User talk:Traz123/deletedpage

Alcatraz Media, Inc. is an online destination travel agency with over 2,000 websites showcasing products from all over the world including tours, cruises, attraction tickets, and tickets to shows and concerts. Its network of sites accounts for more than 10,000 tours, activities, and attractions in over 400 destinations and 60 countries. It was conceived in San Francisco and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA with satellite locations across the US. Alcatraz Media is the world's largest provider of tours and activities welcoming over a million visitors per month. 

Company Background
Alcatraz Media was formed in 1999. The company began as an Internet company providing web hosting, email services, web design and development. The name “Alcatraz Media” was chosen because the founder’s home in Sausalito had a view of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz. “Alcatraz” Media (and its affiliates) sell tours, tickets, activities, attractions, entertainment, transportation, hotels, and travel services. Alcatraz Media is the largest provider of destination travel products in North America. The company has provided over 11,000 different tours and activities from over 2,000 suppliers.

Alcatraz Media offers tours and activities in over 250 cities in North America and over 65 countries around the world; it operates a large call center to serve its customers, and they have a network of over 2,000 web sites. Alcatraz Media serves hundreds of thousands of customers annually. In addition to providing travel services, Alcatraz also owns a ticket brokerage site, VIPTickets.us, a site offering tickets to concerts, shows, and sporting events.

Company Structure
Alcatraz Media is structured in a way similar to that of a travel agency. The company has a team of Charter Agents and Reservations Agents to meet both individual and group needs. The tours and activities on offer are selected by a staff of travel experts, concierges, travel agents, and local operators. They sell directly to consumers as well as through a network of agents and affiliates around the globe.

Future Expansion
There are plans to expand Alcatraz Media, Inc. and Reserve123 and to open offices in Las Vegas and Washington, DC in the near future. Recent company developments include a new gift card program, a travel blog site, and a Facebook fan page. Social media has become a major platform for the company's growth.

Niagara Falls Controversy
Alcatraz Media has been involved in a dispute over the Niagara Parks Commission’s 2009 decision to award a long-term lease of 25 years and New York State's decision to award a long-term license of 40 years (with an agreement entered into in 2002) to Maid of the Mist officials James V. Glynn and Christopher Glynn without going through the process of competitive open bidding. The company is fighting these decisions, which were made in secret, in order to allow other companies, including Alcatraz Media, a chance to participate in the bidding process in hopes of securing the $1.3 billion contracts to operate the Maid of the Mist boats.

The Government of Ontario has granted Alcatraz Media the right to bid, and Alcatraz Media is reported to be the high bidder at $100 million more than the current operator. Alcatraz Media is in a position to potentially secure the contract once the formal open bidding begins. The dispute, which started in 2005, could end with a final decision by Spring 2010.