Travel Agent - March 17, 2008 - (Page 105)

Southern Tourism Focuses on Themes For 2008 Vacations West Virginia, according to Betty Carver, commissioner of tourism at the West Virginia Division of Tourism. Carver also reports that the new Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine (www.beckleymine.com) will open in April, and the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry will be commemorated in 2009. Lynn Minges, executive director of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development, cites wine tourism as a huge draw. Five years ago, she says, the state had 30 wineries; today there are more than 120. She also says travelers are enjoying North Carolina’s new “Literary Trail,” focusing on 170 writers and authors. Bud Nocera, president and CEO of Visit Florida, announced that a new Sunshine State ad campaign will feature “Been There, Haven’t Done That,” showcasing unusual experiences. For 2009-2016, Florida will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the landing of Europeans in the continental U.S., and a new De Soto Trails Guide will be created. The new $400 million, 140acre Hard Rock Park (www. hardrockpark.com) will open in Myrtle Beach, SC, on May 9, says Chad Prosser, agency director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. In Huntsville, AL, a Saturn V Rocket is now displayed at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (www.spacecamp.com), reports Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. Sentell also notes that 2008 is “The Year of Alabama Sports.” SUSAN J. YOUNG March 17, 2008 TravelAgent | 105 NEWS IMPACT LEFT: Writer, Susan Young, in Monte-Carlo TOP: Biloxi, MS, was the meeting place for the Travel South conference EXPLODING INTEREST IN CULINARY-WINE TOURISM, GIRLFRIEND GETAWAYS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE and sports tourism is driving U.S. southern state tourism efforts, said 12 state tourism directors during a press briefing at the Travel South conference in Biloxi, MS. Craig Ray, director of tourism for the Mississippi Development Authority, says travelers seek “authentic southern experiences,” including the new Mississippi Blues Trail (www.msbluestrail. org), a themed itinerary that ultimately will focus on more than 100 musical heritage sites. The state also will be home to the new B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center (www.bbkingmuseum.org), which is set to open September 12 in Indianola. Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 11 casinos have opened with two more to debut by 2010. And Beauvoir (www.beauvoir. org), Jefferson Davis’ former home in Biloxi, will re-open to visitors in early summer. In Virginia, President James Madison’s Montpelier mansion (www.montpeleir.org), in Montpelier Station, also will re-open this year, according to Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Bailey also says the “Virginia Is for Lovers” campaign is back this year with a new “Live Passionately” travel marketing focus. The Lincoln Bicentennial, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in Hogdenville in 2009, will anchor Kentucky’s tourism promotion this year, according to Mike Cooper, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Tourism. Also, the Ryder Cup will be held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, September 16-21, 2008. Joe David Rice, director at the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, and Chuck Morse, assistant secretary at the Louisiana Office of Tourism, cite AfricanAmerican heritage as a major trend. Louisiana just unveiled a new African-American Heritage trail with 26 sites. In Lake Village, AR, Lakeport Plantation (http://lakeport.astate.edu) has opened as a museum and educational center. “It’s really the only antebellum Civil War plantation that still exists in Arkansas, and it’s pretty unique because it [covers] plantation life from a slave’s point of view,” says Rice. More than 37 new hotels are under construction or planned in Savannah, GA, with 3,900 rooms to be added over the next three years, says Charlie Gatlin, deputy commissioner for tourism and marketing at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Gatlin also outlined multiple Atlanta-area hospitality projects, including three new W Hotels. Susan Whitaker, commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, revealed a new Civil War Trails program. She also showcased the new $100 million Belle Island Village (www. belleisland.com), which is opening this fall in Pigeon Forge with a 240-room Belle Island Inn, 95 retail venues, the Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience and the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Motion Picture Museum. Food-heritage travel is big in http://www.beckleymine.com http://lakeport.astate.edu http://www.montpelier.org/ http://www.hardrockpark.com http://www.msbluestrail.org http://www.hardrockpark.com http://www.msbluestrail.org http://www.belleisland.com http://www.belleisland.com http://www.bbkingmuseum.org http://www.bbkingmuseum.org http://www.spacecamp.com http://www.beauvoir.org http://www.beauvoir.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - March 17, 2008

Travel Agent - March 17, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Contributors Africa: Lodges that will Make your African Safari through Tanzania Unforgettable Special Supplement: Honeymoon Specialist Africa News and Briefs Caribbean: The Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino is a Perfect Choice for all Types of Clientele Hawaii: The Less-Visited Island of Molokai Provides a taste of Old-Time Hawaii Central and South America: Where to Enjoy the Reefs, Rainforest and Ruins in Belize’s Maya Country Hotels: Properties that Cater to the Growing Trend of “Girlfriend Getaways” Cruises: Increasingly, Cruisers are Choosing Outside Companies for their Off-Ship Excursions Barbados: A Caribbean Travelers' Dream Airline Update: Several European Airlines Offer New Nonstop Service Ski/Snowboard: Three New Hotels Hit the Slopes in Wyoming, Utah and British Columbia Multi-Generational Travel: Cavallo Point: the Lodge at Golden Gate is a New “Green” Hotel Outside of San Francisco Agent Profile: Lynda Turley of Alpine Travel of Saratoga in Saratoga, CA Agency Profile: Largay Travel’s Company Retreat Cover Story: Barbados Technology: Open Travel CRM Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Onsite from Jordan Travel Mart Harrah’s Draws Younger Clients to Atlantic City Cruise News India’s New Hotels and Nonstop Flights Saluting Travel Industry Contributors Report from Travel South In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - March 17, 2008

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