The New York Times Travel Show Offers Free Trips, Special Travel Disco

    Business Editors

    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2005--The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT)

    -- Two New Sponsors: Greece National Tourism Organization and LTU
    International Airways

    The New York Times Travel Show announced today its round-up of special show-only travel discounts and unique travel packages, cultural performances, travel seminars and entertainment. The show will be held in New York City on March 5-6 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Presented by American Express, The New York Times Travel Show is a major consumer exhibition and trade event, with nearly 500 exhibitors and opportunities for special travel discounts from leading airlines, cruise lines, resorts and tourism boards from around the world.
    Learn from the experts at workshops hosted by Stephanie Abrams, Valarie D'Elia, Arthur Frommer, Peter Greenberg, Brad Ludden and Rick Steves. These savvy travelers will offer advice and tips on everything from how to film a travel video, to how to roll a kayak, to finding unique souvenirs from around the world, to discovering cool, new things to do while travelling.
    The travel show will also offer scuba diving lessons, exclusive airline deals, advice on what to pack and where to shop, and much more. It is for the avid adventure seeker as well as the armchair traveler and the occasional vacationer wanting to escape the winter blues. The show will feature discounts and entertainment for families, singles, couples and seniors, including:

    -- Exclusive Travel Discounts and Free Vacations

    Discounts and travel packages from exhibitors including American Express, American Museum of Natural History/Discovery Tours, Grand Expeditions, Mango African Safaris, Pacific World Delight Tours and Visit Japan Campaign, to name a few. Book a vacation and enter to win a free cruise, hotel stay or spa weekend from exhibitors such as Grand Expeditions and Discovery Cruise Lines. And American Express will provide "American Express Vacation Planning Stations" to facilitate booking vacations at the show.

    -- Wild Survivors

    Pet a lemur -- or a 12-foot Burmese python - and see other exotic animals such as a small alligator, armadillos and porcupines with Busch Gardens animal expert Julie Scardina.

    -- Ride an Eco-Friendly Bus

    Climb up, in and around the National Outdoor Leadership School's (N.O.L.S.) eco-friendly bus, which runs on waste vegetable oil and solar energy, and has a climbing wall along one 36-foot side. The bus travels the country to educate students about the environment, and will be open to all visitors to the trade show floor.

    -- Sesame Street's Elmo and Cookie Monster

    Meet Elmo and Gordon, and share cookies and milk with Cookie Monster, at the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resort booth.

    -- Show tunes, International Dance and Folk Songs ...on the
    Hudson

    On the WNBC/WNJU-TV stage, be entertained by special live performances from new Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals including Chicago, Good Vibrations, Little Women, Cookin', Lazer Vaudeville and Newsical. Other stage performances include Taiwanese, Lithuanian, Nicaraguan and Malaysian dancers, singers and musicians.

    -- Book Signings with Authors, including Nicholas Sparks

    Meet Nicholas Sparks, author of "Three Weeks with My Brother," as he signs books. Also, at 12 noon on Saturday, March 5th, Mr. Sparks will announce the winner of "The New York Times/TCS Expeditions Heaven and Earth Luxury Escape" sweepstakes, an opportunity for travel enthusiasts to win a 24-day, private jet vacation for two to some of the most exotic and ancient places in the world, courtesy of TCS Expeditions.

    -- Travel for the Pampered Pooch

    One of the most influential voices in travel, radio travel show host Stephanie Abrams, heard nationally on the Business Talk Radio Network, will host this seminar with tips on traveling with your furry family members and finding pet-friendly accommodations around the world.

    Special discounts for New York Times Travel Show patrons include:

    -- Discounted Dining

    At nearby participating restaurants, receive 20% off with your Travel Show ticket from March 4-6.
    Among the dozens of exhibitors at the show are American Express Vacations, Aruba Tourist Authority, Explorers Corner, Funjet Vacations, Globus & Cosmos, Grand Expeditions, Japan National Tourist Office, Lindblad Expeditions, Mango African Safaris and N.O.L.S.
    The New York Times Travel Show is presented by American Express and recently signed on the Greece National Tourism Organization and LTU International Airways as its newest sponsors. LTU International Airways has chosen The New York Times Travel Show to announce the launch of their new non-stop service from J.F.K. International Airport to Germany, beginning in April. Also, WNBC/WNJU-TV recently signed on as media partners.
    Other sponsors include Amtrak, Carnival Cruise Lines and The Islands of The Bahamas. Sandals and Beaches Resorts and Washington, D.C. Convention and Tourism Corporation are contributing sponsors of the show and Outside Magazine is the print media sponsor. Travel Agent Magazine and Business Talk Radio's "Travel with Stephanie Abrams" are industry partners for the show.
    Admission to the show is $15, with a $5 discount if tickets are purchased with an American Express card. Also American Express cardholders receive a special two-for-one deal for advanced purchases made before February 27. Children under 18 are admitted free. Show hours are Saturday, March 5, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    For advance purchase of tickets to the show, a list of exhibitors and locations for discounted restaurants and parking, please visit our Web site at www.nytimes.com/travelshow. Also, complete details will be appearing in a special pull-out section in the newspaper on Sunday, Feb. 27, and inserted in the The New York Times Magazine on March 6.
    The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2004 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 16 other newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. For the fourth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's 2004 list of America's Most Admired Companies. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

--30--SW/ny*

CONTACT: The New York Times Pat Eisemann, 212-556-8719 E-mail: eismap@nytimes.com Keith Sherman & Associates Keith Sherman, 212-764-7900 E-mail: keith@ksa-pr.com This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com and www.nytimes-community.com

KEYWORD: NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRAVEL PUBLISHING SOURCE: The New York Times Company

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