NEW YORK, April 13, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Fernando Virgolino, Vice President of the SkyLink Travel Group, USA, announced today that Christian World Tours, a division of the SkyLink Group of Companies, has been named the official tour operator in North America for Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Vatican's institutional unit of the Vicariate of Rome, Department of the Holy See, that provides travelers, and those making Christian Pilgrimages, with extraordinary experiences that are unavailable to other tour companies. Virgolino also announced the appointment of Dina Aharon as Director of Heritage Programs for the division. Special itineraries, created, inspired, and endorsed by the Vatican, include visits to places only open to those authorized by the Vatican, making the tours provided by CWT extraordinary, unique and unparalleled, according to Dina Aharon.
Aharon explains, "Recent studies show the growing motivation to travel is faith, following religious and seeking heritage connections. Americans are increasingly planning international vacations, especially designed to explore their religion and deepen their understanding of their faith. Clearly, our company's stellar reputation for attention to detail and history of consistently superior satisfaction levels of travelers who have taken our trips was a key factor in the Vatican's appointment of our company as the Official Tour Operator for the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi Journeys of the Spirit."
CWT itineraries are designed to accompany every traveler on the road toward stronger faith through visits to the most important religious and cultural sites of the world. The tours are rooted in the Christian conviction expressed by Saint Augustine: "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page!"
Aharon reminds travelers that the company's 28 years of experience, in-depth knowledge of the destinations and personal relationships with the airlines, hotels, ground service providers and guides, coupled with its outstanding reputation, accounts for their special designation as official tour operator for these unique programs. Aharon explains that a key feature of their programs is that every departure is guaranteed so that no traveler will be disappointed.
Father Caesar Atuire, Amministratore Delegato of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi at the Vatican explains, "The spirit of this initiative is to encourage pilgrimages to the most important Shrines in Europe and the Middle East as an occasion for people to grow in knowledge and experience of the Faith. All our pilgrimages are designed to be a journey of faith and to create a peaceful and serene climate that is conducive to spiritual growth." Christian World Tours destinations include: Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, the Holy Land, Santiago di Compostela, and Poland.
Nationally syndicated radio travel expert Stephanie Abrams says she looks forward to introducing her audiences to these special tours and itineraries. Abrams states, "The distinguished programs provide experiences unavailable anywhere else! Imagine the bonding experience of spiritual leaders with members of their congregations as they truly experience journeys of the spirit that include places they would otherwise never have a chance to visit!"
Aharon reminds tour leaders that their travel arrangements are free, based on a minimum of 15 travelers. "Tour leaders who travel with CWT are worry-free from all technical aspects of the tour so that they, too, can focus on the spiritual experience of the journey. A tour leader simply needs to choose the date, provide us with a wish list of desired tours and we do the rest," Aharon states.
For more information on Christian World Tours, visit www.cwtoursusa.com, or call 866-483-5702.