In a sea of travel agent programs, incentives, summits and information, we’ve rallied five new programs to help you stay ahead of the game, gain perks and indulge in FAM trips or enter to win a getaway.
The Austrian Tourist Office will invite top leisure travel advisors from the U.S. and Australia to participate in the Austria Destination Summit, in Salzburg and Vienna from Oct. 19 through 25.
The Austria Destination Summit provides an exploration of Austria’s leisure product with a focus on the luxury segment. Participating advisors will get to experience Austria’s top destinations, gain insider knowledge and expertise, and meet with top business partners in Austria.
The program starts in Salzburg with a welcome reception and includes a tour of Hohensalzburg Fortress and a dinner with a view over baroque Old Town. The following day will be dedicated to discussing the latest trends in travel and networking, while showcasing Austria’s destinations including The Austria Destination Day, which includes an educational program with top marketing executives from the Tirol, the Otz Valley, Kitzbuhel, Innsbruck, Salzburg City and Salzburg State, Graz and Vienna. Then participants will tour Salzburg City, Salzburg Lake District, and go on a Sound of Music Tour. Then they’re off to Danube to sample Austrian wines at the Loisium Wine & Spa resort and meet winemakers. After they’ll visit castle ruins in Duernstein and take a private Danube Cruise. The Vienna portion of the program includes a visit to Naschmarkt—a year-round food market, and The Hofburg Palace.
The Austria Destination Summit will invite 60 travel advisors. For more information, leisure travel advisors with a focus on Europe are encouraged to contact Gabriele Wolf, manager product innovation at the Austrian Tourist Office at [email protected].
The Blue Walk European Walking Vacations offers a French Riviera FAM from Sept. 20 through 26 visiting Nice, Cannes, Menton, Antibes, Villefranche sur Mer, Cap Ferrat, and Monte Carlo. The package includes 6-night stay at a central hotel in Nice, minutes to the beach; daily breakfast buffet; a welcome dinner, one-week unlimited use of a TER regional train pass; half-day guided walks along the coastline and towns of Cote d’Azur; cours Saleya Flower Market, Antibes’ Marche Provencal, Marche Forville Cannes; a ferry trip to the Lerin Islands including a picnic lunch; all maps, train schedules, daily itineraries and English-speaking guides.
Rates start at $1,275 pp dbl. Agents can take up to three guests at the agent rate plus $500 pp.
For more information, call (619) 584-4213 or visit cruisetourtravel.com.
A new promotion for travel agents through MSC Cruises North America gives agents the opportunity to gain benefits.
Now through May 20 the “8 is Great” promotion is for affinity group bookings of eight cabins or more. Agents can gain value rates from $299 pp on select sailings; accelerated free berths 1 for 13; minimum commission of 15 percent on eligible bookings; shipboard credit for Balcony Staterooms (B1 – B3 category) starting at $25; kids sail free; waived deposit for up to 16 staterooms; and MSC Cruises will match any competitive offer.
For more information, visit msccruiseagent.com.
Rocky Mountaineer is celebrating the launch of the 2014 Coastal Passage route schedule with a competition among travel agents. Now through May 31 every time an agent books a qualifying Rocky Mountaineer vacation package, including the Coastal Passage route, they will be entered into a monthly draw for a chance to win a trip for two on a 3-day Coastal Passage Journey in the GoldLeaf Service.
The prize also includes one-night accommodations in Vancouver and Kamloops. Rocky Mountaineer’s award-winning GoldLeave Service offers guests gourmet cuisine, world-class guest service, panoramic views of waterfalls, mountaints, and forests, all from the bi-level dome cars. Applicable bookings must include a land portion of six or more nights inclusive of the Coastal Passage route, and the agent must have completed Module Seven of TRACKS, Rocky Mountaineer’s online training program, to qualify for the draw. Each booking is valid for a separate entry for the monthly draw.
For more information, visit agent.rockymountaineer.com or rockymountaineer.com.
Tourism New Zealand has launched a new trade website, making it easier for agents to use including a section with suggested itineraries for agents to offer their clients.
The site provides training tools and resources such as online modules and the 100 percent New Zealand Specialist Program, which is a free online training tool that assists travel sellers to increase their knowledge and sales of New Zealand as a destination. The site is available in English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese; it will also be translated to French, Portuguese, Spanish and Indonesian.
For more information, visit traveltrade.newzealand.com.
