Whom should I contact? For all media and public relations inquiries, please contact Margot Kong at: Imperial Tours 3172 Sacramento Street San Francisco, CA 94155 Ph: 888-888-1970 Fax: 800-380-6576 margot@imperialtours.net May I use photos from your website? Our photos may be used by the print and television media for stories mentioning Imperial Tours. Please contact Guy Rubin (guy@imperialtours.net) for permission and high resolution photos from our website. Indicate which photos are of interest to you. What is your average client’s profile? Imperial Tours’ guests are typically well-traveled, affluent, and sophisticated. They generally hail from North and South America, Western Europe, South Africa or Australia. Do you run tours in languages other than English? All of our set-departure group tours are offered only in English. However, we are able to offer private tours in the following languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Danish, Romansch, Swedish, Korean, and Mandarin. What are your travel industry affiliations? Imperial Tours is a China on-site within Virtuoso and a preferred supplier of Signature Travel Network. We are also members of the Travel Funds Protection Program through National City Bank. What awards have you won? Imperial Tours has been recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine as an “A-List” China specialist for the past 6 consecutive years. What destinations do you offer? We offer services to Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou, Dunhuang, Huangshan, Lhasa, Chengdu, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Hong Kong, and the Yangzi River. Please visit this page of our website for descriptions of each of these destinations: http://www.imperialtours.net/destination_main.htm. Why do your group tours not include the Yangzi River cruise? Imperial Tours is not a proponent of the Yangzi cruise. Though we will book it and we use the best boats on the river, the Yangzi is very touristy, crowded and polluted. Quite frankly, we don’t feel that the sights along the Yangzi are as spectacular as those found in Guilin, Huangshan, Lhasa, Lijiang or Shangri-La. Why use Imperial Tours over other luxury tour operators? Our name has become synonymous with top-end luxury touring in China. Imperial Tours specializes in only luxury and only China, so we really know of what we speak. Our company was founded and is run by Westerners who have lived in China for a decade. This ensures that our clients only receive the best of the best in terms of service, accommodations, food, shopping and private access to sights and expert lecturers. Why do you use local guides AND a China Host on every tour, even private tours? While touring, the Host acts like a traveling concierge and makes certain that you have everything you need (sometimes even before you are aware that you need it!). Additionally, there are so many things that can go wrong in China and unless there is someone from Imperial Tours accompanying your party, there is no other way for us to ensure that you are receiving the utmost in quality and service at every turn. When was the company started and by whom? The company was founded in 1999 by Nancy Kim and Guy Rubin. Guy was born in Jerusalem, Israel and raised in Manchester, England. Nancy was born and raised in the United States. The two met studying Chinese in Beijing in 199X. Fascinated by China’s rich culture and extensive history, they wanted to share their experiences with others. They quickly realized that there was no tour company in China that effectively blends luxury travel with an insider’s knowledge of the Middle Kingdom. Guy and Nancy started Imperial Tours to change this. What are Guy Rubin and Nancy Kim’s roles within the company? Guy is responsible for general management and Nancy is in charge of quality assurance and operations. Each hotel and restaurant is personally tested by Guy and Nancy before it is deemed suitable for inclusion into any group or private Imperial Tour. Every China Host is hand-picked by Guy and Nancy and goes through a rigorous interview process, ensuring that each meets Imperial Tours’ highest standards. What are Imperial Tours’ social contributions? Our company’s corporate social action focuses on the welfare of Children through two separate programs. 1) We take an active roll in annual fundraising for the Special Olympics China. We also support the Special Olympics-affiliated Best Buddies Program. 2) In 2003, we launched an Education Program for Underprivileged Children. For more information about these two programs, please visit http://www.imperialtours.net/social_contribution.htm .