Personal travel manager Margaret Freemantle discovered the lure of Russia on a dedicated 11 night CT Partners’ famil to St Petersburg, Moscow and Helsinki. Lalitha Murthy from Finnair hosted the select group of six representatives from CT Partners’ member agencies, in conjunction with Jan Whiteside from World Hotels.
Freemantle, TravelManagers’ representative for Turner in the ACT, said that contrary to popular belief, Russia is not a dour place.
“Moscow is home to the Bolshoi Ballet and no one can claim to love ballet, in particular, and not to have at least considered visiting Russia. I am finding that Russia is now becoming easier to sell as it really does cater for so many varied interests. The culture is so integral to the destination with many magnificent buildings and monumental churches,” said Freeman.
“The sheer size of the Kremlin is awe-inspiring and President Putin has his own exclusive traffic lane on the freeway. Moscow really does create an atmosphere of political forces at work and the massive conglomeration that is the Kremlin sets your imagination running riot.”
St Petersburg is known as the ‘Venice of the North’ due to all canals and bridges along the Neva River and Freemantle found a delightful city, with a visit to The Hermitage Museum, renowned for being one of the largest and most respected art museums in the world, a highlight.
“With its impressive location on the banks of the Neva River and right in the heart of the city, The State Hermitage comprises The Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum. You need days to truly appreciate all that it offers.”
Her tips for clients now that she has experienced some of the delights of Russia?
“I would highly recommend clients stay in an historic hotel if at all possible. To experience a hotel with history and in a central location really did enhance my entire experience. The language barriers are quite difficult so another reason for staying centrally located to major attractions is a bonus. Coffee is not their forte, so for coffee lovers make sure you have a couple of cups at breakfast in the hotel.”
TravelManagers work closely with partner suppliers to ensure personal travel managers experience a variety of educational experiences to worldwide destinations.
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