Group Tour Magazine - February 2023 - 16

Neon Museum Day
proclamation
Big Bear Mountain rendering
Anticipation Builds in East Tennessee
The Dollywood theme park in Pigeon
Forge, Tennessee, is gearing up for a season
that includes the debut of Big Bear
Mountain (the longest roller coaster in
the park's history) and a celebration of
one of Dolly Parton's most iconic songs,
as well as 15 additional park operating
days throughout the year. The park is
scheduled to open to the general public
on March 11.
Dollywood's Big Bear Mountain is the
single-largest attraction investment in the
company's history. The $25 million roller
coaster is nearly 4,000 feet long, features
on-board audio, and promises guests a
thrilling adventure through the hills
bordering Wildwood Grove. This expansion
takes guests through three separate
launches, multiple airtime hills, high-speed
carousel turns, and tunnels. The coaster
trains resemble four-wheel-drive SUVs.
New in 2023, guests will be able to celebrate
one of Parton's biggest hits, " I Will
Always Love You. " To observe the 50th
anniversary of the song, the I Will Always
Love You Celebration is set to take place
at Dollywood March 11-April 8.
dollywood.com
History Brought
To Life
The Neon Museum received a special
proclamation from the city of Las
Vegas in 2022 to commemorate its
10th anniversary of the opening of its
current campus. The museum opened
in historic downtown Las Vegas on
Oct. 27, 2012. Councilman Cedric
Crear presented the proclamation to
The Neon Museum's executive director,
Aaron Berger, inside the museum's
Neon Boneyard, home to its iconic
Working Together in Ontario
The Ontario Motorcoach Association (OMCA) and Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO)
have teamed up to help increase tourist engagement, educate tourism operators, and
promote Indigenous tourism experiences across Ontario. OMCA and ITO entered a
memorandum of understanding at the OMCA Marketplace in Niagara Falls, Ontario,
last November. This undertaking will support OMCA's strategic goals to foster an
understanding of Indigenous business culture; build meaningful and supportive
Indigenous relationships; and increase engagement with its current and future members,
local Indigenous groups, and operators.
The work will support existing Indigenous tourism products and increase product
visibility, as well as the development and promotion of authentic Indigenous tourism
experiences across Ontario. ITO will act as the expert in Indigenous tourism for OMCA
and provide linkages to current tourism operators looking to market their businesses and
experiences. ITO will provide cultural authenticity training initiatives, increase growth of
Indigenous members, and help support cross-cultural educational opportunities.
indigenoustourism.ca, omca.com
neon sign collection.
" The Neon Museum brings great
distinction and honor to Ward 5 and
all of Las Vegas, " Crear says. " As a Las
Vegas native, I applaud the museum's
commitment to telling the stories
of our city's history-including those
stories that might be lesser known,
like the civil rights effort in Las Vegas
or the unique cultural contributions
of community members. These are
important historical stories for us to
celebrate and for people to hear, now
and for generations to come. I congratulate
the museum on its 10-year
anniversary and look forward to supporting
its future endeavors. "
neonmuseum.org
grouptourmagazine.com
11
FROM LEFT DOLLYWOOD, THE NEON MUSEUM

http://www.dollywood.com http://www.indigenoustourism.ca http://www.omca.com http://www.neonmuseum.org http://www.grouptourmagazine.com

Group Tour Magazine - February 2023

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