SHOW REPORT GO WEST
Colorado set for take-off
The Go West Summit – held this year in Las Vegas (February 6-9) – showcased the newest tourism products of 13 western USA states. Steve Hartridge reports
Do a ranch
holiday, dude Top 50 Ranches, an umbrella body
for some of the world’s top guest ranches, working ranches and dude ranches, is encouraging UK travel agents to contact it when their clients ask for a 'genuine western cowboy experience’. Founder Jody Dahl said: “UK visitors
love our ranches as they cater for all levels of riding ability, from total beginners to advanced riders. “We try to make everything easy for
travel agents, who can contact us and feel confident we will be able to match the right ranch to the right client.” "Also, we know which ranches are suitable for families. When perhaps not all members want to spend all day on the back of a horse we have ranches on the water for boating or yachting. “Although agents book directly with
the ranches, we welcome calls from travel agents and will point them to the right ranches, who will give them 10-20% on direct bookings," said Dahl.
www.top50ranches.com
From The Show Floor
SIMON LYNCH General Manager Private Travel, A&K “We launched a new
Colorado will receive a boost this summer when Icelandair begins a four- times-weekly, year-round, flight between Reykjavík and Denver on May 10. And visitors to the capital of the Rocky
Mountain State, known mainly for its ski areas and Western heritage, have new reasons to linger in the city this year. A major attraction, The History of
Colorado Centre, will open in Denver on April 28. The building will celebrate Colorado’s landscapes via a three-storey multimedia presentation that invites visitors to traverse an 80-foot map of the state using a ‘time machine.’ The Denver Art Museum (pictured) is
preparing to showcase Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective from March 25 to July 8.
It will feature a selection of 200 haute couture outfits along with numerous photographs, drawings and films that illustrate the development and historical foundations of Saint Laurent’s work. Mike Driver, International Marketing
Manager for the Colorado Tourism Office, said: “The UK is doing very well for us. We have long been strong for winter product but are starting to make inroads for the summer and fall." Meanwhile work has started on a major
new project at Denver International Airport. The South Terminal project will include a new Westin Hotel (2015) and new transit system connecting the airport to downtown (2016).
www.colorado.com
Dallas expects to be a hit in UK
Dallas will receive a profile boost this summer when the remake of the popular 1980s TV series Dallas hits US and UK TV screens simultaneously. Starring original actors Larry Hagman
(JR), Patrick Duffy (Bobby) and Linda Grey (Sue-Ellen) it will feature several major city attractions. “Dallas will show our football stadium,
Opera House (pictured), the W Hotel, galleries, museums and the old town,” said Lillana Rivera, Director of International Accounts for the Dallas CVB. A visitor tour of the sets used by the latest Ewing reincarnations is planned.
Rivera said Dallas (the destination)
would be inviting the UK trade on a series of fam trips to tie in with next year’s Go West trade show, which will be held in nearby Fort Worth (Jan 28-31).
www.visitdallas.com
Santa Cruz ready to make more waves The Santa Cruz County
Conference & Visitors Council (CVC) is upping its efforts to drive more UK visitors to the destination. The CVC’s website recorded a 65%
increase in the number of visits from UK-based users last year over 2010. In response, a UK-specific landing page has been designed for travellers looking
36 March 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
for itineraries and information. Millie Matz, of California Coastal Destinations and Hotels, said: “Santa Cruz County is a place of beach towns, surf communities, a famous amusement park, boutique wineries and 14 undiscovered state parks; it’s where the giant redwoods meet the sea."
www.visitsantacruzca.co.uk
North America programme last year, which is going really well. I came to Go West to find out more about some of the states we know less about, such as Utah, Alaska and Wyoming. This region will definitely feature large for us. We are trying to offer more ‘experiential’ travel experiences and the western states have that in abundance.”
JONATHAN COUCH USA Product and Purchasing Manager Travel 2.
“We are looking at going direct with a long-haul charter to this region, so Go West was a good chance to meet hoteliers face to face. It’s also the right time of the year to prepare and plan for our 2013 brochure. "Pagination will be done around
May and we will probably come out to the trade around November. We’ve been talking to Colorado Tourism in the UK and met up with them here to explore one or two options about adding them to the programme. We will follow up to discuss what kind of product we should go with.”
GARY ORR Head of Purchasing for North America Virgin Holidays
“By coming to Go West in previous years we have found or uncovered new areas that have made their way into our programme, and there are a couple of things from this year that we will be considering. The western coast of the USA has long been an area that has attracted experienced British travellers to the US. Often they will try Orlando, come back to do a city break on the East Coast and then look to explore further afield, which is where the western states come into their own. “California, mainly Los Angeles and
San Francisco, is the natural starting point, and they then get more adventurous and spread out further afield to the other states and experiences on offer out west."
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