Brand USA is aiming to inspire travel agents and tour operators to expand their knowledge of the US beyond gateway cities with the launch of a new campaign to promote driving routes across the country.
The Road Trips USA campaign will run in partnership with Travel Weekly and will feature a selection of itineraries including a comprehensive selection of highlights at each stop and information including driving times and places to visit along the way.
There are more than 30 itineraries in the portfolio, covering all corners of the country as well as its island territories.
They are available for free on the Brand USA website and are designed to equip travel agents with destination knowledge to help them devise and book their clients’ dream road trips.
Jackie Ennis, Brand USA global trade vice-president (pictured, inset), said the multi-night road trip itineraries would be an important tool to help the trade with holiday planning and were designed to help the US reach a projected 5.2 million annual arrivals from the UK market by 2024.
“Whether it’s magnificent countryside, charming small villages or college towns, there are so many options that have such a distinct appeal for the UK traveller,” Ennis told Travel Weekly.
“It’s the ability to breathe and get out into the open spaces – from a gateway city you can get on a highway and incredibly quickly discover different landscapes and experience America in a different way.
“Our job is to promote the lesser-known destinations within the United States as well as incredible cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami or Las Vegas, and these road trip itineraries have been created to be both inspirational and bookable for the trade.”
Austin, Texas. Photo: Brand USA Secret Trails Photoshoot
Ennis said Brand USA had worked closely with leading receptive operators in the US on the itineraries to ensure quality, but said they were designed to be customised to avoid creating “cookie cutter” holidays.
“We want the trade to think differently about the US and be aware that you can discover some incredible experiences from a very easy entry point,” she added.
“You don’t want every company selling the same cookie cutter itinerary so the idea is to inspire product managers and travel agents to have the confidence to go beyond the well-known.”
As part of the campaign, a new Road Trips USA itinerary will be showcased on travelweekly.co.uk/hub every two weeks until the start of July.
They will cover:
1. Secret Trails – Back Roads, Beaches and Bayous
2. The Civil Rights History Trail
3. Island Discovery Series – Hawaiian Islands
4. Alaska – Mountains, Glaciers and Parks
5. Iconic Cities and Beyond
6. Volcanic Peaks to Sparkling Shores
7. On the Shores of the Great Lakes
8. Giant Trees and Ancient Forests
9. Great North Music Tour
10. Coasts and Mountains of the South
Brand USA is also running a competition for agents to win a £100 John Lewis voucher, if they correctly answer a question about the itinerary in focus.
Main image: Maui, Hawaii. Credit Brand USA