OUR 28TH WEEKLY UPDATE REGARDING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF ENTERTAINING VIDEOS
FRIDAY, September 18
FROM CHRIS KRARAS
PRESIDENT OF WHITE STAR TOURS
DEAR FRIENDS:
“EXPERIENCE AND TRAVEL – THESE ARE AN EDUCATION IN THEMSELVES!”
I hope once again that this Weekly Update finds you and all your families doing well and staying safe and healthy. It is hard to believe that summer is almost completely behind us now, and we are all looking forward to the winter season and along with that, the wonderful Holidays that make it such a great time of the year. Needless to say, these past six months have been extremely trying on everyone. But, there are wonderful and definite indications that things are getting better. To support the idea that the pandemic is easing its hold on us, I just recently read an article from the New York Times that stated “over the past week throughout the United States, there has been a decrease of 10% from the average number of cases reported from two weeks earlier.” When we think about it, that is a pretty amazing statement because not only have we “flattened the curve”, but the curve is definitely in a downward spiral. And hopefully, we are looking forward to it being eradicated in the near future. I am sure all of us have been listening carefully to all the reports coming from the government indicating that it looks almost to be definite that we will be having a vaccine coming out within the next few weeks and that distribution, hopefully, will go very fast for all of us. So basically, the trend appears to be headed to the fact that 2021 will be a bright year for all of us and one in which you and your group can continue to enjoy the world of travel. I know our Family and Staff here at White Star Tours are thrilled by the trends that we have been seeing, and are absolutely excited to look forward to the brightness of 2021 – Our Golden Anniversary Year.
Over the past week and heading into next week, we have so many Groups from around the country that are taking our White Star Tours to many destinations. The destinations that are most popular right now that buses will be heading to over the next couple weeks are places like Nashville, TN, Finger Lakes of New York, Green Mountains of Vermont, Ark Encounter in Kentucky and Ohio, Cape May, NJ, Atlantic City Casinos of New Jersey, destinations in New England, such as Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine, and several destinations in the state of Ohio. So, as you can see, many Groups now have already felt the excitement and the freedom of getting on the road again. And as I have reported in the past, the reaction from every one of the groups have come back absolutely positive and with great elation.
In answer to so many questions that we are getting from Group Leaders all across the country, I just want to repeat and further explain how we are doing our very best to be sure that each and every person in each and every Group is protected from any kind of concern regarding the Coronavirus. First of all, we make sure that the buses are treated prior to their arrival to pick up the Group, and that they are treated on a daily basis and disinfected throughout the trip. At the hotels, every room that our Groups go into is thoroughly disinfected by special treatments that all hotels have instituted, and there is a special way as to how every one of the guests are handled. When they head for dinner, the Group is put all together in one section where they institute the “Bubble Approach” of handling Groups. The “Bubble Approach” is a simple one where they treat the Group as being all together and they are allowed to sit next to each other in the restaurants, in the theaters, and everywhere else they go. The theory here is that they travel together on the bus, and they are tested daily for fevers or any other concerns, so there is no real concern within the Group itself. When they arrive at places like the restaurants and the entertainment theaters, those venues isolate the Group and treat them as one. And then they keep the space around the Group completely empty so as to create the effect that they are inside this protective bubble. This works excellently and the Groups feel very comfortable with it and feel very protected. As I mentioned, with all the Groups that have traveled with us so far over the last couple months, there has not been one incident of any kind or one report of anyone coming down with the virus. So, this is only good news, and we hope that you feel a little comfort in knowing how much time and effort we put into every step of every trip to be sure that our people are well protected. Our motto is simply “THE SAFETY OF OUR CLIENTS IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY!”
So, I hope I was able to give you enough good news to think about this week and that you will consider thinking about calling us real soon with the plans for your Group for 2021. Please remember that you are under no obligation at all, but it is a great idea to get those reservations and some dates in place now, so that you can greet all your Group Members as soon as you can meet again with your plans for the new year and get them all excited for getting on the road again.
As we do every week, I am happy to include a couple short videos for your entertainment pleasure. The first one takes you on a stroll through the Dancing Wings Butterfly Gardens at the Strong Museum, which is part of our glorious gardens of Upstate New York tour. To get a brief tour through that beautiful venue, please click here.
The next bit of entertainment is a trip back in time, as you can watch the very famous Lennon Sisters performing at the Andy Williams Christmas Show in Branson, MO, which is part, of course, of our Branson Country Christmas tour. This particular video features not only the Lennon Sisters, but all of their daughters singing together. To view this great nostalgic video, please click here.
SO THAT BRINGS TO A CLOSE THIS WEEK’S UPDATE, AND I HOPE YOU FOUND IT NOT ONLY INFORMATIVE, BUT ALSO ENCOURAGING AND ENTERTAINING. IT IS MY WISH THAT YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND AND THAT YOU STAY HEALTHY AND HAPPY. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL YOUR FAMILIES.
“WE LIVE IN A WONDERFUL WORLD THAT IS FULL OF BEAUTY, FULL OF CHARM AND FULL OF ADVENTURE. THERE IS NO END TO THE ADVENTURES WE CAN HAVE IF ONLY WE SEEK THEM WITH OUR EYES OPEN.”