Reacting to the growing trend of last-minute bookings and current tough economic times, Ritz Tours understands and appreciates that travelers have tightened their vacation budgets. To help travelers protect their vacation investment and offer increased savings, the tour company is now offering free Travel Protection Insurance on every international escorted tour series program to Asia and Europe that is paid in full for departures June 22 - Dec. 31, 2009.

Previously, Ritz Tours offered Travel Protection Insurance at no additional cost to travelers who confirmed reservations and made their final payment at least 60 days prior to the departure. This new initiative extends coverage to clients who book inside of 60 days prior to departure, provided the reservations are paid in full.

"The health and well-being of our clients is always our top priority and we recognize that unforeseen circumstances sometimes require consumers to either cancel or interrupt their vacations," notes Evan Chan, managing director of Ritz Tours. Chan continued, "we have instituted complimentary travel insurance to all travelers to offer both peace-of-mind and protection of their vacation investment."

Ritz Tour's Travel Protection Insurance is offered in cooperation with the Travel Guard "P3 Travel Insurance" and features protection with trip interruption, travel delay, baggage delay, loss of baggage and/or documents, medical expenses, emergency medical transportation, dismemberment and accidental death.

Offering a strong focus on customer service, the Ritz Tours headquarters has working hours Monday - Friday from 8 am - 6 pm (Pacific Standard Time) with the full-service New York City office handling all incoming calls from 9 am - 5:30 pm (Eastern Standard Time).

Offering additional vacation protection,Ritz Tours is featuring guaranteed departures on several of its tour packages to Asia with as few as two travelers. Travelers can pack their bags with confidence and enthusiasm knowing their dream vacation will not be cancelled or postponed due to minimum passenger restrictions.

Renowned for offering the "best quality tours at the most affordable prices" with specially-designed, distinctive travel itineraries, Ritz Tours currently offers more than 20 Premiere, Deluxe and Asia Series tours and six deluxe programs for Europe.

Every Ritz Tours vacation experience ensures travelers of the following:  Reliability (for providing enjoyable and memorable trips), Integrity (a commitment to package pricing at the very best available rates), Trustworthiness (building on its long-standing reputation for excellence), and Zeal (enthusiasm in maintaining the highest level of customer service).