12 minute read
USA – The Year Ahead
Selling the USA 38 / The Year Ahead
Atlantic Crossing
The USA is on course to welcome more than fi ve million UK visitors a year by 2024 as visitors rush back across the Atlantic to banish the pandemic blues, says Peter Ellegard
Destinations across the USA are bracing for a rush of British visitors in 2023.
Tom Garzilli, Chief Marketing Offi cer for Brand USA, is certainly upbeat about prospects, saying: “The UK is the number one source of international overseas visitors for us, with almost three million travellers as of October (2022) and over fi ve million projected visitors by 2024.”
He adds: “One of the big factors for people returning to the US is the incredible culinary scene and there are so many foodie experiences for travellers to enjoy next year, from the renaissance of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to the inaugural Louisiana Food & Wine Festival hosted in Lake Charles in September 2023.”
Flight paths
A slew of new fl ights and increases on existing services will help achieve this.
Among them, British Airways will begin a new year-round service from London Heathrow to Cincinnati in June, with up to fi ve fl ights a week. It is also resuming direct fl ights from London Gatwick to Las Vegas in March, with three fl ights a week augmenting its daily service from Heathrow.
In addition, it is stepping up fl ights on services to Portland, Pittsburgh and New york’s JFK airport.
March will see Delta bring back its Heathrow-Los Angeles service for the fi rst time since 2015, followed by seasonal services from Gatwick to JFK in April and Edinburgh to Atlanta in May, a route not operated since 2007.
Aer Lingus will add its 15th U.S. route in May, serving Cleveland from Dublin. Virgin Atlantic is also boosting its U.S. services in 2023 with extra fl ights on its routes to Miami and JFK. In late 2022, United added a new Heathrow-Boston link and upped its Gatwick-JFK service.
New attractions
UK visitors will fi nd many new attractions, hotels and other developments across the
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country in 2023.
Super Nintendo World comes to Universal Studios Hollywood in February.
It will feature the signature Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge interactive ride combining augmented reality with projection mapping technology.
Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration continues until the end of March, featuring Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade parade along Main Street USA.
Disney will also be adding new attractions in 2023, including the Tron Lightcycle Run ride at the Magic Kingdom in spring and interactive trail Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana within EPCOT’s World Nature neighbourhood in late 2023.
The Las Vegas Strip will form part of the street circuit for the third Formula 1 race of the year in the U.S. when the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place in November, following the Miami Grand Prix and the United States Grand Prix in Texas.
Mid-2023 is when high-speed rail service Brightline is due to start whisking passengers from Miami to Orlando in just three hours, once construction of Orlando International Airport station is complete.
Solar eclipses
Nature will be putting on its own spectacular displays in the next 15 months, with not one but two solar eclipses visible from the U.S..
On October 14, an annular eclipse (where the moon passes in front of the sun, creating a ring of fire effect) will be visible within about a 125-mile-wide path from Oregon to Texas. That will be a precursor to a total eclipse on April 8, 2024, which will darken skies in a 115-mile-wide swathe north-east from Texas to Maine.
Tour operators are already offering tailor-made trips for the 2024 eclipse.
Key anniversaries in 2023 include Warner Bros’ centenary. Starting in February, the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood will have a special 100th anniversary exhibit as part of the tour,
Selling the USA 40 / / The Year Ahead The Year Ahead
road trips will be popular in 2023 as car rental prices fall
Disney also turns 100 and will mark its founding in October 1923 with a series of events as part of its Disney 100 years of Wonder celebrations.
Looking good
U.S. destinations are confident about the year ahead. “Overall the outlook is positive,” says Jim Odoire, Director and Head of Travel Trade for Black Diamond, which represents Arizona, California, Colorado and other destinations in the UK.
“Airlift is almost back to pre-pandemic levels and tour operators are reporting strong bookings. The current economic situation does not seem to be dissuading people from travelling and holidays still seem to be a priority when it comes to discretionary spending.”
Odoire notes that although booking lead times are generally shorter, people realise they have to book early for popular destinations and are also staying longer. Road trips are back again as car rental prices are coming down to normal levels.
There is also increased interest to wilderness destinations, mountains, deserts, national parks and dark sky locations.
TTM which represents Louisiana, North Carolina, Discover New England, Travel South, Tennessee, Massachusetts and West Virginia is equally positive.
Director Neil Jones, said: “We’ve been excited to see flight schedules returning and a number of new routes added as well.”
Jones adds that events in 2023 are proving booking hooks “because people are still making up for the lost years of the pandemic”. These include legacy events such as Mardi Gras, Fiesta and July Fourth celebrations but also smaller, local events and festivals across the U.S..
“This year, North Carolina will have several special events and races to mark the 75th anniversary of NASCAR. In Tupelo, it is the 25th anniversary of their Elvis festival and in New Hampshire, Portsmouth and Dover are celebrating their 400th anniversaries.”
Andy Facer, whose agency 5F Marketing represents Alabama in the UK, says:
“I would say that for most tour operators, business is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, and there is optimism for 2023. We are also hopeful that 2023 will be the year that Amtrak services are re-launched from Mobile to New Orleans.”
disney has plenty to celebrate in 2023
Tour operators
USA specialist tour operators are anticipating a good 2023, too.
Ruby Briggs, Managing Director for North America Travel Service (NATS), says: “Our client base is mainly high-spend travellers; therefore the current economic climate isn’t really impacting them.”
Briggs says demand is still strong for south-west states California, Arizona and Nevada, but NATS is booking more city breaks than it did pre-Covid.
“City breaks were typically something people would put together themselves, but the feedback is that they would prefer to have the total protection that a tour operator/ATOL bonding provides them.”
Over the past year, the operator has added “a significant number” of new tours and products including fly-drive itineraries and escorted tours in 2023 and 2024, as well as developing an Experience and Explore section featuring sightseeing tours. Walking and foodie tours will be added soon.
America As you Like It also has several fresh offerings, including a new California itinerary, a Great River Road fly-drive and another in Alabama, with a new Pennsylvania brochure coming soon.
Managing Director Maggi Smit says: “Most people are doing fly-drives. The deep south is selling particularly well: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina. Beach holidays are also popular.” •
Bluegrass Kentucky
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Kentucky’s popularity is on the rise thanks to new direct flights and a growing demand for Southern USA fly-drives in 2023, says Jessica Pook
Why sell it
British Airways is launching a new direct flight from London Heathrow to Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), beginning June 5, 2023, making it easier than ever for agents to sell Kentucky.
The new service will establish the state as one of the ‘front porches’ of the South, and will boost fly-drives between northern Kentucky and Nashville and New Orleans. Alternatively, suggest clients can head North to Ohio and Pennsylvania, or East to Virginia and North Carolina.
Who to sell to
Foodies can tuck into farm-to-table fare and bourbon-inspired dishes across the state. There’s also events celebrating whiskey, barbeque and even a World Chicken Festival!
Outdoorsy types can hike, bike and kayak in Mammoth Cave National Park, Cumberland Falls and Red River Gorge.
A visit to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington will delight families while musiclovers will enjoy live bluegrass at a local jamboree or at the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro.
What to sell
Lexington and Louisville promise plenty of action and highlights include The Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville, which examines Ali’s life in and out of the ring. The sports theme continues in Louisville, home to the Kentucky Derby horse race and the Kentucky Derby Museum, which includes a walking tour of Churchill Downs.
Bourbon Country offers a plethora of distilleries, including Louisville’s historic ‘Whiskey Row’ and Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, near Lexington, which is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the U.S.. Those that like to live life in the fast lane will find plenty of horsepower in the National Corvette Museum & Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, the only place where Corvettes are still made. There are also civil rights tours that uncover Kentucky’s history.
Fall Foliage at BuFFalo lake, elizaBethtown
When to sell
The Kentucky Derby is a highlight of the year and is always staged on the first weekend of May. The celebrations kick off two weeks before with The Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, which features an air show, fireworks and live music.
October/November is a great time to see fall colours in the National Parks, with pops of red, orange and yellow across the state. •
mammoth Cave national Park wholesome southern Food
Book it with... Trailfinders
A 14-day Spirit of Kentucky & Tennessee fly drive holiday with Trailfinders costs from £2,010pp. Includes accommodation and car hire. trailfinders.com
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Vis it Oklahoma Land of What’s New
The turbulent growth of America created Oklahoma and its ‘uniqueness’ is best revealed during an unhurried USA road trip
As America grew it seems every restless settler, cowboy, oil tycoon and budding entrepreneur paused or settled in what is now Oklahoma.
Most notable are the 39 Native American tribes now headquartered in the ‘Sooner State’ as a result of having been resettled – willingly or forcibly – in the 1800s.
Oklahoma is a richly-storied state: diverse, beautiful, welcoming and ready, willing and able to share these signifi cant stories. It’s at America’s crossroads, where ranchers raised cattle (and still do) and cowboys hit the famous Chisholm Trail.
Twelve eco-regions are home to 32 state parks, ranging from desert to cypress swamp, salt fl ats to tallgrass prairies, and hardwood forest-covered mountains.
All are graced with breathtaking beauty and countless watersports and land-based outdoor activities.
Remembering the past
Native American nations have rebuilt communities and prospered and now proudly share their stories with visitors at various tribal cultural centers, such as at First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Cherokee National History Museum in Tahlequah, Choctaw Cultural Center near Durant, and Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.
Clients can learn Native American techniques handed down from past generations or step into a living history museum and come face to face with a bison herd that’s been roaming the same land for decades.
What’s cooking?
Oklahomans come from many backgrounds and many nations.
This diversity is perfectly refl ected in cuisine across this state. Traditionally, it’s about hearty Western fare: BBQ ribs and steak, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, Indian tacos, pie and ice cream – which are often served in a 50s themed diner.
Today, local ‘farm-to- fork’ sourcing is a big deal and Okies with roots all over
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the world – from Ireland to Italy and Sweden to Southeast Asia – offer an eclectic culinary experience in flourishing restaurants. The craft-brewery and winery scenes are also booming with brew tours and wine tastings available statewide.
Music maestro
Live music is everywhere, played in huge arenas but also ‘front-room’ bars. Genres range from blues, folk, jazz, rock, Western swing and even opera.
Home-grown artists such as Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton, to name just few, have become mega stars.
Exciting new music attractions include a Bob Dylan ‘living archive’ at its own purpose-built Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa.
Hit the road
In 1926, Tulsa businessman Cyrus Avery envisioned a highway connecting east and west – and that’s how Route 66 was born.
There’s no richer section of the road than the 400-plus drivable miles in Oklahoma. The highway brings together around100 historic, quirky and fun attractions, and includes Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Set aside five to seven days for exploring the many ‘must do’ attractions, including the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, which offers visitors a journey through the history of the revered highway. •
