Give family, friends the gift of travel this holiday season

• By CYNTHIA V. CAMPBELL
• Travel editor
• Published: Dec 18, 2005

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

This holiday season give the gift of travel. The Greater Baton Rouge area is fortunate to have numerous outstanding travel agencies with experienced agents in the travel industry. Consult an agent about a gift for your best friend, business partner or just for yourself. Ask about travel trends and unique travel packages being offered for 2006. Gift certificates are always a good bet and can be applied to future trips. Many agencies also offer a selection of travel-related items including maps, backpacks, luggage and more.

JoAnn Bowman, owner of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, said, "People look at the holidays as a chance to fill their stockings with the stuff of dreams -- and a travel gift certificate can do just that."

Bowman said people can call or e-mail Carlson Wagonlit Travel to purchase a gift certificate in a denomination they are comfortable with. "A gift certificate of $25 or $50 is a great way for someone to start building toward a fun-filled cruise or a tour of a lifetime," she said. "Plus, there's no need to stand in line, and you know whoever receives it is going to put the gift certificate toward the type of trip they want."

Mary Raborn, agent at Carlson Wagonlit, said, "Europe is more popular than ever with our customers. The Italy and the Greek isles are hot. We also are doing a lot of Baltic and Russia."

Raborn said the agency is offering three upcoming packages. A January trip to New York City including four nights at Mansfield hotel near Times Square and nonstop air fare from Baton Rouge begins at $725 per person, double occupancy. The Mardi Gras at Disney package, including six night hotel, six day park hopper passes with transfers and air fare from New Orleans costs $699, per person, based on four people traveling. A Las Vegas Fourth of July package begins July 3 for four nights in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and includes air fare from Baton Rouge and transfers. Cost is $702 per person.

Contact Carlson Wagonlit Travel at (225) 767-4444 or http://www.carlson.com.

Pearson's Travel World, 7949 Jefferson Highway, provides gift certificates for any amount customers wish. Manager Cindy Chambers said, "If you want to be specific, for example, to apply $1,000 toward a Hawaiian cruise or to give a bottle of champagne for someone on a cruise, you need the exact name of the person the cruise is booked under and the date of the cruise."

Mary Ann Hooper, a Pearson's agent, said one of the 'hot' cities for 2006 will be Berlin. Just back from German's capitol, Hooper said, "Berlin is one of the most beautiful cities in the world for Christmas with all its unique markets, food, hand-blown Christmas ornaments, designer clothes and jewelry. The city has 110 different Christmas markets on both the former east side of the city and the west side."

"If you want to stay in the United States this next year try a spa vacation in either Canyon Ranch near Phoenix or Barnard in Barnard, Vt.," said Hooper. "Also, the hottest thing in deluxe hotels is a bed for your pooch. At the Ritz-Carlton, you can order a bed for your dog."

Malcolm Travel, with offices at 7744 Florida Blvd., and 7520 Perkins Road, provides gift certificates in any amount and will customize them for specific events. Beverly Waldrop, manager, said, "For Christmas we personalize the certificates on colored stock and include a brochure."

"Giving a gift certificate is a great idea, because people can then use it for what they want to do," said Waldrop. "I had one customer who wanted something special for his wife, so we boxed up the gift certificate and made it all Christmassy and cute. We also had a father come in who wanted a Disney gift certificate for his children. We put together a little photo album and detailed the trip for them."

Waldrop said Malcolm is expecting Disney World to be more popular than ever. "Las Vegas has always been popular, but we see it increasing as a destination in 2006. Alaska cruises are extremely popular and bookings for 2006 are almost filled."

She said towns in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are so good at marketing themselves, that travel agencies don't have too many requests for getaways in the area. "However, we will put together a special package for anyone who wants a special package in these states," she said.