Nancy Salinas of Faribault, MN, USA, won an incredible trip for 2 to the Cook Islands and New Zealand and will soon be jetting off on a dream vacation that includes round trip airfare with Air New Zealand, round trip transfers in the Cook Islands and Auckland, 7 nights accommodation in Rarotonga and Aitutaki with breakfast daily, 2 nights in Auckland and a full day city and wilderness tour in New Zealand!

Nancy Salinas’ reaction when she was notified that she just won was “I just can’t believe I won! I only entered a couple times and forgot about the sweepstakes. What a great way to start the day when your first call is telling you to pack your bags!”

To celebrate their 40th Anniversary, Goway launched the high profile “40 Trips in 40 Weeks” Giveaway, available to residents of North America. Each week for 40 weeks, Goway is giving away a trip for two. The giveaway, administered by an independent third party, is valued at over $250,000 and is the biggest North American Trip Giveaway ever.

Trips are drawn weekly for entries before 11.59pm on Sundays. Goway’s giveaway is unique in that they allow winners to transfer the prize to a friend or family if they are unable to take the trip, or perhaps have already visited the destination.

To enter, visit Goway.com/40th.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with the local winner, please contact: press@goway.com or call 800-397-8850 xtn 5376.

“Responding to demand from our agent partners, we have improved several of the features” commented Product and Marketing Manager, Emma Cottis. “With so many at-home Agents and a focus on reducing paper usage, agents can now opt to utilize some of the new tools. Of course, the traditional brochures are still available to be ordered atGoway.com/brochure.”

New features include:

• A more modern look and feel
• The option to view the brochure in “full screen” mode
• The ability to download the brochure as a PDF to store a file copy electronically.
• The function to share the brochure to a number of social media platforms, including twitter, Facebook, my space and more.
• The brochure can be translated to any language and the translation pops up in a choice of all languages.

Goway’s commitment to providing time-efficient options that reduce the need for paper in today’s electronic environment follows a recent announcement that all most documentation (tickets, vouchers, itineraries, quotes and invoices, are now available in electronic format that are emailed directly to agent partners.

The new 132-page Downunder brochure can be viewed online at Goway’s website, and future Goway brochures will be available in the same format.

The “Cash in on the Cooks” campaign offers travellers a $200 rebate per couple on any Cook Islands Vacation booked with IslandsEscapes between August 17th – November 24, 2009 and completed by February 28, 2010. For more information, visit visit our rebate page.

Starting from just $1659 per person (before rebate) for departure from Los Angeles with Air New Zealand, packages include 12 nights accommodation, transfers and airport welcome. A range of accommodations are available and some offer various benefits, including free accommodation, free breakfast, free car rental or food and beverage resort credits.

IslandsEscapes offers custom-designed vacations to this unspoiled gem of the South Pacific, including extensions to the stunning island Aitutaki. For honeymoons, IslandsEscapes‘ unique bridal registry allows couples to upgrade or enhance elements of their honeymoon.

For more information on these and many other great value Travel ideas, visit www.islandsescapes.com or call 1-800-667-6601.

“It’s a tough time for consumers and Goway is taking this unprecedented move to help people make the decision to book”, says Bruce Hodge, President of the 39-year old company.

Goway’s “Peace of Mind” Guarantee www.goway.com/peaceofmind is valid for all new bookings with deposits made in May and is valid for travel commencing up to December 31st. All travel to the South Pacific, when flying on Qantas, and to Asia, when flying on Cathay Pacific Airways, is eligible, with a few exceptions.

“If anxiety over a possible layoff is keeping would-be travellers from their dream vacation to the South Pacific or Asia, Goway’s “Peace of Mind” guarantee is sure to appeal to everyone wanting to travel this year,” adds Hodge.

Year after year, Australia tops Canadians’ wish list of travel destinations. Toronto residents looking to explore the outback, 40,000 year old aboriginal culture, fine dining and designer fashion of Australia before making this truly inspiring trip, can find out everything they need to know here in Toronto at the Goway “Come Walkabout” Australia Travel Night.

Following a presentation on Australian travel experiences, enjoy food and wine samplings and mingle with knowledgeable suppliers eager to share their insider tips on travelling to Australia.

“The concept of ‘walkabout’ is uniquely Australian and steeped in traditional Aboriginal culture.  A ‘walkabout’ is a period of transformation when people restore, rebalance and reconnect with what is important in their lives, says Michelle Gysberts, Vice President, Americas for Tourism Australia. “There is no better place to do that than Australia.”

No one can describe the experience of visiting Australia better than Indigenous people themselves. To tell his stories over some indigenous-Australian inspired cuisine, consumers will get a chance to meet Mark Olive (aka the “Black Olive”), a chef for over twenty years,

Chef Olive’s people are the Bundjalung nation from the state’s northern rivers region. The Australian-born, European-trained chef adds flare to his recipes using outback ingredients.

“Come Walkabout” Australia Travel Night  is  part of G’Day Toronto, a program of events targeted to tourists of all ages, entrepreneurs, and the culinary trades, showcasing  Australian food, wine, culture, art, film, lifestyle and of course the unique wildlife and outback that make the country an ideal vacation destination for Canadians, year after year.

The event takes place Thursday May 14, 2009 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts – 27 Front Street East.

For more information, contact Goway Travel (416) 322 1034. Registration can be completed in advance at www.goway.com/venues.

World renowned adventure journalist Peter Potterfield will present a free, open to the public, lecture/slideshows in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto, highlighting the incredible hiking trails of New Zealand. Get tips, ask questions and learn just how easy and enjoyable it is to take a hiking vacation in New Zealand.

Event Details:

Victoria:
1450 Government Street; 250-386-2666
1 April 2009 – 7pm
Vancouver:
130 West Broadway; 604-872-4634
2 April 2009 – 8pm
Calgary:
830 10th Avenue, SW; 403-237-6121
15 April 2009 – 7pm
Edmonton*:
12328 – 102 Avenue, NW; 780-488-6498
16 April 2009 – 7pm
Toronto:
400 King Street West; 416-340-9636
23 April 2009 – 8:30pm

The engaging, interactive and informative presentation will showcase the wide range of hiking trails including the lush landscapes and majestic scenery of New Zealand, told through visuals and Potterfield’s own experiences. One of North America’s most knowledgeable experts on adventure travel, Potterfield has written more than a dozen books on outdoor adventure, including Classic Hikes of the World: 23 Breathtaking Treks.

He has contributed to Outside, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Adventure and other major magazines. He helped develop online adventure reporting as editor of MountainZone.com and was a finalist for the National Magazine Award for General Excellence as editor of Pacific Northwest magazine. Potterfield is currently editor of GreatOutdoors.com, where he writes a regular column.

Attendees will receive a complimentary gift bag courtesy of event sponsors: Tourism New Zealand, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Air New Zealand and Goway Travel. There will also be a grand prize draw for a trip for two to New Zealand. Goway and Air New Zealand are partnering to offer a dream hiking vacation to one lucky attendee. This grand prize includes:

• 2 economy return tickets from Vancouver with Air New Zealand
• 4 nights at the Heritage Hotel Queenstown
• A Safari of the Scenes Day Tour
• Shotover Jetboat Tour
• 3 Day/2 night Hollyford Track Guided Walk

Representatives from will also be in-store to help get you and your hiking boots down under. To register go to http://www.goway.com/venues/.

“Our aim is to provide the very best deals available to North American Globetrotters,” commented founder and President of Goway Travel, Bruce Hodge. “Canadians are savvy consumers, and we are offering this great deal only through 19Jan. We anticipate that this new fare will encourage many more travellers to explore this great country.”

The Airpass, with a lead price of CA$1199 from Vancouver, is available for $1299 per person for travel 1-31May and just $100 more for travel 29Jan-30Apr ’09 or 1Jun-21Sep ’09. The pass also includes three FREE domestic flights within Australia, with additional flights available at additional costs.

With the Goway-Qantas Aussie Airpass, travellers enjoy the freedom to explore Australia’s many popular destinations at their own pace; experiencing the wildlife of Kangaroo Island, modern and vibrant Sydney, or historical Melbourne.

For more information on the Goway-Qantas Aussie Airpass, visit http://goway.com/downunder/australia/g_q_airpass_can.html or call 1-800-387-8850.

In related news, rare mountain gorilla twins have been born in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest, home to around half the world’s population of the endangered primates. “It is only the second time in history that we are aware of twins being born in Uganda,” a spokesman for the Uganda Wildlife Authority advised, adding that the twins were healthy. Mountain gorillas are the cornerstone of Uganda’s tourism industry and it is predicted that the twins’ arrival will boost tourist numbers. Bwindi is home to an estimated 340 mountain gorillas, around half the global population, according to the most recent survey conducted between 2006 and 2007.

Goway’s AFRICAExperts offer travellers some programs where they can encounter gorillas up close. One is a 7 day ‘Gorillas, Wildlife & Chimps’ (http://www.goway.com/africa/uganda/gorillas-wildlife-chimps.html) which includes gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda and chimp trekking from $4434. Also on offer is the 3 or 4 day ‘Mountain Gorilla Encounter’ in Rwanda from $2940 (http://www.goway.com/africa/rwanda/index.html) which includes flights from Nairobi, a city tour of Kigali including a visit to the very moving Genocide Memorial & Education Center. Accommodation in the capital is at the first class Intercontinental Hotel or similar. Morning gorilla treks occur on days two and three and you overnight at the Gorilla Nest Lodge. Travel through the beautiful Rwandan countryside is by luxury 4WD. “Before I saw my first mountain gorilla he brushed my shoulder as he bounded from the canopy above and went somersaulting down the track behind me,” says Bruce Hodge, President of 39-year-old Goway. “There was another gorilla in the undergrowth to the left and one to the right and even more in the bamboo canopy above. Wow…were we ever close!” The place was Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, East Africa the region where Dian Fossey became famous. “I feel privileged to be one of the very few travellers who have ever encountered mountain gorillas in their own habitat” continued Hodge.

When you consider that only 8 permits are issued each day in Rwanda to visit each of 5 families habituated for tourists, you will be one of only a few travellers to have encountered mountain gorillas in their own habitat, so early booking is essential.

For more information on these and many other great value Travel ideas, visit Goway.com or call 1-800-387-8850.

If escaping the winter isn’t enough then up to 25% off selected African adventure trips should be!

“Africa is hot – literally and figuratively – at the moment” states Don Forster, Product and Marketing Manager for ADVENTURESIncorporated. “Cold winters and the lure of exotic sights and sounds have always been a factor in people looking to Africa for the ultimate adventure. Now with an concerted effort in these tough times ADVENTURESIncorporated wants to make a decision to adventure in Africa that much easier.”

“With 25% off our overlanding trips, this remains the best way to see a country and with our select small group adventures at 12% off, the choice is as varied as the continent itself.” continues Forster.

An example of the many overland tours available include the “Gorilla Encounter” – a 14 day tour from Nairobi starting from $1145. This safari gives a glimpse of East Africa’s enormously diverse scenery and some of its friendliest people. From the Great Rift Valley dotted with lakes, to the terraced hillsides of fertile Uganda, and a very special wildlife encounter – the opportunity to trek and view the magnificent gorillas in their fragile habitat is an unforgettable experience.

The complete range of African adventures offer by ADVENTURESIncorporated is available at http://adventuresincorporated.com/countries/africa/.

One of the great selections of ADVENTURESIncorporated small group adventures is the 22 day Southern Experience from $2824 CAD. This is the most popular small group safari, and the best way to see the most spectacular features of Southern Africa.

For full details of all ADVENTURESIncorporated’s adventure choices visit the ADVENTURESIncorporated website.

ADVENTURESIncorporated is the exclusive adventure division of 38 year old Goway Travel.

For more information, please call 1-888-469-2949, email info@adventuresincorporated.com or visit ADVENTURESIncorporated.com.

Starting from as little as $975 for departure from Los Angeles, Goway’s great value vacations MUST be purchased by 21 November 2008 to qualify for these low prices.

SEE SYDNEY – $975 – Includes round trip airfare from Los Angeles, 5 nights economy accommodation, airport-hotel transfers, historic Rocks Walking Tour and a Sydney Harbour Explorer ticket.

SEE MELBOURNE – $1025 – Includes round trip airfare from Los Angeles, 5 nights economy accommodation, airport-hotel transfers, Yarra River cruise and entrance to Melbourne Aquarium.

For these and other special value deals, visit Goway’s “$uper$pecials” page at Goway.com.