LV website to sell travel packages to Europeans

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.

The Internet site VEGAS.com today announced an agreement with European website Firstream to allow people throughout Europe to book travel arrangements to Las Vegas and other U.S. destinations in their native languages.

Firstream is based in France and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Howard Lefkowitz, president of VEGAS.com, said the deal will increase travel bookings through VEGAS.com, and bring more European visitors to Las Vegas through Firstream's inventory of tailored products.

"VEGAS.com intends to recapture and grow the European marketshare for visitors to Vegas," Lefkowitz said in a statement. "The potential from the European market is extensive, and the site will provide easy access to all the necessary components for a complete Vegas experience."

Travel arrangements can be made in Spanish, French, Italian and German. Besides the European venture, a spokesman said VEGAS.com continues to look at opportunities elsewhere in the world.

"VEGAS.com is one of the best city brands worldwide and we are delighted to have been chosen as their European distribution partner," said J.C. Chopin of Firststream. "We will be providing the European market with the most secure transaction capabilities when booking trips through VEGAS.com."

The partnership with Firstream will build VEGAS.com's supplier base by adding international air carriers and tour operators. Through connectivity with VEGAS.com, European customers will soon be offered the option to book other top U.S. destinations as well.

VEGAS.com plans to operate a technical and customer service office in Paris to support the expanded markets. VEGAS.com servers will continue to be managed from data centers in the company's headquarters in Henderson.

VEGAS.com is a sister company of the Las Vegas Sun.