Winter Games Head to Torino — NTA is There

February 9, 2006

Winter Games Head to Torino – NTA is There
February 9, 2006 – On Friday, the eyes of the world will be on Torino, Italy as the 2006 Winter Olympics kicks off with Opening ceremonies – and NTA will be there.

Western Leisure CEO Keith Griffall, CTP, an NTA past president, will be heading to Torino for the Winter Games to watch his son Preston, who will compete in the doubles luge.

During the Games, Keith will be providing NTA with weekly updates, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of him being a fan and as technology permits. You can read the first one – in which he talks about the challenges of tour planning on such short notice, gives background on the sport of luge and shares other personal reflections – by clicking here.

NTA tour operator member Cartan Tours is an Official Ticket Agent for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Cartan has developed programs with a variety of activities such as, wine tasting, gourmet tours and spa visits, as well as additions like private transportation, sightseeing excursions and private receptions.

Cartan’s participation in the Torino Winter Games will mark the 107th year of the company’s history.

The Torino Winter Games includes 2,550 athletes from 80 nations and the Opening ceremony is expecting an audience of over 2 billion viewers.

The man in charge of the event says he learned a lot from the Salt Lake ceremonies. Andrea Varnier, TOROC Managing Dir. Image and Events said. "Well opening ceremony is a very important task and we know it gives the pace and rhythm of the games so what we are trying to achieve is to make the concept of passion be alive also in the ceremony. So make it very very contemporary with an international language but very Italian showing all the passion, our history, but also our future."

NTA members will visit past Olympic host city, Salt Lake, this November for the Annual Convention.

Stay tuned for more news from Torino.