THE Great Lakes region of six US states is following in the footsteps of New England and Canada’s Ontario province by producing a trade programme of inns and character bed-and-breakfast accommodation.
It will also include lakeside log cabins and cottages along the shorelines of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie, and form part of a central booking system for tour operators wanting to feature the accommodation in their brochures. The six states include Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Together with Ontario across the Canadian border, they are marketed by the Great Lakes of North America consortium.
UK account director Jennifer Moffatt said: “The programme is still in the planning stages but we hope to reveal more details in August or September. The brand is likely to be called The Inns of the Great Lakes and be run by an Ohio-based organisation which currently serves the US domestic market.
“Following a good response from tour operators at Pow Wow in Miami, we feel the time is right to promote this product to the international market.”
She added that the programme will initially offer accommodation in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana, followed by the others, including Ontario.
Moffatt said: “Ontario already offers hundreds of upmarket inns which we hope to package with others in the Great Lakes region. The product has always been difficult to book on arrival, but this will be made easier with one central booking point for the trade.”
She added that UK operators have been very supportive in promoting Great Lakes product, with another 10 featuring the region this year to total 37, although fewer itineraries were being packaged.
Moffatt said: “People don’t often realise how vast a region it is and operators are moving away from the big 12 and 15-day itineraries. They are dealing more with tailor-made holidays that combine one or two states by featuring hotels and attractions separately.”
The consortium claims to have improved awareness of the scale and diversity of the Great Lakes through attendance earlier this year at consumer shows held in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin.
Up to 30 tourism representatives from the Great Lakes will also visit these cities next April on a major sales mission, which will include tour operator and agent workshops and seminars.
Moffatt said: “We are also planning an incentive programme for the top-selling agents of operators including Premier Holidays, Travelpack and Travel 4 in which they will have the opportunity of going on educationals.”
Another boost for the region is the increase in the number of direct flights from the UK to key gateway cities (see regional focus on page 60).
Cleveland in Ohio joins Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St Paul and Toronto (Ontario) when Continental Airlines starts daily service from Gatwick on July 1.
Moffatt said: “It will be a big potential business market for the airline, but we want to promote it as another key leisure route into the Great Lakes area.”