OUR 22ND WEEKLY UPDATE REGARDING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, AND SOME ENJOYABLE, UPLIFTING AND UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
FROM CHRIS KRARAS
PRESIDENT OF WHITE STAR TOURS
DEAR FRIENDS:
FIRST, A DEFINITION FOR YOU – TRAVITUDE”.
“TRAVITUDE” IS A NOUN AND THE DEFINITION OF IT IS A “GRUMPY MOOD DUE TO LACK OF TRAVELING.”
I thought I would start my weekly update to you with a bit of humor, but also with a definition that sort of says it all for a lot of us who love to travel. We hear from so many Group Leaders that they and their Groups are experiencing that sort of “travitude” mood on occasion. As we all know, there is an innate desire by all of us to explore and to go out and enjoy the world and to see as much as we can see. We also know that this COVID-19 Pandemic has really disrupted so much of that desire to travel and that we are all slowly coming out of that slump that we had been in for so long. Just this week one of our Group Leaders mentioned the following to one of our staff members: “I don’t want to be like the caterpillar that stays in it’s cocoon. I want to be like the butterfly who is brave enough to fly.” So, as a Group Leader, I would recommend to you that you keep a positive attitude, always, when dealing with your Group so that you can keep them positive and cheery and avoid any evidence of “travitude”.
There has not been much new to report from this past week. Groups continue to travel to different parts of the United States and more and more people are feeling much more at ease in going out in society and enjoying the beautiful things that our country has to offer. Of course, we all continue to stress that it is extremely important that we are very careful and prudent and that we follow all the guidelines, suggestions and directives in staying as safe as possible. But, I truly believe that most people are starting to feel that need to go on with their lives in the safest and best way possible. This need to go on includes beginning to enjoy travel once again.
I mentioned in an earlier email blast to all of you that the year 2021 is very special for our WHITE STAR FAMILY AND STAFF. Next year we will be celebrating our GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY here at WHITE STAR, and we are just so excited to be able to offer a whole array of specialty trips in celebration of our 50TH ANNIVERSARY. Within the next two weeks, you will be receiving our brand new and highly-acclaimed 2021 WHITE STAR TOURS BOOK which will include a lot of our new trips, a lot of our 50TH ANNIVERSARY trips, and a lot of the many “tried and true” packages that we have been offering over the many years. I think you will find our 2021 TOUR BOOK to be one of the most attractive that we have ever produced and we are excited for you to receive it and for you to continue with your plans for travel in 2021.
Most of you have also been able to join us at our ANNUAL GROUP LEADER LUNCHEONS that we have held in your area every year, as we have done for over forty of the years that we have been in business. However, this year there are many concerns about large Group Gatherings. And since many of the times we have hundreds of Group Leaders at these Luncheons, we have made the very disappointing decision to not have these GROUP LEADER LUNCHEONS this September, October and November. Many of the hotels and restaurants that we use for these luncheons don’t allow Groups of that size and many Group Leaders expressed concern about coming to them with other Group Leaders that they are not familiar with. Therefore, we will be doing something different to communicate to all of you our many wonderful, discounted specials that we offer at the GROUP LEADER LUNCHEONS and I will inform you of our new way of getting this information to you in one of my future email blasts.
But, for now, I think it is important that we continue in a positive way to make plans for the future. We know that we are gaining ground on solving the mystery of the vaccine for this pandemic. So, we must continue with our plans for what we are going to do with our Groups going forward in the world of travel. It takes all of us working with all of you Group Leaders to keep thinking in a forward and positive manner and to get trips in line to offer your people hope, happiness and the elation of gathering together and exploring the world.
Finally, as we do every week, I want to offer a couple items of enjoyment for you in the form of a couple videos. The first one is an exciting and exhilarating video featuring Michael Flatley and his groups as they perform some incredible Irish Dances that will certainly amuse and entertain you. Just click here for that exciting video. The next little piece of entertainment is one to bring a smile to your face and it is done by the Phoenix Chamber Choir. If you listen closely to the words, it certainly is applicable to what we have all gone through over the last few months. Click here for that piece of entertainment. Hope you enjoy both of them!
SO IT IS TIME TO SIGN OFF FOR THIS WEEK AND WE TRULY HOPE THAT YOU ARE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT OF YOUR HOMES AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF SUMMERTIME AND THE WONDERFUL WEATHER, FLOWERS AND GREENERY THAT IT BRINGS. IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS THAT WE GET TO APPRECIATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE USED TO TAKE FOR GRANTED IN THE PAST. PLEASE STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
“TRAVELING TENDS TO MAGNIFY ALL HUMAN EMOTIONS!”