HIGH
ROLLERS: The Monaco Government Tourist Office will host
five free seminars in September to update Northeast travel agents
on the latest and greatest in the tiny Mediterranean principality.
Participants will get information on discount packages to Monaco,
meet with sales representatives from top hotels and will learn
about sales tools such as the new Travel Agents Sales Guide CD-ROM.
The one-hour, 45-minute seminars will be held in Boston on Sept. 20
at 7:30 a.m., at the Fairmont Copley Plaza; in Rye Brook, N.Y., on
Sept. 21 at the Hilton Rye Town at 7:30 a.m.; in New York on Sept.
21 at 5:30 p.m. and again on Sept. 22 at 7:30 a.m., both at the
Monaco Government Tourist Office; and in Philadelphia on Sept. 23
at 7:30 a.m., at the Park Hyatt. Reservations are required.
Register online at www.visitmonaco.com/seminar or call (800) 753-9696, ext. 303.
YOU GO YUGO:
Rail Europe Group's EuroGroups division introduced a
new eight-night tour of Slovenia and Croatia starting at $1,269 per
person, for groups of 40 or more. Rates include roundtrip air from
New York; first-class hotel, hotel taxes and services charges; 14
meals; services of a tour director; arrival and departure
transfers; luggage handling; and entrance fees. Spots visited
include Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb in Croatia, and Ljubljana, Lake
Bled and Plitvice in Slovenia. For more, visit www.eurogroups.com or
call (800) 462-2577.
SURFING FOR
CRUISING: Norwegian Coastal Voyage (NCV) added a
travel-agent locator, along with online brochures and videos, to
its consumer Web site at www.norwegiancoastalvoyage.us. Web surfers who click on the "Agent Referral" button at
the top of the home page can select a U.S. region from a map and
then access a scrollable list of NCV's Elite travel agent partners
in the area chosen. Agency name, address, e-mail address and
telephone numbers are provided.
CZECH IT OUT:
CSA Czech Airlines said it will likely grow its North American
presence following a profitable 2004 and first-half of 2005.
Although details were not available at press time, the Prague-based
carrier already has added an extra flight to Newark, N.J., along
with service within Eastern Europe to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina;
Skopje, Macedonia; and Minsk, Belarus. CSA acquired 10 new aircraft
in 2004, helping fuel profits of nearly $23 million and passenger
growth of almost 21%, to 4.34 million, for the year. In addition,
CSA will introduce electronic ticketing -- already in place in its
sales offices -- for travel agencies and other travel partners come
October. For more, visit www.csa.cz.