ETC Announces Online Portal, Amex Partnership

The European Travel Commission (ETC) announced that its web site [www.visiteurope.com] would become a travel portal providing additional functions and capabilities. The ETC also said that it would partner with American Express to launch the portal. Amex will encourage travelers to visit the site, launching a "More Reasons to Visit Europe" campaign and give away 10 trips for two to Europe. New functions of the web portal include a travel planner, comprehensive coverage of major events searchable by country and category, and a flight connection search engine that covers more than 500 airlines. Future plans for the portal, the ETC said, include grouping several countries around such themes as skiing, art and architecture, and fishing.