VBT Management Team to Join 40th-Anniversary Trips

Special events will thank customers and ask them to help shape company’s future

BRISTOL, VT — VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, an award-winning international tour operator, is marking its 40th Anniversary in 2011. To celebrate, the company is offering special events and tours throughout the year.

“All of us – VBT associates here in Vermont and around the world – are so pleased to have ‘been on the map’ for four decades,” said Gregg Marston, president of VBT. “But there’s more reason than that to celebrate. What makes us most proud is the fact that we’ve been providing powerful experiences for mind, body, and spirit, down breathtaking cycling paths and along invigorating walking trails – and doing so consistently, year after year. That’s something to be proud of.”

Mr. Marston added that the secret to his company’s success has been listening to its travelers. “Some of our best ideas for new destinations, itineraries, and cultural experiences come from our travelers,” he said. “When it comes to their input, we’re all ears—always have been and always will be.”

That’s why Mr. Marston and his management team are marking 40 years by spending time on the road with customers. “We not only want to thank them for our success; we want to talk with them about the next ten years. We want to know how VBT can improve our trips and our services.”

Mr. Marston will host travelers on the April 14 departure of Holland and Belgium Bike & Barge. He will also be joined by John Freidin, a former Middlebury College professor and the founder of VBT, on the September 3 departure of Hungary & Slovakia: The Best of the Danube, and by several VBT associates on the June 12 departure of Vermont: Champlain Valley & Islands, which will include a visit to the company’s home office.

VBT’s Director of Marketing, Paul Williams, will host the June 16 departure of Ireland: Walking the West Country, and Chris Skilling, the Director of Worldwide Product, will host the October 5 departure of Holland and Belgium Bike & Barge. Travelers who join these departures will be invited to attend a wine-tasting reception and a 40th anniversary dinner hosted by the executive. They will also receive a special anniversary gift.

VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations was founded in 1971. The company offers 36 deluxe bicycling and walking tours in 25 countries worldwide, including destinations in Europe, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Vietnam, Peru and the U.S.A. Each trip includes all accommodations, many meals, two expert local Trip Leaders, unique sightseeing and cultural activities, and full vehicle support. Unlike other companies, VBT also includes international airfare in its trip cost. As a commitment to its unsurpassed value, VBT guarantees its travelers that 2011 prices are less than or equal to 2010 prices.

For reservations or more information, call 1-888-340-2127 or log on to the company’s website, www.vbt.com.