Europe:

Value-Packed Products

for 2006

It’s an exciting time to sell Europe. Suppliers are offering new, tantalizing and value-packed products for 2006 — and they’re more willing than ever to lend a selling hand to Home Based Agents, a valued distribution channel. Add to this a variety of special events and festivals (see page 18) and you’ve got a Europe season that’s filled with possibilities.
We asked several suppliers to highlight what’s special in their Europe 2006 portfolios, and their comments follow.

Amy Mills, senior marketing manager, Europe & U.S. East, Lib/Go Travel reported, “Right now Italy is probably the destination that is the ‘hottest’ and where we are seeing the most growth. Forward bookings for the summer are strong and coming in a little bit earlier than in years past. Overall, 2006 is off to a great start for our Europe bookings.”

Steve Perillo, president, Perillo Tours, said that it is the Deluxe Tour Components that makes Perillo the leader in Italy tours. These include:
• The services of a professional escort or host
• Roundtrip air from select U.S. cities
• Intercity transportation via deluxe motorcoach
• Low-price air add-ons
• Tours include day cruises and other transportation options appropriate to itinerary
• Exclusive dinners and wines/mineral water with dinner
• First Class & Deluxe Hotels
• American breakfasts daily, including bacon and eggs
• All Gratuities (hotel & restaurant)
• Transfers
Perillo also stressed the advantages of traveling to Italy off-season. “The grandeur of Europe is constant, no matter what the season. For off-season visitors, the experience is value-packed. Besides lower pricing, visitors enjoy top attractions, fine restaurants and major sites free of the crowds of high season. Add to that the mild year-round climate, and you can see why a Europe vacation is for all seasons.
Off-season 2006 Perillo Tours are: the 8-day Roman Holiday; 10-day Vesuvius; 11-day Marco Polo starting in Rome or Milan; 14-day Italy North Classic starting in Roman or Milan; and the 14-day South & Sicily.

Brian Stack, president of CIE Tours, said that CIE has added new Italy tours.
“These all-inclusive tours use first class accommodations and feature the most sought-after locations in Italy. We expect that past CIE Tours travelers will book Italy with us as they know we will look after them.”
Stack added that Coach Tours to Ireland are “hot” for 2006.
“Bookings are up over last year — as are coach tour bookings to Ireland,” he said, noting that the fly/drive segment is still sluggish.
Stack pointed out that CIE has a new Web site with an online booking engine.
“Agents can book their clients with us any time, any day. The Web site makes finding the right tour easier and the booking engine includes the ability to add air at the best price. Home Based agents who have clients for Ireland and Britain can save themselves a huge amount of time and trouble by clocking on our Web site. All the product they need for a happy client is available to them.”
Italy, Greece and France are Classic Europe’s most popular choices, according to Maureen Carrig, Classic Vacations.
“We are seeing growing interest in Prague and Budapest, because of their rich cultural experiences, as well as Salzburg, Lausanne and Lucerne.”
She noted that Classic Europe, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is showing “extremely strong growth thus far for 2006. Based on customer and agent feedback, we have added new destinations and activities, plus over 40 new properties.
“Dublin, Ireland is new for 2006,” she said. “We’ve also added countryside properties in England and France, expanded our hotel offerings on the Amalfi Coast and enhanced our yacht and villa collections.”
She added that for the first time, Classic is offering sea and river cruising in Europe and the Mediterranean. “In response to popular demand, we have added more affordable lodging choices in major cities, such as Rome, Barcelona, London, Paris, Sorrento and Florence.”

Marc Kazlauskas, president of Insight Vacations, noted, “The Hot destination is Italy, but Eastern Europe is not too far behind. People are also seeking something different. Though the vast majority of our business is to the major European destinations, such as Italy, the U.K., France and Germany, we are now seeing areas that were not frequently visited by American travelers becoming increasingly popular. We are taking a lot of bookings for Russia, Eastern Europe, Croatia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan.”
He added that the traditional booking window has changed over the past few years.
“Just when we see that bookings are made well in advance, we will see a spike in bookings set to depart inside 60 days.”
Kazlauskas advised Home Based agents to “know your clients.”
“Many potential escorted tour clients will not come to you asking for an escorted tour. Ask them what their travel goals are. Educate yourself on the available touring products out there, and in turn educate your clients.
“An informed client is a happy client. Don’t be afraid to suggested escorted touring to your cruise clients. If they appreciate the hassle-free environment of a cruise, they will really enjoy the structure of excorted touring in addition to the value of a tour package.”
He advised Home Based agents to get involved with a national organization, such as NACTA, for support, education and networking opportunities.
“Home Based agents need to attend double the amount of events that traditional office agents do,” he said. “Give your clients personalized attention. Update your client database as much as possible and contact them during special times of the year, particularly when it’s the typical time they book their vacation. Be prepared with suggestions, creative ideas and materials.”

Indeed, as John Severini, president of Trafalgar Tours, pointed out, a number of tour companies have added helpful programs for agents — particularly Home Based.
In Trafalgar’s case, these include: online training — “E Learning”; dedicated Sales Support Manager in Anaheim focused exclusively on Home Based Agencies; Web Booking Engine available 24/7; online marketing and collateral materials which can be sent and E-mailed to your client base; high commissions; bonus coupons for additional savings for agent familiarization/vacation trips. Doing business with these types of companies will make selling Europe a snap for Home Based agents, Severini added.

Kay Lowder, Globus, noted that “Italy remains as hot as ever,” adding that “up-and-comers we’re seeing this year are Ireland, Central and Eastern Europe and China.”
She also highlighted the tour company’s new program, called Monograms Pre/Post Cruise Packages.
“This program is great for travel agents to up-sell to their ocean cruise clients two extra nights, either pre-or post-cruise in their port city in Europe. The packages are a collection of 11 European port cities that coincide with major cruise lines’ itineraries,” she explained.
Alleigh Grieder, Home Based sales manager for Globus, added that the Monograms program is a great way for Home Based agents to tap into cruise clients.

2006 Calendar of Events

Austria
This year, Austria is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birth with thousands of events, including concerts and choral performances in Salzburg (Mozart’s birthplace) and Vienna (where he spent the last decade of his life).
June — The Vienna Jazz Festival boasts 16 stages and more than 2,000 performers.
June-July — The 8th Annual International Choir & Orchestra Festival, Salzburg.

Czech Republic
May — The World Festival of Puppet Art, Prague.

Denmark
April 12 — Tivoli Gardens opens for the summer season. This year, the park unveils a new attraction being billed as the world’s tallest (164 feet) swing carrousel, Star Flyer.
June 23 — Midsummer’s Eve celebrates the longest day of the year, with bonfires on beaches and in parks throughout Denmark.
August — The Aarhus International Jazz Festival presents more than 200 jazz concerts, including many free of charge, played in squares and streets.

Finland
May 5-7 — The Child 2006 Fair is one of Finland’s biggest family events, including exhibits on hobbies, culture and travel at the Helsinki Fair Center.
June 24 — The National Midsummer Eve Celebration features bonfires, folk music, dances, costumed parades and traditional games throughout Finland.
Aug. 18-Sept. 3 — The Helsinki Festival attracts thousands, with major symphonic works, baroque orchestras, visiting dance and theater companies, visual art and cinema. World music will be performed in the Huvila Festival Tent. Among the highlights is “The Night of the Arts” program with galleries open until midnight, music in parks and churches, dance groups and orchestras playing on street corners, along with a special program for children.

France
Third weekend in June — The Le Mans 24 Hour Automobile Race.
July 14 — Bastille Day is celebrated with parades in Paris and festivities throughout France.
July 1-23 — The Tour de France bicycle race begins in Strasbourg with the grand finale on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Germany
Spring/Summer — Rhine in Flames is a series of pyrotechnical spectacles that light up skies above towns and cities along the Rhine.
June 9-July 9 — Soccer’s World Cup will be played in cities throughout the country, with the championship match in Berlin.
Aug. 5-7 — The Berlin International Beer Festival attracts about one million visitors to the Karl Marx Allee to sample the brews in one of the world’s longest beer gardens.

Great Britain
May 23-27 — The Chelsea Flower Show, one of the world’s premier floral events, will be held in London.
June 17 — Trooping of the Colours in Whitehall, London, is the Queen’s official birthday parade.
June 17-26 — The Glasgow International Jazz Festival presents performances at various venues.

Greece
All year — Patras European Capital of Culture. The Peloponnesian town will offer festivals, exhibits and other special events throughout the year.
June-August — The Athens Festival is an annual cultural festival presenting modern and ancient theater and music.

Holland
The country is marking the 400th anniversary of the birth of Rembrandt during 2006 and through February 2007. The country celebrates the 1606 birth of the great Dutch master, but in particular, Leiden (the artist’s birthplace) and Amsterdam come alive with exhibitions and events.
March through May 20 — The Keukenhof Gardens’ Spring Festival, when the gardens boast more than seven million bulbs in 77 acres of wooded park land.

Italy
June 24-Aug. 27 — The Opera Festival, Verona.
August — The International Film Festival, Taormina, Sicily.
Aug. 30-Sept. 10 — Venice offers its annual film festival.

Monaco
May 25-28 — The International Grand Prix de Monaco races through the streets of Monte Carlo.

Norway
June 23 — Midsummer’s Eve is marked with dances around bonfires throughout Norway.

Poland
May 27-28 — The 43rd National Festival of Polish Song brings music lovers to Opole.
Portugal
May 12-13 — Pilgrimages to Fatima attract huge crowds to the place where three children reported visions of the Virgin Mary in 1917.
June 12-13 — The Alfama district of Lisbon celebrates the feast of St. Anthony, Santo Antonio, with singing, dancing, food and drink. Locals put up lanterns and streamers and take out chairs for the thousands who arrive for the festivities.

Spain
April 25-30 — Feria de Abril is held two weeks after Easter in Seville. This features a cabalgata (parade on horseback) with elegant horsemen and women wearing mantillas (lace headdresses) during the day and casetas (entertainment booths) continue the festivities at night.
June 23-24 — Día de San Juan celebrates the feast of St. John the Baptist with dancing, singing, drinking and bonfires on beaches across Andalusia the evening of June 23.
July 6-14 — The Festival de San Fermín in Pamplona is Spain’s best-known festival with parties, revelry and the running of the bulls.

Sweden
June 24 — Midsummer’s Eve is celebrated with parties in Stockholm and throughout Sweden.