WHAT: More than 42 percent of U.S. Olympic athletes admit they have inadvertently committed a cultural faux pas while traveling abroad. With this in mind, the hospitality gurus at Hilton Hotels Corporation are teaming with acclaimed international protocol expert Roger Axtell and TV international news correspondent Gideon Yago to educate U.S. Olympians on Chinese customs, culture and etiquette in preparation for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games. Designed to promote cultural understanding and hospitable behavior among Team USA and general travelers alike, The Hilton Family "be hospitable Traveler Program" will equip both athletes and business and leisure travelers with helpful hospitable tidbits via an interactive tool launching May 13 in conjunction with a live hospitality training session in Colorado Springs.
WHERE: U.S. Olympic hopefuls will convene at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, May 13 to learn valuable insights on international travel etiquette as they prepare to represent the U.S. at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. **Media are invited to attend and cover the hospitality training. One-on-one in-person interviews with athletes and spokespeople are available upon request.
United States Olympic Training Center
1 Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 1 ? 2 p.m. (Media check-in begins at 12:30 pm)
WHO: Two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist and four-time taekwondo world champion Steven Lopez will be available to speak with media and offer the athletes' perspective on the hospitality training program and provide examples of his own past travel gaffes which he hopes to avoid in Beijing. Also on hand to discuss their key cultural take-aways are Lopez' siblings Diana and Mark, who recently qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team (Taekwondo) marking the first time since 1904 that three siblings will compete on the same Olympic team.
In addition, travel etiquette expert Roger Axtell and TV International News Correspondent Gideon Yago will be available to speak to media. Axtell's best-selling book series Dos and Taboos Around the World has helped hundreds of thousands of travelers navigate unintentional insults and breaches of etiquette in international settings. Axtell will address the importance of international travel preparation and provide facts, tips and cautionary tales to help U.S. Olympians and general travelers avoid common travel-related missteps and misunderstandings. Yago will share his own international travel experiences and cultural insights, reinforcing the need for cultural sensitivity and understanding.
VISUALS: U.S. Olympic hopefuls interacting with Yago and Axtell, learning international travel etiquette tips to prepare for Beijing. To schedule one-on-one media interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Katie Wittenburg (310) 651-4447
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