was established in Ada, Michigan in 1975. Witte’s staff includes over 35 travel professionals with a combined experience of over 300 years. Witte Travel is a member in good standing of many business and professional organizations and associations; among them the Michigan and Grand Rapids Chambers of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau of West Michigan, the National Tour Association, the American Society of Travel Agents, the International Airlines Travel Agent Network, the International Federation for Choral Music and the Cruise Lines International Association. In addition, many of Witte Travel’s staff members have earned Certified Travel Consultant and Destination Specialist designations from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.