Happenings

Yesterday, the Times Leader published an article that claimed “The region’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 10.3 percent in May, stretching the local streak of monthly increases to four and inching close to a level reached 18 years ago.”

Despite the increase stated in the article, it went on to say that “The jobs created in the region during the month were mostly within the service-providing sector. The leisure and hospitality category added 1,000 jobs as local restaurants and outdoor recreational businesses hired for the summer.” You can bet Sundance Vacations was a part of the companies that hired.

That’s right! June has been a busy month for the Human Resources department at Sundance Vacations. Busy because Sundance Vacations hired more than 60 people in several different offices throughout the company. On June 15th the company had a job fair at the company headquarters in Wilkes-Barre, PA, in which 57 people were interviewed for positions ranging from outbound marketers to a brand new permission marketing administrative assistant.

Bill Watkins was one of the 57 people to attend the job fair on June 15. Bill was laid off last June and has been searching for a job ever since. “I made it my ‘job’ looking for a new job. I looked in the newspaper, online, career link and anything I could think of to find work. It was a really hard time,” Bill reflected on the past year. “When I finally got hired by Sundance Vacations, it felt like I hit the Powerball. As soon as I found out, I went home to tell my family, fiancee and friends,” Bill exclaimed about being hired.   After two weeks of working at Sundance Vacations Bill said, “I felt like a member of the team on day one.”  Katelynn Warmen was also one of the 57 that came in for the job fair. She experienced much of the same struggle Bill experienced in finding a job as well. She had previous experience in telemarketing but said, “It doesn’t feel like your average telemarketing position. This is so much better. I love the friendly and fun atmosphere.”

Tina Dowd, founder, said that “We hope that the economy will keep recovering and we can steamroll straight through fall as well.” Despite being in a recession Tina added that “We did not see a reduction in desire to travel.  People still want to preserve some semblance of normalcy to their lives.  We did see an increase in the desire to save money on travel, which has been good for Sundance Vacations. As a result of that desire, we’ve been able to grow through the recession.”

Being able to have the amount of job openings in the current economy is also a testament to the hard work of all the employees. Sundance Vacations would not be able to grow and hire more people without the hard work and dedication of its employees. Alan Horro, who was hired with Bill and Katelynn, said that he “feels great talking on the phones. The support here at Sundance Vacations is incredible. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” Katie Fox, who previously worked here in 2004 and just recently came back, can agree with Alan’s statement. She said “The core values are still the same as before but the training keeps getting better. It is outstanding. I feel confident and better about my work when I have the tools to do my job.” When hiring, Sundance Vacations looks for the same type of people that have helped this company grow – hard working, passionate and dedicated.

Sundance University - Orientation/training program

In honor of National Travel and Tourism Week (May 8-16^th), we would like to say thank you to all the tourists and travelers out there who help support the industry year after year! National Travel and Tourism Week has been celebrated in the U.S. since 1984, when U.S. Congress designated the first week in May as the national holiday. Since then, the U.S. travel community has come together to celebrate the holiday through local rallies and events to raise awareness of the industry’s significance and impact on Americans nationwide.

As part of this year’s celebrations, the U.S. Travel Association is pairing up with local travel communities across the nation to put on the U.S. Travel Rally Day on Tuesday, May 11^th. The U.S. Travel Rally Day is designed to demonstrate travel’s impact on local workers, businesses and economies.

How exactly does travel and tourism contribute to local American communities? Thanks to the U.S. Travel Association, below are a few impressive facts on the importance of travel and tourism:

Travel and tourism is one of America’s largest industries.

In fact, the travel and tourism industry is one of the largest contributors of tax revenue for local, state and federal governments bringing in an average of $111 billion each year.

A recent study shows that American households would pay $950 more in taxes without the tax revenue generated by the travel and tourism industry.

The travel and tourism industry is one of America’s largest employers.

There are 7.4 million direct travel-generated jobs in the U.S., which has a total payroll of more than $186 billion.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, 1 out of every 9 American jobs is dependent on travel and tourism.

For more fun facts on the travel and tourism industry and information on how you can participate in National Travel and Tourism Week, visit www.ustravel.org.

Also, check out a few photos from our National Travel and Tourism Week celebrations on Flickr.

Do you know who won the 2009 Sundance Vacations Sweepstakes? The lucky winner is Sandy Yenyo from North Benton, Ohio. Sandy decided to go with the $50,000 cash. Do you want to get your name in the drawing for next year? Just fill out the Sundance Vacations sweepstakes form at any venue where you see a Sundance Vacations representative, OR you can visit our website at  http://www.sundancevacations.com/contact-1.html

The sweepstakes video is now live on Sundance Vacations’ YouTube Channel. You can access the video at: http://www.youtube.com/sundancevacations.

Sundance Vacations also posted photos from the check presentation on Flickr. These photos can be accessed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sundancevacations/.

Enter now, and you could be the 2010 Sundance Vacations Sweepstakes winner!

Sundance Vacations recently teamed up with Dun and Bradstreet. D&B is a financial rating company that is the world’s leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses, enabling consumers to decide with confidence. D&B has been in business for the past 167 years.

The Dun and Bradstreet website report will display financial details on Sundance Vacations including: trade payments, history and operations, public filings, risk of financial stress, risk of payment delinquency, supplier evaluation risk, credit capacity, and financial overviews. Sundance Vacations holds one of the highest financial ratings with D&B.

“Through Dun and Bradstreet customers can feel confident about the financial stability of Sundance Vacations,” explained Sundance Vacations Founder Tina Dowd.

For more information, please visit the Sundance Vacations corporate website at www.sundancevacations.com and click on the D&B logo at the bottom of the homepage.

Imagine waking up under a pile of rubble or in a hospital all alone without your family. That’s how many people started their day on January 12th after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, just outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The lives lost, people injured, and families displaced are colossal.

People from around the world including many celebrities have made it a point that Haiti is in dire need of help! Ryan Seacrest held a telethon on CNN with Larry King called Haiti: How You Can Help. The benefit raised $8,944,956 for UNICEF and the American Red Cross to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Another telethon courtesy of Actor George Clooney will air on Friday, Jan. 22. Clooney will host the live telethon to benefit earthquake victims in Haiti. The telethon will air on all of the MTV channels worldwide, along with ABC, NBC, HBO, and CNN. The show will air 8-10 p.m. ET.  Be sure to tune in!

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are also on board to help Haiti victims.  With the help from President Obama, the duo agreed to lead a major fundraising effort for relief: the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/index.php ONE HUNDRED percent of donations made to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, go directly to relief efforts. The website also gives three secure ways to donate.

Many employees from Sundance Vacations have helped the victims of Haiti. Sundance Vacations Marketing Manager Patty Barney donated to the American Red Cross, UNICEF, and YELE Haiti. “Giving money is the least I can do. I can only imagine waking up and having nothing, no food or water. It was my moral obligation to give what I could,” explained Barney. Administrative Assistant Natalie Cassarella also donated via text message. “I heard about donating and I thought what an easier way then directly from your cell phone,” said Cassarella.

Speaking of texting, there are plenty of ways. Including: Texting “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.  OR text the word “QUAKE” to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, also charged to your cell phone bill.

If you haven’t yet, it’s easy to help. Please use the outlets provided and remember ANYTHING helps! One dollar, or one hundred, whatever you can give will make a difference!

The Better Business Bureau recently published an article in the October publication of the BBB Alert on falling victim to “friendly fraud”.

Businesses are increasingly becoming victims of “friendly” fraud – fraud carried out by customers to get items free of charge. The Better Business Bureau warns small business owners to be on the lookout for “friendly” fraud and offers advice on how to protect against this growing online threat.

According to the Wall Street Journal, many companies – for example, the travel site Expedia – are currently seeing up to a 50 percent spike in “friendly” fraud since 2008. The most common types of “friendly” fraud involve cases in which a customer falsely claims they: *never received an item ordered online, *received the wrong item ordered online, or *had their credit card stolen and were charged for items they didn’t order.

The customer should then demand a refund from the business or demand the merchant to issue a chargeback on their credit card. When friendly fraudsters are unable to coax reimbursements from a business directly, many then issue chargeback’s to their credit card companies. Creditors will investigate the situation, asking for the business owner’s side of the story before deciding whether or not the business is at fault. Defending a business against “friendly” fraud is no easy task, but there are steps to take.

The Better Business Bureau offers the following advice to small business owners: *verify the buyers billing address before sending merchandise, *use a shipper that tracks delivery, *deactivate or deny access to products, *clearly state your return policy on your Website, *be prepared to make your case to the credit card company, and *analyze sales records.

For more advice on defending your small business from fraud, visit www.bbb.org

Or to read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124329230494652391.html

A Sundance Vacations Customer recently wrote a letter of “Thank You” for their Free 3 Night Royal Caribbean Cruise Vacation. The following is the letter Sundance Vacations received:

“Hello, I just wanted to thank your company (Sundance Vacations) so much for the all exclusive 3 Night Royal Caribbean vacation. I could not believe I won! When I got the phone call from your office saying I was picked from a drawing at the Lancaster Barnstormers game, I almost fell out of my chair! I came to your office in King of Prussia, PA and picked up my prize and now I’m getting ready to hit the seas and take my first plane ride! Thank You Sundance for the Free Vacation! It is a blessing to for me to get a trip I would never see myself in! When I do vacation, it’s mostly spent going to this lake about 10 miles away from home and camping with family. So this is going to be a huge difference! Thanks again, Dustin.” –Dustin Kipple

Thank you for your kind words Dustin! We hope you enjoy your Cruise vacation with Sundance Vacations.
Have you traveled with Sundance Vacations? If so, where have you stayed?

Whatever happened to the once a year family vacation? Today, people are taking more than one vacation per year, and going for any reason possible. The US Travel Association recently reported on an opportunity for travel growth in several niche markets. An extensive set of new travel segments is attracting attention in the present slow growth marketplace. The sum of niche marketing can be as significant as or more significant that the sum of traditionally dominant players. Watch for these in the travel marketplace: Babymoons, Culinary Travel, Destination Weddings, Gen Xers and Millennials, Girlfriend Getaways/Mancations, GLBT Travel (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender), Medical/Life-Enhancement Travel, Procreation Vacations, Travelers with Disabilities, and Volunteerism.

What are your suggestions for the next market niche? How about a “break from life vacation”? Have you ever taken any of the mentioned getaways?

The Jersey Shore’s cutest tradition, Wildwood’s annual Baby Parade celebrates its 100th anniversary on August 6th. The first batch of charming and delightful youngsters participated in the Wildwoods Baby Parade in 1909. Ever since, this event has become a shore tradition, drawing huge crowds of locals and tourists with a soft spot for beautiful babies parading down the famous Wildwoods Boardwalk in decorated strollers and floats. This year’s special Centennial Celebration is sure to draw even bigger crowds to the 100th Anniversary of the First Baby Parade.

The 100th Anniversary of the First Wildwoods Baby Parade will take place at 6pm, Thursday, August 6, 2009. Registration for the event starts at 5pm at the Wildwoods Convention Center. The parade starts at the Wildwoods Convention Center, proceeding up the famous Wildwoods Boardwalk, and ending at 16th Street in North Wildwood, where winners and awards will be announced. Be sure to come out and celebrate a century of fun, tradition and cuteness on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at the Wildwoods Baby Parade!

Looking for a place to stay? Sundance Vacations has numerous places on the Jersey Shore. Try Key Largo, Esplanade, Leaming Avenue, or Mali Kai. http://www.sundancevacations.com/beach-resorts.html

*Photos are courtesy of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority and the Best of NJ website.*

When thinking about vacations which I do every day at Sundance Vacations, a few things come to mind; relaxation, spending quality time with loved ones, the beach, golf, funny drinks with umbrellas in them, and no set routine. Although all of those things are great, I do have to say my favorite part is the anticipation. The countdown!! 12 days..11 days..10 days..9 days to go. Getting passports ready, shopping for vacation clothes, cleaning my golf clubs, packing, finding out who’s going to take care of the dogs. To many people this part is stressful. However, for me it’s like Christmas morning when I was 8 years old. Just the thought of what’s about to happen gets me excited.

In the beginning of June I and my girlfriend Helena booked an Excess Inventory week to the Village Inn and Spa in St. Lucia. Yes! That’s right $198 for 8 days 7 nights in a resort that retails for $180 a night. This will be our first full week vacation together in 3 years. Since booking the trip I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Island. There is so much we are looking forward to. The Village Inn and Spa is an all-inclusive resort, a number of restaurants and bars at the resort itself. St. Lucia had a drive in volcano. I can’t wait to zip line. The thought of being harnessed to a cable zipping from tree to tree in the jungle is exhilarating. The resort also offers 3 rounds of complimentary golf at St. Lucia’s champion golf course to any guests that stay 5 nights or more.

There’s so much to look forward to. That to me is what anticipation is all about. We leave on August 2nd and return on August 9th. I defiantly will not blog to all of you while on vacation. NO WAY. However, when I return I’ll tell you all about it.

-Danny McGowan (King of Prussia)