Vietnam's Biggest Luxury Tour Operator to Attract Luxury German Travelers at ITB Berlin

Luxury Travel Vietnam Ltd Seek Two Growth from Discerning German Travelers.

Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb 26, 2012 -- Luxury Travel Company revamps its website for Germany (http://www.luxurytravels.de), launches brochure and attends ITB Berlin 2012 in their campaign to attract luxury German travelers to Vietnam. ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show and takes place in Berlin, Germany from 7-11 March 2012. Hanoi –based Luxury Travel Ltd (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) is a long established Asian specialist in luxury privately guided and fully bespoke holidays in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

For many travel experts, Vietnam has all of these to offer to German tourists. Vietnam in particular increasingly is being recognized as a destination for high-end global tourists, especially those coming from Western European countries with direct flights, such as France, the UK, and Germany. For German tourists, Vietnam is a magnet due to the history link and strategic partnership between the two countries, especially after the visit of Prime Minister Angela Merkel to Hanoi.

Vietnam now has world class hotels and resorts, beaches and cuisine, in addition to its natural beauty, rich history and traditional culture. The country receives 100,000 German tourists yearly, and the number of tourists increases year after year. The new slogan of Vietnam tourism -- “Timeless charm,” was created with an aim to attract long haul travelers from Germany and elsewhere, who wish to experience its defining characteristics: Thrills, nature, heritage, festival, pristine, enjoyment, scenery and essence.

Our German team expects good traffic from German speaking countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Germany in 2012. Germany is a great market for us and we have beautiful products for German tastes and preferences and target the right clients with personalized products and services. We have increased both FITs and GITs bookings from our partners in 2011. Tourists choose Vietnam for their vacations for safety, affordable prices, authenticity and convenient direct flights. Our German teams have native Germans and Vietnamese, who are passionate and motivated. We will expand and expect to stay strong in Germany. With our marketing efforts and commitments, we will attract more German travelers who wish to experience the timeless charm of Vietnam in style and luxury and we are targeting two digit growth from this market for 2012," said Pham Ha, Founder and CEO of Luxury Travel Group Ltd.

To help our travel agents and tour operators to sell our Vietnam luxury tours at ITB Berlin 2012, I invite travel professionals to do a 9 day familiarization trip to Vietnam. Participants receive a certificate of Luxury Travel Specialist after the trip," said Pham Ha, CEO of Luxury Travel Company. "On this 9 day tour offering a blend of classic sightseeing and excursions, the well-planned fam tour itinerary will showcase the company’s unrivaled expertise in tailor-making tours. The Vietnam tour fam has been designed to treat participants to a myriad of experiences that range from cultural to culinary, alongside sensational sceneries. Small fam groups or individual fam trip for persons will be led by a local expert and fluent German speaking guide. With first-class accommodation, domestic travel and food included within the overall price at 899 euro per person from 2 participants, this fam trip program demonstrates excellent value for the money and promises unprecedented insights into local customs. The perfect way to learn more about Vietnam and some of the most dynamic new products available for 2012 - 2013, this tour blends innovative touring with hotel inspections to give agents insight the destinations and become a true luxury travel advisors."

To get a confidential tariff book for Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar luxury tours, or to book an appointment in advance with Pham Ha, travel professionals email to de(at)luxurytravelvietnam.com, or Richard Parks at uk(@)luxurytravelvietnam.com, Richard is a rep officer of Luxury Travel UK (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) in London, the UK. Luxury Travel Ltd shares the booth with Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, VNAT, located at Hall 26A/122 at ITB Berlin 2012. For more information, visit http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com.

Vietnam's first luxury tour operator and DMC (http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) based in Hanoi with its offices throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, Luxury Travel is excellent in designing tailor-made tours and providing unique travel experiences. Established in 2004, the Luxury Travel Company Limited has its own offices in Indochina, Myanmar and Thailand, luxury vehicles, luxury travel advisors and representative offices in the USA, UK, France, Germany and Australia. The company's depth of experience and large infrastructure enable it to create unique itineraries with the operational confidence to fulfill the most sophisticated traveler’s expectations. Luxury Travel Ltd won numerous travel awards for excellent performance including the most recent award: Best Luxury Tour Operator in Vietnam.

Media Contact:
David Nguyen
Sales and Marketing Manager
Luxury Travel Group Ltd
05 Nguyen Truong To Str.,
Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi 84444
Vietnam
84439274120

Missing from the Presidential Debate: Long-Term Care

Two Candidates Respond to National Survey but Many Remain Silent on How to Support Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities Who Need Care at Home.

Washington, D.C., February 26, 2012 -- Every day, over 10 million frail seniors, younger people with disabilities, and their families struggle to find and pay for long-term care to stay independent and remain at home, and the need for care is expected to grow to over 15 million Americans by 2020.

Yet, the issue of long-term care has been completely absent from this year’s presidential campaign. No questions have been asked during the debates. The candidates have not posted any views or positions on their websites, and only two candidates have responded to a national survey on their views to address this growing national challenge.

Long-term care helps older adults and individuals with disabilities manage everyday activities, such as dressing, bathing, using the bathroom, preparing meals, and taking medication.

While these home care services are cost-effective and help people stay independent and out of expensive nursing homes, they are not covered by traditional health insurance. Medicare does not cover them, and only 3% of adults have private long-term care insurance.

Medicaid offers some coverage for long term care, but individuals must spend-down and impoverish themselves to qualify - often exhausting a lifetime of savings. Waiting lists also have doubled over the past decade, with some states cutting home and community-based services to trim budgets.

As a result, over 90% of all long-term services provided today are delivered informally by more than 42.1 million family members. These caregivers often face enormous burdens, adversely affecting their health, ability to work, and financial security.

To help raise this critical issue among the presidential candidates, 15 national aging and disability organizations, including the National Council on Aging (NCOA), invited each candidate to answer five questions about their views on long-term care. The questionnaire was distributed in November to all major candidates for President, regardless of political party affiliation.

So far, only two presidential candidates-Barack Obama and Newt Gingrich-have responded to the questionnaire. The five questions and responses received to date are available at http://www.ncoa.org/LTSSsurvey.

The number of Americans needing long-term care is expected to double in the coming decade as the population ages,” said James Firman, NCOA president & CEO. “Clearly, this is an issue that cannot be ignored. Voters deserve to hear the candidates engage in a dialogue about an issue so central to the future of our country and the lives of millions of individuals and families.”

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA’s mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more information, please visit: http://www.NCOA.org / http://www.facebook.com/NCOAging / http://www.twitter.com/NCOAging.

NCOA Media Contact:
Ken Schwartz
Director, Marketing & Communications
202-600-3131