Traveler Alert: Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates Advising Customers Traveling By Air Or Cruise To Apply Now For Passports

Many Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates Actively Assisting with Application Process

(Monday, July 10, 2006) - With less than six months left before the United States formally requires valid passports for all international air and cruise travel—including to and from Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Panama and points in the Caribbean—nearly all (99%) Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates are already actively encouraging their customers without valid passports to apply for them now, according to the results of a poll released today. In a second poll question, 55% of the surveyed Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates indicated that less than half of their customers who typically cruise in areas impacted by the new federal law currently hold valid passports.

"We have one simple message: Apply now or risk being left at home!" explained Roger E. Block, CTC, executive vice president of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Associate Division. Block elaborated, "Clearly, with the majority of our travel professionals telling us that a high number of consumers are without passports, we're doing everything we can to alert customers that the clock is ticking toward the rapidly approaching deadline. The last thing we want is for anyone planning the vacation of a lifetime to learn upon departure that they can't go due to lack of necessary travel documentation."

On December 31, 2006, federal law will require all individuals, regardless of national origin, to possess valid passports if traveling internationally by air or sea, including to and from destinations where drivers' licenses and birth certificates had previously been sufficient. Those destinations include Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Panama and the Caribbean. Passports will be required for all forms of international travel, including over land, beginning on December 31, 2007.

"The United States government anticipates that some 27 million people will ultimately need documentation, and we know from our polling that the majority of their cruise customers will as well," explained Block.

"Passport demand has nearly doubled over the past three years from 7 million applicants to nearly 13 million expected this year," Block noted. "With all that added demand, consumers who anticipate traveling internationally by air or cruise are strongly advised to apply now, rather than jeopardizing their right to travel by waiting until the last minute. As recently as 1996, only 31 million Americans possessed valid passports. That has increased to more than 69 million now, or 26% of all Americans," Block added.

"We have been advised by the U.S. State Department's Passport Services Office that the three primary drivers for the staggered dates for passport requirements—air and sea travel only at the end of this year vs. all travel at the end of next year—include: operational, security and the need to spread out the work load," Block said. "Since the majority of our customer base flies or cruises to their destinations, it's imperative that we encourage our customers to apply for their required documentation now."

In the first of two polls—conducted June 23-29, 2006—173 Carlson Wagonlit Travel experts throughout the United States were asked, "What percentage of your cruise customers currently hold passports?" Thirteen percent of the respondents indicated that between 75 and 99% of their customers had passports; 32% said between 50 and 74% of their customers held passports; 44% said that between 25 and 49% of their customers had passports; and 11% said between 1 and 24% of their customers had passports.

In the subsequent poll conducted June 29-July 6, 2006, 174 Carlson Wagonlit Travel experts in the U.S. were asked whether they were currently advising their customers without passports to apply for them now. More than 99% of the respondents answered affirmatively, with 23% overall saying that they were personally assisting customers with the actual application process, while another 3% indicated that they were doing so on a "case-by-case" basis. Of the remaining poll participants (1%) who said they were not advising their customers to apply now, all said that they would recommend applying closer to the deadline.

For information on passport applications, visit the State Department's Web site at www.travel.state.gov or contact the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate nearest you by calling 1.800.CARLSON or visiting www.carlsontravel.com.


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Carlson Travel Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies, Inc. Brands include: Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, SeaMaster Cruises, Carlson Leisure Travel Services and Carlson Destination Marketing Services. In 2006, for the tenth consecutive year, a Carlson Travel Franchise Group brand was named the top travel business franchise by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500®; Franchise Times ranked the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program as the 3rd top franchise overall in 2005 for the fifth year in a row.

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