PALM Springs Desert Resorts is launching an aggressive marketing initiative in the UK following the appointment of a dedicated UK sales office this month.
On March 1, London-based Magellan Public Relations took on responsibility for dealing with the trade in Britain on behalf of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and VisitorsAuthority.
The destination was previously promoted by the authority from a US base which it shared with four other Californian cities.
Vice-president sales Douglas Small said: “We wanted to stand alone and make our marketing more aggressive in the UK and step up our efforts with the trade. We attract 3m visitors a year, of which about 12 % is international, the majority from the UK. We expect to see the UK market increase to at least 15% as a result of opening a sales office.”
As the UK trade office, Magellan’s first task is to target operators in a bid to encourage them to extend their coverage of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts. Magellan is also planning several trade events across the country to showcase the resorts’ attractions and facilities. “At the moment, 79 operators feature the destination. I want to see that increase to 90,” said Small.
Covering a 640-mile area, the Desert Resorts comprise eight towns dotted along the Coachella Valley offering 15,000 rooms in 200 hotels, from boutique-style properties to the 980-room Marriott. Its history goes back to the 1940s when it became a playground for the rich and famous and it is still popular with Hollywood stars – among them Brad Pitt and Arnold Schwarzenegger. With 100 golf courses and three major professional tournaments, it is no surprise that the region has gained a reputation as a golfing Mecca. Though Small is not going to ignore this key attraction, he is keen to highlight the area’s spa facilities:
“We believe it is one of the best spa destinations in the world. We want to sell Palm Springs Desert Resorts as a serene place where people can come to chill out and rejuvenate.”
Other attractions the authority wants to alert the UK trade to include the Palm Springs’ aerial tramway and eco-tours.
This month Californians voted two to one to allow gambling in the state paving the way for Las Vegas-style casinos – a major attraction for both tourists and business travellers.
Palm Springs Desert Resorts is already a popular destination among domestic companies for conferences and incentives, a market Small believes has a lot of potential in the UK. “The golf and spa facilities make this an attractive destination, especially for incentives,” he said.