News Release

Nearly 450 Norwegian Cruise Line Reservation Agents Learn About Anchorage and Alaska as a Destination

Anchorage, Alaska – April 17, 2009 – Nearly 450 Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) reservation agents located in Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, and Guatemala are learning about Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska thanks to the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB).

Tania Hancock with the Bureau’s Tourism Development & Sales department was in Miami at Norwegian’s offices, as well as at their Sunrise, Fla., call center, last week to present a series of 45-minute destination training sessions followed by a question and answer period with 240 Florida-based agents. This week, she conducted four additional training sessions via live Webinar from Anchorage for nearly 250 Norwegian reservation agents located at Arizona, Louisiana, and Guatemala call centers.

“We want to empower these reservations agents to take the sales opportunity to let prospective cruisers know what they are missing if they don’t visit Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska as an add-on destination,” says David Kasser, vice president of ACVB Tourism Development and Sales. “It’s our job to educate them on how to make the most of an Anchorage visit—including where to see wildlife, the must-see museums and cultural centers, first-rate restaurants, and how to enjoy the local parks and trails, or myriad of adventures and activities. The more they know, the better they can appeal to the individual traveler.”

The ACVB Travel Development & Sales department is responsible for bringing groups and leisure visitors to Anchorage and works closely with tour operators and travel agents to ensure they are knowledgeable about and selling Anchorage and its Big Wild Life. Last year, they presented destination training to more than 4,500 people in the travel trade industry.

Norwegian offers three Alaska cruises from May-September 2009. Norwegian Pearl sails a seven-day Glacier Bay itinerary and Norwegian Star sails a seven-day Sawyer Glacier cruise, both are roundtrip from Seattle; and Norwegian Sun sails a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver. In addition, Norwegian offers guests a chance to add a four or five-night pre-cruise tour to explore the magnificent Denali National Park. The tour package includes a stay in Anchorage; all transfers including motorcoach transportation from Anchorage to Denali; Alaska railroad ticket from Denali to Anchorage, which ends at the pier in either Seattle or Vancouver; park entrance fees; tour guides; daily breakfast and airfare from Anchorage to the guest’s embarkation port city at the end of the tour.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by lodging associations. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund, a contribution established in 1978, and one-third to service the bond debt and operations of the Anchorage Convention Centers. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.

Media Contacts:

Jeanette Anderson Moores
Public Relations
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
jmoores@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net

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