the review 49 TOURISM UPDATE King Kong looms large once more
CAROLINE DONALDSON-SINCLAIR Director WixHill Ltd
FESTIVAL FOCUS YOU’VE all had that enquiry: ‘I want to go to the USA and would like to see something different and cool, but where should I go?’. As we all know, the USA is made up of 50
states that are so diverse that sometimes they feel more like individual countries, with their own geography, culture and appeal. So where to start? How about showing off
KING Kong is set to rule the roost at Universal Orlando Resort next year when the theme park introduces ‘Skull Island: Reign of Kong’. The new attraction, billed as ‘an
intense, all-new adventure brought to life in a dramatically
environment’ will open in the summer at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
themed
Park visitors will be transported into a wild and mysterious world, where their
mission will be to discover
creatures of unknown origin – but where they are soon ‘fighting’ for their own survival. Their journey will take them through an ancient temple inhabited by hostile natives, a perilous jungle ruled by
Kentucky set for a bluegrass ROMP
KENTUCKY is the state to recommend if your clients are looking to catch a bluegrass festival during their US visit. The appropriately named Bluegrass
State hosts a number of bluegrass festivals and celebrations – and one of the best-attended is ROMP.
An
acronym for River of Music Party, ROMP is a four-day bluegrass music and camping festival in Owensboro (June 24-27) that attracts over 20,000. A major
fundraiser for the
International Bluegrass Music Museum, also in Owensboro, this
year’s festival will feature dozens of performances of traditional and progressive bluegrass music bands. More than just about great music,
ROMP offers something for attendees of all ages: there are arts and crafts, farm-to-table healthy food vendors, children’s
activities and musicians
who hold workshops throughout the festival for all skill levels. Other workshops on offer include
yoga, songwriting and dancing. Ticket prices start at $15 and go up
to $450, for a four-day VIP pass.
rompfest.com
Merlin wheel puts the Eye on Orlando
MERLIN Entertainment’s new I-Drive 360 has opened as Orlando’s newest entertainment and dining destination. The
$250 million attraction
has as its centrepiece the Orlando Eye, a 400-foot tall observation wheel with 30 air-conditioned passenger capsules.
The largest observation wheel on the east coast of the US is part of an entertainment complex that will feature a mix
of restaurants,
clubs and shops. OfficialOrlandoEye. com
attractions, acti
prehistoric underworld
creatures, a foreboding of
caves concealing
unspeakable terrors – and face-to-face with the colossal Kong himself. Universal Creative is working closely with Peter Jackson, director of 2005’s blockbuster movie King Kong on the new adventure ride.
universalorlando.com/ReignofKong
The Funway to the USA is out west
FUNWAY Holidays will launch its USA 2015/16 brochure on June 1, featuring holidays that start from £525pp. It will include
‘new
destinations’ – Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota – and put a focus on holiday options such as self-drive, coach, train, cruise and motorbike holidays. Also highlighted in the new brochure are US National Parks, with two new hotels in the Yosemite National Park area The brochure, bookable for travel
until December 2016, features 90 new properties
in some of the USA’s most popular cities.
The £525pp deal is for seven nights in Orlando, in a Disney aea private three-bedroom home. Flights are with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick.
It is based on on a November 18 2015 departure.
funway4agents.co.uk
your expertise building the clients’ itinerary around a festival this year? And what’s on offer is almost as diverse as where to go! Here are a few suggestions to get you
started.
June 19-21: Food and Wine Classic, Aspen. Three hundred wines to taste at 8,000 ft – heady stuff! June 27- 28: San Francisco Pride Festival July 9-12: Comic-Con International, San Diego. A geek-tastic celebration of all things comic - super hero outfits are de rigueur. July 31-August 2: Lollapalooza, Chicago. This trailblazer for all-American rock festivals this year headlines such diverse acts as Sam Smith and Metallica. July 29 –August 2: Maine Lobster Fest. In its 66th year the clue is in the title! It’s a celebration of all things seafaring but in the style of a typical American country fair – there is even a sea princess beauty pageant. October 3-11: Alburquerque International Balloon Festival. This is the world’s largest and most spectacular hot air ballooning celebration, with 750 balloons and around 100,000 spectators. December 3-6: Art Basel, Miami. Pronounce it ‘Bay-zel’ if you want to blend in! This extraordinary event takes place across Miami. The main show itself
is at the
convention centre but 25 official spin-off shows are held in other venues. The above represents a tiny sample of
the events and festivals taking place just about every week of the year – use them as a great hook to send more of your clients to the USA!
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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