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Avanti and Polish Tourist Organization Launch Independent Travel Campaign for Advisors;
Adds New Customizable FIT Vacations, Tours, Hotels in Six Destinations;
Launches New Joint E-brochure, Advisor Booking Incentive, and Webinar on Poland
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| Krakow – St. Mary’s Basilica on the 13th century Main Market Square, Europe’s largest medieval plaza. |
| Portland, Oregon, August 8, 2023 – Wholesale FIT tour operator Avanti Destinations has just expanded its offering of vacations, tours, and hotels for advisors’ independent travel clients going to Poland and has partnered with the Polish Tourist Organization on a campaign to familiarize advisors with the many options for independent travel throughout this fascinating, off-the-beaten-path country. |
| The joint awareness campaign consists of a new 38-page downloadable, shareable e-brochure https://www.flipsnack.com/779977E569B/poland-2023/full-view.html, recorded webinar https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1125589177194818562, and offer for one $25 gift card for each FIT booking made between July 20, 2023 and August 31, 2023 for a minimum of three nights in Poland with a minimum land value of $2,500. |
| Avanti sells custom-crafted independent travel vacations exclusively through travel advisors, not directly to consumers. |
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| Warsaw – Old Town Market Square, completely restored after Hitler’s troops razed the city to punish Polish Resistance during WW2. |
| Medieval castles, WW2 history, heritage travel, Baltic beaches, ancient forests, rugged mountains |
| “For independent travel clients looking for a less-touristed destination, Poland has medieval castles and churches in picturesque cobblestoned old towns and cities, outdoor adventures on Baltic beaches, ancient forests, or rugged mountains, World War II sites and museums, Christmas markets, welcoming people, and a vibrant modern culture,” said Paul Barry, Avanti’s CEO. |
| “For clients of Polish descent, our extensive product offering in eight destinations around the country enables you to create a custom itinerary to help your clients discover their heritage. Non-stop flights between the US and Poland on Lot Airlines simplify getting there. Traveling around the country is easy with an efficient rail and public transportation system. Avanti also offers private driver/guides to reach more out-of-the-way places. We are very pleased to partner with the Polish Tourist Organization to introduce travel advisors to this proud country with a long history,” said Barry. |
| Ten million Americans trace their roots back to Poland. Once a major European power, Poland was partitioned several times in the 18th century and ceased to exist as an independent nation for more than 100 years. Over five million Poles perished in World War II, after which it fell under Soviet rule until 1991. The country is a steadfast ally of the Ukraine in the current conflict with Russia. |
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| Wroclow – Town Hall is one of many beautiful medieval buildings in this 1,000 year old city, third largest in Poland. |
| Polish destinations |
| “Denmark is the smallest Scandinavian country, spread across a peninsula and more than 400 islands,” said Paul Barry, Avanti’s CEO. “With its compact size, excellent public transportation system, numerous bridges, and flat terrain, it is made for easy exploration by rail and bicycle – or rental car, all of which are highlighted in our recommended, customizable vacations. |
| “Whether your independent travel clients are interested in castles, colorful quaint towns, the latest environmental innovations, Vikings, museums, cycling, contemporary architecture and interior design, or award-winning gastronomy, Denmark is a wonderful destination, and we are pleased to partner with VisitDenmark. The northern Jutland region, where we have added many of our new hotels and experiences, is actually the Danes’ own preferred vacation destination. In May SAS Airlines launched a summer nonstop flight between Newark and Aalborg to facilitate travel there,” added Barry. |
| “We are excited to partner with Avanti to launch more FIT vacations and other travel products in Denmark,” said Ninna Seerup, Senior Travel Trade Manager for VisitDenmark in the US and UK. “As a small country with many experiences and hotels that suit small groups of travelers, Denmark is perfect for independent travel. In this collaboration with Avanti, we are highlighting Danish seaside hotels and towns, high-quality local restaurants, as well as lovely towns like Aalborg and Skagen that are not well represented with other US tour operators. These destinations provide amazing travel experiences, and we look forward to welcoming more US travelers.” |
| Six Danish destinations |
| Destinations described in the e-brochure include: the capital, Copenhagen, with its picturesque canals, cobblestone pedestrian areas, the Royal Palace, and Tivoli Gardens (the world’s second oldest amusement park); Aalborg (Northern Jutland), once the launching point for Viking exploration, today boasts a 1500-plus year old Viking burial site (Lindholm Hoje), 17th century half-timbered merchant houses, the Utzon Center of Nordic architecture (Utzon designed the Sydney opera house), repurposed industrial buildings that now house a trendy cultural center and street food market, and Regan Vest - the Danish Cold War museum in a 1960s’ bunker built nearly 200 feet underground to withstand nuclear war; Roskilde (Zealand island, 20 miles west of Copenhagen), home to a Viking Ship Museum with five 1,000-year old recovered ships (clients can sail on replicas), Denmark’s most important church (12th century Roskilde Cathedral), and the Land of Legends open-air museum; Odense (Funen island), hometown of beloved fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen and near Egeskov Castle (Europe’s best-preserved Renaissance water castle); Aarhus (Jutland peninsula), another Viking-founded town, now a cultural capital for art, modern architecture, music, and New Nordic cuisine, an open-air museum with 75 historic buildings, vibrant nightlife, and the beach a short 10-minute bike ride from the city center; and Skagen (at the northernmost tip of Northern Jutland where the North Sea meets the Baltic), historic fishing port of red and yellow houses that was a favorite with the Skagen school of landscape painters in the 19th and 20th centuries because of its luminous skies, and is now an emerging ecotourism destination with birds, seals, and porpoises, vast expanses of sand and sea, a migrating sand dune, and Denmark’s freshest seafood. |
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| Gdansk harbor – In medieval times Gdansk was one of the mightiest cities in the Hanseatic League. |
| New tours and experiences – food, wine, Vikings, Cold War Museum, street art, cycling |
| Among the 16 new tours and experiences Avanti has added: private two-hour walking tour of Lindholm Hoje Viking burial site; Sandormen/”Sandworm” vehicle tour from Skagen to Grenen (tip of North Jutland where the Baltic and North Sea meet); private tour of Regan Vest/Danish Cold War Museum in a bunker near Aalborg; private tour of Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde; private five-hour tour of Skagen from Aalborg; private three-hour Aalborg walking tour; shared three-hour Aarhus walking tour of street art; shared four-hour Aalborg food tour; shared three-hour Aalborg bike tour; and small group guided wine walk tour of Aarhus. |
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| Malbork Castle (near Gdansk) – the world’s largest castle, made of brick. Avanti offers a private tour of the castle as an excursion from Gdansk. |
| Two new customizable independent vacations |
| These two new recommended vacations – one by rental car, the other by rail - may be modified to include additional nights, experiences, transfers, and other Danish or Nordic destinations. All Avanti vacations are completely customizable. |
- Best of Denmark (self-drive) – eight days/seven nights in Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus. Included: small group Nordic dinner cooking class of classic Danish specialties (Copenhagen); private six-hour Copenhagen walking tour with entrance tickets to Rosenborg Castle, the Round Tower, and Christiansborg Palace; private four-hour walking tour of Aarhus; private two-hour walking tour of Odense; four days car rental; choice of accommodations; daily breakfast.
- Copenhagen and North Jutland (by rail) - seven days/six nights in Copenhagen and Aalborg. Includes: Private seven-hour tour of fairytale-like Frederiksborg Castle set on a lake and Kronborg Castle (aka Elsinore in Shakespeare’s Hamlet); private three-hour walking tour of Copenhagen; admission to Tivoli Gardens (the world’s second oldest amusement park, Copenhagen); private three-hour walking tour of Aalborg; first-class rail tickets between destinations; choice of accommodations; daily breakfast.
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| For more information on independent travel in Denmark and Europe generally, or to book custom-crafted, multi-destination FIT travel 365 days a year throughout Europe, Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, or Central and South America, log onto the recently revamped advisor portal https://book.avantidestinations.com or call 1-800-422-5053 to speak with an expert travel consultant. |
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| Traditional mountain hut in Zakopane – a summer and winter outdoor sports mecca in the Tatra Mountains, south of Krakow, near the border with Slovakia. |
| Since 1981, Avanti Destinations has been selling independent travel products and custom-crafted vacations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Central and South America exclusively through travel advisors. The Portland, Oregon-based wholesale tour operator offers a wide range of FIT components to travel advisors only, including air, rail, rental cars, hotels, sightseeing/attractions, transfers and hard-to-find experiential travel options. Avanti specializes in hand-picked, locally-owned hotels in both large and small cities and in connecting all the pieces of complex, multi-destination itineraries. The company also creates complete packages for custom groups of 15-100 passengers. For more information: https://book.avantidestinations.com. |
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