March contrau times

Inspirational Travel 1

THE CON TRÂU TIMESIssue 3 - Mar 2011

2 Inspirational Travel

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1 Joining the Buffalo Family

2 Celebrating Woman’s Day and Birthday in Hanoi

3 Songkran Festival 13-15 Apr in Thailand, Laos -Cambodia

4 Brief on AGM Meeting

5 ITB update

6 Message from Orientation Week and Mai Chau trekking

7 Feedback on what our members of staff have been doing

8 Birthdays and Anniversaries

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong – Travel Agency Manager- BTA HanoiMs. Nguyen Tuyet Huong – Hanoi Operations ManagerMs. Trinh Thi Minh Hao – Online Sales ExecutiveMs. Tran Xuan Quynh – Admin cum ReceptionistMs. Nguyen To Tran – Travel Consultant BTA HCMMs. Ngo Truong Phuong Thao – Travel Consultant HCM

Ms. Michele Whealy– Inbound General ManagerMs. Hoang Chau Kim Anh – Admin cum Receptionist HCMMr. Jason Rolan – Country Manager BT LaosMs. Tran Binh Minh – Admin cum Receptionist

Welcome to the Buffalo Tours team!

Please join us in congratulating our new staff members on their positions at Buffalo Tours. We look forward to working with them in the future!

Thank you for your contributions to Buffalo Tours and we wish you success in the future!

Joining Buffalo tours Leaving Buffalo Tours

Inside This Issue

Tip of the month“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.”

Lee Iacocca


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Ms. THAo – TiCKeTiNg AgeNT BTA HCM CiTy “Ms Thao Ticketing Agent in BTA Saigon has been doing a lot of ef-

forts to help reorganize the Ticketing team since the departure of Ms Anh. She has been very pro-active and has given a great support to

all in spite of the lack of staff. Without her help, I am not sure how we would have overcome this hurdle. ”

MR. QuAN ANd soN LAKi – HCM CiTy guides“Mr. Quan and Mr. Laki (Guides in Saigon) have done an amazing job

with our 2 school trips in Mai Chau and Cat Ba, in spite of an awful weather and in spite of the scare following the tsunami in Japan

(parents calling all the time about the acid rain SMS spam). Both have been highly and equally commended by the teachers and by the

students.“

STAFF OF THE MONTH – MAR 2011


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International Women’s Day and Staff Birthday celebrations at the Hanoi OfficeThis month we combined our monthly Staff Birthday party with International Women’s Day celebrations. We had a great time with a speech from Mr. Kien

(CEO) and present giving. Such a lovely way to spend Women’s Day!

CELEBRATIONS IN HANOI AND SAIGONSTAFF BIRTHDAYS AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY


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iNTeRNATioNAL WoMeN’s dAy CeLeBRATioNs AT THe sAigoN offiCeI started off the day wonderfully by receiving with a lovely greetings card, followed by a gorgeous flower bouquet and a then having a tasty pizza lunch. The most exciting part of the day was defi-antly that everything was arranged by Saigons “Hot Men”!

The “Hot Men” here were really cool and caring to have around the office! From preparing lunch and serving drinks to cleaning up afterwards (not everything though, we also helped!) they made all of us ladies really felt great and we all enjoyed the day!


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& Reservation Team Leader in BT CambodiaIntroduction – New Sale

For the past 2 years, Mr. Khim Ty (David) has been working in the sales & reserva-tions department at the Buffalo Tours Cambodia Office. His contribution of excellent product knowledge, customer services, communication & problem solv-ing skills, great attitude and hard work has been a key part of the companies’ success & growth. Therefore we would like to pro-mote Mr. Khim Ty to be the Sale & Reserva-tion Team Leader. We believe that Mr. Khim Ty will continue doing his very best in his new role, therefore, he is looking forward to working together with all of you and he is more than happy to support you in every need from a sales & reservations side.

Again, congratulations to Mr. Khim Ty for his new position as the Sale & Reservation Team Leader.


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& Reservation Team Leader in BT CambodiaSongkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. It is one of the most important Thai festivals. At this time, people from the rural areas who are work-ing in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival with family and friends.

Songkran is a Thai word which means “move” or “change place” as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. It is also known as the “Water Festival” as people believe that water will wash away bad luck. “Out with the Old; In with the New” is what it’s all about.

Most of the foreigners understandably see it only as a “throw-ing water festival” as they enjoy participating in the fun and joy at the main tourist places like, Khao San Road and Silom Road in Bangkok, Chiang Mai centre and Phuket (the main destinations for tourists to celebrate Songkran).

Foreigner visitors love to put on shorts, pack their wallets in plastic, and join the Thai people in the streets getting soaked, joy-fully throwing water on each other! Besides the celebrations and water throwing activities at tourist hot spots mentioned above, “The gentle side of Songkran is little known to foreigners. Invis-ible common spiritual threads connect all corners of Thailand and the Thai people with regard to the origins & traditional practice of Songkran.”

By: Mr. Hayo Massop - BT Thailand, Fox Area Manager

SONGkRAN FESTIvAL 13-15 ApRSONGkRAN FESTIvAL 13-15 ApRIN THAILAND, LAOS -CAMBODIA


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By Mr. Ray Petts – GM Buffalo Tours Australia and NZ

BRIEF ON AGM MEETINGThis year the 2011 AGM was focused on

the theme ‘Develop Efficiency’. In order for Buffalo Tours to be able to ‘Develop

Efficiency’ our strategy was to understand which areas are currently the least effective. To do this all Managers from all worldwide offices were requested to seek feedback from their staff to identify up to 5 key areas or processes that affects how productive they were on a daily basis. The information collected from the staff formed the main key outcomes of the 2011 AGM agenda. So even though not all staff were able to attend the meeting our process has ensured that ev-eryone had an opportunity to have their say, add their input and contribute to the way the company moves forward in 2011.

During the AGM meeting 5 teams were created consisting of staff from all different countries and departed to brainstorm the ideas and select their top three most rel-evant or practical ideas relevant to the spe-cific outcome. At the end of the day these

ideas were collated and new committees have been formed to create a work plan for the coming 6 -12 months which prioritises the tasks that will be completed first based on the company’s KPI’s.

There will then be a discussion between the management committee members and the department manager agreeing on a specifc work plan, how the changes will be implemented, by whom and when plus identifying measures to monitor and ensure effectiveness of the change.

The main management committee consists of myself, Kenneth, Pascale, Bach, Tuong and Panya. Two sub committees have also been formed to manage the implementation of IS09001 accreditation program and another team based on improving and communicat-ing the latest updates with BRS.


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ITB upDATE

The Buffalo Tours booth was just across from our Thien Minh colleagues from Victoria, leading to collegial talks and acquaintances in a good atmo-sphere.

First evening a nice event with World Insight was a success. Trung missing rice a bit on the second day and had a solid go at Asian cuisine together with peers in the evening. Standing out was the last meal we did together on the Saturday was a true foodie highlight. Trung mentioned early on, that we should try out the Eisbei, a real Berliner specialty. We had this well served in a quite local and tradi-tional restaurant, huge portions of the either grilled or boiled pork leg/knuckle and we were happy.

All in all we had busy and constructive days in Ber-lin and hopefully can follow up well regarding new business and maintain existing business for BT. It was noted by a number of persons visiting, that the ITB felt a bit more quite than previous years, maybe to be related to the ongoing developments in parts of the world as well as changed behavior from exhibitors and buyers. Not all exhibitors were ready to commit long term regarding rates as in the past, were ITB was the indicator of next year’s rates, while some Travel Operators in Europe were focusing more on day to day business as recovering well at the moment from last years of financial challenges in the market, hence attending with less buyers etc, though the overall statistics for the ITB was at level and slightly better than last year.

We are now both back from Europe and many experiences richer.

By Mr. Tran Nam Trung & Mr.Kenneth Joergensen

The average image of one of the leading event in the tourism industry will for many be cold European weather, Promoting business, social-

izing with peers in the Industry and old/new business partners. The frame for all this is Berlin in early March with Lots of people from all over the world gathered for the ITB. 9-11 March were professional days, while 12-13 March were open to public visitors. ITB is facilitated at Messe Berlin, a huge exhibition complex consisting of 26 fair halls located around an open garden. The indoor area is 160.000 m2, which equals a little more than 22 soccer fields. The garden in the centre is 10.000 m2, though a bit to cold really to put in good use in March:-)

Statistics for this year’s ITB: 170.000 visitors during the fair, whereof 60.000 public visitors during Saturday and Sunday. 11.163 exhibiting companies from 188 coun-tries witness a grand event.

Trung and I participated as exhibitors at our joint booth with Life Resorts. Flying in by different rout-ing Trang arrived late afternoon on 08th March and went straight to fair to make sure we were well set up regarding the booth. Later in the evening we met up to talk over the program and appointments with poten-tial new business partners as well old acquaintances. Personally I had to really refresh my otherwise rusty German languages skills (still far from previous level), while Trung were going strong.

Rushing out of the hotel early morning we arrived well prepared for the trade fair. We experienced a little slow start, though this also was a good start and soon picked up on the busy schedule. Over the days we met up with partners like FOX from Holland, Travelsphere from UK and a long list of German operators. We did talk with a number of old friends, business partners and contacts enabling us to meet up with as many potential partners as possible. A long number of ap-pointments with lots of interaction made a solid list of follow up which is right now ongoing. Diamir joined our booth on the public days. This was a good experi-ence and good to meet the product mangers and staff from Diamir as well getting firsthand knowledge of the requirements from German guests. Quite some good direct bookings generated during the Saturday and even more by Trung on Sunday.


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MAI CHAu TREk FOR

NEW STAFF MEMBERS

It was on a rainy weekend of March when we had a trekking tour to Mai Chau. We’d been told that it was one of our best-selling products, and it would be a good tour for us

newcomers to experience. Originally, it is a 3-day trip how-ever we took was a shorter 2 -day trip.

Arriving at 94 Ma May at 8 AM, we waited for another mem-ber of the group to arrive, whilst there we met our guide – Mr. Dan and our driver – Mr. Linh.

The atmosphere was relaxed as we all introduced ourselves to the group. The conversation flowed and we spoke about our families, hobbies and about our trips in Vietnam. After a 4 hour drive, we reached Lac Village. Ms. Mai- the host of home-stay No. 6 welcomed us and fed us with a meal of stir-fried chicken with young bamboo, vegetable and green bean that she had prepared for us.

In the afternoon, we were transferred to Sa Linh for our first trek. The distance is not extremely far however the ladies of the group soon got tired and we took stops to look at the scenery and rest. Along the way we passed villages, peach

gardens in blossom and other stunning sights. It was really fantastic. Being in the fresh air was so refreshing and the smells of grass and wood around us just added to the sceneries beauty.

Arriving at the home stay in Hang Kia, we freshened up, playing in the garden where we took pictures or the beautiful flowers, vegetables and surrounding scenes. Our dinner was delicious and the laughter and jokes were quickly going between us all!

The next morning, we woke up early, walked around the surrounding area and had breakfast. After eating, we said goodbye to the host, and went to visit Hang Kia School, Hang Kia hospital and some other homestays in the village.

Leaving here we headed for the real adventure through the forest. The trek was around 6 – 7 hours long and was 16 km. As it had rained the previous day, some of the road was slippery and some of us fell into the mud! We trekked through valleys, forests, over streams and past mountains! The scenery was stunning.


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One thing that I did see that was upsetting was an area of the forest where all the trees had been cut down. I was told that this area was originally forest and under conservation. However, it was clear to see that people had been cutting the trees for some time and there seemed to be no signal of being stopped by the authorities.

As we reached a main road the bus was waiting and transferred us to a Thai house to have lunch. Lucky for us we arrived on the wedding day of the oldest daughter in the house. The hosts invited us in for drinks and food. The food was so diverse and delicious; it was a won-derful way to end our trek. Everyone was so tired that after having lunch, we all ended up having a nap!

The return to Hanoi was a quiet one with everyone so tired that most of us slept the whole way! I had such a great time with all the new col-leagues, and it was brilliant to experience one of the company’s best products. I do hope that we will have more chances to join other trips to other destinations with Buffalo Tours!

Thank you for the training course!

By Ms. Thanh Hai BT Hanoi -UK Agent Sales Executive


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dear Buffalo Tours,

This is just a note of thanks on our recent visits to Laos and Cambodia. This is our second time with Buffalo Tours. Our first was two years ago in Vietnam where we enjoyed our tour im-mensely.

This time was the same!!! Everything and every person with Buffalo Tours did an outstanding job. Ms Houng in Laos worked with my wife to put this itinerary together and was very accommodating and helpful. Her quick response and input was greatly appreciated.

Mr. San, our guide in Laos, was with us for 8-9 days. His knowl-edge of the country, his eagerness to share the culture, and his insight into specific areas was apparent and added a lot to the tour. He has such a great personality, willingness to help when needed, great English and very educated on various topics. His great sense of humor was also appreciated.

Mr. Vutthas, our guide in Cambodia, was with us for 8-9 days. He was also an exceptional guide and person to be with. His knowledgeable approach to each part of Cambodia was impressive and very helpful. He couldn’t do enough for us as we traveled through the country. Vutthas’ English was not only very good, but he was very keen on constantly learning more and bettering his proficiency. It was apparent that he loves being a tour guide with Buffalo Tours. He loves to study different subjects regarding the areas and topics in Cambodia. Hence, we gained a lot from our time together.

Since we were on a private tour in each country it made our time with Buffalo Tours even more worthwhile and enjoyable being with two of your outstanding people. I would definitely recommend that you use them both as often as possible. They were great ambassadors for your company.

We are interested in a trip to Myanmar in the future. Please contact us if Buffalo Tours decides to add this to the pos-sible itineraries. Thanks for a wonderful trip filled with many memories that we will share with others. And thanks for providing us with two exceptional guides that made our trip very successful. All the Best,Wayne and Susan Andrew

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Nguyen Thi Thu TrangNguyen Hoang HaiTran Lan Anh Pankaj PradhanPanya ThinTania KoestenPham Khanh LyNguyen Thi My LeNguyen Thi Le HangLe Ngoc LinhPham Van TrangNguyen Thi Xoanittipol PuttiasiriLe dinh ChienLe Thi Thuy

22 Mar 21 Mar26 Mar28 Mar2 April 3 April5 April10 April12 April14 April18 April21April27 April30 April29 April

Operation ExecutiveGroup Reservation ExecutiveSales Executive- BT UKManager – Center of Excellence Country Manager - BT CambodiaManager - BTA HongkongOnline Sale ExecutiveTravel Consultant - BTA SaiGonGroup Reservation - Team leaderIT Support – Cholon ToursAgent sale Executive – UK TeamOperation Executive Senior Sale- BT ThailandProject Team Group Reservation Executive

Birthdays:

Anniversaries:doan Thu Hien – Accountant – Completing 3 years of serviceNguyễn Tuấn Đat- IT Supporter – Completing 3 years of servicePhùng Thu Hương– GR executive - BT Laos- Completing 7 years of serviceLê Thị Thúy- Group Reservation Executive – Completing 7 years of serviceHà Thị Thảo - Group Reservation Executive – Completing 4 years of serviceNguyễn Thu Hương- Online Sales Executive – Completing 4 years of serviceLỗ Thị Việt Hà- BTA Hanoi- Completing 4 years of serviceBùi Anh Việt- Delivery– Completing 7 year of serviceĐặng Hồng Hải- Diver- Completing 3 year of serviceTrần Đình Hường - Diver - Completing 1 year of serviceLapasrada Janma- PA & HR , Admin (BT Thailand) - Completing 1 year of service]Rosalie Berghuis- Pattya Office Reservation Executive (BT ThaiLand) - Completing 1 year of serviceHayo Massop- FOX Area Manager (BT Thailand) - Completing 1 year of servicesucheera sasisuriyabhoom-FOX Reservation Executive (BT Thailand)- Completing 1 year of serviceMattie scholts- Operation Manager Assistant (BT Thailand)- Completing 1 year of service

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Congratulation Mr. Bui Anh Tuan our IT Team leader! His baby was born on 8 March and weight 3,3kg. Her name is Bui Phuong Linh

and her lovely nickname is Bong.

Documents

March contrau times