CLICK, WALK & TALK WITH CWT
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) Canada has now introduced its new leisure booking web site — http://www.cwtvacations.ca — for Canadian travellers. The launch of the new site fulfils the online portion of CWT’s Click, Walk, and Talk service offering — allowing travellers to now book their leisure travel reservations online, including air, car, hotel, cruises, vacation and tour packages, last-minute reservations and special offers. The new web site offers all the trip planning tools travellers would expect from a leading leisure travel site, along with the added security of having a network of local travel professionals available, should additional assistance be required during the booking process. Travellers are asked to provide their postal code at the start of the booking process, which aligns them with travel counsellors at a local office and offers vacations customized to their travel gateway. Karen Marshall, branch manager, Leisure and Local Business, CWT, said: “Online reservations are convenient when a traveller knows what they’re looking for, and they feel comfortable navigating the web site. But sometimes travellers need additional assistance or input during the booking process, and they take comfort in knowing that our travel counsellors are standing by to help ensure the vacation they book matches up to the experience they desire.” As Louise Gardiner, senior director of leisure travel for CWT Canada, sees it: “We know that today’s travellers are looking beyond price, and are focusing on getting the best value for their money. CWT Vacations offers a wide range of supplier offerings that can be customized to match the traveller’s desired vacation experience as well as their budget. Now travellers can access this content in the way that is most convenient for them, online, via a storefront location, or on the phone with one of our experienced travel counsellors. We are local enough to know you.” The growth of CWT’s web capabilities comes at the same time the company is expanding its local presence across Canada. CWT added nine independently owned and operated CWT Associate offices in 2012 and plans to add more CWT Associates to the program in 2013, specifically in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. That growth, along with the renewal of more than 25 contracts with existing CWT Associates to date in 2013, illustrates that the company sees significant value in having professional travel counsellors who can work directly with travellers to design their ideal vacation, as well as offering convenient online resources for those who prefer that method of booking. Go to http://www.carlsonwagonlit.com for more.