SHOW REPORT GO WEST SUMMIT
The Go West Summit – held this year in Boise, Idaho (February 7-10) – is an annual travel trade marketplace that brings together suppliers from 13 western states Steve Hartridge reports
From The Show Floor
DUNCAN MCCUBBIN CELLET TRAVEL SERVICES “It was my first Go West and I found it very useful. It attracts a different type of
supplier and buyer because it is a little bit more niche and is more cost-effective for those who can’t afford the larger shows. The event is very well put together. I was here wearing my Colorado hat, getting updates from the Colorado products on what is happening in their regions so we can better represent their interests in the UK.”
EMILY LEGGETT PURCHASING MANAGER, NORTH AMERICA PAGE & MOY TRAVEL GROUP “After my Go West meetings I am looking at new itineraries, such as re-introducing
a Pacific Northwest tour. It didn’t do well before but we’ll spice it up by flying into San Francisco, travelling up the coast through Oregon and finishing in Vancouver.”
SIMON EDWARDS CONTRACTS MANAGER, VIRGIN HOLIDAYS ”Go West 2011 was very good. There is a lot of good product here and it is a good
time of year for a trade show. Of all the North America destinations in the western region San Francisco is the one that is standing out. It is still doing reasonably well for us and has some good publicity coming its way, with Pow Wow in May and the America’s Cup in 2012.”
Texas capital ready for the fast track
Interview...
NANCY RICHARDSON INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SPECIALIST IDAHO DIVISION OF TOURISM What did hosting Go West mean for Idaho? We were thrilled to have it here. We’d been planning
this for a couple of years and it was great to work with the organisers; they run such a great show. It is difficult for international operators to sell something sight unseen, which is why it was fabulous to be able to show them what we offer.
Austin is hoping that the staging of a
major sporting event next year will raise its UK profile. The Texas state capital will host the
USA Formula One Grand Prix race in 2012 for the first time – and will stage the race in subsequent years until 2021. The exact date of the 2012 race will be announced in November this year. “We’re hoping for a date in June,
which would show off the city at its best,” said Margo Richards of the Austin
Convention and Visitors Bureau, who added that the UK was already the most important overseas market for the city. Austin, one of the country’s ‘music
capitals’, welcomed a new W hotel last December and opened Block 21, the new home of the popular TV show City Limits, in January. The 2,500-seat state-of-the-art-venue
will host tapings of the show and will double as a performance venue.
www.AustinTexas.org
New bear essentials in Kodiak, Alaska Visitors to Alaska this summer will be
able to watch brown bears in their natural habit along the O’Mally River, in Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. A viewing platform will open to guests
for the first time in 14 years – although they will have to spend a minimum of four nights in the reserve. The attraction will be open late June to mid-September. “By limiting numbers to just eight
clients and two guides, and making guests stay over in the park, we have created a top-class wildlife experience,” said Alaska Travel Industry Association’s Jesse Carlstrom.
GO WEST IN BRIEF
Seattle has much more in store Seattle, Washington, hopes two new
long-stay additions to one of the city’s most popular attractions will be on the hit list of international travellers. Opening at Experience Music Project
on April 16 is a tribute to one of the city’s best-known rock bands. Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses will trace the band’s rise through 200 artefacts,
including smashed guitars, rare photographs and signed lyrics. The exhibition will run until April 2013. Also at EMP, Avatar: the Exhibition will give fans of the highest-ever grossing film a look at props and costumes, interactive displays, models and sketches from the film. Opening June 4 2011 it will run until September 2012.
www.visitseattle.com
The refuge supports some of the highest densities of brown bears – an estimated population of 3,000 – nesting bald eagles, and spawning salmon. Guests will be led by an official guide.
www.kodiak.org
What are Idaho’s main draw cards? Our range of outdoor activities. We are known for our scenic wonders, with more miles of pristine wilderness areas than any state in the Lower 48 (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), and more navigable miles of white-water outside of Alaska. We also have great skiing. The challenge is getting people here as about 65 per cent do then return within two years.
What would keep visitors in Boise? For a small city there are plenty of attractions. Boise has great shopping, fabulous dining, quirky bars, and gorgeous parks that are part of a 25-mile green belt area. The foothills of the Rocky Mountains start right in the city, with trails and mountain biking routes. If I had to name one ‘must do’ attraction it would be The World Centre for Birds of Prey, just seven miles from Boise. It is one of the few places where you can see California condors in captivity.
The next Go West will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 6-9, 2012.
www.sellinglonghaul.com • March 2011 13
What were the main benefits of the show to Idaho? It was mainly about building relationships. We met old friends but made valuable new potential partners. We are hoping for plenty of new enquiries.
What is the level of knowledge of Idaho’s tourism products in the UK? Probably about the same as it is in the US – which is slim to none! Most people do not have a visual image of Idaho. The only thing most associate it with is potatoes. It is a challenge for us to paint the palette, but then again, at least we do not first have to change perceptions. We have a blank slate, which provides us with an opportunity.
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