USA: Upping the stakes for a good year

Aggressive pricing will remain the norm next year if the latest
raft of US brochures is anything to go by.
Funway product manager Sasha Brendon promised prices will either be
unchanged remain the same or drop further next year thanks to the
favourable exchange rate. 

The situation, she added, encouraged clients to trade up.

“People realise they can spend as much as they did three
years ago, but get a better hotel,” she said.

With 2005 being touted as the big year of recovery for the US,
operators have expanded capacity. New York exceeded expectations
this year, performing at or above pre-September 11 2001 levels
– as such it’s seen as a key growth area for next
year.

Virgin Holidays USA product manager Angus Bond said
accessibility from UK regional airports had helped the city claw
back lost visitors, and it was now a popular stag and hen
destination.

Las Vegas, America’s hedonistic centre and home to some of
the world’s most compelling all-inclusive drinks options
– also has broad appeal for stags.
Travel 4 USA product manager Julian Lawman agreed both New York and
Las Vegas were among the leaders in the US recovery.

“New York and Las Vegas have had a storming year and Vegas
will continue to boom thanks to BMI’s new flight out of
Manchester,” Lawman said.
Operators expect hurricane-hit Florida to bounce back after a
buoyant season and have responded with an extra focus on
prebookable theme park options, such as the Orlando Flexticket.

Florida’s beaches will figure in Travel 4’s 2005
brochure as the operator guns for the family summer holiday market
for the first time.

“We’ve had touring and cities covered for a long
time and now we’ll be increasing our focus on Florida, Hawaii
and southern California,” said Lawman.
Following the success of Alaska cruises out of Vancouver, several
operators have either added or expanded cruising capacity from the
Canadian city’s more southerly cousin Seattle.

With US brochures hitting the shelves, Travel Weekly looks at
what the major players have in store for next year.

Brochure: America and Canada.
What’s new for 2005? At least one flydrive
and coach itinerary will be added to each of the operator’s
key touring regions: New England, the Deep South and
California/Arizona, according to product manager Steven Silver.
Seattle is also returning to the programme after a five-year
hiatus. “Alaska cruising has done very well for us out of
Vancouver, so this gives us one more city to tie it into,”
said Silver.
The new cruise product will be through Norwegian Cruise Line.
Florida product is also expanded with the five-star JW Marriott in
Orlando, and another all-suite property in International Drive, to
be confirmed. There’s also more accommodation in Miami, and
an added focus on theme park tickets in Orlando.
Sample price: five nights at the upmarket Shore
Club on Miami’s South Beach lead in at £720 per person
in April, including scheduled flights.
On the shelves: now.

Brochure: 400 Ways to America.
What’s new for 2005? Coach touring is being
expanded with five new itineraries, including the operator’s
first Hawaii tour. Cruising is also being increased, with Caribbean
itineraries out of Florida; Hawaii from Honolulu, and, for the
first time, Alaska from Seattle. Cruises from the Pacific Northwest
port have been included thanks to the success of sailings from
Vancouver.
Travel 4’s Lawman stressed the operator would also be
entering the two-week beach holiday market for the first time, with
a focus on California, Florida and Hawaii.
Sample price: the new Best of the Pacific Northwest self-drive is a
nine-day Seattle round-trip, visiting Lake Quinault, Astoria,
Portland and Mount Rainier, leading in at £471 per person,
ground-only.
On the shelves: next month.

Brochure: USA, Canada and the Caribbean.
What’s new for 2005? A complete brochure
redesign sees the switch to official hotel guide ratings as opposed
to the operator’s in-house system, and the introduction of
more modular product. A total of 13 new flydrive itineraries have
been added, plus more active excursions, including Jeep rides in
Sedona, rafting on the Colorado River, hot-air ballooning in
Scottsdale and scenic flights over the Grand Canyon. Twin-centre
itineraries also make a debut. 
Sample price: the Great Lodges of the West
itinerary leads in at £1,419 per person, including scheduled
flights and car hire. The new 14-night flydrive takes in Los
Angeles, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Bryce
National Park, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon,
Scottsdale and Palm Springs
Balloon rides in Scottsdale cost from £104 per person.
On the shelves: October.

Brochure: USA and Hawaii.
What’s new for 2005? Funway’s Brendon
said expansion for 2005 centred on the operator’s three
biggest sellers: New York, Las Vegas and Hawaii. In New York, the
boutique Thirty Thirty Hotel joins the programme, along with the
Crown Plaza UN and the Millennium US Plaza.
In Las Vegas, the Hotel at Mandalay Bay, the famous
property’s new all-suite tower, has been added, as well as
the Four Seasons. Seven and
10-night cruising itineraries with Norwegian Cruise Line
are new in Hawaii.
Sample price: a 14-night Hawaiian break, including
two nights at the Radisson Waikiki in Honolulu and 10 aboard
NCL’s Norwegian Wind leads in at £1,279 per person,
including  United Airlines flights.
On the shelves: end of the month.

Brochure: America.
What’s new for 2005? California has been
overhauled to include more beach breaks, with Santa Monica, Santa
Barbara, Carmel, Newport and Huntington Beach moved into the same
section, with some new accommodation options. Pismo Beach has also
been added. Tailor-made flexible option ‘Go as you please
California’ now has National Parks coverage. Similar options
have been added in New England, and a new fixed itinerary
introduced to
tie the region in with Niagara Falls.
Eleven other escorted tours have been imported from Thomas
Cook’s dedicated touring brochure. Six hotels have been added
in New York, and one in Boston.
Also new is a VIP ‘meet and greet’ service in
Orlando. 
Sample price: a seven-night break at the Hyatt
Regency Huntington Beach leads in at £683, including flights
with American Airlines.

On the shelves: this week.

Brochure: America.
What’s new for 2005? As well as a more
comprehensive Canadian section, Gold Medal has added more cruise
options from US ports, and revamped the Orlando pages with a bigger
emphasis on theme park tickets. Accommodation has been added in New
York, Orlando and Miami, and new tours and excursions feature in
New York, Orlando, Las Vegas and Hawaii.
Sample price: new designer property 70 Park Avenue
in New York, part of the operator’s ‘chic
boutique’ range, leads in at £93 per person per
night.
Published: next Friday.

Brochure: North America.
What’s new for 2005? Everything. This is
Thomson’s first foray into the North American tailor-made
market and programme director Alberto Boeri promises a full spread
of product across the US and Canada.
Full details are yet to be disclosed but highlights so far include
touring on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, ranching holidays, soft
adventure options, self-drives, city boutique hotels, camping,
golf, coaching, and cruising from West Coast ports.
It’s been a while since Thomson was the new kid on the block,
so it’ll be an interesting one to watch.
Sample price: not available as Travel Weekly went
to press.
On the shelves: October 1.