CHICAGO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) has partnered with award-winning travel journalist/producer Richard Bangs on his "Quest Series," a new program for public television that will take viewers to geographic and cultural wonders of the seven continents and also provide consumers visiting Orbitz.com with a rich library of adventure travel content that Bangs will produce exclusively for Orbitz.com.
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"South America: Quest for Wonder" is scheduled to air this October on public television as the first installment of the "Quest Series." Bangs recently returned from a four-week production trip to South America, where he and his team flew on LAN Airlines and its affiliate carriers on a journey to capture breathtaking footage of South America's iconic destinations including Easter Island, the Iguacu Falls, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Postproduction and editing are now underway to produce an episode that will give public television viewers and Orbitz.com visitors an opportunity to be inspired by these world famous destinations.
"The locations we will explore on 'South America: Quest for Wonder' possess untold beauty, history and majesty," said Richard Bangs, producer of the "Quest Series." "From the staggering landscapes of Machu Picchu and the Iguacu Falls to the mystery of Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands' secrets of creation, we want 'South America: Quest for Wonder' to stimulate audiences with captivating stories and stunning visuals, ultimately inspiring viewers to explore these amazing destinations for themselves."
Destinations featured on 'South America: Quest for Wonder':
- Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is famous for its 887 iconic moai statues, each of which required a team of five or six men working together for approximately one year to complete. Rapa Nui is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and is believed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world.
- The Iguacu Falls are a collection of majestic waterfalls on the Iguacu River, which forms the boundary of Brazil and Argentina. Spanning approximately 1.7 miles with a total of 275 separate falls, the tallest waterfall boasts a 269-foot drop.
- Machu Picchu, a 15th century Inca site located in the Cusco region of Peru, was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti. Sometimes referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu is world-renowned for its stunning mountaintop setting and culturally significant ruins.
- The Galapagos Islands are located off the coast of Ecuador and harbor a unique ecosystem that includes giant tortoises, sea lions, land and sea iguanas, fur seals, and many species of birds. Formed by volcanoes over 2 million years ago, this collection of 50 islands was made famous after Charles Darwin's 1859 publication of his book, "On the Origin of Species."
"Richard Bangs sets the standard in adventure travel just like LAN Airlines and its affiliate carriers set the standard for air service in South America with the most extensive network of destinations in the region," said Pablo Chiozza, vice president, LAN Airlines North America and the Caribbean. "South America offers endless opportunities for a wide array of tastes, and we want to direct travelers' attention to experiences that can be found only in South America."
In conjunction with the 60-minute episodes scheduled to air on public television, Orbitz.com will develop a dedicated microsite associated with each of the "Quest Series" episodes featuring trip planning information and recommendations about the destinations highlighted by Richard Bangs, designed to help viewers inspired by the programs to visit the destinations for themselves.
"This new partnership between Orbitz Worldwide and Richard Bangs breaks new ground in the integration of television and the web. Television is the ultimate tool for inspiring people to explore the world, and who better to lead viewers around the world's most exciting destinations than Richard Bangs, the father of modern day adventure travel," said Barney Harford, CEO of Orbitz Worldwide. "The partnership between Richard Bangs and Orbitz Worldwidewill offer an unprecedented level of integration between inspiration and trip planning. Dedicated landing pages and resources will make it easy for viewers to plan trips to the destinations featured on each episode of the 'Quest Series.'"
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz, CheapTickets, ebookers, HotelClub, RatesToGo, and the Away Network. Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world's largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations. Orbitz Worldwide uses its Investor Relations website to make information available to its investors and the public at http://investors.orbitz.com. You can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the company posts new information to the website.
About LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines is one of the leading passenger and cargo airlines in Latin America. The Company and its affiliates serve over 100 destinations around the world through an extensive network that offers full connectivity within Latin America, while also linking the region with North America, Europe and the South Pacific, as well as 70 additional international destinations through its various code share agreements. LAN Airlines and its affiliates have a leading position in their respective domestic markets of Chile and Peru as well as an important presence in the Argentinean, Ecuadorian and Colombian domestic markets.
Currently, LAN Airlines and its affiliates operate 131 passenger aircraft while LAN Cargo and its respective affiliates have a fleet of 14 dedicated freighters. The Company has one of the youngest fleets in the world, which has meant greater efficiency and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, reflecting its strong commitment to the protection of the environment.
LAN is one of the few Investment Grade airlines in the world (BBB). The company's world-class quality standards enabled its membership in oneworld', an alliance of leading global airlines of which LAN has been a member for 10 years. For more information please visit www.lan.com or www.oneworldalliance.com
About Richard Bangs
Richard Bangs is an award-winning travel journalist and producer who has published over 1,000 magazine articles and 19 books, produced a score of documentaries and lectured at the Smithsonian, the National Geographic Society and The Explorers Club among other notable venues. Most recently Richard produced and hosted the public television series Richard Bangs' Adventures With Purpose, co-directed the IMAX film Mystery of the Nile and co-authored the Putnam book of the same name. His recent book, The Lost River: A Memoir of Life, Death and the Transformation of Wild Water, won the National Outdoor Book Award in the literature category and the Lowell Thomas Award for best book. Over the course of his 30 years' experience as an explorer and communicator, Richard led first descents of 35 rivers around the globe, including the Yangtze in China and the Zambezi in Southern Africa. In between adventures, Richard serves on a number of technology, travel and environmental boards. www.richardbangs.com
SOURCE Orbitz Worldwide
