AMERICA'S
VACATION CENTER on March 20 will present Carnival Cruise
Lines President Bob Dickinson at the host agency's first Travel
Executive Forum, a series of seminars that will be streamed live
online. The Travel Executive Forum program is part of the host
agency's AVC University and co-sponsored by American Express, its
consortium partner. The free series is designed to connect agents
nationwide with top executives in the travel business. Up to 1,000
people can register for the webinar, on a first-come, first-served
basis. There will be no preferential access for AVC-affiliated
agents. Get more details at www.joinavc.com.
CELEBRITY
CRUISES launched a spy-themed Celebrity Special Agent
education and sales incentive program for travel agents. Agents who
participate in the multi-layered program will have the opportunity
to win one of three grand prize packages: a Celebrity cruise for
two to Alaska, Europe or Bermuda, including roundtrip air and $700
cash. One hundred-seventy runners-up will receive lesser prizes.
Additionally, retailers can participate in up to three free online
seminars focused on Celebrity's Alaska and Europe itineraries and
the line's small-ship extension, Celebrity Expeditions. Agents who
complete all three courses and pass the corresponding post-seminar
assessments will receive seven entries into the Celebrity Special
Agent sweepstakes. More details are available at www.cruisingpower.com/booktowin. Celebrity also
brought back its [email protected] On-line learning series, which
consists of targeted online training dedicated to the home-based
agency community.
ARTA, the trade group that recently said it
would develop a new travel agent identification program in
cooperation with suppliers and other trade associations, plans to
call together a working group in Dallas next month of U.S. and
Canadian suppliers and retailers to pursue that goal. As
envisioned, a system of agency numeric codes (called T-Numbers)
will be created for agents or agencies that don't sell airline
tickets, as will a new travel retailer ID card, called TRIP, an
acronym for Travel Retailer Identification Program. A second
planning meeting will be held in June, ARTA said, with
implementation of the new systems following.
VACATION.COM named Jamie Kamin manager of
education and event planning. She will be involved in the planning
and organization of all Vacation.com member training programs from
regional, preferred-supplier workshops to the Vacation.com
International Conference & Trade Show in New
Orleans.
FAM OF THE
WEEK
Spain
Trip: Visits Barcelona, Granada, Madrid,
Seville and Valencia.
Departures: Fridays through 2007 from New
York or Los Angeles to Madrid via British Airways.
Length: Eight nights.
Sponsor: Tours Specialists, Palm Harbor,
Fla.
Cost: $1,700 from New York or $1,900 from
Los Angeles, per person, double. Includes air, hotel, some meals,
sightseeing and transfers.
Noteworthy: Companions are eligible for
$100 additional. Air from other gateways is available. Airline
taxes are not included.
Contact: (800) 223-7552; fax: (727)
784-7520; e-mail: [email protected].
Home-Based
Agent Editor: Donna Tunney
Phone: (508) 221-3674
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].