Recommend December 2015 - (Page 60)

This images: The Mako roller coaster will debut at SeaWorld Orlando in 2016. Right: Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS SEAWORLD PARKS ENTERTAINMENT, INC. northamerica Eyes on 2016 michelle marie arean Tourism across the U.S. and Canada is booming, with new tours, hotels and attractions adding to its allure. Plus, we've got the Centennial celebration of the National Parks Service coming up in 2016, which to you translates to more booking opportunities at these local gems. No question-North America offers an array of popular tourism destinations. visitors by the numbers The numbers for destinations across North America speak to this popularity. According to reports from NYC & Company, New York City reached an all-time record 56.4 million visitors in 2014. The city's hotel sector reached 102,000 hotel rooms in 2014. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Visit California's most recent travel report notes that California's travel industry expanded for the fifth consecutive year in 2014, after the 2007-2009 recession, with an increased room demand of 3.9 percent. According to the 2015 Las Vegas Year-to-Date Executive Summary, in September 2015, 3,544,505 visitors traveled to Las Vegas, marking a 6 percent jump from prior year in that same month. In Florida, Visit Orlando announced earlier this year that more than 62 million guests visited the city in 2014-marking a record for the U.S. travel industry, distinguishing Orlando's position as the most visited destination in the U.S. And Miami and the Beaches, according to information provided at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau's 2015 Annual Meeting this past October, saw a 5.4 percent increase in overnight visitors during September 2014 to August 2015, and during that time the destination welcomed 15.1 million overnight visitors, up from the 14.2 million visitors over the same period for the previous year. No doubt, the demand is there and travel suppliers are responding. 60 december 2015 4-1-1 on tour operators The big focus next year for tour operators offering North America itineraries is the National Park Service's Centennial celebration. Case in point, Globus-which, incidentally won several awards in this year's Readers' Choice Awards-is showcasing two GoParks! Tours that mark this occasion. For the celebration, Globus is offering a 103-day Centennial Celebration: 100 Days of GoParks! itinerary, which visits 35 National Parks, as well as the new 10-day Southern California with Death Valley & Joshua Tree National Parks vacation. Travelers can take part in local experiences such as spending time with an Amish family; touring the Gloria Ferrer wine caves; or touring the Antelope Slot Canyon with a Native American guide. In Canada, Collette has added new tours such as the 7-day Canada's Winter Wonderland (starting at $1,999 pp dbl), highlighting the province of Alberta, where guests stay at two if its historic hotels-The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and The Fairmont Banff Springs. Guests travel from Edmonton to Jasper, choose between a snow shoe trek and an ice walk through Maligne Canyon, and go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride before sitting by the fire enjoying hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows. Mayflower Tours has added four new tours featuring North America destinations, including The Great Volcanoes of America's West ($2,229 pp dbl), a 9-day itinerary that takes guests to nine volcanoes. Guests also tour along the Columbia River Gorge and view Multnomah Falls, pass volcanic Mt. Bachelor and visit Crater Lake National Park and glacier-capped Mt. Shasta, plus spend a day at Lassen Volcanic National Park. recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2015

Editor’s Notes
19th Annual Recommend Readers’ Choice Awards Winners
Cruising Into the Future
Anthem of the Seas
Norwegian Escape
Looking Ahead
Saint Lucia 36-Page Pull-Out Travel Agent Specialist Program
Trending Now in the Caribbean
Eyes on 2016
Dive Into the New Year
Wild Encounters in the Coming Year
New Year, More Choices
Latin America in 2016 & Beyond

Recommend December 2015