Perillo Legend Endures With Off-Season Value and Web Innovation

Upholding his late father Mario's reputation for service and innovation, Steve Perillo intends to keep Perillo Tours focused on the same winning ingredients. "It sounds like an oxymoron", laughs Steve, "but Perillo Tours has always had a 'tradition of innovation'. At the same time, nothing was more important to my Dad than providing great service and value. We're going to continue to do both".

Value? Steve plans outstanding itineraries in Italy and Spain from November 2003 to April 2004, and worry-free low rates to Hawaii year-round.

Innovation? Mario was the first tour operator to use mass media-- radio in the 1940's and then television in the 1950's-- to drive business to his travel agent partners. Steve continues that innovative tradition in the 21st century with one of the industry's most extensive and powerful agent-friendly websites, www.perilloagents.com.

The agents website

Perillo Tours invites travel agents to log onto www.perilloagents.com. Three years in the making, the site features comprehensive tools and destination content to help travel agents close their sale, and a powerful tour-booking engine linked to Sabre for immediate, live confirmation.

"As we sell nationally, we required an intelligent air system to link passengers from dozens of cities to our tours in Italy, Hawaii and beyond", says Steve Perillo, "this was achieved for both block and contract air by our system developers, HyperTech Solutions of White Plains, NY".

HyperTech president, Rakesh Mishra adds, "For Perillo to offer worry-free tour products while maintaining a simple, streamlined operation, a lot of complex travel components need to be packaged dynamically behind the scenes. An off-the-shelf solution would simply not do the job. So we built a system from the ground up to satisfy their needs and those of other travel sellers in the future".

Log onto www.perilloagents.com to find many unique features. For example:

- Live air and land booking in 5 easy steps
- Up-to-the-minute availability and pricing
- Immediate reservation confirmation
- On-line brochure request
- "E-brochures" can be created by agents (with just a click), and sent to their customers with their return e-mail address and their own cover message
- Full on-line itinerary detail, with photos, maps and lots of other useful information
- Site content covering all Perillo destinations and hotels
- Easy, intuitive site navigation

As always, Perillo pays 10% commission on air and land for on-line bookings.

Off-season value to Italy and Spain

Perillo Tours, the largest tour operator to Italy in the world, takes advantage of reduced off-season rates to negotiate bargains on round-trip airfare and first-class hotels. November 2003 to April 2004 is the best time to take advantage of these great values. An off-season bonus is the mild mid-50s-to-60s Mediterranean climate, which is pleasant for shopping and sightseeing in the less tourist crowded countries.

Perillo expertise in securing a cost-saving vacation is confirmed by the company's clients, who testify that they "see more, save more and have more fun than traveling independently."

Italy starts at $999, per person, double occupancy, for an 8-day hosted Roman Holiday.

Fully escorted tours include 10-day Vesuvius, with a Venice visit, from $2229; 11-day Marco Polo, with the accent on fine restaurants, from $2299; 14-day Italy North Classic, with an excursion to Lugano, Switzerland, from $2629; and 14-day South and Sicily, visiting the regions of Palermo, Argrigento, Taomina Lido and Sorrento, from $2699.

All of the escorted tours feature three nights in Rome for a private guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and a motor coach tour of the Eternal City's wondrous St. Peter's Basilica, Colosseum, Forum and ancient monuments.

The renaissance masterpieces and piazzas in Florence, the canals and Doge's Palace in Venice and La Scala Opera House and da Vinci's restored "Last Supper" in Milan are among the highlights in Italy's capital cities.

Fine dining with regional wines also is emphasized in restaurants such as Michelin's Four Fork-classified Sabatini in Florence.

The year 2003-04 marks the introduction of Perillo's 12-day Spanish Eyes Tour in the off-season. Round-trip flights from major U.S. cities are via Iberia Airlines.

Accented by elegance in first-class and deluxe hotels, Spanish Eyes explores the country's Hispanic-Arabic culture in Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Costa del Sol and Granada. Optical excursions to the Rock of Gibraltar and Morocco's Casabas are available.

The Pardon Museum and Royal Palace in Madrid, southern Spain Andalusia's magnificent Alhambra in Granada, Mosque in Cordoba and Alcazar and old quarter in Seville are among the highlights, as well as a reality view of El Greco's stormy "View of Toledo."

Perillo tours include round-trip airfare, transfers, baggage handling, hotel tax and service charge, gratuities and personalized service by professional tour directors. Escorted tours offer daily "American-style" breakfast and dinner with complimentary wine and beverages.

Perillo low rates bring Hawaii into reach for vacation

Perillo's all-inclusive Hawaii 2004 tours make the islands as approachable and affordable as any warm-weather destination.

Round-trip Delta air fare from more than 100 U.S. cities, deluxe hotels, fine dining and fully escorted service insure a "worry free" holiday from start to finish.

Perfect for honeymooners, singles or couples, a Perillo tour "pampers its clients like millionaires while saving them hundreds of dollars."

An 8-day, 7-night Two Islander to Oahu and Maui starts at $2499 per person, double occupancy. An 11-day/10-night Three Islander to Oahu, Kaui and Maui is from $3099.

The tours feature oceanfront resorts that would cost considerably more if booked independently.

They include the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort and Spa in Oahu; the deluxe Sheraton Resort, nestled on 20 across Poipu Beach in Kauai; and the super deluxe, AAA Diamond Award-winning Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa on Ka'anapali Beach in Maui, graced by a free-form pool with swim-up bar, waterfalls and tropical gardens.

The tours spend days visiting major attractions in the 50th state and evenings socializing over cocktails and dinner.

Sightseeing highlights in Honolulu include the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and the Punchbowl National Cemetery, Society of Seven cocktail show and Polynesian Cultural Center, with a buffet feast and evening show.

In Kaui, a jet powered helicopter flight upriver to the Menehune Fishpond and Huliea Stream recreates the opening scene of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark." The view from Mt. Waialeale Crater recalls scenes from "Jurassic Park."

Iao needle, Lehaina's former whaling town and a "Drum's of the Pacific" luau and Polynesian dance show, plus a visit to the Mt. Haleakala sleeping volcano, are other memorable moments in the Valley Island.

Tour members enjoy the pasta and Chinese cuisine at Ciao Mein, Japanese specialties at Musashi and the fare at the world famous Hyatt's Swan Court.

Perillo's outstanding Hawaii programs include Delta flights, transfers, baggage handling, inter-island air fare, daily breakfast and dinner with wine, gratuities and professional tour directors who "go the extra mile" for their guests.

For more information on Perillo Tours contact Steve Perillo or Margaret Toupin at 1-800-431-1515 or just go on-line at www.perilloagents.com.

For more information on HyperTech Solutions, go to www.hypertechsolutions.com or e-mail information@hypertechsolutions.com.

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