FTA 2018 Routes of Faith 1 | Page 13

meet the members GLOBETROTTERS TEMPLE SQUARE Middlesex, England Salt Lake City, Utah AQUARIUM OF THE BAY | San Francsico, California FTA contact: Peter Craddick FTA contact: Duane Cardall FTA contact: Paul Nakamoto Offi ce phone: +44.203.384.5172 Offi ce phone: +1.801.240.6615 Offi ce phone: +1.415.262.4720 Website: gttnt.com Website: templesquare.com Website: aquariumofthebay.org Globetrotters Travel & Tours was founded in 2007 and specializes in packaging travel for groups both inbound and outbound from North America. By building partnerships with suppliers all over the world, Globetrotters offers the very best in tour packages to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. How does your company benefi t from membership in FTA? FTA membership provides the opportunity to interact with fellow like- minded companies to share ideas and work together. Talk about your company’s involvement with faith travel. I have been involved with faith travel for more than 20 years and have worked on three Oberammergau events. Being exclusively in the group business, we have realized that this niche market is one that continues to thrive as opposed to some leisure markets that have suffered from the growth of the internet. Religious travel groups are here to stay because church congregations want to go on a pilgrimage and experience what are often life-changing experiences. What are trends in faith travel that you see for 2018? We see that faith travelers are looking for unique experiences. We are always looking for unique ideas to suggest to our customers, and my latest idea is a Christian- or Catholic-focused trip to Kenya, east Africa. The itinerary offers a perfect combination of faith, culture and wildlife, and feedback so far has been positive from a number of customers. Temple Square is the world headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is the most-visited tourist site in Utah. The 10-acre property includes the Salt Lake Temple, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Family History Library, four restaurants and two visitor centers. Why did you decide to join FTA? I hope to gain insight into how to serve the faith traveler, along with how to better promote this tourism asset represented with Temple Square. Talk about your organization’s involvement with faith travel. Temple Square is directly linked to faith. The historic story of this destination is one of a people of extraordinary faith who transformed barren desert valleys into one of the world’s most beautiful cities with Temple Square at the center. The modern story is equally compelling with Temple Square being the headquarters of one of the world’s fastest-growing religions. In the mix are attractions such as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, one of three magnifi cent statues in the world of Thorvaldsen’s Christus, and the world’s largest repository of genealogical records, in addition to the mountains and hiking trails that surround Salt Lake City. What makes you unique? • The world’s largest genealogical library is here and it’s free. • We offer guided tours in 40 different languages, an appealing benefi t for thousands of international visitors. • Except for the restaurants, everything at Temple Square is free! Aquarium of the Bay is a non- profi t organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of aquatic life in the San Francisco Bay and its watershed. Located on Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf, it offers an educational and entertaining experience for visitors. How does your company benefi t from membership in FTA? Faith travel is a growing tourism market segment and a new one for us at Aquarium of the Bay. [Our FTA membership] will allow us to connect with tour companies that might not otherwise have included a visit with us. Talk about your company’s involvement with faith travel. We are new to faith travel, but we have learned a lot from FTA. Although we are not a religious destination per se, we are often added to faith travel itineraries that include nearby attractions. For example, many tour operators include Aquarium of the Bay in itineraries to Alcatraz for the annual celebration of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island. What are trends in faith travel that you see for 2018? Faith travel falls in the top 10 travel trends in the world with more than 300 million people traveling each year and revenues exceeding $18 billion dollars. Whether it’s a pilgrimage, a mission trip or for educational reasons, faith travel is one of the fastest growing travel market segments in the world. faithtravelassociation.com 13