AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL ANNOUNCES 2007 REPRESENTATIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
U.S. Representative Agency Winners Honored for Superior Sales and Year-Over-Year Growth
NEW YORK, February 21, 2008 -- American Express Travel has announced that 27 agency members of its U.S. Representative Travel Network have earned the prestigious Representative Excellence Award for 2007. Agency owners receiving the award will be recognized with a seven-day trip to South Africa hosted by the American Express Retail Travel Network, in partnership with Abercrombie & Kent, South African Tourism and South African Airways.
The Representative Excellence Award honors the achievements of the Representative Travel Network member agencies that have reached superior sales results driving cruise and tour supplier goals and have secured the highest year-over-year sales growth.
"It took determination, focus and a lot of hard work for these winning agencies to attain the level of performance required to receive a Representative Excellence Award; and I am pleased to recognize the 27 agency winners," said Ellen Bettridge, vice president, U.S. Retail Travel Network, American Express Travel. "The 27 agencies selected have represented the American Express brand well and delivered extraordinary results in 2007."
The trip to South Africa, tailored specifically for the Representative Excellence Award winners, will take place from June 4 - 10 and includes a stay in the historic city of Capetown at the famed Mount Nelson Hotel, an Orient-Express property. After exploring the city, the group will travel by air into the Sabi Sands area to witness the natural beauty and exotic wildlife at Kruger National Park and will be hosted there by Sabi Sabi and Lions Sands, two incredible safari luxury lodges.
This year's Representative Excellence Award winners are:
| AGENCY NAME | BASED IN: |
| Abbott & Hill | Charleston, SC |
| Adventure Travel | Pompano Beach, FL |
| Americas Vacation Center | Escondido, CA |
| AMT | West Covina, CA |
| ARTA Travel | Plano, TX |
| Azumano Travel | Portland, OR |
| Blue Ribbon Business Travel International | Edina, MN |
| Brea Travel | Brea, CA |
| Bursch Travel | Alexandria, MN |
| Carrousel Travel | Minneapolis |
| Cruise Planners | Coral Springs, FL |
| Fox World Travel | Oshkosh, WI |
| Malcolm Travel & Cruises | Baton Rouge, LA |
| Mann Travel | Charlotte, NC |
| Milne Travel | Barre, VT |
| Passageways Travel | Traverse City, MI |
| Pennsylvania Travel | Paoli, PA |
| Prestige Travel | Las Vegas |
| Quixote Travel | Greenville, NC |
| Springdale Travel | Mobile, AL |
| Summit Travel Group | San Mateo, CA |
| Sun Travel | El Paso, TX |
| Suzi Davis Travel | Bloomington, IL |
| The Travel Authority | Jeffersonville, IN |
| Travel Central | Metairie, LA |
| Travelink Incorporated | Nashville, TN |
| TravelPlex Travel & Cruise | St. Louis |
About American Express Travel
American Express entered the travel agency business in 1915 and today is one of the world's largest travel agency networks. The company has more than 2,200 Travel and Foreign Exchange* Services locations worldwide in more than 140 countries.
American Express Company [www.americanexpress.com] is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.
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*not available in all locations.
