ITALY specialist Citalia has launched a third edition of its city breaks brochure for the first time as it looks to take advantage of the millennium period.
The programme, which goes on sale on April 1, contains packages to Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples, Verona, Milan, Sorrento and Portofino.
Prices in Rome start from ú875 for three nights at the four-star Holiday Inn, including flights and gala dinner. The same holiday last new year cost ú434.
“We normally only produce two editions but this year we have launched a third edition to include the millennium,” said Citalia’s head of sales and marketing Alyson Playford. “Of course we wanted to cash in on the millennium but we are also responding to consumer demand.
“We spoke to agents who told us there was demand. We have had about 250 requests for the brochure in two weeks.”
The programme includes a five-night millennium itinerary departing December 30 on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express while a themed 1900s ball has been lined up at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria. Guests are transformed for the ball by costumiers, hairdressers and make-up artists.
A three-night break to Milan’s five-star Hotel di Savoia costs ú2,245.
For non-inclusive packages Citalia has an exclusive gala dinner reservations service in Rome, Venice in Florence from ú200 per person. Elsewhere in the programme, Ferrara, Ravenna and Viareggio on the Tuscan coast have been added, along with scheduled flights to Rome from Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Departures to Venice from Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow are also new as are flights to Florence from Manchester.