A VISIT TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
I had the opportunity to visit the Czech Republic on multiple occasions as well as during an ASTA Conference. In fact I even was married in Prague officated by the Mayor of Prague. I’ll keep this article about what all the travel agents that attended learned.
The purpose of the ASTA International Destination Expo (ASTA IDE) was to learn about the many countries, especially the Czech Republic, in Central Europe.
We participated in many Destination Specialist Seminars on the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, etc., and we also had the wonderful opportunity to tour and visit some interesting spots in the Czech Republic.
I visited Hluboka Castle and the UNESCO listed village of Holasovice with a short visit to Ceska Budjovice and then on to Cesky Krumlov.
We stayed over night in Cesky Krumlov where we stayed at a small boutique hotel, U Mesta Vidne and were treated to a delightful and tasty dinner at a local restaurant including live music. After the dinner we were treated to a medieval performance by 2 local men, and during the performance I and one of the other Travel Agents present were brought in and participated in that performance.
I would suggest that an overnight stay in Cesky Krumlov is a must just so you can spend some time shopping in the little shops, but especially so you can see and photograph the castle at night when it is lit up by spotlights.
I found some wonderful buys on garnet and gold jewelry.
The castle in Krumlovy has one of only two of fully restored Baroque Theaters in Europe which is quite unique. The other unique distinction of the Castle in Krumlovy is that it is the second largest Czech Castlein the Czech Republic.
The largest is the Prague Castle where we were treated to a sumptuous banquet later that week.
Upon return to Prague, the ASTA IDE started with seminars, trade shows, one-on-one interviews with various country tourism personnel.
The first evening for the Grand Opening, the Ambassador Hotel Group sponsored a phenomenal banquet at the Prague Castle with every type of appetizer, drink, food and desert imaginable. Understand that there were 1,000+ people participating and we never ran out of food.
Another memorable evening was the “Top Hotel” sponsored banquet called ‘A Gastronomic Walk through the Czech Country’ which featured regional food from every region of the Czech Republic.
The final evening was a culinary delight sponsored by Korea which was served in style, and we were treated to a fantastic live performance by Korean musicians prior to the dinner and then Korean music during dinner.
There were many hotels that provided the participants with special rates during the IDE. I elected to stay at the Hotel Adria right on Wenceslaus Square in the heart of downtown Prague. I had a very comfortable junior suite facing the square yet it was absolutely silent from outside noise. As is typical it included a buffet breakfast which was very nice – except for the juice which seemed a little watered down for my taste.
There were other various tours during the IDE that we participated in which gave us some special insight into the Czech Country as well as Prague itself.
This was not my first visit to Prague, and it certainly wasn’t my last. I met new people and made some wonderful new friends.
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You should add the Czech Republic to your ‘places to visit’, and let our sister company, Tour & Travel Organizers help you plan and book any of your trips. Just go to www.tour-travel-organizers.com to begin your travel bookings and rental car bookings. Also note that many European Union countries are now requiring each visitor carry Travel Medical Coverage to enter their country. Tour and Travel Organizers Ltd can provide you with that coverage and proof.
Peter A Distefano, CPIA, RHU, VTC
Editor In Chief
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