Our cover story (pdf file) this month is on the innovations of Norwegian Cruise Lines. Thanks to global warming, our winters here in the Midwest aren�t nearly as harsh as days gone by but still, the brown grass, brown trees and battleship grey skies out my office window leave me longing for Caribbean blue. Cruising is affordable, in high demand with your best consumer prospects and the ultimate group trip with both structured activities and independent time given for individual exploration. And, 55% of your peers say they�re taking a group cruise this year, according to Leisuregrouptravel.com�s current web poll.

We make it easy for you to book your group cruises with hyperlinks to advertising partners in the online cruise articles, plus our online directory of 40 cruise lines. There�s been some discussion about offering a cruise booking tool where you can get no-obligation quotes on your cruise groups. Is this something you�re interested in? Let me know.

Thanks for reading,
Jeff Gayduk, Publisher

NCL Continues to Raise the Bar
February�s Cover Story, By Cindy Bertram
Since its inception, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has led the cruise industry in unique innovations. It introduced the concept of the �private island� in 1977, later adopted by other cruise lines. NCL�s name entertainment offered on its legendary SS Norway in the l980s and l990s was a step above the more traditional Vegas styles revues found aboard competing lines. The first floating Internet cafe were also pioneered by NCL in l999. Then they introduced a completely new cruise concept in 2000, Freestyle Cruising. Not one to sit on past successes, NCL has now entered new markets with NCL America as well as its Homeland Cruising products. Beyond simply creating and launching new ideas, the company continues to raise the bar with each concept.

Nine ships make up the NCL fleet and sail to Bermuda, Alaska, Caribbean, Canada & New England, South America, Europe, the Panama Canal and three more NCL America vessels. NCL is providing group- friendly itineraries to virtually anywhere you want to cruise. Read the entire article (pdf file).

This Year, Conquer Your Niche! 
Exclusive Online Editorial, By Lawler Kang
Every marketing maven in the world wants to own their niche. Being the gorilla in any sand box is always fun, you make the rules and can extract a premium price and scaled margins for whatever you are pitching.

Fundamentally, going after your niche will hone your ability to focus your mind and efforts on a few particular yet key actions. Why is focus so important? Because life has a mischievous way of distracting you. There is always something else drawing your attention, always a multitude of other uses of your life and time, especially the small ones, which, like expenses, can quickly add up and even start to procreate. Read the entire article (linked here).

Live the Frontier History in Fort Smith!
Exclusive Online Feature
Tucked away in the Northwest corner of Arkansas, in the valley which rises to the foot of the beautiful Ozark Mountains, the Arkansas River runs wide and deep as it has for centuries. But its course of history was forever changed when early pioneers disembarked onto its sandy banks, and dug in a toehold for survival.

Fort Smith has a fascinating tale of the early Wild West frontier; stories that come alive the moment you step into this historic frontier town. Read the entire article (linked here).

A Lesson Worth Learning
By Mike Marchev
Every business professional knows the value of visibility, consistency and of being positioned as the �go-to resource.� I would be preaching to the choir if I began the year waxing eloquent on any one of these most important business truths. But then again, if these truths are so self-evident, why do so many �business professionals� fail to get the message? Why does it take an uncanny number of whacks on the head for so many smart people to finally get it?

I want you to get this and get it good. Publicity is free and it is a good thing for your business. Go get some.

Publicity is not about you or your business. It is all about the reader, listener, viewer or recipient of your release. If you finally find the time to do your business some good at the expense of pushing a pile of papers from point �a� to position �b�, then I want you to tell the recipient something (anything) they might want to hear.

Like what? Read the entire article (pdf file linked here) to find out.

The Prairie and Prosperity of Illinois
By John Kloster
The Land of Lincoln sprawls over 56,400 square-miles primarily of prairie, but half of its population of 12 million is concentrated in the greater Chicago area. This article, ripped from the pages of Leisure Group Travel�s February issue explores the five regions of �downstate� and then discovers Chicagoland.

Speaking of Illinois group travel, it�s worth mentioning that the Illinois Bureau of Tourism unveiled a one-stop resource for planning group trips throughout the state. Organized by region, www.tourillinois.org has complete descriptions of the attractions and accommodations that are group-friendly. There is also a range of pre-planned itineraries organized by region and by theme. Read the entire editorial (pdf file).

Special Event - Rhythm in Motion
Tattoo will leave its mark on the Midwest
Bring your group for the day to the first Midwest International Music Tattoo. The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26, 2006, at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ill.

The Heartland International Tattoo is the first of its kind in the Midwest, and features more than 350 performers in civilian and military brass bands, bag pipe bands, wind bands, Highland dancers, drum corps and more. Patterned after the great Edinburgh Tattoo (Scotland) and the Nova Scotia Tattoo, this indoor musical pageant show will be a major tourism event for northern Illinois as well as the entire Midwest region.

A complete list of the entertainers is posted on the Heartland Tattoo web site. Group tickets and package information are available from FunME Events at 815-756-1263. More information (e-mail).

Request Brochures And Win!
Visit our Electronic Reader Service Center and obtain product information on dozens of group- friendly travel suppliers in just a few clicks. It�s a great way to obtain new info without the hassles of multiple phone calls, emails and form completion.

Simply select those suppliers or destinations that have piqued your curiosity, complete the brief contact form and click Submit.

By doing so you will automatically be entered into our drawing for complimentary airline tickets to any scheduled destination Southwest Airlines serves!

About InSite
InSite is published by Premier Tourism Marketing, Inc. and distributed to over 9,200 group travel organizers via email, plus online at leisuregrouptravel.com.
|
Contact: Jeff Gayduk
jeff@ptmgroups.com
630-794-0696