Until recently, Texas has been a bit of a black hole in many operators’ US programmes – and at nearly the size of Spain and Britain combined, that’s one hell of a black hole.
However, things are starting to change. In June last year, Texas Tourism started actively targeting UK consumers. For 2011, Kuoni launched two standalone Texas fly-drive itineraries, Just You added an escorted tour of the state, and Grand American Adventures, part of Trek America, introduced the Texas Ranger soft-adventure trip.
USAirtours, the specialist, agent-only operator, is featuring Texas for the first time, and with Texas Tourism actively courting a further fistful of UK operators, next year could see even more options coming online.
Reasons to visit
So what does Texas have to offer? In British minds, Texas tends to be associated with 10-gallon hats and spurs. USAirtours chief executive Guy Novik says: “Clients are increasingly looking to do more than just sit around on holiday, and a ranch stay is a wonderful activity option.”
Visitors can make like cowboys and ride a horse, go fishing and enjoy cookouts and barbecues. However, while a ranch stay or Wild West experience is likely to play a part in most visits, there is more to Texas than cowboys.
They rode off into the sunset through some pretty stunning landscapes, for a start. The Big Bend National Park, in the southwest of Texas, offers real diversity. Visitors can travel from the Rio Grande – with its spectacular canyons and jungle-like flood plain – up through the Chihuahuan Desert, spotted with cacti and tumbleweed, to the cool woodlands of the Chisos Mountains.
Music lovers are spoilt for choice, with genres as diverse as country and western, rock ’n’ roll, blues, jazz, gospel and Mexican Tejano and conjunto all on offer. Austin is one of the live music capitals of the world, with 200 venues around the city.
Visitors will never go hungry, with a variety of cuisines to choose from, including mixtures of Native-American, Spanish, Mexican, African, German and southern home cooking. Food celebrations are common, so clients should keep their eyes open for cook-offs and jamborees, or even the famous state Jalapeno eating contest.
With more than 800 golf courses in the state, there are plenty of opportunities for clients to squeeze a round in, and shopping opportunities are just as prevalent. Dallas is home to more shopping malls per capita than any city in the world, and the area is also dotted with outlet malls for the bargain-hunting traveller.
It’s easy for Europeans to forget that Texas has a coastline, but it does: 600 miles long, and lapped by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, so there’s more than enough space for anyone who wants to relax on the beach.
Texan cities
Austin: The state capital’s network of parks keeps it a green and pleasant city, and its large student population makes it young and fun. The big draw here is live music and vibrant nightlife. There are major festivals, including South by Southwest in April and Austin City Limits in October, but there’s music in the air all year – suggest The Broken Spoke for country, and Antone’s for blues. Download a guide at austintexas.org/travel_trade
Dallas: Dallas Arts District spans 19 blocks, and offers world-class art and sculpture. Even the architecture is creative, with buildings from Pritzker Prize-winning architects IM Pei, Rem Koolhaas, Renzo Piano and Norman Foster. The Dallas city motto is Live Large, Think Big, and this extends to the shopping too. visitdallas.com
Fort Worth: Known as the city of cowboys and culture, it has a range of excellent museums and galleries, but most clients won’t want to miss the Stockyards District. They can walk the wooden sidewalks, buy some western wear, have a barbecue and watch the twice-daily cattle drives, with Texas Longhorns clomping down the main street. There’s a rodeo at weekends, and the world’s largest honky-tonk for pool and two-step dance lessons. fortworth.com
San Antonio: Remember the Alamo. So the saying goes, but if you don’t, visit the Alamo mission, now a museum recounting how a small band of rebels sacrificed their lives there to free Texas from Mexican rule. The Mexican Army eventually retreated, but Tex-Mex food and mariachis are still to be found in town. The Riverwalk creates a couple of miles of shady oasis through the centre of the city, linking fine restaurants, historic landmarks and charming hotels. There’s even the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park for family fun. visitsanantonio.com
Eating Tex-Mex at Mi Tierra, San Antonio
Houston: It may be known primarily as a hub for the oil industry, but there’s plenty here for tourists to do, from family fun at the Space Centre, the aquarium or the zoo, to culture in the Fine Arts Museum or the famous theatre district, and shopping at the Galleria, the fourth largest mall in the US. visithoustontexas.com
New hotels
Last year, the W Austin and a Westin at The Domain opened in Austin, and this year construction is progressing on a Hyatt by the airport and The Seaholm Plaza Hotel, a redevelopment of an old power plant that will retain the original art deco façade and also include shops, restaurants, and meeting and event space.
In Houston, two Marriott properties opened last year, and this year will see a Westin open next to the Memorial City Mall and the Embassy Suites Houston-Downtown, a 262-room property overlooking the new Discovery Green Park.
Sample product
Kuoni offers the 16-night Discover Texas self-drive from £1,675, including flights, car hire and room-only accommodation in Houston, San Antonio, Fort Stockton, Big Bend National Park, Graham, Dallas, and Austin. 01306 747008, agents.kuoni.co.uk
Grand American Adventures’ 12-day Texas Ranger tour, from £1,349, visits Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and the Big Bend National Park, and includes a two-night Texan Ranch experience. Accommodation, transport and a guide are included, flights are not. 0844 576 1358
Titan HiTours offers a 15-day Texas Ranger with New Mexico and Arizona tour, visiting Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Scottsdale. The price includes flights, excursions, coach travel and a tour guide from £1,745. 0800 988 5166
