ANDALUSIA
IN SOUTHERN SPAIN kicked off a North American campaign
this month, comprising print, online and radio ads, a sweepstakes
and a new Web site. Extending to the trade, Turismo Andaluz is also
working with Central Holidays, Spanish Heritage, Sun Holidays and
Trafalgar Tours as well as targeted Virtuoso agents. A series of
travel agent workshops about the region is slated for Philadelphia,
Feb. 8; Woodcliff Lake, N.J., Feb. 9, and Garden City, N.Y., Feb.
10. The workshops are a joint venture with local hotel and tour
operators, along with the Tourist Office of Spain in New York, the
Tourist Board of Andalusia and officials from the regional tourist
offices. Register online at www.andaluciaworkshops.com.
THE
SIX-STAR HOTEL DE CRILLON in Paris will be the first in a
new chain of luxury Hotel de Crillon hotels created by Starwood
Capital Group, an investment management firm headed by Barry
Sternlicht, the former CEO and founder Starwood Hotels &
Resorts Worldwide. The Crillon, along with the Hotel Martinez in
Cannes and the Lutetia in Paris, is part of the 14-hotel Louvre
Hotels group that was acquired by Starwood Capital Group last
August in a $2.5 billion deal that also included the French
champagne firm Taittinger. Starwood Capitol will renovate the
147-room Hotel de Crillon, adding residences and such amenities as
dining options, fitness centers and spas.
DESTINATION
EUROPE RESOURCES revamped its booking site, www.der.com, for
consolidated net air, European car rentals and hotels, simplifying
the booking process for agents. New features include a streamlined
net air fare display and easier functions for applying payments,
adding agent fees and finalizing bookings. Also new is a sorting
system for hotels; transfer and options displays; car rental
options; and online information on existing bookings. Current users
of the site will retain their same log-in.
CONTINENTAL
JOURNEYS is showcasing Warsaw and Krakow, Poland, in an
air-inclusive, six-night package, priced from $899, double, through
March 31. Rates go up by $275 for April and May departures. Complimentary multiday stopovers are
available in Vienna on Austrian Air or Copenhagen, Denmark, on SAS
through March 31. A 10-night version of the package adds Prague,
Czech Republic, and a first-class overnight train transfer between
Prague and Krakow, starting at $1,119. Additional nights and single
supplements are available, and air taxes are not included. Flights are from New York or Newark, with
add-on fares from additional gateways available. Visit www.continentaljourneys.com for details.