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Executive Board 
President:
President of Koenig & Associates, a marketing and public relations company. Past President of the Skål Club of San Francisco. He has spent 38 years in the Travel Industry with 20 years directing the marketing for passenger ferry operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Served as Chairman of the California Travel Industry Association and on the boards of the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce and the Tiburon Chamber of Commerce.
Secretary-Treasurer:
Christian Spirandelli
Bryan International Travel, President, CEO and Owner since 1995. He merged into FROSCH International Travel in 2007. As usual with the travel industry, he has traveled extensively worldwide and has held advisory positions with several companies.
Chairman:
Lakshman Ratnapala
Chairman of Enelar International, a global management consultancy. Emeritus President & CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). A regular writer to business magazines and speaker on travel topics at conferences and workshops.
Co-Chairman:
Logan Happel
Business Development Manager at Logan Happel Consultants. |
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77 YEARS
- OUR STORY-
Founded in 1934, the Foreign Travel Club (FTC) of San Francisco, the oldest of its kind in California. The Club was launched by a band of enterprising men who challenged the monopoly of the local travel scene by employees of the Southern Pacific Railway. The Club is non-sectarian and apolitical. Led over the years by respected executives of the travel industry, the Club membership has comprised individuals who have contributed to the growth of the single most important industry that enhances the quality of life and the vitality of the San Francisco Bay Area. The FTC's monthly luncheon meetings, featuring speakers on travel topics are occasions where past and present travel industry executives, travel writers and frequent travelers meet to share experiences and promote the business of travel in a spirit of camaraderie.
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The Foreign Travel Club cordially invites travel presentations at our monthly luncheon meetings from Government, State, and City Tourism Offices, Airlines, Cruiselines, Hotels, Tour Operators, Travel Writers, and others.
Please contact:
President, Terry Koenig at
There is no cost to the presenter.
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CLUB EVENTS
Please mark your calendar for luncheon meetings of the Club scheduled for the fourth Thursday of every month, except September (summer outing), November (third Thursday), and December (Holiday Party).
We usually meet at the Marines Memorial Club, 609 Sutter Street, 12th Floor, in San Francisco. The keynote topic, speaker and venue are announced by a special notice, a week prior to the meeting.
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COMING UP:
Thursday, May 26th
Marc Holmes
The Bay Institute
Registration begins
at 11:30 am.
Guests are welcome.
For details and to RSVP, contact:
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FTC CLUB ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP DUES
Couples - $50
Individuals - $40
For details, please contact Terry Koenig at ftcosf@gmail.comor call (415) 726-3712.
Membership of the FTC is open to travel industry personnel, travel writers and frequent foreign travelers whose credentials must be endorsed by a current member. Spouses are welcome to join. FTC luncheon meetings serve the dual purpose of social interaction and business opportunity.
Professional presentations on travel trends, destinations and services are followed by Q&A session with Club members.
Although the internet and guidebooks do a great job of preparing the traveler, nothing can replace the experience of someone who has been there, done that and can speak from personal exerience. Research shows 20% of American travelers value others' personal comments over information from books, newspapers and the internet.
The FTC is a forum to meet world travelers, many of whom are travel writers and executives who have worked for tour companies, airlines/cruiselines and hotels. Whereas the internet gives impersonal information, the FTC offers insights to real life experiences.
Being a member of the FTC enhances every trip you take, it ensures you unforgettable travel experiences and opportunities to share them with other members in a spirit of camaraderie.
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Sign of the Times...
10 Natural Wonders to See Before They Disappear
The Belize Barrier Reef, one of the most diverse reef ecosystems in the world, is home to whale sharks, rays, and manatees, as well as sturgeon, conch and spiny lobsters.
The Threat: Like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Belize Barrier Reef leads a tenuous existence. A section of the nearly 700-mile-long Mesoamerican Reef that reaches from Mexico to Honduras, the Belize reef suffered a severe bleaching in 1998, with a loss of 50 percent of its coral in many areas, including much of its distinctive staghorn coral. Since the bleaching, its decline has continued, due to global warming of the world's seas, agricultural pollution, development, and increasing tourism, which has given rise to more coastal development and an invasion of cruise ships.
Click here to read the full story and see photos of all ten natural wonders. Source: Yahoo!Travel. |
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5-Star Yunak Evleri Hotel Built In Ancient Caves Of Cappadocia In Turkey
Yunak Evleri Hotel is located in the heart of Turkey in the Cappadocia region. Six cave houses in the year 2000 were converted into unique and unconventional rooms. The rooms were carved from soft limestone cliffs which were said to be of the 5th and 6th century. The rest of the hotel was said to be a reclaimed 19th century Greek Mansion that sits adjacent to the amazing caves.
Read the full story at the source: Batangas Today. |
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Cruising?
Join your fellow FTC members & friends on fun cruises at
group rates with
group amenities.
CONTACT:
Claudette Main, CTC, ACC
Phone/Fax:
(650) 345-9455
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Hilton Worldwide Signs Agreement for First Hilton Garden Inn in Qatar
(May 3, 2011) Today, Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a management agreement with Smile Trading and Contracting to open the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Doha, Qatar. The 258-room Hilton Garden Inn Doha Al Sadd is scheduled to open mid-2012.
This will be the third Hilton Garden Inn hotel in the Middle East, following the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya in 2009 and Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Al Muroj, scheduled to open in 2012. Hilton Garden Inn is Hilton Worldwide's midscale brand, which will cater largely to Doha's growing short-stay corporate segment.
"With the new Hilton Garden Inn in Doha, we're addressing the mid-market segment, by offering Hilton Worldwide's trademark hospitality and innovation at a cost-effective rate. And this is exactly the right time to be growing in Qatar - the tourism industry in Doha is at a very exciting stage of development and the country is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup 2022," said Rudi Jagersbacher, area president, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide.
The Hilton Garden Inn Doha Al Sadd will be located in the heart of Doha's commercial and retail districts, approx. eight kilometres from Doha International Airport and five kilometres from Doha's modern financial and diplomatic centre.
Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, upscale, yet affordable hotel brand that continually strives to ensure today's busy travelers have everything they need to be most productive on the road - from complimentary wired and Wi-Fi Internet access in all guestrooms and Print Spots TM remote printing to the hotel's complimentary 24-hour business center to one of the most comfortable beds you will ever experience with the Garden Sleep System®. Whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the amenities and services for travelers to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while away from home.
For information about Hilton Garden Inn locations in North America and Europe, visit www.hgi.com. Source: Hotel Newswire.
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WANT TO SELL ...
destinations, tour packages, cruises, airfares, hotels or other services? The FTC delivers you a sophisticated travel audience.
COSTS: Graphic banner ads cost $15 per issue. For live links to websites, add $15 per URL.
AD DIMENSIONS: Files must be submitted in .JPG file format with a 100 dpi resolution with dimensions as follows:
Rectangle Ad: 180 pixels wide x 240 pixels high.
Vertical Banner Ad : 60 pixels wide x 100 pixels high.
FTC members receive a 10% discount. For ad quotes or to place an ad, contact:
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: Closure at Last! The demise of Osama Bin Laden this past Sunday made me stop and think about how much the world has changed since that awful day of September 11, 2001.
My wife and I always reflect upon the fact that we had spent a wonderful long weekend, September 8-10, 2001, on the Monterey Peninsula enjoying wonderful meals and swimming in the ocean at Pacific Grove. We drove back to San Francisco on Monday refreshed and ready for the week ahead. On Tuesday, September 11th, we were to attend a San Francisco CVB Mixer on Hornblower Yacht's newest boat--the San Francisco Belle. But alas, that was not to be and the world was turned upside down.
 In October, I was to visit New York on a Sales Mission with the San Francisco CVB, but that was post-poned until January 2002. In January, I was still not ready to visit NY, but life must go on, so I made the trip and was very glad I did. Flying into Newark Airport in New Jersey, I took a cab into the city. As the cab reached the Hudson prior to entering the Lincoln Tunnel, it was terrible to look toward southern Manhattan and see the twin towers gone. I had lived in New York from 1970 to 1975 and watched the Towers go up. It is still unbelievable that something that took years to build could come down in a matter of seconds.
As I passed through the Lincoln tunnel, I thought about the last time I had been at the World Trade Center. It was on a previous sales trip to NY along with Frank Heaney who spoke to the FTC in February. Frank and I had gotten VIP passes to the Observation Deck and ate lunch there while taking in the amazing view. All I could think about as I headed through the Lincoln Tunnel was what happened to all the employees that we had encountered that day.
Since it was only 4 months since 9/11, I expected the mood in Manhattan would be pretty depressing, fortunately I discovered I was wrong. The people of New York, especially those in the travel industry, were glad to see visitors and were eager to talk about their experiences. They were proud that the city was tough and New Yorkers had come together to support each other. I was amazed at their tenacity and resilience, and it made me realize that if New Yorkers could work through this then so could the rest of the United States.
I still think back to that wonderful weekend on the Monterey Peninsula and wish we could turn back the clock, but I also realize that all of us have become tough and resilient like the New Yorkers. We have learned to live with increased airport security, to appreciate the security guards that now protect our office buildings, to be more observant when traveling abroad, and most importantly, to live for the moment not knowing when the next terrorist strike, earthquake or tsunami may happen.
Best,
Terry Koenig
President
Foreign Travel Club of San Francisco |
FOCUS THIS MONTH: The Lost Marshlands of San Francisco Bay
Our May 26th speaker, Marc Holmes, has been with The Bay Institute for eleven years. He will describe the San Francisco Bay marshlands that existed prior to the California Gold Rush, how we destroyed them, and why we now are in a race with sea level rise to bring them back. Marc has worked for twenty-five years to promote restoration of San Francisco Bay wetlands and specializes in wetland regulation and restoration policy. He served as a United States delegate to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and represented the US Information Agency as part of a cultural exchange program to discuss wetland protection in Brazil. From 2003 until 2009, he was the California State Senate appointee to the CalFed Bay-Delta Authority, the agency charged with restoring the ecological vitality of the estuary ecosystem.
Once extending for over 200,000 acres across the waterscape of San Francisco Bay, fewer than 40,000 acres of tidal marshes remain today. Recognizing that loss of these marshlands has cost the ecology and economy of the Bay Area dearly, a massive effort is underway today to restore them. It is the largest coastal wetlands restoration project in the Nation, and will be of tremendous benefit to wild creatures and humans alike.
 The Bay Institute is the leader in protecting and restoring the entire watershed which drains into San Francisco Bay. For nearly 30 years, the institute has been developing and leading model scientific research, education and advocacy programs to preserve this watershed, which includes the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries; Suisan Marsh; San Pablo Bay; and San Francisco Bay. For more information, go to www.bay.org. |
EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Thursday, May 26th
WHERE: Marines' Memorial Club
609 Sutter Street, 12th Floor
(Corner of Mason Street)
San Francisco, CA
SCHEDULE:
11:30 AM - Registration & Bar Opens
12:00 Noon - Lunch & Program
COST: $26.00 - Luncheon and Program
MENU SELECTION:
1. ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD - Served with a ginger vinaigrette & fried wontons
2. COBB SALAD - With grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, chopped egg, crumbled blue cheese and a poppy seed dressing
3. PETRALE SOLE - Flour dusted & sauteed, topped with brown butter, capers, lemon juice & parsley, served with French green beans and rice Pilaf
4. LEATHERNECK ANGUS CHEESEBURGER - Served with Club French Fries and Cole Slaw.
5. PASTA PRIMAVERA - Sauteed fresh seasonal vegetables served over fettuccini with a light wine, herb and garlic sauce
LUNCH INCLUDES: Rolls & Butter, Ice Tea, Starbucks Coffee & Tea and Dessert.
To RSVP:
Select one of the entrees from above and click on either the YES or NO link below. When the message appears on your screen, fill in your name (and the names of any guests), choice of entree(s) from the selections above, then click send.
YES, I WILL ATTEND ( ftcosf.yes@gmail.com), or
RSVP Deadline: RSVP by Monday, May 23rd.
QUESTIONS? Call Terry Koenig at (415) 726-3712.
LUCKY YOU!
Every meeting features a 50-50 raffle and one or more lucky draws that you must be present to win.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Marc Holmes
The Bay Institute |
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MEETING ROUND-UP APRIL 28th:
Major Art on a Minor Budget
We all knew that Georgia Hesse was an excellent writer and editor, but we now know she is also quite an art collector. Born on a ranch in Wyoming, Georgia developed an interest in art by reading books from her Grandfather's extensive library that he transported all the way from England to dusty Wyoming. Richard Lowe admires a statue of the Madonna and Child
Early on as a travel editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, she learned that if you study the art of a country, you would learn a lot about their culture. And, that can help to increase a traveler's enjoyment while discovering new places to visit around the world.
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St. Livertin Patron Saint of Headaches (Brittany) |
Georgia, became a major collector of art on a minor budget. During her presentation, she gave us some very practical tips on what to look for when visiting a country and shared sources for collecting affordable artwork.
She also brought several of her art pieces to the meeting for members to view, including a carved statue of the Patron Saint of Headaches, Saint Livertin (Brittany), and a carved Madonna with Child that she picked up in the Philippines.
Thank you Georgia for sharing your art treasures and knowledge with us!
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(From Left) Rachelle Reyes, Terry Koenig, Corrine Aulgur, Speaker- Georgia Hesse, Chris Spirandelli |
APRIL WINNERS:
- 50/50 Drawing - $53 Chris Spirandelli
- Wine - 7 Deadly Zins, 2008 Zinfandel, Rachelle Reyes
- Sacred Places of a Lifetime Book - Corrine Aulgur
- Wine - BV Coastal, 2008 Cabernet, Georgia Hesse
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A SENSE OF TRAVEL . . . With Georgia Hesse
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Eagle Marker along Route
Napoléon |
Decades ago, two students bounced aboard a tour bus that careened around the curves of the Route Napoléon, bound from its end in Grenoble to its beginning at Golfe Juan, east of Cannes. Their emotions soared high as the eagles that today mark the way, symbolizing the call of a conqueror returning to the site of his disgrace: "The eagle will fly from steeple to steeple until he reaches the towers of Notre Dame."
Somewhere north of Grasse (it may have been at La Gaye Pass), the coaches hesitated and passengers tumbled out to gaze through perfumed spring air upon the rugged Riviera and that most civilized of waters, the Romans' Mare Nostrum (Our Sea), the Mediterranean. Silence. Then a tall, raw-boned tourist broke it: "Whah, we got laikes bigger'n thet in Tecksiss!"
That long-ago brag blows on the wind today as I sit alone with my pique-nique south of Malijai above the valley of the Durance. It is spring again. The river roils in torrent at the foot of a peak powdered white overnight. Behind me in an 18th-century château, Napoléon spent an uncomfortable evening on March 4, 1815, trying to sleep in an armchair. In April, 1814, with the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty, Bonaparte had been forced into exile on the Italian island of Elba. A year later, he escaped to land in Golfe Juan with hundreds of his Old Guard, stopped overnight (March 1) in Cannes, then headed north to Grenoble and Paris and, unwittingly, to his Waterloo.
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Route Napoléon Map |
From Cannes, Napoléon climbed to Grasse, St-Vallier (his bust now overlooks the main square) and Séranon in its piney woods, where he again spent a night. On March 3, he marched through Castellane (pop. 1,349) and by nightfall reached Barrême. (Near that village square, an inscription recalls the event.)
Next day, March 4, the force set out for Digne-les-Bains (pop. 16,391), an important stop since Gallo-Roman times. (To follow the route precisely, today's driver must take back road D20 east of Chaudon-Norante - 4.34 miles north of Barrême - to Digne. The alternative is to stick on N85.)
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Napoléon set forth in March 1815 |
Napoléon's men are said to have lunched in Digne (though they surely did not order pigeon at the Grand Paris, as I did almost 200 years later). Their overnight came near by my picnic stop at Malijal.
Onward and upward to Volonne; hesitation for vestiges of the 11th century church of St-Martin). From here, D85 continues to Sisteron; I like to take the back route, D4, for nine miles or so. At Sisteron, the troops made another lunch stop (but not at Becs Fins), and slogged on to Gap. North of Sisteron about 11 miles, I detour at Le Poët to study the orientation table. Who knows where in Gap the little army slept on March 5? (Certainly not at the Porte Colombe just off a bend of N85.)
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Bonaparte shouted: "Soldiers, I am your emperor! |
By bedtime on March 6, the Bonapartists had reached Corps and on March 7 moved through La Mure and north to the Lake of Laffrey, where Napoléon finally met a challenge. Today, it's called la Prairie de la Rencontre (Field of the Encounter) and is marked by two monuments, one a fine equestrian statue bearing the imperial eagles. Here, a battalion under the command of one Delessarrt forbade the troops to pass and threatened to fire. Striding forward, Bonaparte shouted: "Soldiers, I am your emperor! If there is one among you who wishes to kill the general, here I am!" Just as in the movies, a moment of hesitation was succeeded by a wave of soldiers running forward: "Vive l'Empéreur!"
The escort grew with the march. By 7 p.m., Napoléon reached Grenoble, where gates were locked and ramparts manned. However, the Porte de Bonne was forced open from inside and the emperor entered in triumph. Of the moment, Napoléon wrote: "Until Grenoble, I was an adventurer; in Grenoble, I became a prince."
(If a meal is indicated at this point in the pilgrimage, I stop at the pleasant Auberge de Napoléon on Rue Montorge, across from the Jardin de Ville, in which garden I pay my respects to Stendhal in the museum named for him.)
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Grand Canyon du Verdon out of Castellane |
Twist, bend, turn, climb, weave: As I drive the route today, I am awed by the emperor's pace. He marched it in one week. In 1932, the Route Napoléon was inaugurated, almost exactly 200 miles long and scarcely a speedway. Two full days are required to roll over it in your rented Renault; four would allow detours to Briançon (highest little city in Europe at less than 5,000 feet) out of Gap, and the Grand Canyon du Verdon out of Castellane. (I suggest taking the Route in reverse, with Grenoble at your back, driving into the Mediterranean's Impressionist canvas.)
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Alpine scenery along Route
Napoléon |
If you limit yourself to one overnight (pitié), take it at La Bonne Étape, an 18th-century posthouse about nine miles south of Sisteron in Château-Arnoux. Stony Provençal hills and centuries-old olive groves, ranks of cypresses and the click of crickets, local lamb and cheeses (try the Bonon) saluted with a Côtes du Rhône. Unlike Napoléon, you may stay forever.
Once a friend and I slid to a stop at the homey Relais de Chabrières south of Digne, one of those worthy hideaways in which a light lunch takes all afternoon. "Entrez, entrez!" beckoned Madame, who had been lying in wait for a car with Parisian license plates. "You are fatigued; but that," she gestured toward the garden, "is one problem you don't have in Paris, eh? Goats eating all your plants!"
Geraniums filled the windowboxes and we stepped inside to the scent of rosemary.
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Relais de Chabrieres South of Digne |
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