MILWAUKEE, Oct. 16, 2002 - Commitment to the travel agent was evident as several vacation companies of The Mark Travel Corporation launched its 2003 product with shows and seminars exclusively for travel agents.

"Our product shows give us the opportunity to personally communicate with our valued travel agents," said Bill La Macchia, Jr. chief operating officer for La Macchia Enterprises. "We utilize this important time with our agents to set the next year's direction and obtain valuable feedback from our professional partners."

This year's product shows for Funjet Vacations, the flagship brand of TMTC, were held during the month of September and focused on how travel agents can compete and be successful. Educational seminars focused on ways to capture new business and retain current clients through relationship marketing, knowing your competition to establish a point of differentiation and embracing technology such as VAX VacationAccess®, an Internet-based booking tool. In addition, more than 125 Funjet Vacations' suppliers participated in the trade show portion.

"Funjet Vacations did a great job of mixing fun with product knowledge. I was impressed with the new technologies The Mark Travel Corp. has developed, and adding seminars to the event was a meaningful idea. It was reassuring to hear Bill La Macchia, Jr. speak on his commitment to travel agents and his positive vision of the future," said Carol Lekki, CTC, MCC and president of Carol's Travel Service in Orland Park, Ill.

"To me, the highlight of the show was when Dolores Lopez of Lomas Travel and the other vendors from Mexico lined up on the stage, and Dolores thanked all of us for sending our clients to Mexico. She pointed out that this allowed all of them to make better lives for their children, as a result of the jobs that tourism created," said Dianne Moore, CTC of Vacations Plus Inc. in New Berlin, Wis. "Sometimes we forget that we as an industry have a positive impact on others in the world."

TransGlobal Vacations recently had its product show in Minneapolis. In addition to rolling out its 2003 product, the show gave travel agents the chance to learn about new topics and ask questions. TransGlobal Vacations held seminars that focused on selling the product, closing a sale, how to convert cruise clients to all-inclusives - and how to make money by doing so. Some hot topics that emerged during the seminars were VAX, the value of selling the Pre-Travel Penalty Waiver, the new scheduled air product and the Advanced Passenger Information, which is enhanced security measures for International travel. The show and seminars were well-attended by enthusiastic agents.

"I was impressed by TransGlobal Vacations' continued determination to work through the travel agency distribution network. Innovations and programs such as VAX and the Pre-Travel Penalty Waiver offer positive benefits, not just to us, but to our clients as well," said Heidi Maguire, travel consultant for J Travel and Cruises in St. Paul, Minn.

Adventure Tours and Town & Country Tours also held its product shows in Dallas and Phoenix recently. This year's theme, "Working Together," demonstrates the companies' focus on and commitment to working with travel agents as a primary distribution source. The shows were attended by agents and more than 50 hotel suppliers from Mexico and ski suppliers in the west. Travel agent participation was strong and many shared feedback on the tools highlighted, such as VAX.