USA: Southern States
drive north into the Blue Ridge Mountains, with easy driving and beautiful views on the Parkway. “A highlight of this area is to stay
in Asheville in North Carolina with its ethnic dining and lively music scene,” he added.
“Then head southeast to Charleston, with its well-preserved historic centre and fascinating museums and attractions, before the short hop south to Beaufort Island for Civil War history, and on to Savannah, with its tree-lined squares and historic town houses.” American and Worldwide Travel’s Sarah Punter suggests that Alabama is a perfect choice for clients wanting a southern itinerary that cuts across several state boundaries. “It’s a state that should be easy
to sell because it is at the heart of so much that appeals,” she says. “Montgomery and Birmingham
Cockspur Island lighthouse at sunset, just off Tybee Island, Georgia.
are known for their attractions charting the Civil Rights struggle and it’s easy to add on Muscle Shoals and Florence in the north of Alabama, for the rich musical heritage up there. From northern Alabama it’s an easy drive to more musical attractions in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee.” “One of our best sellers is our two-week New Orleans to Nashville fl y-drive. Stops include Nashville and Layfayette (both Louisiana), and Clarksdale and Greenville (both Mississippi). Or you can do it in reverse and add a couple of days to end with two days at the beach,” Punter added. Many clients will start their
exploration of the southern states by fl ying into Atlanta, a city with an impressive line-up of tourism attractions of its own (see Selling Long Haul, January 2013). Suggest twinning a Georgia beach holiday – with clapboard cottages and colonial mansions and wild sand dunes and nesting
turtles – with its southern neighbour, Florida. From Georgia’s southern border it’s an easy three-hour drive to the Sunshine State’s theme parks in Orlando, four hours to Gulf Coast hot spots like Fort Myers and St. Petersburg/ Clearwater and six hours to Miami. Wherever your clients’ travels
take them in the South, they will likely come across a festival, event or celebration that will surprise.
As Linda Dixey, USAirtours
Product Manager, noted: “One of the charms of the South is that there are hundreds of wonderfully eclectic festivals and events held throughout the year, such as little gems like the Wooden Boat Festival in Madisonville, Louisiana, celebrating the hand-crafted wooden boats of the Gulf Coast.” The Deep South USA team – comprising Alabama, Georgia,
“Georgia’s climate has four well-defined seasons – visit in autumn for spectacular russet hues or in spring for peach tree blossoms”
www.sellinglonghaul.com • February 2013 35
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