OUR 41ST WEEKLY UPDATE REGARDING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, WITH ADDITIONAL UPDATES REGARDING THE VACCINES, A PROFILE OF ONE MORE OF OUR WHITE STAR STAFF MEMBERS, AND SOME ADDITIONAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOU TO ENJOY
FRIDAY, December 25
FROM CHRIS KRARAS
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
“LIFE IS SHORT AND THE WORLD IS WIDE – ENJOY IT NOW!”
Dear Friends:
First of all, I want to take this opportunity to, once again, wish you and all your families a Happy and a Healthy New Year. Yes, it is a new year! And certainly most of us are looking forward to the Year 2021 being one where we begin to return to the wonderful life that we used to have before the Coronavirus came into our midst. We certainly are not completely rid of this pandemic just yet. But, with the protocol of all the vaccines that are being distributed throughout the United States, and with the increase in the speed in which these vaccines will be administered, all the major Federal and State Medical Organizations, and all the leading doctors in the country, are telling us anyone who wants to be vaccinated will, in fact, be able to have that protection in place by the end of the first quarter of 2021. So, in the spirit of this being a New Year with only good news on the horizon, we must all consider this as a positive outlook for our future and certainly for the future of your traveling groups. You must remember that all of your Group Members have been penned in for almost a year now, and have not had an opportunity to travel the world as they had done previously. They have had enough of sitting at home and are now just dreaming of the time when they can jump on your buses, with you as the Group Leader, and experience things that they had been craving to see for so long. So, I think it is very important for all of you as Group Leaders to put out this positive message to all your Group Members and to get them excited. One way or another, travel is returning in 2021 and probably will be running at almost the same volume by April or May as it has been for many, many decades.
We do hope that most of you and many of your Groups will be able to get that vaccine, since now there are three companies that are producing it in large numbers. They are being distributed all over the country and most of us, including me, are of that age that puts us in the second wave of people who will be able to get vaccinated. Everyone that we have spoken to that has already received the vaccine have said that it is an absolute nonevent, and they had very little, if any, side effects. The fact that everyone, including the experts at all Government Levels, have said that this vaccine is perfectly safe means that all of us should not only be getting it, but we should be encouraging all our Group Members to do the same as soon as possible. Let’s make that our job over the next week or two, to encourage our Group Members to get the vaccine.
So, with that in mind, we at White Star and all our Staff are so encouraged and excited to bring the Year 2021 and all the many travel options to you as the Group Leader. As you know, the YEAR 2021 IS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR as a vibrant company serving hundreds of thousands of Groups and Group Members all over the country. I know all of you have gotten our Tour Book and many other pieces of information we have been sending. Many of you have also wondered a little bit about the history of our company. If you look in the front part of our 2021 Tour Book, it is pretty well spelled out, but, in case you didn’t get a chance to see it, you can click here to read the history of our company for which we are so proud.
This Week’s Staff Profile
Heather Ninfo
As you know, we have been trying to feature a different one of our wonderful Staff Members every week. This week we are featuring one of our co-workers that is truly a favorite of most of you Group Leaders. Her name is Heather Ninfo. She is the pleasant voice that answers the phone most times when you call White Star Tours, and I am sure that you, along with everyone else that calls, will agree that her pleasant demeanor and her wonderfully welcoming voice is extra special. Heather has been with us for over 35 years and has had virtually every support position that we have in the Company. Now, in addition to being our lead receptionist, she is also my personal assistant and she helps keep me organized in getting all my tasks accomplished on a daily basis. I don’t know where I would be without Heather, and I know that many of you have become very fond of her. Thank you Heather for many, many years of wonderful service to our company!
Also, at this time, I would like to give you some exciting news as a Group Leader. You might remember that during the month of December, we offered a special opportunity for all of our Group Leaders in awarding them an EXTRA $300 REBATE if they book an additional trip during that time period. That means if you book a new trip, you will get an additional $300 for all your efforts. I have decided to extend this special offer up to the end of February, and we hope you will consider taking advantage of it. All you have to do is book a trip that you did not previously have booked that is three or more nights in length, and you will be eligible for this bonus. Remember, you are under no obligation and there are no deposits required for booking. This offering not only gives you the opportunity to present your people with some additional options for travel in 2021, but also it offers you the opportunity to take advantage of this EXTRA BONUS.
Now it is time for a little bit of entertainment and enjoyment. This first piece of entertainment for you was sent to us by a lovely Group Leader of ours who hails from the state of Indiana. She does many trips with White Star Tours throughout the year and is an extremely pleasant lady. She sent us this video piece celebrating the beginning of the New Year. To enjoy this video, just click here.
For the second piece of entertainment, we thought you would enjoy some very soothing, calming music and sights and sounds. Click here for some entertainment that is sure to soothe you during these winter months.
And lastly, for a bit of humor to cheer you up and put a smile on your face, please click here.
That is about it for my first message to you of 2021. Again, I thank you for all your patience and for reading all of my emails all these past 41 weeks. I hope that there will only be a few more updates as we come out of this horrible pandemic. For now, however, I pray that all of you, once again, have a Happy, Healthy & Safe New Year and God Bless you and all your families!
“TRAVELING – IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS,
THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER!”