the review 41 TOURISM UPDATE Grinch ready to steal Xmas at Universal
UNIVERSAL Studios Orlando is gearing up for the festive season when it will again host its programme of ‘Holidays’ at its multi-attraction theme park. From December 6 to January 3 2015, Holidays at Universal Orlando will feature
‘one-of-a-kind traditions’ for
guests of all ages in locations across the theme park complex. At Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Grinchmas will come to life throughout Seuss Landing. Guests will enjoy a live retelling of
Dr. Seuss’s classic tale Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular ,
featuring the Whos from Who-ville, accompanied by an original musical score by Mannheim Steamroller. Guests can also meet The Grinch and
the Whos and on select dates enjoy a special breakfast with the characters. In addition, the Macy’s Holiday Parade will fill the streets every evening with the same larger-than-life balloons seen in Macy’s famous Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. This year, a new addition to the parade is Chloe the Clown
‘Balloonicle’, combining a
towering balloon with a self-powered vehicle that will roam the streets of Universal Studios. Universal Studios Orlando also promises guests colourful characters, fantasy-filled floats and a tree-lighting ceremony by Father Christmas. Mannheim Steamroller will return to the stage to spread some Christmas cheer. With more than 40 million albums sold worldwide, the acclaimed musical
Kentucky all revved up for UK operators
KENTUCKY Tourism hosted a fam that saw five tour operators and three media enjoy the sights and sounds of the northern and southern regions of the
state. The itinerary took in
Lexington, Shaker Village, Louisville, Simpsonville, Bardstown and Bowling Green – and plenty of bourbon, horses, Corvettes, caves, history and southern hospitality.
Pictured at the National Corvette Museum’s new racing track in Bowling Green are, from right to left: Telia Butler, Bowling Green Area CVB; Meghan Crosman,
Campbel, The Internet Traveller; Pete Bell, Deputy Travel Editor, The Sun; Sean
Sheehan, freelance
Matthew Bowling, Maxine Phillips,
writer;
Audley Travel; Archers Direct/
Kentucky
Department of Travel & Tourism, US;. Jennie Jordan, Kentucky Tourism UK; Viara Challier, Kentucky Tourism UK; Nicola Brady, freelance writer; Sophie
Cosmos; Juliet Talbot, Complete North America; Christine Selby, American Round-Up; David Nicholson, Kentucky Tourism UK; Kristi Amburgey, Kentucky Department of Travel & Tourism, US. The GM Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant, the only place in the world where Corvettes are made, is located across from the museum. Commented Viara Challier, Kentucky
Tourism UK: “The FAM was a great success and everybody enjoyed the Unbridled Spirit of Kentucky.”
Kentuckytourism.com
group will take to the Music Plaza stage in Universal Studios on select nights to perform their line up of greatest
All theme park
JANE WILSON Attache Communications
TRAINS, BOATS AND PLANES AS 2014 draws to an end – in a flurry of snowstorms and ‘real’ winter weather in the USA – we can look back and reflect on a prosperous year for the US. It was a year which demonstrated the attraction of the UK’s most popular holiday destination – the good ‘ole’ USA! - and the great diversity and adventure opportunities that are available there. This year we saw an increase in airlift to
hits.
Performance nights are December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21.
Christmas
entertainment – including Mannheim Steamroller – is included with Two-Park tickets to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
UniversalOrlando.co.uk/holidays
Grand Adventures
GRAND American Adventures, which specialises in small group adventures to the Americas, has several new tours for 2015 that it says are exclusive in the UK. The new tours are aimed at those looking to try something ‘new and a bit different’ and ‘explore areas of the USA that are rarely visited by tourists’. New
options include the
Yellowstone Winter Wildlife tour which sees clients exploring the park under a blanket of snow in search of wildlife. They can also take a ski lesson and snowshoe. The six-day
tour starts from
£1649pp. (not including flight). On the 10-day Appalachian Trail Hut to Hut tour, clients will get to experience the vast wilderness of northeastern USA and get back to basics as they hike the Appalachian Trail by carrying all they need on their back and staying in huts along the way. Prices from £1399pp.
the US, a buoyant cruise industry (both from within and around the US) and an ever- growing interest in rail travel – and, indeed, a combination of all three, with exciting cruise-rail packages. Rail travel certainly is in vogue, with the options for seeing the US by rail increasing, whether escorted rail tours, long-distance coast-to-coast journeys or trips on America’s steam railroads. More recently, the Golden Era of rail travel
has been revived with restored Pullman cars offering luxury travel between Chicago and New Orleans, while scenic,
historic rail
excursions include Colorado’s Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway, New England’s Conway Scenic
Railroad and
Arizona’s Grand Canyon Railway. Clients can enjoy a private roomette (meals included) as they watch the passing states pass by from their picture window. The California Z
ephyr , which travels from
Chicago to San Francisco (Emeryville), crossing the Rocky and Sierra-Nevada Mountains, tops the favourite list along with The Empire Builder
, which runs from
Chicago to Seattle via the Northern Prairies and Glacier National Park. In addition to trains, boats and planes you can drive a Harley Davidson along highways and byways, hire an RV for some family adventure, stay in the fabulous National Parks or enjoy an iconic journey in a Corvette, along Route 66! Happy Holidays!!
Like to know more? Visit
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
sellingtravel.co.uk
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