Breaking into the Faith Based Travel Market

Many agents are curious about the Faith Based Travel Market. They want to know how to break into it and how to keep it going once they do.

In most cities and towns there is no one agency that specializes in Faith Based Travel. At least that has been my findings. So if you are an agent in a big city, and you think that XYZ Agency has the market because they have done a tour or two with a local church, think again. That is one tour and one church.

How many churches or temples are down the street or around the corner? How many of your agents attend some type of religious service on a regular basis? Do you? If you attend services or your agents do, why haven't they asked the Pastor to think about working with them to produce a trip?

Ya'lla Tours has a great tool for you to use in getting the interest of some Pastors. Ya'lla Tours is sponsoring our "Pastors' Israel Study Tour".

This is something that only you, the travel agent, can take to your local Pastor. Ya'lla Tours does not solicit business directly. The Pastor has to come back to you to book the Study Tour, and if a group of 25 is booked by that pastor, we will refund the amount of the tour. Pastors have until November 30, 2012 to do so.

Get a copy of our "Pastors' Israel Study Tour" to your local church today.

"Pastors' Israel Study Tour".

Ya'lla Means "Let's Go"! That means You!

I have a large territory to cover. Right now I'm finishing up on some visits to the St. Louis area.

Early morning walks have included the beautiful county park in Creve Coeur, not far from where I am staying. Creve Coeur means "broken heart" in French, and it comes from legend. Apparently, a Native American girl threw herself from the rocks into the lake over unrequited love from a French Trapper (You know what heart breakers those French can be). The lake then formed itself into a heart.

Yeah, right.



One thing that will be a heart breakers is if you do not take our scheduled FAM trips to Egypt and Israel.

Speaking of Egypt and pyramids, did you know that the largest pyramid in the world is located right in Illinois. Yes, true.

On my return I'll be passing the Cahokia Mounds site. I've visited before, but it's not quite the same as Egypt, and the local law enforcement may haul you in for hanging out and smoking a hookah.

Greece: Ya’lla Tours USA’s Secures Safety of Travelers in Greece

From the Official "Ya'lla Land" Desk...



Portland, Oregon – May 5, 2010 - As the news of unrest in downtown Athens is unfolding and with reports of the tragic death of the three people at the bank burning, Ya’lla Tours USA has taken all the necessary precautions to secure passengers safety. “All of our passengers are safe and well informed on the situation,” confirms Ronen Paldi, president of Ya’lla Tours. “In anticipation of protesters gathering downtown, we have been in touch with all our passengers and advised them on how to avoid any potential unrest.”



“Ya’lla Tours USA has a protocol on how to handle situations like this, and I’m pleased that once again it proved to be in the benefit and safety of our passengers,” added Mr. Paldi. “Ya’lla Tours will continue to closely monitor the situation and evaluate the needed steps to take, if any, so our guests in Greece enjoy their vacation.”

Ya'lla Land Israel: Running for Peace Between Bethlehem and Jerusalem

Ya'lla Tours Israel

Things that happen in the Exotic Mediterranean are never done at a sprint's pace, it seems. So an interfaith marathon of Catholics, Jews and Muslims running between Bethlehem and Jerusalem to kick off the seventh annual Pope John Paull II Sporting Events seems fitting for the times.

For the first time since 2000, Israeli runners were allowed to enter Bethlehem in order to join the rest of the runners at the begging of the race.

Hope springs eternal in the land of eternal hope.

Read about the run.

Ya'lla People: He's Da Boss!

There are two type of agents when it comes to Ronen Paldi, President, Ya'lla Tours USA -- those who have met him and those who have not.

When you do meet him you won't forget him. I promise.

Ronen started Ya'lla Tours in 1993, in Portland, Oregon. A former tour guide in Israel, and now a US citizen, he saw first hand the good, bad and a lot of ugly about touring Israel back in the day.

Ronen likes to tell the story about how he came to rely on travel agents only. Seems he arrived in Portland and thought he was the salvation of all the churches and clergy planning a trip to Israel. He sent out a letter to all the local pastors. He got...no response. He decided to call them, and couldn't get past the church secretary. Finally, he got in the car and was going to knock on the doors, when he saw that there were local travel agents. He did a Uie and went back and sent a letter to the travel agents, instead of wearing out his knuckles on church doors.

Faster than you can say "Bingo", Ronen had his first booking.

The rest is Ya'lla History.

I'll put a link to where you can find the "Ya'lla Difference".

Briefly, there is no cutting of corners and a more inclusive tour than what your clients may normally experience. Ya'lla uses only the best of hotels and the extreme best of guides. You'll find more Ya'lla differences here, including the fact that our scheduled tours are guaranteed to go with two pax.

Ronen is "hands on" and will pick up the phone in Portland,800.644.1595, the same as everybody else.

Ronen lives in Portland and works with a personal trainer, and is on a special diet. He is also a former Israel Navy Seal, so I don't mess with him. The answer is usually "yes, sir". Just kidding, really. He is mostly very reasonable and will seriously listen to your opinion. Same with agent feedback.

When you do meet Ronen he will ask you if you have seen his picture in ads. If you have, then he will ask whether you think he is more handsome in person. (Remember, he is a former Navy Seal!)

He's the boss. He makes Ya'lla "go", which is essentially what "Ya'lla" means.

Israel's New (and Old) Color is Green!

Israel is highlighting it's long involvement with environmental concerns. Read below.

Ya'lla Tours great Israel FAM

New York - April 22, 2010: This Earth Day, the Israel Ministry of Tourism in North America is launching a 24-month promotion underscoring Israel's pivotal role in the worldwide environmental movement: ISRAEL: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF GREEN.

For the next two years, the Israel Ministry of Tourism will make this a key message to potential travelers to Israel. A special ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF GREEN brochure will debut at New York's Earth Fair 2010 at Grand Central, and the new website and blog (travelgreenisrael.com) will feature regularly updated news on green innovations and travel tips.

For many destinations around the world, latching on to the "green" bandwagon is all the rage. In Israel, these practices and ideologies have long been implemented into every aspect of Israeli life. Starting in the first decade of the 20th century, a historic movement was born designed to restore Israel's forests and to transform a distressed landscape. The first kibbutz, Degania, was founded on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in 1910, giving a practical boost to the dream of making the desert bloom.

"A century ago, the land of Israel was an ecological disaster," says Arie Sommer, Israel Tourism Commission for North and South America, "four centuries of Ottoman rule had seen millions of trees cut down for one simple reason - property taxes were calculated by the number of trees owned by landowners.

A hundred years later, Israel remains a leader in the green movement. Better Place electric cars will launch in Israel this year; Tel Aviv's largest garbage dump has been transformed into an urban park; Tel Aviv's mayor has set a green standard for all hotels; and Israel leads the world in the number of trees planted per acre during the last century.

For more information please visit www.travelgreenisrael.com. For more information about travel to Israel, visit www.goisrael.com.


For more information, visit www.goisrael.com or contact Julie Cooper, Director of Public Relations at (312) 803-7077 or juliec@imot.org

Ya'lla Tours Israel

Cruising Eastern Turkey: Noah's Ark Found -- Again!

A group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers claim to have found Noah's Ark, the ship of the Old Testament, where all animal species and Noah's family were saved from a horrendous flood caused by an angry God.

Mr. Ararat, the site of this current exploration, is long believed to be the place where Noah's Ark came to rest when the waters receded.

Thirty years ago or so, I read a book about other explorers who found what they claimed to be remnants of the Ark.

The article is in the Sun, a British tabloid well known for extreme stories.

There is a video, too, but it is in Chinese and not translated. In it they are walking through a cave like area and examining old wooden planks. It all looks a bit too well preserved, but you can judge for yourself. After all, it is a matter of faith.

Noah's Ark Found!