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www.visitusa.org.uk Subscribe to our fortnightly email newsletter online. Call the information and brochure request line on 0870 777 2213 or email
vusa@bhpdirect-mail.com
Legoland puts new bricks in place in Orlando
Orlando is constantly evolving. No
matter how many times your clients visit there will always be new ways to make them smile – whether that is a new show, ride or attraction. LEGOLAND Florida, which debuted
last month (October), has been created for families with children aged between two and 12. Features include more than 50 million LEGO bricks on display, kid- friendly roller coasters and 10 specially themed zones. The rides and shows at LEGOLAND
are suitable for small children, and the LEGO displays of whimsical characters such as dinosaurs, zoo animals and pirates fill the park and seem to be created straight out of a child’s vivid imagination. And there’s more. A new LEGO- themed water park and hotel will be added within the next two years.
VisitOrlando.com
Association, the show is expected to attract most of the UK-based US specialist operators, along with more than 400 international media, as well as travel suppliers and organisations from across the US. In addition to the marketplace the visiting UK delegation will also participate in dozens of neighbourhood tours designed to show of Los Angeles' many facets. Mark Lieberman, president and CEO
LA expects a spin-off
The host city of next year’s International Pow Wow, the USA’s premier travel industry event, is expecting a huge spin off from welcoming more than 1,500 international and domestic buyers from 70 countries.
Earmarked for April 21-25, 2012, the event will bring together in Los Angeles thousands of tour operators and other buyers from around the world that purchase and sell travel to the US.
Organised by the US Travel
of LA INC, said: “Tourism is the number one industry in the city, with international visitors making up 19% of the visitor market, but accounting for 33% of the spending. "Pow Wow will give us the opportunity to grow our international market share not just during the convention, but for several years after.” Los Angeles, which last hosted Pow
Wow in 2004, will see an immediate economic impact of $6.5 million and another estimated $350 million within the next four years, said Liberman.
www.ustravel.org/events
Busch Gardens plans an ice time
Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, will unveil its biggest-ever ice show this winter. Iceploration will kick off on February
SeaWorld guides
visitors into 2012 Agents can now pre-book
VISIT USA IN BRIEF
Santa Barbara now a Hyatt The Hotel Mar Monte, an
iconic 80-year old oceanfront property in Santa Barbara, California, recently became the Hyatt Santa Barbara. The landmark hotel has been undergoing extensive renovations to all guest rooms, meeting rooms and public spaces since February. Each of the 171 guest rooms has ocean or mountain views. The hotel’s Activities desk can arrange bicycle rentals, winery tours, beach activities and day trips.
www.santabarbara.hyatt.com
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s most popular guided tours. Experiences available for advance booking in 2012 include the exclusive Elite VIP Tour, with a personal tour guide and front-of-queue access to rides Manta, Kraken and Journey to Atlantic (from just £92pp, in addition to park admission); getting up-close with manatees and turtles on the Behind the Scenes Tour (£22 per adult and £8 per child); experiencing a whale of a kiss with the Beluga Interaction (£69); or hand-feeding giraffes on a Serengeti Safari (£25) at Busch Gardens. Meanwhile, SeaWorld has set up a Facebook page for UK agents. SeaWorld Parks UK Agents features all the latest news, ‘gossip’, agent incentives and fam trip details.
www.seaworldparks.co.uk
2012 with world-class skaters, aerial performances, master puppetry and live animal stars performing daily shows in a Moroccan themed theatre. A 30-minute show, Iceploration will ‘explore the world’, starting in the
African Serengeti then moving onto the Great Barrier Reef, the Arctic and finishing in the Amazon rainforest. The multi-sensory colourful story will
be told through theatrical skating and an original soundtrack. Iceploration performances are
included with any daily park admission to Busch Gardens or annual Pass.
www.seaworldparks.co.uk
Cruise boost for New Orleans
New Orleans has bucked the national trend by recording increased visitor growth and spending, according to the New Orleans C&VB’s vp of tourism, Kim Priez. “We’re expecting continued growth
in visitation and infrastructure upgrades. Our cruise industry will reach a record number of cruise cabins in 2012 with Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas joining NCL and Carnival, and riverboat cruising will return in 2012 with the Great American Steamboat Company and American Cruise Lines.” Other developments include a
$12million redevelopment of the Port of New Orleans, the re-opening of the Hyatt Regency, expansion of the city’s iconic streetcar system, and the start of the $300million modernisation project at Louis Armstrong International Airport. Also new is the NOLA Movie Tour
in ‘Hollywood South’ (a New Orleans’ nickname), and NOLA Motorsports Park, which houses several world-class driving venues. As well as numerous free festivals,
sporting events will dominate in 2012 and 2013, including Superbowl.
www.neworleans4agents.com
www.sellinglonghaul.com • November 2011 41
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