UP, UP AND AWAY

OK,  you all know I love to travel.  Argentina in March, Bhutan  in June, Seattle two weeks ago and now my annual meeting at Bellagio, Las Vegas.

I am now on my way home from 6 days of 4- minute meetings with most of the VIP suppliers of Virtuoso.  I too, am a member of Virtuoso as it provides my clients with the best hotels, best services and top of the line services the world over.   This annual meeting is great in that I get to meet and socialize with General Managers of the best hotels in the world, owners and presidents of the best cruise lines in the world as well as the creme de la creme of the best ground operators in the world.



The lake in front of Bellagio, Las Vegas

After attending this meeting for 13 years, I has become an annual tradition at Bellagio.  We are over 4000 total participants of travel professionals that invade this hotel.  Every year at the opening, more than 500 + hotel employees plan a party for us on opening day and then stand and cheer us on as we enter the venue.   Last year, they did a Hollywood theme. This year was a Polynesian theme complete with fire dancers and luau food.

This and other events during the week in the evenings make the 420 + meetings bearable.  I must admit however that I am very tired, and that after all these meetings, I have been told that I look a little tired.  In addition to the meetings, suppliers fete us with cocktail parties and dinners every night.  I have atended no less than 24 of these, averaging about 4 per night

So that said, I am looking forward to a week in my office to work with clients and tell them all the great things that I have learned. 

Yes...a week only as the following week, I am off again for Chile and the Atacama Desert and Easter Island.  I will tell you more about that one as I go.

From there in September, it is off to Ecuador for my annual Travel Mart Latin America.  Hosted by the city of Quito, I will also visit the new Mashpi Lodge in the rain forests as well as ride the new Tren Ecuador, built by the government for the delight of foreign tourists which are now flocking to this lovelly little Andean nation in South America.

So that is the schedule for now....always traveling and always learning to make sure that my clients and readers enjoy the very best of information and travel.

See you on my next adventure.