Retirement Spells Travel for Former School Teacher

50 Trips/One-Half Million Miles and Counting with Vantage Deluxe World Travel

BOSTON (December 15, 2006) - Retirement spells travel for former school teacher June Spargo, who has logged 50 trips and 500,000 miles with Vantage Deluxe World Travel, a Boston-based company that specializes in escorted tours for seasoned travelers. After a 42-year career as a math teacher, Spargo set off to continue her own education by exploring the world.

Since she retired in 1992, Spargo has traveled with Vantage all over the world, to all seven continents. "I've seen countries that aren't even countries any more," Spargo said.

Meeting new people and seeing different and interesting places motivate her, and she notes that Vantage's cultural exchanges are particularly interesting. These range from a local poet reading his work, to a Mormon missionary guiding a tour of the Salt Lake City's Temple Square, to a traditional Boma meal in Zimbabwe. "A surprising number of our guests are school teachers or retired educators," said Vantage Vice President David Gevanthor. "They are interested in expanding their knowledge of the world. We design our programs to provide our guests with unique cultural connections that they wouldn't easily find on their own."

Spargo's favorite cultural exchange is visiting local residents in their homes. "They usually split up the group and send a few of us to one family for a light supper. It is a fascinating evening and gives you a chance to see how people really live in Beijing or wherever you are," she said.

Spargo prefers international to domestic travel. The greatest distance she covered in one trip was when she flew from the East Coast to the West Coast, then to India, and ended up in London. Her longest journey was a 22-day tour of China. She's been to Mexico, Canada, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

"The best Vantage trip was the one I took to South Africa," she said. "It was so well done. We traveled on the Rovos Rail, which is the most magnificent railroad I've ever been on. The owner of the railroad greeted us when we boarded the train and he said good bye when we departed. There were two compartments per sleeping car, instead of the usual three so it was spacious, and it had a huge bar and good-sized beds. Everyone dressed up for dinner and when we returned to our sleeping compartments, there were rose petals on the bed. The train even stopped in the middle of the night to keep from interfering with your sleep."

While she has traveled with other tour companies, if Vantage offers the trip she wants, she chooses Vantage for the convenience and reliability. "It's just one phone call," Spargo said. "The itineraries are favorable, and the price is right. They tell me where to go and when to show up. I don't have to spend weeks researching the places. Plus, if there are problems, they always make it right."

Spargo's current challenge is finding a place she hasn't already been. Fifty trips are definitely not enough. At 79, she has booked another Vantage journey to India in January 2007. "I haven't been there in 12 years, and this trip covers ground that I haven't seen before," she said. She's also considering the President's River Boat cruise in Europe in May.

For more information about Vantage's travel programs, call 1-800-993-1593.

About Vantage Deluxe World Travel
Vantage Deluxe World Travel creates upscale, affordable travel programs for mature travelers. Escorted itineraries are unique to Vantage, providing complete packages - including airfare, many meals, and sightseeing. Founded in 1983 as a part of The Vantage Group, Inc., Vantage is a $200 million, diversified travel/direct marketing company that has escorted more than 400,000 travelers to global destinations. The company has headquarters in Boston, Mass, with subsidiary offices in Passau, Germany; Beijing, China; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Opatija, Croatia. For other press releases, visit the News Room on our website.

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Media Contact: Helen Knight, APR, King Knight Communications 813-254-4411; helen@kingknight.com