Tennessee
TENNESSEE has joined four other southern states under the banner of Deep South USA to promote the region’s attractions to both the UK trade and consumer.
These include the states’ strong musical heritage and its history, people and golf as the area becomes a growing flydrive destination over Atlanta.
The other states – Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana – are also launching a new Web site which can be found at deep-south-usa.com.
At WTM, the states will be exhibiting as usual under the Travel South USA marketing group but will work together in 2000 for a series of consumer shows and co-operative advertising schemes. Details of these will be revealed next week.
The Tennessee Tourism delegation is led by commissioner John Wade with Gary Swaddle and Lisa Chamberlain, European sales managers of Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau and Nashville CVB respectively, as well as David Nicholson, UK representative for the state.
“This has been a positive year for Tennessee despite reports of a flat market from many tour operators,” he said.
“Tennessee is currently featured in more than 60 UK brochures and our consumer enquiries for 1999 have topped 7,000 for the first time.”
He added that the Tennessee Diplomat training programme for UK agents will be run in a similar fashion for 2000 but there will now be 10-day holidays for two on offer for the top 10 sellers of holidays to the state. These include flights, accommodation, car hire and visits to attractions.
The two-part distance training module can be operated in conjunction with on-site training visits.
The first part includes product training and completion of a questionnaire followed by itinerary planning. Prizes are awarded for each completed part.
Kentucky
THE 126th Kentucky Derby in May may be the top attraction for horse-racing enthusiasts in Louisville but the Bluegrass State has much more up its sleeve for the millennium year.
At Earl’s Court next week the Visit Kentucky USA delegation will be concentrating their efforts on promoting a wider interest for its small but growing UK visitor market.
Recently opened is Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. It starts in Georgetown where, in 1789, the Reverend Elijah Craig was credited with inventing the process that led to the making of the coveted southern whiskey.
Visitors can follow the route that includes tours at seven traditional distilleries in central Kentucky. These include Austin Nichols, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Bean, Labrot and Graham, Buffalo Trace and Maker’s Mark.
The state is also promoting top sporting events and facilities at WTM including the staging of the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, August 14-20, 2000 and the opening of the Kentucky Speedway motor-racing complex in Sparta in June which will include a 4,000sq ft conference and business centre.
Commissioner of tourism Bob Stewart will lead a top line-up including representatives from the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Lexington and Louisville as well as the Kentucky Department of Travel.
Following WTM the state plans to launch a UK consumer and trade campaign for 2000 and a new guide based on Kentucky’s African American heritage.
Mississippi
COTTON-field trails, the Delta blues and historic mansions and gardens of the Old Deep South will be some of the images portrayed on Mississippi’s World Travel Market stand this year, backed by its biggest team of representatives.
They will be on hand to talk about the latest developments going on throughout the state, including those in Tupelo, Vicksburg, Greenville and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, described locally as the Playground of the South.
This 26-mile stretch of white-sand coastline is home to a collection of museums and historic homes that are worth visiting to take in the history and absorb the heritage of the Deep South.
The area is also rapidly developing as a top golfing destination with championship courses now totalling more than 20 and is a growing mecca for gamblers with a host of new offshore and hotel casino complexes springing up around the Gulfport area of Biloxi.
Delta Airlines staged its annual forum there earlier this year at which 25 UK operators attended to try and increase interest in the destination.
The flydrive market is the top target for the Mississippi delegation which wants to widen the amount of product available in UK operators’ brochures.
Currently there are 40 operators featuring the destination in some form or another but a series of educationals for both operators and agents is being planned for 2000 to help boost interest.
The first Elvis Presley Festival, held in August in his birthplace town of Tupelo in Mississippi, is to become an annual summer event and will help boost the state’s growing musical attractions.
Missouri
IF YOU want to find out where to enjoy some of the best blues, jazz and lake fishing combined with the attractions of Route 66 and the Pony Express trails, head for the Missouri stand.
This year the midwest state makes its World Travel Market debut as a stand-alone exhibitor.
It has done this to create more awareness of its specific product together with the attractions of the key cities of St Louis and Kansas City.
Missouri has engaged the services of professional fisherman Scott Pauley to promote the sport internationally as well as the state’s many other outdoor pursuits. A vital link in this new investment is Missouri’s gateway city of St Louis which is served by Trans World Airlines’ daily non-stop Boeing 767 service from Gatwick. The airline’s sister company, Getaway Vacations, has expanded the choice of flydrive packages to the state and other operators are expected to follow suit.
Managing director international marketing for the Missouri Division of Tourism Donna Cordle said: “We have made commitments in our pursuit of the UK market and increased the European marketing budget. This past year has seen four UK sales missions and we have more than doubled the available Missouri product in the past 12 months.We are seeing a return on our investment.”
n Missouri is hosting a VIP dinner at Quaglino’s in London on Tuesday November 16 for operators, agents and other travel partners.
n The state is sending out trivia cards to expected trade visitors to its stand who have to find hidden answers in state information noted on the cards. Agents will receive prizes for correctly completed entries.
n A variety of prizes will be on offer in a Missouri Mastermind competition at the stand.