CROATIA specialist Bond Tours is introducing agent educationals for the first time in its eight year history after seeing a slump in sales as a result of the Kosovo crisis.
“We need to allay agents fears and show them that it is a safe destination. They don’t realise that it is not part of Yugoslavia and is therefore not affected by the war,” said consultant Marie Nash.
Figures for January and February show a 50 % increase in bookings on the same period last year but sales have taken a downturn since war broke out in the Balkans.
In conjunction with the Croatia Tourist Office and Croatia Air, the operator is taking seven agents to Croatia on June 18 for a five day trip starting in Spilt on the Dalmatian coast. Nash said a second educational is likely to be set for early 2000.
The educational follows the late launch of the summer 1999 brochure, Croatia – the Best of Cities Coast and Islands – which features Lopud, a small traffic-free island off the coast of Dubrovnik, for the first time. Also new is a six-night coach tour starting in Dubrovnik and taking in Zagreb and Split. Included in the brochure is a separate sheet on special interest holidays featuring the Kornati Islands where people can stay in former fisherman’s cottages.
Prices start at £280 per person for seven nights’ half-board at the three-star Marco Polo or £245 per person for seven nights ‘self catering in a private house based on two people sharing.