Meet the Operator
Describe the appeal of the South? Blessed by nature, steeped in history and enriched with culture, it’s a region for all
seasons. Clients will discover a destination of great contrasts: sun-drenched beaches, rugged mountain trails, meandering rivers and cascading waterfalls, Old South plantations and New South modern cities. Then there’s the fabulous eclectic food, great music and amazing hospitality.
What driving itinerary would you suggest for fi rst-time visitors? On our 15-day tour of Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia visitors experience Washington DC,
explore the Blue Ridge Mountains then head to the historic coastal towns. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 465 miles from North Carolina to Virginia – clients usually fall in love with the mountains. Must stops include Biltmore Estate, Blowing Rock and Chimney Rock. Also included is Charleston, South Carolina, a wonderfully preserved historic treasure, and Savannah.
And for second-time visitors? We have a tour, created by local innkeepers, that includes the Outer Banks in North Carolina, a sunset sail on a topsail schooner, New Bern, Beaufort, Sea Islands and a last-night stop in Atlanta, with an evening at the theatre.
Sample Package A 15-day package taking in
Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia starts from £1835pp, including fl ights, accommodation, car hire and driving directions with maps and guides.
vacationstoameria.com
36 February 2013 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Clockwise: Canoeing in Cheraw State Park, South Carolina; Mississippi Delta Museum, Clarksdale; Manta Flying Rollercoaster, Orlando, Florida; Kentucky horses
Louisiana, Mississippi and
Tennessee – will not be holding its annual road show this year but is planning a tour operator/ agent event in June (date still to be decided).
Alabama Why sell it?
The state’s Gulf Shore beaches consist of 32 miles of white sand. Then
there’s blues and jazz bars, great golf
– the Robert Trent Jones Trail is one of the best-value golf experiences in the US – and US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, in the north. Also suggest the USS Alabama Battleship Park in Mobile and the Barber Motorsports Museum near Birmingham, which features over 700 classic cars and motorcycles.
What’s new? It is 50 years since Alabama found itself at the heart of the Civil Rights struggle and several attractions, such as the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery and the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham have special exhibitions and more in 2013 to commemorate
the individuals and events that were pivotal in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The new four-diamond Westin hotel and adjacent entertainment complex opened last month in Birming- ham. The $70mil- lion project is an entertain- ment district of restaurants, shops and nightclubs.
Tourism talk: “Alabama is now
fi rmly recognised as a key state to visit on
any Southern tour, with its unique history, music and cuisine. Birmingham is at the centre of this year’s commemorations to mark 50 years of the Civil Rights movement, while Lonely Planet recommends Alabama’s Gulf Coast and port city of Mobile as one of the ‘top 10 regions to visit in 2013’. We are also dishing up another ‘Year of Alabama Food’ in 2013, so that’s another great reason for agents to suggest their clients celebrate our Southern hospitality this year!” Grey Brennan, Alabama Tourism
Arkansas Why sell it? Home of ex- president Bill Clinton the ‘Natural State’ remains something of a mystery for many UK visitors. However there’s no shortage of things to do, from mountain music to Victorian villages to the Arkansas Delta – even a diamond mine. Blanchard Springs Canyon is a limestone cavern located deep in the Ozark National Forest, and is the only developed cave system operated by the U.S. Forest Service. Crystal Bridges Museum
of American Art is a premier art institution dedicated to American art and artists. The King Biscuit Blues Festival (October 10-12) in Helena, near the Mississippi state boundary, is one of the nation’s leading showcases of blues music. What’s new? Country singer Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess is expected to open this autumn. The home will be furnished as it appeared when the Cash family lived there in the 1930s and 1940s. Combine a visit with the rock ‘n’ roll landmarks in Memphis, just 45 miles away.
Richard Wimms Vacations to America
selling tip
“Push clients towards ‘themed road trips’ like ‘Music and Mountains’, ‘Southern Coast’ and History and Plantations’”
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