Major Marine Tours & Harbor 360 Hotel
Vermont Tourism Network
Meet the Members
PRESENTED BY
Major Marine Tours & Harbor 360 Hotel
SEWARD AND WHITTIER , ALASKA
NTA contact : Lindsey Middendorf , director of sales and marketing
Office Phone : + 1.907.274.7300 Website : majormarine . com NTA member since : 1997
How do your boat tours provide a unique way to see Alaska ? There ’ s no experience quite like seeing a humpback whale breaching or watching a huge chunk of ice break off a tidewater glacier and crash into the water . These incredible sights are best seen on the water on a cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park or Prince William Sound , and our tours provide customers with an exciting , comfortable and educational Alaska experience . Another truly unique experience : enjoying one of our signature glacier margaritas in front of a glacier !
What is your most requested tour ? Our 6-Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise is our most popular cruise , providing great opportunities for wildlife viewing of whales , Steller sea lion colonies and bird rookeries . This cruise spends time in front of Holgate Glacier , an actively calving tidewater glacier , and it also features National Park Ranger narration and our famous Alaska salmon and prime rib buffet , freshly prepared onboard and served during the cruise .
Anything new coming up you want tour operators to know about ? For the 2017 season we started a new orca-focused cruise , the Orca Quest Cruise , which departs from Seward during the prime time for orca whale watching .
What is your favorite vacation memory ? It ’ s hard to beat mountain adventures in Alaska , especially staying at the Sheldon Mountain House on the Ruth Glacier on Denali . The coolest trip that I ’ ve ever
done outside of Alaska was a 10-day hiking trip on a trail called the Haute Route , which travels 130 miles from Chamonix , France , to Zermatt , Switzerland .
What is the most interesting thing you ’ ve ever eaten ? Grilled octopus leg from a street vendor in Thailand .
For more information , contact Middendorf at lindsey @ majormarine . com .
Vermont Tourism Network
MONTPELIER , VERMONT
NTA contact : Karen Ballard , program manager
Office Phone : + 1.802.262.2129 Website : vermonttourismnetwork . com NTA member since : 1984
What do you enjoy most about working for the Vermont Tourism Network ? I love Vermont , and I love the people . There ’ s a passion here at every destination , and it ’ s something I ’ m proud to showcase . I know that when a group visits Vermont , no matter where , they will have an amazing experience , and that ’ s a good thing .
What are some of the things travelers experience when they visit Vermont ? With a population of just over 600,000 , Vermont retains that small-town quality that people seek when escaping the noise in today ’ s world . That doesn ’ t mean it ’ s a sleepy place to visit , however ! We have many great attractions statewide , including 20 alpine ski resorts , most with four-season experiences . We are known for farm-to-table , artisan food and cheese , and our craft brewing industry sets the standard . And we are known for our people , our passion and our authenticity . A tour group could visit every year and see something new every time .
How does working with your organization benefit a tour operator ? Vermont Tourism Network is a onestop resource for tour operators , and it includes excellent receptive operators and charter companies , along with partners statewide who provide all of the components to plan a tour . I am also a resource for them and can help to fill in a blank spot on the itinerary or refer and advise great options to make their tours memorable .
Are you a beach girl , a mountain girl or a big-city girl ? I am a mountain girl . Only a mountain girl would end up in Vermont via Colorado after living in Florida for 30 years . I need to be in the mountains , not just travel to them to visit .
What ’ s your favorite movie or TV show ? “ Mad Men ,” and I ’ m so sad it ended .
For more information , contact Ballard at kballard @ vtchamber . com .
50 July 2017