Company Strengthens Industry Partnerships to Meet Growing Demand for U.S. and Canadian Travel to Croatia

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - October 12th, 2017 - Croatia's award-winning DMC and small ship cruise company, Katarina Line, announced that it is expanding its industry trade show presence in North America to meet the growing demand for travel to Croatia from the U.S. and Canada.  The move is part of the company's emphasis on strengthening its partnerships with travel agents, who are responsible for more than 98% of all its bookings worldwide, according to Daniel Hauptfeld, Katarina Line's marketing director.

The announcement comes as the company concludes its first successful round of U.S. trade show visits in September, which included speaking on an educational panel at the recent Travel Agent Forum in Miami. Katarina Line recently joined the Croatian National Tourist Board at the annual IMEX America in Las Vegas to promote its services to the meeting, event and incentive travel industry.  It now joins the Peninsula Shows for round-table meetings with local travel agents, with shows in the cities of San Diego, Ontario, and Pasadena, California, October 17, 18 and 19, respectively.

"We are increasing both our marketing and sales budget in North America to help get the word out to travel agents of our industry-leading commissions and incentive opportunities," said Hauptfeld. "We are also increasing our budget and offering more FAMs to educate and train agents on selling Croatia and create strong and mutually beneficial partnerships."

To reach out to Canadian agents, the company will also be attending the International Tourism and Travel Show (ITTS) in Montreal, October 20 – 22, after which it will return to California for additional Peninsula travel agent shows in San Jose and Sacramento, October 24 and 25.  Flying back to the East Coast, it will attend Travursity in Pittsburg on October 25 and 26 and the Vacation & Travel Experience in Minneapolis, October 27 – 29, where it will be at booth Number 309.  It will close out its October schedule at additional Peninsula shows in Plano and The Woodlands, Texas, October 30 and 31, respectively.

Katarina Line will also attend Cruiseworld in Miami, November 15 – 17; and National Tour Association Travel Exchange (NTA TREX) in San Antonio, December 14 – 18.

The company can schedule meetings during the event as well as before and after the trade show. Katarina representatives can also visit agents' office for a private presentation and to train its staff.

About Katarina Line

Katarina Line is a leading, award-winning DMC in Croatia and Croatia’s premier small ship cruise company with weekly guaranteed departures from the end of April to mid-October. It operates out of the major tourist centers of Opatija, Split and Dubrovnik. With a growing fleet of more than 50 ships in four different categories (increasing to six in 2018), the company serves more than 100,000 clients that include 26,000 cruise guests of all ages and budgets. Katarina Line itineraries give travelers the opportunity to explore the stunning natural environment and picturesque Mediterranean towns of Croatia while hopping from one island to another, offering guests unique opportunity to experience the true Croatia. The company enjoys an exceptional relationship with travel agents, which account for more than 98% of all bookings worldwide. Katarina line is a member of many different travel associations, including USTOA, ASTA, NTA, ACTA, RDA, STAN and ETOA.  For more information, call toll-free 1-800-485-3121 or visit them online.

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