Explorica Launches Travel Industry’s First Instant Tour Customizer
Website provides both flexibility and travel options for creating customized educational tours
Boston, MA – October 29, 2009 – Explorica, a company creating educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages and people, today announced the launch of its Instant Tour Customizer (ITC). The ITC is the travel industry’s first online tool that allows teachers to personally customize educational tours with both flexibility and travel options.
Available through Explorica’s new website, the ITC provides teachers with the ability to customize every aspect of their tour using a simple drag-and-drop feature, allowing for easy control of price, tour pace and degree of personalization. Each tour modification, including adding or removing tour activities, is instantly reflected in the price quote. This feature lets teachers see the cost of their customizations in real time.
Using the ITC, teachers can also upgrade to premium level accommodations and change dining options for the entire tour or on select days. This ability to mix, match, edit and save ensures each step of the tour is ideal for the group.
“Our new Instant Tour Customizer gives teachers complete control over the details of their tour, ensuring both teachers and students have the most rewarding educational travel experience,” said Olle Olsson, president and chief executive officer of Explorica. “Creating a customized tour is now as fast and simple as shopping online. Pick what you want, drag it to your tour, and find out the cost in real time. The ease-of-use of this powerful new tool provides teachers with the ability to personalize their tour in a way that has never been available in the travel industry.”
Additionally, Explorica’s new website features a Tour Center that lets teachers personalize and promote their customized Explorica tour. Teachers can upload photos and links and share the Tour Center with prospective participants though email and social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.
To learn more, click on the following link to view a video tutorial of Explorica’s Instant Tour Customizer: www.explorica.com/tourcustomizer.
About Instant Tour Customizer
The Instant Tour Customer (ITC) is the travel industry’s first and only online tool that allows teachers to easily create a one-of-kind and fully customized educational tours for their students. Available only through the Explorica website, the ITC gives teachers complete control over every aspect of their tour’s design with the click of a mouse.
About Explorica, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Explorica Educational Travel creates educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages and people. Through Explorica's use of exclusive online tools, they help teachers create tours uniquely suited to provide both the best value and the most customized, authentic tour experiences. For more information, call 1.888.310.7120, or visit www.explorica.com.
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Arizona High School Student Wins Travel Photo Contest
June 19, 2009. Mesa, AZ-- Holly Vins, a recent graduate of Mountain View High School was named the winner of Explorica Educational Travel's spring Student Photo Contest.
Vins was awarded the grand prize, a $300 gift card to Amazon.com, for her adventurous landscape shot atop a cliff at Machu Picchu in Peru.
“It feels pretty great to win," said Vins. " I try to take artistic shots; usually of groups or landscapes. With this one, I looked for an interesting scene and was able to get a good picture. "
Vins, who has traveled on two Explorica tours, said Machu Picchu was her favorite destination. "I love the history of it; it's survived so many things." She said the amazing view from above the ruins was where she snapped the contest's winning photo.
The contest, which was open to students who traveled with Explorica in April and May, allowed them to share their pictures on Flickr.com, the popular photo sharing site. The rules required photos to showcase the experience of travel and the culture of their destinations. The contest winners can be viewed on Explorica's website.
"Our educational tours provide great opportunities for students to learn through experience," said Olle Olsson, President and CEO of Explorica. “This contest allowed us to reward them for capturing authentic moments in a candid way. From the entries we received, we can tell they are learning and having fun at the same time."
Explorica launched a second photo contest for tour groups departing this summer. With destinations ranging from France to Costa Rica, its likely to generate a variety of worthy submissions. "I'm sure our travelers will continue to send in great work," added Olsson.
Vins will take her travel experience with her in the fall when she begins studying global health at ASU. "I'd love to do something that involves travel and helping people," she added.
About Explorica, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Explorica Educational Travel creates educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages and people. Through Explorica's use of exclusive online tools, they help teachers create tours uniquely suited to provide both the best value and the most customized, authentic tour experiences. For more information, call 1.888.310.7120, or visit www.explorica.com.
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Explorica Offers Special Assistance to Voyageur Travelers
May 14, 2009. Boston, MA -- In the wake of Voyager Educational Tour's declaration of bankruptcy, Explorica Educational Travel has decided to use their strong financial standing in the marketplace to offer special assistance to Voyageur Travelers.
Explorica is offering up to 50% off select tours to Europe and Latin America, and other assistance programs to those who have scheduled a 2010 Voyageur tour.
Explorica firmly believes that educational travel is a vital part of a complete education, and that the life-changing experiences it provides should be available to all.
It is this belief, along with Explorica’s strong financial stability, that motivates the company to reach out to Voyageur travelers.
As members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), Explorica has posted a $1 million dollar liability deposit, which ensures your educational travel investment is covered.
Additionally, as accredited and longstanding members of organizations like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), and the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA), we are held to keep the highest standards within the industry.
Call 1.888.310.7120 to find out more about our offer of assistance to all Voyageur travelers.
About Explorica Educational Travel
Founded in 2000, Explorica Educational Travel creates educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages and people. Through Explorica's use of exclusive online tools, they help teachers create tours uniquely suited to provide both the best value and the most customized, authentic tour experiences. For more information, call 1.888.310.7120, or visit www.explorica.com.
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