Flight Centre Launches Accessible Travel Division with Canadian...

Flight Centre Launches Accessible Travel Division with Canadian Paralympic Committee partnership
Flight Centre to have dedicated accessible travel specialists and shops

VANCOUVER, March 25 /CNW Telbec/ - Travel retailer Flight Centre is
pleased to announce it has entered into an exclusive partnership with the
Canadian Paralympic Committee, demonstrating its commitment to making travel
accessible to everyone. The announcement was made March 24th at the Sport BC
Athlete of the Year Awards where Flight Centre sponsored the 'Athlete with a
Disability' category.
As Official Travel Partner to the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Flight
Centre will make all travel arrangements for the Canadian Paralympic Team
through to the 2012 Paralympic games in London. This will include all travel
for Paralympic Team Canada and mission staff, as well as athletes, friends and
family to the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
As part of the agreement, Flight Centre will donate a portion of every
consumer travel dollar spent with the Flight Centre Accessible Travel division
to the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
"The Canadian Paralympic Committee is working to develop the strongest
and best-prepared Canadian team for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games," said
Carla Qualtrough, President, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "Smooth travel
will be critical to athlete preparation, and we are very pleased to have
Flight Centre, a recognized world leader in travel planning, to support us."
"We are extremely proud to be leading the travel industry in an area
which has largely been overlooked and we are truly honoured to have the
Canadian Paralympic Committee as our first client." said Flight Centre
President Greg Dixon.
"Visiting different countries and experiencing new cultures is one of the
added benefits of being a Canadian athlete," said Michelle Stilwell,
Paralympian and winner of 2009 Sport BC Athlete with a Disability award. "When
possible people should take the opportunity to travel and explore the world."
Flight Centre has retained an industry-recognized accessible travel
specialist as consultant to assist it to develop and refine the company's
offering in terms of specialized product, storefront accessibility, training
as to client needs and recruitment. The travel retailer has compiled three
Accessible Travel teams in Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto.
"Flight Centre is working with partners to establish expert travel advice
to travelers with a physical disability, including seniors, wheelchair users
and persons who are visually impaired. We will be relying on the advice of a
number of organizations to ensure that we are continually improving the
company's offering." said Dixon.