LITTLETON, Colorado – October 29, 2008 – Today, the Globus family of brands unveiled its 2009 Family Travel packages in both Europe and the US, featuring inclusive-style highlights such as daily breakfasts and dinners as well as spring break and peak family travel departures.  Through its 2009 family-focused vacations, Globus has created parent-, grandparent- and kid-friendly getaways offering extensive personal enrichment and growth opportunities for every generation.

“Families value vacation time and given today’s economic uncertainty, they are also looking for great value while on vacation,” said Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus family of brands.  “With our 2009 Family Travel tours, we have not only created journeys that give travelers unparalleled access into the sites they want to see and the stories to bring histories to life – thanks, in part, to expert Tour Directors – we also provide great cost savings of 25 to 50 percent for young travelers (ages eight- to 17-years-old).”

Ranging from eight to 11 days, Globus’ escorted family vacations offer something for everyone.   “From family pizza parties and private boat tours in Italy (From the Colosseum to the Eiffel Tower) or lunch at an Amish farm and chocolate-making tour at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania (Patriot’s Passage) to a chuck wagon cookout and snake river adventure in the wild West (Wild, Wild West), our Family Travel packages not only appeal to the passions and interests of multiple generations, they also create unforgettable family memories,” said Born.

New to Globus Family Travel vacations in 2009 is Viva España, a nine-day vacation abroad that features walking tours, tapas tasting at a local restaurant, a visit to a steel workshop and Andalusian horse farm as well as daily buffet breakfasts and four, three-course dinners.  

And, for those families interested in packaged travel, without the tour experience, Monograms (part of the Globus family of brands) offers them single- or multi-city getaways in Europe and the US, South America, South Pacific and Asia journeys or On the Road driving vacations in North America.  

“Monograms gives families on-site and around-the-clock support – people dedicated to taking care of of the details – to increase everyone’s fun-factor,” said Born.

2009 Family Travel Vacation Highlights:

• NEW Viva España – Families can explore Spain together by starting in Madrid where they’ll discover this fascinating city with a Local Guide.  They’ll visit the Prado Museum and sample traditional tapas at a local restaurant before traveling to Toledo, where a walking tour will reveal an early Synagogue, the cathedral and Church of Santo Tomé featuring El Greco’s most famous paintings.  In Granada, families will enjoy visits to the Alhambra complex and the Water Gardens of Generalife.  Then, they’ll arrive in Torremolinos at the Costa del Sol and enjoy a full day of leisure to spend at the beach, if interested.  In Ronda, they’ll enjoy a walking tour before venturing to Jerez to visit an Andalusian horse farm and then it’s off to Seville where visits include the Maria Luisa Park and the cathedral with Columbus’ tomb, followed by a walk through the lively Santa Cruz quarter.  On the way back to Madrid, they’ll stop in Córdoba.  Priced from $1,879 (land-only, adult price).

• Wild, Wild West – On this eight-day vacation, families will enjoy a float trip, chuck wagon cookout dinner and excursion to Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming.  From there, they’ll take a sightseeing tour in Yellowstone before going to Cody for a trip to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center as well as enjoying a rodeo.  Then, it’s off to a scenic drive through the Bighorn Mountains before arriving at Little Bighorn Battlefield where families will tour the battlegrounds where Custer was defeated by approximately 7,000 Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors.  From Bighorn, families will enjoy a visit to Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore.  Priced from $2,159 (land-only, adult price).

• Monograms On the Road Driving Vacation: NEW Historical America – Discover the history of Washington, DC and the beauty of Virginia on this eight-day vacation.  Families will start in America’s capital with its history, power and spectacular beauty.  There, they can enjoy the city’s famous monuments and many museums.  At night, they can choose from Washington’s many fabulous eateries and take in a performance at the Kennedy Center.  From DC, they’ll continue west to the Shenandoah Valley and through lush, rolling countryside to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Next, it’s on to Charlottesville where their journey will take them through an area Jefferson described as the “Eden of the country.”  Family’s can visit his Monticello home atop a mountain.  Then, it’s east to Williamsburg – the most extensively restored 18th-century town in the US.  Travelers should consider a visit to Jamestown and Yorktown as well before returning home.  Priced from $1,039 (land-only, including mid-sized rental car).
  

ABOUT THE GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS
Littleton, Colorado-based Group Voyagers, Inc. is the privately held company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands within the United States.  Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways offer travelers unparalleled tour, independent travel package, river and small ship cruise options.  Considered the world’s largest tour operator, with 80 years of international travel experience, the Globus family of brands is dedicated to enriching the lives of travelers by turning foreign destinations into familiar harbors, where the expense of travel is forgotten and replaced by personal value.  

Consumers can book a Globus family of brands vacation or request 2009 brochures by visiting a preferred travel agent or by calling the following toll free number: 1.866.313.2855.  For more information, please visit www.globusfamily.com.

Travel agents can request any Globus family of brands 2009 brochures by calling toll free 1.800.221.0090 or visiting www.globusfamilypartner.com.