The Group Travel Leader September 2021

ARTS VENUES REOPEN

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L O U I S I A N A’ S R I V E R PA R I S H E S

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Embrace

THE SCENES AND SONGS OF

VIRGINIA ARTS &

CULTURE

ISSUE

SEPTEMBER 2021

REDISCOVER ATLANTIC CITY

The Story Continues Excitement awaits in Atlantic City, including miles of sandy beaches, our world-famous Boardwalk and the thrilling Steel Pier. Enjoy tax-free shopping, award-winning dining, live entertainment and other great attractions.

Here you can experience the ultimate getaway and create a lifetime of memories.

Atlantic City Expert Heather Colache is available at 609-318-6097 or hcolache@meetac.com to make sure you enjoy Atlantic City as it was meant to be experienced.

Meet AC received funding through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

TourAtlanticCity.com

CONTENTS

GROUP TH E

TRAVEL LEADER

CHARTING THE EVOLUTION OF GROUP TR AVEL ON T H E COV E R

COLU M NS

N EWS

6 Editor’s Marks 12 Group Travel

8 Family Matters

A young musician entertains visitors during the Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store in Floyd, Virginia. Photo

by Brian camp, courtesy Virginia Tourism Corp.

ARTS &

CULTURE

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VOL 30 | ISSUE 7

Essentials

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V IRG INIA SP OT LIG H T

ART S ON T HE REBOUN D

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S O U NDS OF ST. LOUI S

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Leaders’ Perspectives

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Relationships, Rebuilt

K E LLY T Y N E R 888.253.0455

MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS

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Founder and Publisher Partner VP & Executive Editor Senior Writer Creative Director

KELLY TYNER KYLE ANDERSON ASHLEY RICKS

SARAH SECHRIST CHRISTINE CLOUGH

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Overlooked in 2020

kelly@grouptravelleader.com

VP, Sales & Marketing Director of Advertising Sales Graphic Design & Circulation Controller Copy Editor

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Industry Insights

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Buyer’s Guide Listings

The GROUP TRAVEL LEADER is published ten times a year by THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc., 301 East High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified group leaders who plan travel for groups of all ages and sizes. THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER serves as the official magazine of GROUP TRAVEL FAMILY, the organization for traveling groups. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and other travel-related companies may subscribe to THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER by sending a check for $59 for one year to: THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (859) 2530455 or (859) 253-0503. Copyright THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

Kentucky State Parks Get away from it all, to discover all we have. Come for the rich history, natural beauty, and varied meeting spaces. Linger for the hospitality, scenic views, and un-meeting spaces.

Speak to a group sales professional to learn more about Kentucky State Park opportunities and discover your next destination: jovan.wells@ky.gov or call 502-892-3341. parks.ky.gov/meetings-weddings

EDITOR’S MARKS

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BY BRIAN JEWELL

can’t believe I have to do this again.

I’ve been writing columns about the COVID-19 pandemic — and the travel community’s response to it — for a year and a half now. And every time I think the issue is behind us, it finds a new way to return.

After a summer when travel demand surged in incredible ways, we’re facing a new wave of public anxiety over the pandemic. But the good news is that we have a lot more information at our disposal now than we did before.

With that info in hand, it’s important for the travel community to face some facts so that we can communicate them to the public at large.

1) COVID will always be with us.

Early in 2020, there was some hope that if we locked down long enough and hard enough, the virus would burn itself out. That, of course, turned out not to be the case. Now, more and more experts are concluding that like influenza or RSV, COVID19 is going to be a permanent part of the viral landscape in our world. The virus will adapt and evolve, even as we find better ways to prevent it and treat it. COVID-19 will never disappear, so we had better figure out how to deal with that reality and go on with our lives.

2) Vaccines are effective.

I don’t want to enter into a political debate or make anyone feel browbeaten. Getting vaccinated is a personal health choice, and there are reasonable arguments for and against it. But for those who choose to be vaccinated, all the data show that it remains an effective way to prevent serious disease or death due to COVID-19, including new variants circulating now.

Furthermore, anyone who wants a vaccine has had ample opportunity to get it. This eliminates any moral imperative to stop travel or cancel events.

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3) Safety can’t be guaranteed.

The travel industry has always put a premium on safety — that’s why every flight begins with a safety demonstration. And on the whole, we have a great health and safety track record. But although safety has always been a priority, it has never been a guarantee. From time to time, planes crash; buses run off the road; diners get food poisoning; hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes strike. We understand these risks, we accept them, and we move on with life. Total safety is a myth, and searching for it is like chasing the wind.

4) The media are trying to scare you.

There are many well-meaning people working in media (and I like to think we at The Group Travel Leader are among them). But there are also people who have figured out that they can make more money by keeping you scared: They put the worst news front and center; they sensationalize headlines; they leave out context and ignore important mitigating facts. And throughout the pandemic — and especially this stage of it — they have routinely taken steps to increase profits by increasing panic.

5) Life is too short to go on like this.

We all have a limited amount of time on earth, and we never know for sure when that time will be up. But what we do know is that the days are too precious to squander. Eighteen months ago, a temporary suspension of activities made sense. But today, with effective vaccines widely available, hunkering down makes no sense at all. Life is too short to live in fear, and travel is too important to put off.

GROUP THE

TR AVEL LE ADER

BRING YOUR GROUP TO THE PERFECT HOLIDAY CELEBRATION THIS YEAR!

Secure your seats at the Christmas Spectacular® today for special industry pricing and access to experience packages.

VISIT ROCKETTES.COM/GTL

EMAIL TOURISMSALES@MSG.COM ©2021 MSG Entertainment Group LLC. All rights reserved.

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FAMILY M AT T E R S

B E A L E A D E R I N R E S TA R T I N G T R AV E L I N YO U R C O M M U N I T Y SALEM, Ohio — Your group travelers are looking to you for leadership to get back to normal and to provide them with the travel and camaraderie that is so important in their lives. As their travel leader, you have the opportunity to increase their quality of life. That’s a lot more than just a tour group.

The Group Travel Family’s mission has been to give group travel planners the networking and tools needed to better serve their community and legion of followers.

“We have spent 25 years helping people enjoy the human interaction that only group travel delivers,” said Charlie Presley of The Group Travel Family.

The organization currently serves 25,000 group travel planners who take over 5 million people on tour annually.

Research has shown that the No. 1 reason people travel as a group is the human interaction that travel offers, surpassing other factors such as destination appeal, value and even safety.

A Small Market Meetings “That alone is why I encourConference city tour age anyone reading this article to get their travel program back on track,” said Presley. “Your community needs it.”

Getting your travel program back on track delivers the unspoken value of human interaction that has been lost during the past two years, and you as the travel planner can make it happen.

Your first step is to commit to attending a gathering of group travel leaders and planners like yourself.

“You gain the confidence and motivation at our conferences,” Presley said.

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Giveaways at Small Market Meetings Conference ALL PHOTOS BY DAN DICKSON

A business appointment at Going On Faith Conference

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Choose one of these meetings today, make the commitment to take your travel program to new heights and help travelers your enjoy life again with the tools and networking provided at the following conferences: • Select Traveler Conference — Cheyenne, Wyoming, on March 28, 2022 • African American Travel Conference — Topeka, Kansas, on April 12, 2022 • Small Market Meetings Summit — Ft. Worth, Texas, on May 2, 2022 • Going On Faith Conference — Panama City Beach, Florida, on September 13, 2022 • Small Market Meetings Conference — Wichita, Kansas, on October 2, 2022 • Boomers In Groups — Gwinnett County, Georgia, on November 4, 2022 Register for these travel conferences at 800-628-0993 or at grouptravelfamily.com.

Making friends at Going On Faith Conference

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CUSTOM CONTENT FROM EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS

Dip into some Columbus favorites

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

A

NORTH MARKET IN COLUMBUS

stay in Columbus has a lot in common with a stop at a Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream shop, the Columbus-based but nationally famous ice cream maker. Like Jeni’s, Columbus appeals to everyone, with unexpected flavor and, best of all, a sense of fun and spirit of adventure.

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Art’s all around

The only way to visit Columbus and not enjoy art is to keep your eyes closed.

There’s a profusion of public art in the Ohio capital.

For example, at the Columbus Museum of Art, art lives indoors and out. It’s nice to stroll around the sculptures on the grounds and learn about the museum garden’s sustainable design and water conservation measures. Appetite aroused, the on-site Schokko Café features farm-to-table dining indoors and on its patio.

In the galleries, visitors can admire works by local artists like Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson and George Bellows. The museum’s always a value, but free admission makes Sundays an even better deal.

Go where art lives

All photos courtesy Experience Columbus

ADVENTURE COVE AT THE COLUMUS ZOO

It’s equally fun to turn groups loose to explore art on their own in two downtown neighborhoods. Short North stands tall as the city’s best-known art district. Beyond the art in more than a dozen galleries are murals on walls all around, splashy backdrops for group photos and selfies. And art isn’t Short North’s only allure.

Foodies can slide in to an Asian supper club, an American diner or a soul food find. Shoppers can splurge in 20 boutiques and clothing stores as well as specialty shops that sell everything from wine and cigars to garden supplies and guitars.

Franklinton, the newest artsy district, is also the city’s oldest neighborhood. It was downtrodden before a floodwall put an end to frequent flooding and a new flood poured in -- artists enamored of its industrial buildings and low rent. They and other entrepreneurs have injected new life in the neighborhood, adjacent to the new National Veterans Memorial and Museum. In addition to artists, local restaurants and breweries including Land-Grant Brewing and BrewDog Franklinton, with a sunny rooftop patio, do a brisk business.

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART

ENJOYING ONE OF COLUMBUS’ MANY LOCAL BREWERIES

An uncommon theater for the common man Franklinton’s grit is sharp contrast to the Ohio Theatre’s glint.

Built as a “movie palace for the common man,” this glam theater, where everything but the flame-red seats seems dipped in gold, drops the jaws of rich, poor and middle class. It’s a busy place, hosting 100 performances a year, but its not too busy to be shown off to visitors who want to take a tour. On tours, they might learn to no surprise, that more was spent to decorate and furnish the theater than to build it. A highlight, pun intended, is the 2.5-ton chandelier, lit by 340 light bulbs. It’s massive, 21 feet tall and 11 feet wide, and cleaning every other year is quite a production requiring half a dozen staff to safely lower it with a cable wench, dust it off and replace bulbs. Its ornamentation includes flying horses--and there’s a story about them too.

Among the theater’s offerings are Broadway shows on tour, performances of the Columbus Symphony and in the summertime, old movies — from Murder on the Orient Express and Friday the 13th to The King and I and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Modest ticket prices make for an inexpensive few hours spent enjoying an old film in a fabulous old theater.

Sea lions settle in

GROUPS TAKE A TASTY TOUR OF COLUMBUS

The pandemic did not stop some new residents from moving to Columbus. Ten California sea lions and four harbor seals arrived last year and dove in to Adventure Cove, a new 4-acre, $40 million exhibit at the Columbus Zoo. It probably feels like home to them, what with its Northwest coast design and three tanks brimming with 375,000 gallons of water. The sea lions are settling in and already, three new babies have arrived, giving visitors more to see.

Adventure Cove can be an easy way to get a taste of the zoo when time it tight. The exhibit is right inside the zoo’s entrance, so the walk is short, and if it’s timed right, they can also slide into the 250-seat amphitheater to hear a trainer talk about how sea lions learn and maybe even see a few of their new tricks. Otherwise, visitors can wander through a 60-foot acrylic tunnel where they can watch the sea lions swim above, below and beside them.

Savor Columbus’s flavors

For more information contact: ROGER DUDLEY OR MARIE KUESS EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS www.experiencecolumbus.com rdudley@ExperienceColumbus.com mkuess@ExperienceColumbus.com

866-397-2657

One way to relish the flavor of a place is through food. Columbus’s 145-year-old North Market is a good place to start, with a tour that includes small bites from the more than 30 vendors who do business there. They offer up everything from Bavarian glazed roasted almonds to grilled Ohio beef burgers, and coffee from Stauf’s, the city’s first coffee café, opened more than 30 years ago. The foods are far from expected Midwestern fare -- Vietnamese, Thai, Italian, Polish, Mexican, French--it’s a United Nations of noshing. A tour bonus is a gift card that can be used toward purchases at the market.

For a more focused food stop, try Mozart’s in North Columbus, opened in 1995 by the Saha family, immigrants who worked as chefs in Vienna’s restaurants and hotels. Housed since 2013 in a 1934 Mission-style building, Mozart’s has a broad menu of lunch dishes like Hungarian goulash and chicken Schnitzel as well as a lengthy list of sandwiches and salads. Afternoon tea is an option, with scones, canapés and truffles for dessert. Given its name, it probably comes as no surprise that there’s often a pianist playing in the dining room, a pleasing note to end a busy day in Columbus.

When it comes

to resilience, we’ve tested positive

2021 GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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U N IT E D STAT E S

CIVIL RIGHTS

TRAIL 2 0 2 1 T R AV E L G U I D E

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The Group Travel Leader full-time staff, left to right: Kyle Anderson, Mac Lacy, Donia Simmons, Kelly Tyner, Ashley Ricks, Brian Jewell

CONTINUE THE JOURNEY.

FOLLOW THE TRAIL.

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BRING FRIENDS

PUBLISHED BY THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER

We’re still here.

2021 SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY TOUR PLANNER

BY MAC LACY

2021 TOUR PLANNER

We’re missing many friends and partners right now as we gaze out across the travel horizon. Maybe we’ll see some return in the months ahead, but then again, we may never have the chance to say goodbye to others.

When the worst of COVID-19 began 18 months ago, we chose to try and weather the storm. That was our mindset. We kept our staff together, learned a lot through two months of working remotely, and continued publishing magazines for this industry.

That May, we launched a popular public awareness campaign called “Travel Awaits.” We created a logo

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and a hashtag for the campaign and made it available to the industry. We compiled inspirational videos from destinations that were struggling to stay viable and offered the Travel Awaits campaign for free national exposure. Many took advantage of it and thanked us for it.

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Travel

AWAITS

2 0 2 2 A DV E R T I S I N G P L A N N E R

Our OnSite FAM program has brought travel planners to destinations around the country in 2021.

We’ve published dozens of magazines during the pandemic and offered our readers many ideas for withstanding the crisis and emerging intact when it is finally beaten. We have reported extensively on how industry leaders are guiding their organizations through these uncharted waters.

We published our annual Go South Tour Planner with the Southeast Tourism Society this January and managed to keep our publishing commitments with partners like the Myrtle Beach CVB, Ohio Has It and Travel Alliance Partners as well.

Remarkably, we were able to collaborate with our partners at the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance this March to publish our largest magazine to date on that transformative trail. This year, we launched another awareness campaign as vaccinations began to improve travel prospects. Our Ride the Silver Wave campaign shares the great news that millions of 50-plus travelers across America have been vaccinated and feel ready to regain their freedom as travelers.

And so, nearly two years into this pandemic, we’re still here. It’s September 2021, and you are reading this new edition of our Group Travel Industry Buyers Guide.

Because of our confidence in this industry to endure and thrive, all of us at The Group Travel Leader Inc remain eager to continue as its most trusted voice.

We’re still here, and we’re ready when you are. Let’s rebuild your group travel business together.

Call or email Kelly Tyner or Kyle Anderson to discuss an advertising plan!

KELLY@GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM KYLE@GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

888.253.0455

grouptravelleader.com G R O U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M

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LOUISIANA’S RIVER PARISHES

Historic Riverlands interpretive site

“You have to get out of New Orleans and visit a plantation. History is never pretty. It’s brutal. Do the tours that make you uncomfortable.

Then you are really learning something.”

— JEANIE JOHNSTON CROSSPOINT TOURS/JEANIE’S JOURNEYS

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Zip NOLA

ON-SITE IN LOUISIANA’S RIVER PARISHES TR AV E L PL AN N E RS S PE NT FO U R DAYS DIS COV E R I N G TH IS LO U IS IANA FAVO R ITE Ziplining at Zip NOLA COURTESY LRPTC

Diane “Gumbo” Marie Honoré

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ALL PHOTOS BY MAC LACY EXCEPT WHERE NOTED

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B Y M AC L AC Y

LOUISIANA’S ICONIC RIVER PARISHES REGION IS RICH IN CULTURAL CONTRASTS.

Fourteen travel planners heard unvarnished descriptions of life on the area’s centuries-old sugarcane plantations, examined its Creole and Cajun influences, sampled its signature cuisine and embraced its outdoors on a four-day OnSite familiarization trip with The Group Travel Leader. Hosted by the Louisiana’s River Parishes CVB, these planners left Louisiana with a new appreciation for one of America’s most colorful destinations.

Included on the group’s itinerary were stately plantations like Oak Alley and St. Joseph in Vacherie, and Destrehan in Destrehan; alligator viewing in the bayous that characterize the area with Ragin Cajun Airboat Tours in Luling; zip lining across cypress forests with Zip NOLA in LaPlace; and delightful meals at local favorites like Bec’s at the Lake in LaPlace and the Truck Farm Tavern in St. Rose.

Read along as we describe sites you’ll want to include when you bring your group to this distinctly American destination.

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“Destrehan Plantation was excellent. The presenter was so authentic. By seeing the slaves’ quarters and then the plantation home, you can better grasp the contrast that existed in these places. I would definitely take my group there.”

— ANNIE NELSON ODYSSEY TRAVEL CLUB

1 Garyville State Bank

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Presentation at Garyville State Bank

• ARRIVAL IN LAPLACE • GARYVILLE STATE BANK AND GARYVILLE HISTORIC DISTRICT • DINNER AT PIER 51 SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND OYSTER BAR

Travel planners were greeted at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport by tour host Willma Harvey of Louisiana’s River Parishes and Dayna James, owner of the United Front Transportation company, and made the brief drive to their hotel, the Fairfield Inn by Marriott LaPlace. The group departed that afternoon by coach for its first stop on a four-day site inspection tour.

The group traveled a few miles to an active restoration site, the Garyville State Bank and Historic District, where local tourism supporters are working to depict the area’s historic cypress logging and processing industry that dates to 1900. They were treated to a welcome reception at the town’s Garyville State Bank and then split into smaller groups to tour the town’s historic district.

GARYVILLE STATE BANK AND HISTORIC DISTRICT The historic Garyville State Bank building opened in 1908 to serve the town’s thriving cypress mill, the Lyons Lumber Company. It consists of a brick bank building and adjacent structures that have been renovated by owner R.J. Ory to serve as meeting space. From the turn of the 20th century until the Great Depression in the 1930s, the town of Garyville was among the world’s largest cypress lumber centers, harvesting up to 100,000 board feet per day. Cypress was revered for its strength and used for building throughout the South and beyond. The planners toured the Lyons Lumber Company headquarters building, an old pharmacy, a museum that is being renovated and a Catholic rectory that is now a bed-and-breakfast.

PIER 51 SEAFOOD RESTAURANT The group enjoyed its first meal together at Pier 51 in LaPlace, where members chose from a menu of local dishes that included seafood gumbo, fried catfish, crab cakes and po’boy sandwiches made with shrimp, catfish and alligator.

Festive dinner at Pier 51 restaurant

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2 • BREAKFAST AT CHUNG’S HEAVENLY SWEETS • RAGIN CAJUN AIRBOAT TOURS • LUNCH AT ATCHAFALAYA SEAFOOD COMPANY • KAYAKING WITH WILD LOUISIANA TOURS • ZIP LINING WITH ZIP NOLA • DINNER AT BEC’S AT THE LAKE

The group gets excited at Ragin Cajun Airboat Tours.

CHUNG’S HEAVENLY SWEETS Louisiana River Parish hosts made sure the group’s breakfast stops were snapshots of small-town Louisiana. Chung’s Heavenly Sweets in LaPlace is owned by South Korea native Chung-Suk Cutno, who makes exquisite pastries and beignets. The group enjoyed numerous breakfast items while Cutno shared her story about finding her way to Louisiana.

RAGIN CAJUN AIRBOAT TOURS The planners joined throngs of travelers in Luling in applying sunscreen and bug repellent before grabbing bottled water and boarding an airboat in soundproof headphones. The guide fired up the engine and motored out through a narrow bayou into larger waters. With stair-step seating, everyone had a great view and listened as he discussed alligators, their nesting habits and their territorial natures. He pulled into a couple of smaller bayous, where he threw marshmallows to alligators that sped over for a treat. Although the gators were the stars, the planners also enjoyed seeing herons and other birds in their native habitat.

ATCHAFALAYA SEAFOOD COMPANY Our lunch stop in Luling featured a favorite Louisiana recipe.

Planners had a choice of crawfish etouffee, blackened tuna pasta or fried shrimp. Crawfish etouffee is created using butter, flour, onion, peppers, seasonings and crawfish tails, which yield a flavorful sauce or “smothering” that is served over rice. Several planners jumped at the chance to enjoy the traditional Cajun favorite.

WILD LOUISIANA TOURS KAYAKING The planners had a choice of kayaking or zip lining on a sunny Louisiana afternoon, and several opted for joining Wild Louisiana Tours in paddling for a couple of hours in Shell Bank Bayou near LaPlace. The guide stopped numerous times to explain the marshland habitat, including the “knees” that grow up around cypress trees to support their root system; how to spot an alligator nest on a nearby bank; the colorful hibiscus flowers that line the shore; and the anhinga, or “snakebird,” that can only be seen while swimming from their long necks up, giving them a snakelike appearance.

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It’s time to go see a few gators.

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Kayaking on Shell Bank Bayou

Chung’s Heavenly Sweets

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Dinner at Bec’s at the Lake

Gators love marshmallows.

The group suited up for ziplining.

ZIP NOLA A thrill-seeking group of planners chose to spend the afternoon in Louisiana’s treetops, where they strapped on harnesses to enjoy the new ZipNOLA zip-line course in LaPlace. The course was built in the Manchac Greenway and was busy with enthusiasts when the group arrived. Professional staff helped planners into their safety gear, and they began their adventure from the company’s impressive headquarters. The group’s five-line foray into the pristine wetlands included visits to two sky bridges and took them over wildlife such as alligators and turtles. It lasted an hour and a half and allowed them a bird’s-eye view of southern Louisiana’s native cypress trees and Spanish moss.

BEC’S AT THE LAKE Bec’s at the Lake sits on stilts near Lake Pontchartrain in Frenier Landing Fishing Village outside LaPlace. The group dined on fresh Louisiana seafood in a rustic setting highlighted by large windows with views of Louisiana’s best-known body of water. Owner George Becnel told the group that Bec’s hosts many groups, adding that several coaches a day are not unusual in high season.

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COURTESY LRPTC

Destrehan Plantation presentation

The group enjoyed its Historic Riverlands program.

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• BREAKFAST AT HONEYDOUX

CAFÉ AND BAKERY • DESTREHAN PLANTATION • LUNCH AT TRUCK FARM TAVERN • 1811/KID ORY HISTORIC HOUSE • HISTORIC RIVERLANDS • ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC

CHURCH AND CEMETERY • CREVASSE RESTAURANT

AT POCHE PLANTATION HONEYDOUX CAFÉ AND BAKERY The next breakfast stop was the proud creation of its 20-something owner, Katie Hymel, a graduate of the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, who came home to Destrehan to start her local eatery. The group chose from a wide selection of fresh-baked pastries, and Hymel’s youthful enthusiasm jump-started the day.

DESTREHAN PLANTATION This historic sugarcane plantation sits near the levee on River Road in Destrehan. River Road is Louisiana’s landmark highway that runs along the Mississippi River for 70 miles between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The group received its tour from Dianne “Gumbo” Marie Honoré, a descendant of Jean-Baptiste Destrehan, who founded the plantation. Dressed in a bright skirt and straw hat

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reminiscent of the slave era, Honoré spoke with authority about life on this 235-year-old plantation. She described the living conditions and oppressive labor requirements slaves endured at Destrehan and described equally well the contrasting lifestyles of the plantation owners in the stately home that is still there.

TRUCK FARM TAVERN The Truck Farm Tavern graces River Road in St. Rose and served a meal that several planners rated as the week’s best. Owner Ron St. Pierre greeted the planners and offered them a choice of andouille crusted gulf fish with potatoes au gratin or grilled skirt steak with chili spiced potatoes. Most ordered the gulf fish and all offered accolades to chef Michael Degavage when he came to the table.

1811/KID ORY HISTORIC HOUSE This plantation house in LaPlace rests where a group of slaves began a revolt in 1811 that lasted several days, beginning with the death of a white man on the property and culminating with the deaths of 95 enslaved Black men by direct confrontation with local militias or by execution after a hasty trial. The home also houses a museum that honors the life of Edward “Kid” Ory, the noted Creole trombonist and bandleader who helped create New Orleans jazz and played across the world from the 1920s to the 1960s with musicians like Louis Armstrong.

HISTORIC RIVERLANDS The planners discovered the soulful music that permeates southern Louisiana at Historic Riverlands Soul River Musical Journey in Reserve. Housed in the area’s first Black Catholic church, First Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church Sanctuary, this musical interpretation of the African American experience after slavery, through the civil rights era and into contemporary life is the creation of Rita Perrilloux. She and her husband, Steve, entertained the planners with African gospel music and stories about Black history in southern Louisiana.

ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH The planners toured this historic church in tiny Convent and were treated to an interpretation of the life of Mimi Zilla, a free Black woman who owned and donated the land to build it. St. Michael’s was completed in 1833 and its Lourdes Grotto was added in 1876.

1811/Kid Ory Historic House

Checking the menu at Honeydoux Café & Bakery

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Destrehan Plantation Gateway to the River Parishes

Less than 25 minutes away from New Orleans and 10 minutes away from the New Orleans International Airport

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Guided Tours

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Handicap Accessible/Elevator

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Gift Shop

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1811 Slave Revolt Exhibit

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Lodging

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Mule Barn Event Venue

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Daily Demonstrations

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Freedmen’s Bureau Exhibit

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Open daily 9am - 4:30pm, weekends til 5:30pm

13034 River Road Destrehan, Louisiana 70047

985-764-9315 GRO U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M www.destrehanplantation.org

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St. Joseph Plantation home COURTESY LRPTC

Slave cabins at St. Joseph Plantation

CREVASSE RESTAURANT AT POCHE PLANTATION The planners dined that evening at Crevasse Restaurant, a Convent local favorite that has a bar with live music. After dinner, several planners retired to the bar to listen to a three-piece band play a combination of country and Cajun-inspired music.

4 • BREAKFAST AT FERRY LANDING CAFÉ • ST. JOSEPH PLANTATION • OAK ALLEY PLANTATION

A garden at Oak Alley COURTESY LRPTC

Iconic Oak Alley COURTESY KYLE ANDERSON

WITH THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER

WITH THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER

RIVER PARISHES TOURIST COMMISSION WILLMA HARVEY 985-359-2783

FERRY LANDING CAFE The Ferry Landing Café in Lutcher is just off River Road and is the brainchild of owner Kerry Walker Tramonte. She told the group that the only place her two older sons would hang out with her and her husband was in a coffee shop, so the couple rented a small house on the historic highway and opened one. Their beignets were heavenly.

ST. JOSEPH PLANTATION On the last day in Louisiana’s River Parishes, the group split up and visited two of the most famous sugar cane plantations in America. Situated almost side by side in Vacherie, St. Joseph and Oak Alley have graced major motion pictures and magazine covers.

St. Joseph Plantation, built in 1830 by the Scioneaux family using slave labor, is still owned today by the German family of Joseph Waguespack, who purchased it out of bankruptcy when slavery was abolished. Draped in huge live oak trees, the plantation offers visitors authentic looks at its slave quarters, a tiny schoolhouse, the home itself and numerous other structures that remain. Its authenticity has been captured in films including “Twelve Years a Slave” and Oprah Winfrey’s “Queen Sugar.”

OAK ALLEY PLANTATION Jacques Thelesphore Roman built Oak Alley’s estate in Vacherie in 1836 following his mother’s death. More than 100 slaves were property there, and many were put to work building the resplendent home that remains today. Now owned by the Oak Alley Foundation, the simple driveway leading to the sunlit home, lined by massive 300-year-old live oaks, provides one of the old South’s most photographed images. The planners toured the home, or “big house,” in small docent-led groups. Most also sat down for the presentations about slave labor and living conditions that are offered near the plantation’s slave quarters. Oak Alley’s east and west gardens, blacksmith shop, restaurant and gift shop make it a comprehensive plantation stop for groups.

WILLMA@LARIVERPARISHES.COM

WWW.LARIVERPARISHES.COM

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In Louisiana’s River Parishes uniquely flavorful aromas delight the senses from the gumbo pots and smokehouses along the Andouille Trail to the woody, curling smoke rising along the Mississippi River during the holiday celebrations of Bonfire Country.

Make adventure your destination in the waterways of New Orleans Swamp Country where you can fish the Catfish Capital of the Universe, hike on boardwalks raised over marshy swamplands, or kick back and enjoy a guided bayou boat tour. Our history, both real and unvarnished, is felt in the landmark homes of New Orleans Plantation Country and the museums along the 1811 Slave Revolt Trail, offering compelling and authentic experiences.

With our wide array of beautiful meeting spaces, flexible itinerary customization, and lagniappe such as multilingual tour leads, group travel is made easy in Louisiana’s River Parishes.

Let Willma Harvey, CTP, CTIS customize the perfect trip for your group. willma@lariverparishes.com | 985-359-2783

LARiverParishes.com

Austin City Limits Festival

A carnival ride at Summerfest

BY GREG NOIRE, COURTESY ACL

“The Lion King,” coming to Denver

“Hamilton,” coming to Seattle

COURTESY DISNEY

BY DEENVAN MEER, COURTESY DCPA

n o i s s i m r e Int IS

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Arts programming is returning to the Ted Mann Theater at the Academy Museum of Motion Picture in Los Angeles.

BY JOSH WHITE, COURTESY AMMP

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Oakland Museum of California

Summerfest in Milwaukee

ARTS &

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THE ARTS ARE COMING BACK TO LIFE

BY RACHEL CARTER

I

f there is another industry that as suffered as much from the pandemic as tourism has, it must be the arts.

Of nearly 20,000 arts organizations surveyed by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, 66 percent expect severe financial impact from COVID-19, while 11 percent are not confident their organization will survive the pandemic.

But there is light on the stage. Art museums, theater groups, music festivals and symphony orchestras across the country are on the rebound, raising the curtain on new seasons and new lineups and opening their doors with new exhibitions and new renovations.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

COURTESY OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

LOS A N G E LES

After nearly a decade of planning and a fair share of postponements, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced in February 2020 a firm opening date for December of that year.

But within weeks of that announcement, the pandemic had shuttered much of the world. The museum rescheduled its opening to April 2021 but once again had to postpone due to the pandemic, this time to September 30, 2021.

The Academy Museum, which is devoted to exploring the art and science of movies and moviemaking, recently announced its schedule of inaugural in-person screenings and public programs. During the museum’s first three months, it will offer the public over 115 film screenings, discussions and programs, beginning with special presentations of “The Wizard of Oz,” with live musical accompaniment by the American Youth Symphony. Visitors will also see a pair of ruby slippers used in the film among the museum’s collection.

The museum’s inaugural temporary exhibition, Hayao Miyazaki, is a retrospective dedicated to Miyazaki and his three animated feature films.

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Seattle Theatre Group S E AT TLE

The Seattle Theatre Group is reopening all three of its venues, with some help from a federal relief program.

The Paramount Theatre had been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic, but the Small Business Administration recently awarded millions of dollars to STG as part of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program.

STG’s Broadway at the Paramount unveiled new dates for the 2021-22 season, including six weeks of “Hamilton.” The season — which largely mirrors what STG had planned for the 2020-21 season — will open October 19 with “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

“Hamilton,” which was originally scheduled to begin in May 2021, will instead debut in August 2022.

STG already began hosting concerts at the Paramount and Neptune theaters in July and at Moore Theater in August. As of Aug. 12, STG will require proof of vaccination for entry to all performances at the Paramount, Moore and Neptune theatres or proof of negative COVID tests for individuals unable to be fully vaccinated.

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Summerfest M I LWAU K E E

The largest music festival in the U.S. is slated to return in September after canceling last year — the first time Summerfest was canceled in its 53-year history.

In that time, the annual Milwaukee festival has grown to host 800-plus bands and 900,000-some fans over three weekends. Most of last year’s lineup shifted to this year’s festival, with headliners like Green Day, Weezer, Luke Bryan, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Guns N’ Roses, Megan Thee Stallion and Dave Matthews Band, to name a few.

Summerfest was originally scheduled to return

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Denver Center for the Performing Arts will host “The Lion King” next year.

for its usual weekends in June and July, but organizers pushed it out to September 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18 in hopes the festival would get past the surge in COVID cases.

Milwaukee World Festival, which operates Summerfest, announced in August that a COVID19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test result will be required to attend the festival.

S U M M E R F E S T.C O M

Denver Center for the Performing Arts DENVER

Denver Center for the Performing Arts was poised to have perhaps the biggest year in its history before the shutdown closed indoor performances. Denver Center’s Broadway program had announced a lineup in March 2020 that included “Hamilton,” Disney’s “The Lion King,” “Mean Girls” and more.

And most of them are coming back for DCPA’s reopening season. Four Broadway tours previously 24

SEPTEMBER 2021

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Outdoor sculpture at The Oakland Museum

scheduled for fall 2021 will be postponed — “My Fair Lady,” “1776,” “Mean Girls” and “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations.”

DCPA Broadway anticipates reopening in The Buell Theatre with Disney’s “The Lion King” in December followed by “Hamilton” in February 2022.

The Bonfils Theatre Complex will reopen November 19 with “A Christmas Carol” to christen the fully renovated Wolf Theatre, formerly The Stage.

DCPA Theatre Company will open Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” on January 7 in the completely rebuilt Singleton Theatre, formerly The Ricketson, followed by world premieres of both “Rattlesnake Kate” and “In the Upper Room.” DCPA’s reopening also includes the return of Cabaret and Off-Center offerings.

D E N V E R C E N T E R .O R G

Oakland Museum of California OA K L A N D, C A LI FO R N IA

Oakland Museum of California reopened in June following a 15-month temporary closure — and museum officials didn’t let that time go to waste.

During the shutdown, crews completed a major

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In addition to the reinstallation of its sculpture garden, OMCA also commissioned local Oaklandbased artist Binta Ayofemi to create sculpture- and artists-edition furniture — seating, tables and more — for the garden and other outdoor public spaces on campus.

The renovated campus also includes Town Fare, a new café by Tanya Holland, a Bay Area chef and restaurateur and former “Top Chef” contestant.

COURTESY AAMP

COURTESY OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

Ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Picture

campus and garden renovation project, ready to debut when visitors returned.

The newly redesigned outdoor gardens focused on enhancing access to the multi-terraced campus, improving visitor amenities and updating and refreshing plantings to make the gardens even more of a community gathering place. Workers also removed an exterior border wall, added entrances and improved accessibility to physically open up the campus and make it more of a destination.

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M U S E U M C A .O R G

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra PIT T S B U RG H

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will return to Heinz Hall in September with a full orchestra in front of live audiences. In February 2020, the Pittsburgh Symphony announced a season meant to celebrate its 125th anniversary but had to cancel as the global pandemic spread.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-22 season will be its 126th season — the 14th under music director Manfred Honeck and the first with in-person audiences at Heinz Hall for Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling, who was appointed in January 2020. The upcoming season includes

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78 concerts: 50 classical concerts, 26 concerts on the Pops series and two Learning and Community Engagement concerts.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is also beginning the first of two phases of Heinz Hall renovations.

This summer, a capital investment of $3.5 million included significant painting and restoration of plaster gold leafing and glazing in the lobby and foyer, updating and refreshing backstage areas as well as accessibility projects.

P I T T S B U R G H S Y M P H O N Y.O R G

Austin City Limits Music Festival AU STI N , TE X A S

A headline concert at Austin City Limits Music Festival

BY CHARLES REAGAN HACKLEMAN, COURTESY ACL

Like most large events last year, COVID canceled the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2020, which may explain why three-day passes to this year’s festival sold out in record time — and ​oneday tickets weren’t far behind.

Or maybe it’s the lineup for the ACL Festival’s 20th anniversary.

LeAnn Rimes, Karol G, Girl in Red, Skip Marley and many more have joined the roster, in addition to the original lineup, which features George Strait, Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat and more.

Taking place at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, the 2021 festival has grown to two weekends — October 1-3 and 8-10 — with eight stages and over 130 bands.

AC L F E S T I VA L .C O M

Austin City Limits Music Festival at sunset

BY ROGER HO

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FACE IT

WE’RE IN-PERSON PEOPLE For months, the National Tour Association met only online.

We supported each other … and our community held strong.

Then our in-person conference rocked Memphis in May. And NTA is back in person this November!

We’re back to handshakes Back to hugs

Travel Exchange ’21 Nov. 14–17 Cleveland, Ohio

Learn more:

Buyers and sellers packaging travel to, from, and within North America Interactive learning: seminars, panel discussions, peer-to-peer insight Joining NTA in Cleveland under the Travel Exchange umbrella: » International Tour Management Institute’s Symposium

Back to business

Back to fun

» World Food Travel Association’s inaugural FoodTreX North America » Tourism Cares: Inspiring us to make travel a force for good Travel Exchange welcomes all travel professionals.

Email us for rates and special offers: headquarters@ntastaff.com.

NTAtravelExchange.com

S TAT E S P O T L I G H T

VIRGINIA

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irginia almost makes it too easy to plan itineraries. Beach towns, mountain roads, history at every turn, fluffy biscuits, natural wonders: The challenge is choosing among so many excellent options. Here are some ideas to keep you thinking about this delightfully diverse state.

ARTWORK BY DONIA SIMMONS

B y To m A d k i n s o n

Cape Henry Lighthouse is a historic landmark in Virginia Beach.

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National WWII TheMuseum pinball museum at Center in the Square

BY JENNIFER GRIFFIN, COURTESY VISIT VBR

POPULAR DEMAND CAPE HENRY LIGHTHOUSE

Roanoke’s Center in the Square

BY JENNIFER GRIFFIN, COURTESY VISIT VBR

COURTESY NATIONAL D-DAY MEMORIAL

Tupelo’s “Elvis Homecoming” statue COURTESY TUPELO CVB

National D-Day Memorial in Bedford

COURTESY NATIONAL D-DAY MEMORIAL

A sculpture at the National D-Day Memorial

A Gulf Coast sunset

BY TOM ADKINSON

In a state brimming with historic sites, Virginia Beach claims some big ones, starting with First Landing State Park, where in April 1607, European settlers made landfall before moving west and establishing Jamestown. Nearby is the Cape Henry Lighthouse, America’s first federally funded public works project (1792). George Washington authorized the project that Alexander Hamilton oversaw.

Climb the 90-foot tower to see where the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay merge.

NATIONAL D-DAY MEMORIAL

Bedford, tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a world away from the beaches of Normandy, but the Allies’ June 6, 1944, invasion of Europe touched this quiet town in dramatic fashion. Nineteen “Bedford Boys” died that day, meaning tiny Bedford, population 3,000 in 1944, suffered proportionally the nation’s worst D-Day losses.

The 50-acre memorial, dedicated 20 years ago, explains the importance of the invasion and subsequent campaign across Europe to defeat Nazism.

CENTER ON THE SQUARE

Roanoke’s Center on the Square is practically a onestop shop. The seven-story downtown cultural center houses destinations that include the Mill Mountain Theatre, the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, the Smith Children’s Museum and the Science Museum of Western Virginia. If you want more stimulation, drop into the Roanoke Pinball Museum and flip the bumpers on 60 playable pinball machines. A new pedestrian bridge is a link back to the quiet world of the famed Hotel Roanoke.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT

Lucy Burns Museum

BY MINA HABIBI, COURTESY WORKHOUSE ARTS CENTER

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Booker T. Washington was born a slave in 1856 on a Virginia tobacco plantation. His thirst for education led to his being founder of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama, now Tuskegee University, and an author, orator and adviser to presidents. Reconstructed 19th-century farm buildings and the “Born Here, Freed Here” exhibit help tell the story of his roots. The Booker T. Washington National Monument is about 20 miles southeast of Roanoke.

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Lucy Burns Museum

BY MINA HABIBI, COURTESY WORKHOUSE ARTS CENTER

Natural Bridge Hotel in the Shenandoah Valley COURTESY NATURAL BRIDGE HOTEL

UP AND COMING NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. ARMY

Before there was a United States, there was an army that helped the nation get born, and the National Museum of the U.S. Army tells the whole story of that fighting force, now approaching 250 years old. It’s big — 1,390 artifacts in 11 galleries in a 185,000-square-foot building — in an easy-to-reach section of Fort Belvoir, just 20 miles south of the Capitol. It opened Memorial Day 2020.

GREAT BRIDGE BATTLEFIELD

A museum that opened in Chesapeake in 2020 explains “one of the earliest, smallest, shortest, least known [and] yet most important actions of the Revolutionary War.” Seven months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Great Bridge effectively prevented British control of Norfolk, the finest seaport between New York and Charleston, South Carolina. Be among the first groups to visit the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Park.

The museum at Great Bridge Battlefield COURTESY GREAT BRIDGE BATTLEFIELD

Two destinations that now are permanent reminders of the quest for women’s suffrage are barely 10 minutes apart in southern Fairfax County in Lorton.

They are about 20 miles from the White House, where many suffragists were arrested for their advocacy. The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial and the Lucy Burns Museum tell key parts of the struggle to secure the 19th Amendment. The museum is at the former prison, infamous for abuse of suffragists, that is now the Workhouse Arts Center.

COURTESY VIRGINIA TOURISM

TURNING POINT SUFFRAGIST MEMORIAL

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O V E R N I G H T S E N S AT I O N S SESSIONS HOTEL

Country music pioneers the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers saw the Sessions Hotel in Bristol when they participated in “the Big Bang of Country Music.” That’s the nickname of the 1927 Bristol Sessions that marked the start of commercial country music. The Carters and the Rodgers saw the Sessions Hotel buildings, which were then a grocery warehouse, a candy factory and a mill; today they are a lodging, dining and entertainment destination. The front door is on the Virginia side of State Street. Tennessee is across the street, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is nearby.

A guest room at Sessions Hotel

NATURAL BRIDGE HOTEL

It’s pretty cool when your hotel’s namesake was once owned by Thomas Jefferson. The Natural Bridge Hotel, now a Wyndham Trademark property and beneficiary of a recent renovation, is within walking distance of Natural Bridge, a beautiful 215-foot-tall Shenandoah Valley geologic formation that Jefferson owned. Jefferson had a rural retreat here that was quite rustic compared to Monticello in Charlottesville, about 80 miles away, and today’s Natural Bridge Hotel. A nearby recreation bonus is tubing on the James River.

PHOTOS COURTESY SESSIONS HOTEL

Sessions Hotel in Bristol

R EAL HISTORY

R IG H T NOW Plan your trip today.

JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT An artifact at the National Museum of the U.S Army COURTESY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. ARMY

AMERICAN REVOLUTION MUSEUM AT YORKTOWN

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O V E R N I G H T S E N S AT I O N S Staunton’s Blackburn Inn

BLACKBURN INN

The Blackburn Inn in Staunton — say Stanton to sound knowledgeable — is small, 49 rooms, but its history, notable architecture and strategic Shenandoah Valley location give guests plenty to remember. It was once a state mental hospital and a prison, which seems almost impossible considering its photogenic white columns and redbrick construction. It opened for willing guests in 2018.

Check out the spiral staircase to a cupola that delivers a great view of Staunton and the countryside.

Summer Fridays feature concerts under the stars.

Ham biscuits at Roanoker Restaurant

COURTESY BLACKBURN INN COURTESY ROANOKER RESTAURANT

MEMORABLE MEALS NEW AT COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG COURTESY COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

Just because history is Colonial Williamsburg’s stock in trade, don’t think there can’t be anything new. Consider the King’s Arms Tavern, one of America’s oldest restaurants, which served its first meal in 1772. A total overhaul of its interior design provides revised surroundings to enjoy heirloom carrot puffs, hunters game pye and chop of shoat.

The carefully researched menu offerings would be familiar to George Washington, although prepared with today’s tastes and cooking methods in mind.

ROANOKER

Want to make sure no one is hungry for a while?

Then roll into the Roanoker Restaurant, which has been serving fill-you-up American cuisine since 1941. Fresh vegetables, meatloaf, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn sticks, pies and more are all homemade. Sandwiches, salads and omelets are offered, too. The Roanoker’s fluffy biscuits have received national acclaim, once even featured on NBC’s “Today.”

A meal at the renovated Kings Arms Tavern at Colonial Williamsburg VIRGINIA.ORG

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{

Celebrate the gifts of land and sea with epic Virginia Beach adventures the entire group can enjoy safely. With 400 square miles of wide open space, revel in hands-on experiences and unique access to a group tour that’s as safe as it is memorable.

VISITVIRGINIABEACH.COM/GROUPTOUR

}

A trio performs at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, one of many spots for live music in St. Louis.

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HEAR IT HERE S T. L O U I S M U S I C ROLLS WITH THE RIVER

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BY JILL GLEESON hen you think of St. Louis, Missouri’s second-largest city, chances are the Gateway Arch comes to mind. But St. Louis is much more than the 630-foot monument, as iconic as it is, or even the resident Anheuser-Busch Companies, makers of beloved

Budweiser beer.

According to Renee Eichelberger, director of leisure travel sales for Explore St. Louis, group leaders could plan an entire itinerary simply around The Gateway to the West’s incredible music scene, which was born from the blues.

“We always say the blues grew up here,” Eichelberger said. “We’re part of the American music corridor. Musicians used to travel from New Orleans all the way up to Chicago. They came through St. Louis because of the Mississippi River. That really influenced our music, and it still carries on today. There’s so much for groups to see and do here related to the blues and music in general.”

Here are five attractions around town that offer great music experiences for group travelers.

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Groups interested in exploring the history of St. Louis’ dominant musical genre might well begin with a stop at the National Blues Museum.

“It talks a lot about the influence of blues music on all types of music,” Eichelberger said, “but they also have special programming, so they host concerts and that type of thing.”

The museum, which opened in 2016, is conveniently located downtown, in the Mercantile Exchange District and within walking distance from the city’s sports stadiums. While its footprint is a bit smaller than other national music-centric attractions, the National Blues Museum benefits from plenty of engaging, technology-driven exhibits, like an interactive experience that allows guests to write their own songs and add instrumentation to them. Group visitors will also get a kick out of the many photographs of blues superstars, including

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Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Special ticket pricing and guided tours are available for groups.

N AT I O N A L B LU E S M U S E U M .O R G

A music history artifact at the Missouri History Museum

T H E B LU E S C RU ISE Speaking of the blues, group visitors can experience the best of it onboard a three-story replica paddlewheel boat with The Gateway Arch’s Blues Cruises, a decadeslong St. Louis tradition. Running seasonally from June through December, these 2.5-hour journeys on the mighty Mississippi River feature regional blues acts, both established and up-and-coming, playing live on select Thursday nights. The St. Louis skyline (including that awesome arch), provides a stunning background on this specialty cruise, but group leaders should be aware — according to Eichelberger, tickets for Blues Cruises sell out fast.

Should you miss out on securing spots for your group aboard a Blues Cruise, private charters for up to 220 are available on one of the Gateway Arch’s two 19th-century replica steamboats, the Tom Sawyer and the Becky Thatcher. Book a buffet or sit down meal, choose from various bar options and line up live entertainment for your group, blues or not.

COURTESY MO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

National Blues Museum

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THOMAS HART BENTON MURAL EXHIBIT

JOPLIN ROTARY SCULPTURE GARDEN

TOP

6 ART STOPS

in JOMO

BELONGING TO THE HANDS THAT BUILD

ROUTE 66 MURAL PARK

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT

LOCAL COLOR ART GALLERY & STUDIO

Experience

ARTISTIC INGENUITY For group tour information contact:

Director of Sales Kerstin Landwer

800.657.2534

VisitJoplinMO.com VisitJoplinMO

VisitJoplinMO

VisitJoplinMO

#TrekJOMO #JoplinRocks

M IS SOU R I H IS TORY M USEU M “St. Louis Sound,” which just opened in August at Forest Park’s Missouri History Museum, is another mustsee for groups looking to delve into the city’s vibrant musical history. Running through January 2023, this 6,000-square-foot special exhibit dives deep, covering popular music in St. Louis from the late 1800s to the dawn of the new millennium. Among the hometown performers featured are Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, Miles Davis and Nelly. Their stories are told through a breathtaking array of artifacts that include a dress worn

by Tina Turner on the Tonight Show, a trumpet belonging to Miles Davis and one of Chuck Berry’s guitars.

And as if this weren’t enough fun for groups, the Missouri History Museum also presents live music seasonally in an event dubbed Twilight Thursdays.

“They have free concerts out in front of the museum,” said Eichelberger. “You just hang out and check out some great music, and that music can vary from bluegrass to rock ‘n’ roll, to the blues.”

M O H I S TO RY.O R G / M U S E U M

S T. LOU IS S Y M PHON Y ORC H E S T R A As cherished as the blues are in St. Louis, there’s more to music in the city than that esteemed genre. The second-oldest orchestra in the country, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) was founded in 1880 and has since emerged as one of the nation’s preeminent classical ensembles, winning nine Grammys and 60 nominations. In 1968, the orchestra moved into Powell Hall, a former motion picture and vaudeville theater erected in 1925. Groups will enjoy attending a concert there almost as much for the beautiful building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as the magnificent music.

Powell Hall

Missouri History Museum

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra offers a 43-week season, September through June. These roughly 120 concerts include not only performances of classical music but also film scores, holiday tunes and music aimed at families. Goodies for groups include special ticket discounts, priority seating, free motorcoach parking, Powell Hall tours and pre-concert discussions with SLSO artists.

S L S O.O R G

L I V E M USIC V E N U E S It’s a good idea to offer groups something to do after hours, and St. Louis is home to some of the country’s best live music clubs. In particular, Eichelberger recommends BB’s Jazz Blues and Soups, a downtown venue it wouldn’t be an overstatement to call legendary. Visitors can start off the evening by dining there on Southerninspired fare and then stay to catch the show.

“BBs has got that authentic feel,” Eichelberger said. “You don’t know if you should watch the music or watch the people enjoying the music. And they get not only locals performing there but also blues players who are touring the world.”

According to Eichelberger, other establishments worth checking out include Broadway Oyster Bar, which she said is “a little bit more casual, but they always have great music,” and 1860’s Saloon in historic Soulard. “That’s the neighborhood just south of downtown, where the Anheiser-Busch Brewery is,” Eichelberger said. “1860’s always has great local and national bands coming in.”

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INDUSTRY LEADERS AGREE THE GAME HAS CHANGED CARYLANN ASSANTE, CEO, STUDENT AND YOUTH TRAVEL ASSOCIATION (SYTA) TERRY DALE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, UNITED STATES TOUR OPERATORS ASSOCIATION (USTOA) CATHERINE PRATHER, PRESIDENT, NTA PETER PANTUSO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN BUS ASSOCIATION (ABA) With large portions of the American public vaccinated against COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions eased in many places around the country, the travel landscape is markedly different than it was a year ago. But with this new scenario comes new challenges, as tourism and hospitality businesses grapple with labor shortages, a flood of pent-up demand and uncertainty about virus variants. The Group Travel Leader spoke with the heads of four tourism industry associations to get their perspectives on travel’s nascent rebound, the path through these current challenges and the outlook for a return to prosperity in the future.

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hat are the biggest hurdles for our industry to clear in the recovery effort?

What strategies might prove most effective in overcoming those challenges?

PANTUSO: The immediate hurdle right now is the delta variant and how people are going to respond to that. We’re starting to see uncertainty come back into the market. We’re hearing that some cities or even states may do mask mandates again. All the things we thought we were climbing out of seem to be potentially coming back. That uncertainty is not good for travel, especially group travel.

That notwithstanding, one of the biggest challenges we are starting to see has been competition for space between individual travelers and group travelers. A lot of places around the country are busting at the seams with individual travelers. Rates are up at hotels and attractions. The cost of labor has gone up, and there are labor shortages. In some places, I’m hearing that they don’t have room for groups. So that poses completely different challenges that nobody thought we would have coming out of the pandemic.

DALE: I don’t like using the word ‘recovery’ because that implies we’re going back to what we had, and we won’t. It’s similar to after 9/11 — now we live with and understand TSA. So travel will change fundamentally and, hopefully, for the better because of this.

The challenges that our members face are consumer confidence, trusting that their partners are going to provide them safety and security, and that they’re going to have a safe experience. And consistent communication from countries around the world is important, too. If you’re double vaccinated and want to travel internationally, the questions are, if things change while I’m in country X, am I going to be able to return to the United States because something has changed, and am I going to have to quarantine.

TERRY DALE

“I don’t like using the word “recovery” because that implies we’re going back to what we had, and we won’t. ”

ASSANTE: A number of our members have groups on the books for 2022. Customers are calling and talking about traveling, but nobody is actually pulling the trigger. There’s a fear and anxiety. People are afraid they’re going to have to cancel again. They don’t want to deal with the cancellations and angry parents. So we have to help our customers convince people to actually make the decision.

Our challenge is duty of care. When we’re traveling with students and there’s a chance of them getting sick, we’re responsible.

Adults can sign waivers and make their own decisions about their care, but we have to make those decisions with educators and group leaders. That’s what has some of the schools holding back.

TOURISM LEADERS ARE WORKING TO BALANCE THE PENT-UP DEMAND FOR TRAVEL WITH THE UNCERTAINTY THAT STILL REMAINS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH LANDSCAPE.

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A shortage of staffing in hotels and restaurants is among the foremost challenges facing the tourism industry today.

ASSANTE: For students, we have to do everything in large groups. Adults may go into a restaurant and sit at several different tables. Or you might break adult groups into different mealtimes. With students, they all come into the restaurant at the same time and have to eat together. The biggest challenge we have with labor is feeding with our groups. If you have 25 to 40 kids, how do you feed them in a tight window? Restaurants don’t have the staff, so many of them aren’t taking on groups.

On the hotel side, we’re not anticipating a return to full-service housekeeping.

In the future, we may be staying with every-other-day housekeeping, or you’ll pay more if you want daily service.

PRATHER: I think we’re going to have to look at higher pay. That’s the simplest way to put it. Unfortunately, our industry has always been seen as a lower-paying industry. That’s unfortunate because service is so important. Hopefully, our country and government have seen how important travel and tourism have been to our economic well-being.

Sadly, we’ve lost a lot of talent. It may be that they boomerang back to us, and that might have to do with the wages we offer.

BY BRIAN JEWELL

The nationwide staffing shortage has been incredibly challenging for service industries. What must the travel and hospitality industries do to ensure adequate frontline staffing levels moving forward? Will it entail changes in business practices, pricing or customer experience?

COURTESY OK TOURISM & RECREATION DEPT.

PRATHER: Our first challenge is that many of our businesses in the packaged travel sector, especially our small businesses, continue to struggle financially. Leisure travel is rebounding tremendously, but group tours are lagging. NTA is still advocating for financial support. That’s the story we’re having to tell to legislators.

Beyond that, our members are challenged by staffing, availability of product, quality control and pricing. The labor shortages have, for our members, led to shorter hours and irregular schedules at attractions and restaurants. Or there are venues that can no longer accommodate groups of any size. This has created huge challenges for tour operators because they can’t uphold the standards of service and product quality they’re accustomed to delivering.

Travel groups will likely have a mix of health and safety practices for some time to come.

DALE: I just had a call a couple of days ago discussing the lack of diversity in our tour director community and in our industry at large. I think we can attract more people into our industry and do a greater service by getting more diversity.

We can work with colleges and universities to educate students about the opportunities and entice them to come into our family and network.

That’s not a short-term fix and won’t help us in the next six months. But with any crisis, you have to look long term.

PANTUSO: It’s all of the above. Some people would say that the federal benefits have made it easy for some folks not to come to work. That may or may not be true. But there’s competition to get the best people or to get people, period. Companies are going to have to be creative: a combination of pay, scheduling and other benefits.

On the motorcoach side, we saw drivers have to go elsewhere to get work over the last 18 months. Are they willing to leave what they’re doing now and come back? Some may, and some may not.

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CARYLANN ASSANTE

“Restaurants don’t have the staff, so many of them aren’t taking on groups. On the hotel side, we’re not anticipating a return to full-service housekeeping.”

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“The word of the year for 2020 had to be ‘pivot.’

Adaptability was a key characteristic.”

C AT H E R I N E P R AT H E R

What are the key takeaways from the past 18 months?

What do we need to learn about risk management, crisis preparation, public messaging and government relations?

DALE: First and foremost, we have to be agile. Every single day during this pandemic, we had to adapt to new, disruptive conditions. So agility is key, and communication with your customer base is also key.

A silver lining is that our value proposition as tour operators, travel advisers and group leaders has been elevated. People now recognize that we have thoroughly vetted supplier partners and that they’re going to follow and abide by a certain set of standards or protocols. If something happens, God forbid, I have company Z that is going to help me get through this and get back home. Customers get that now more than ever.

PANTUSO: On the government affairs side, the lesson learned was that if you want the federal government’s assistance, you need to be engaged in the process. It’s not just associations that go to the Hill and do the lobbying. Legislators really want to hear from the individuals in their districts who have employees and have to make payroll every week. We learned here that grassroots efforts are so critical.

We’re also going to have to instill confidence back into the traveling public. Early on in the pandemic, we developed industry protocols, and we put them out there for everyone to use, and we heard that a lot of people followed them. Doing that and being out in front and getting the customer’s confidence back was critical. That’s going to have to continue.

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PRATHER: The word of the year for 2020 had to be ‘pivot.’ Adaptability was a key characteristic. And unfortunately, because we’re still living with the reverberations of the ongoing pandemic, flexibility remains critical for us all.

I don’t know if anyone had a crisis plan for anything of this level. But if not, we all need to have one moving forward. We’ve all been in such a scramble mode that we probably haven’t really built those plans yet. But we need to.

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ASSANTE: Risk management is interesting. Our whole premise as an association is providing safe, professional travel for students. Then, in the pandemic, the word ‘safe’ took on a new meaning. Our hope is that everyone will focus on traveling in a safe way.

One of the best takeaways out of this was transparency between the customer, the tour operator and the supplier. When everything stopped and we had to work with each other on refunds and cancellations, our

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customers really learned what goes into the trip planning process. They realized that most of the work was done before they even traveled. There’s transparency that’s here to stay.

What growth opportunities should our industry be pursuing in 2022, 2023 and beyond?

PRATHER: In our midyear business survey, we asked our tour operator what growth opportunities they’re seeing. They mentioned smaller groups, more diversified itineraries serving high-end and FIT markets and joint ventures with like-minded operators. So they’re looking for ways to work smarter. They’re adding new destinations and itineraries to their product lineups.

Travel professionals have found new ways and more time to talk with each other. So we’ll see a lot more joint projects and not only among tour operators.

ASSANTE: Our research showed us that 2022 was going to be one of the largest years ever for student travel. Americans and Canadians were really traveling internationally. So we’ll see more domestic travel in 2022, then hopefully, moving toward more international travel in ’23 and ’24.

We’re hearing that more student groups are visiting national parks and secondary cities. And I think that will continue because they’re learning now what they have to offer and what the price point is.

PANTUSO: There’s a lot of opportunity The way people live, work and travel has all changed in the last 18 months. In the group travel business, we’re going to have to recognize that. People are going to continue working from home but maybe not five days a week. There’s going to be a work-life balance like there never was before. So when you think about people

P E T E R PA N T U S O

“Part of the message is that it is safe to travel. With the precautions being taken by motorcoach companies, restaurants, museums and everywhere else, the opportunities are certainly there, and it can be done safely.” taking time off and traveling, we’re going to have to figure out what works.

There was a trend toward smaller groups, and maybe those groups get even smaller. Maybe people want to go to places away from the crowds. We have to look at how people’s lifestyles have changed.

DALE: I think the pandemic will elevate the need and necessity of sustainable travel, responsible travel and meaningful travel. It’s our responsibility as an industry to make sure that’s integrated into our product development.

Form a demand perspective, what I’m hearing from our members is that 2022 is off the charts. That can change, as we know, but it looks very promising. This year’s travel may not be as strong as we thought. But 2022 looks extraordinarily healthy. So if we can hold on in 2021, there’s a strong light at the end of the tunnel.

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TIES THAT BIND

COURTESY MAVERICK HELICOPTERS

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INDUSTRY VETERANS HAVE FORGED BONDS TO SHARE VITAL INFORMATION

By Pat Henderson

I

n a time when it is easier than ever to be connected, all segments of the tourism industry, from tour operators and group leaders to destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and suppliers, have found it a challenge to stay in touch with their partners. One of the key obstacles these travel professionals have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic is that some of their usual contacts have been furloughed or reassigned or just aren’t with their usual organizations any longer.

“We’ve got so many new contacts around the industry these days,” said Dan Flores, vice president of business development for Las Vegas-based Maverick Helicopters, which supplies aerial sightseeing tours for groups. “It’s been hard to adjust, especially because so many of the previous people are good friends.”

The changes on the DMO and supplier sides have left tour operators and group leaders scrambling a bit to get the latest information regarding an ever-changing landscape of reopenings and restrictions without the assistance of their regular helpers. Requests for group itineraries have steadily increased throughout the summer and early fall, but that has magnified the need for quality information.

But DMOs and tour suppliers have a clear message for travel planners: “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.”

Throughout the pandemic, these destination experts have had plenty of time to answer questions, adapt, plan and get ready for groups to return. They’ve remained committed to helping their travel planner partners in any way they can, even though things inevitably look and feel different than before.

We spoke to four industry veterans about how they are staying connected, the different hats they are wearing these days, an innovative approach to DMO partnering and the abundance of new tour offerings they’ve been developing.

NEW ROLES FOR OLD FRIENDS

So, what did travel planners do when their usual contacts at that DMO or attraction were no longer there?

According to Flores, many pivoted, and reached out to their other longtime partners in that city or region.

“I’ve fielded a lot more questions from tour operators about things that have nothing to do with Maverick Helicopters. They’d say, ‘Who’s the new contact at this museum?’ or ‘What are some hotels, because I cannot reach my contact at our usual place?’ I can talk to them and help, and it always feels good when I’m the first person they think about when they think Las Vegas or Maui or the Grand Canyon,” said Flores.

One silver lining over the past few months: Many

D A N F LO R E S

THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, TRAVEL INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS HAVE WORKED TO MAINTAIN EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD NEW ONES TO FACILITATE TOURISM’S REBOUND.

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DMO and supplier companies have added — or re-added — staff positions. While it may not be that old standby contact, different people are stepping up to continue to provide travel planners with the high level of service they demand.

“Sometimes when you get a new contact it can be good,” said Betsay Painter, area director of sales and marketing for Lowcountry Hotels, which has seven properties in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. “Maybe they have fresh ideas or know different people, and they can help you reach somebody else.”

Painter has found travel association conference calls to be a good way to keep tabs on tour operators and hear what is going on with them. She said that in her follow-up outreach, she has prioritized asking them how they are doing personally rather than strictly talking business.

“Tour operators were hit hard, too, and I tried to be very sensitive there,” she said.

The story was the same on the destination marketing side, as a number of CVBs suffered significant staffing cutbacks. In spite of that, Frances Manzitto, director of tourism sales at Visit Clarksville (Tennessee), said one thing hasn’t changed: DMOs are still a tour operator’s best friend.

“DMOs are the main connection point, especially at this time,” said Manzitto “I am the Clarksville expert when it comes to the group market, and tour operators know to call me first for everything.”

B E T S AY PA I N T E R

CREATIVE DMO COLLABORATION

What began as a way for a group of travel professionals to stay connected and process what was happening in March 2020 when the world shut down has turned into an innovative partnership.

“We started a call with the Lunch Bunch in March of last year,” said Manzitto. “I had just been sent home to work, and I knew a lot of the people in the industry were, too. I wanted to talk to somebody face-to-face — besides my husband and my daughter — and stay connected. So we started this call.”

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The “Lunch Bunch” still meets daily on Zoom, and their virtual gatherings have led to some creative in-person sales collaborations.

FRANCES MANZITTO

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The group still meets daily on Zoom Monday through Friday, and any tourism professional is welcome. Early on, they spent time comparing notes on what they were experiencing both personally and professionally, sharing laughs and tears: “We took that ‘travel family’ mindset to a new level,” said Manzitto.

“In the fall last year, I started thinking aloud with the DMOs in the group about how we could take what we had created with that family and do something related to business with it,” she said.

The discussions led to the formation of Dynamic Destinations, a unique partnership between six DMO representatives — all from different states — who were Lunch Bunch mainstays: Manzitto, Todd Stallbaumer of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Linda Jeffries of the Greater Beaufort-Port Royal CVB in South Carolina, Rich Gilbert of the Maryland Office of Tourism Development, Wendy Dobrzynski of Circle Wisconsin and Heather Egan of the Grapevine (Texas) CVB. “We realized [there are] so many similar things in our destinations, and that was a reason why we branded ourselves Dynamic Destinations,” said Stallbaumer. “We say to tour operators, ‘Hey, if you like this destination, here is a very similar experience in another part of the country.’

While we are very different destinations, at least geographically, we have common experiences.”

The group has begun a multifaceted outreach. One aspect is a monthly sales call with a tour operator, who gets an overview of each of the six areas during the hourlong Zoom session.

Manzitto and Dobrzynski teamed up in July to do joint sales missions in-person across Ohio, and the full group pooled resources for joint sponsorships at industry events. They also created a combined profile sheet with information on each destination.

“The first response from tour operators has been ‘Wow, this is amazing. Usually we just learn about singular destinations,’” said Stallbaumer. “None of us are in competition with each

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other, and we all want to see that tour operator plan a trip to each of our destinations. With it not being a ‘compare and contrast,’ the calls have been more relaxed.”

Another benefit of the connections within the group is that the members can be a sounding board for one another. Plenty of new tour ideas have been shared and discussed, and members can suggest tour operators who might be good to target for specific packages.

“I am pretty proud of what we’ve been able to do, and it will be interesting to see how this continues to develop going forward,” said Manzitto.

TODD STALLBAUMER

Groups can sample pho, a traditional Vietnamese dish, on a new Oklahoma itinerary that introduces the state’s cultural diversity.

GET YOUR FRESH TOUR OPTIONS

And speaking of new tour packages, another positive byproduct of hitting pause during the COVID-19 pandemic was that it gave DMOs and suppliers more time to assess their product offerings and do some creative, future-focused brainstorming.

“All of this has given us a chance to really rethink our destinations’ offerings, come up with new ideas, create or revamp tours, find additional partners to plug into itineraries and see how we can diversify,” Stallbaumer said. “I am seeing opportunities to bring some of our Oklahoma partners together that traditionally haven’t worked together, and that’s been a big part of what we’ve tried to do.”

He cites a new group tour as an example. Partners in central Oklahoma developed a three-day itinerary that allows groups to experience six of the state’s different ethnic cultures for a half day each.

During the Vietnamese portion, travelers find out more about how Oklahoma City came to have the largest Vietnamese community, per capita, in the United States. Two food-related components are learning to make a spring roll and going to a restaurant to sample pho, another traditional dish.

“They tell you the stories of pho and talk about how it is prepared,” said Stallbaumer. “From there, you see a lion dance demonstration or a fashion show with typical dress, and you finish

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with a Vietnamese coffee. So you spend half a day really immersing yourself into that ethnicity instead of just having a Vietnamese lunch and being on your way.”

Flores tells a similar tale of how Maverick Helicopters’ two newest Las Vegas flightseeing tours — Neon and Nature, and Neon and Nature Sunset — came about.

“Before we had a $100 product to fly over the Strip at night. Then the next price point was the Grand Canyon tour for more than $400,” Flores said. “We looked at how to put a product out that might be attractive to that in-between market, and the two Neon and Nature tours came out of that. We’d talked about it for years, but we never took time to dive in until COVID.” Those tours, which launched in January, whisk passengers above the Strip to the Red Rock National Conservation Area just outside the city. Maverick has a landing spot there where participants get out and have roughly a half hour to relax and enjoy the area’s natural beauty.

“You can take pictures — the Strip is in front of you with red rocks behind you — and we do a champagne toast,” Flores said. “A lot of people are surprised when they get up to Red Rock on the tours, and they’ll say, ‘Red Rock is beautiful; I had no idea.’ It’s all Las Vegas-centric, and that price is about half of what a similar Grand Canyon tour is.”

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HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED

BY LAURENT VELAZQUEZ, COURTESY MEOW WOLF

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GREAT THINGS HAPPENED IN 2020 THAT TRAVELERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

By Rachel Carter

T

here was a lot of news in 2020. Like, a lot a lot. And there was a lot of noise around that news. The pandemic and politics dominated headlines most of the year, but major attractions still opened; they did not, however, always break through the noise to receive the attention they deserved.

Here’s a look at some attractions that opened in 2020 and some that were supposed to open but didn’t. Travel planners would do well to get them on itineraries for 2022.

OMEGA MART Las Vegas

Meow Wolf planned to open its second permanent installation, Omega Mart, in Las Vegas in 2020. But then the COVID-19 pandemic came along, and the New Mexico-based arts production company had to push back the opening to February 2021.

Having to delay the fictional, fantastical grocery store experience wasn’t all bad, especially in a city like Las Vegas “where it’s so difficult to stand out,” said Drew DiCostanzo, director of sales and marketing for Meow Wolf. “We were able to open at a time when there was a lot less noise in the market.”

During a Meow Wolf experience, “we start you somewhere that’s ordinary” and then “move onto something extraordinary,” he said. Visitors enter a grocery store that “seems so familiar,” but the more they explore, the more they discover. Guests might open a cooler door to grab a soda only to find a winding, psychedelic hallway.

“There are a number of these portals spread throughout Omega Mart, and it really becomes a ‘choose your own adventure’ depending on what choices you make and how deeply you explore your surroundings,” DiCostanzo said.

Immersive, layered, mind-expanding spaces feature work from over 325 artist collaborators across a range of disciplines. Omega Mart has about 60 large-scale “environmentals,” like “Projected Desert,” an anchor space illuminated with beautiful projection mappings, and myriad smaller installations, like Claudia Bueno’s “Pulse.” Physical experiences like slides, tunnels and crawl spaces are meant to fire up visitors’ senses.

If guests find the hidden bar, Datamosh, they can sip specialty cocktails or sample Day Ghost, the lager that Marble Brewery made exclusively for Meow Wolf locations.

Meow Wolf doesn’t supply maps or offer guided tours because they want to strip away the predictability of daily life and give visitors the opportunity to explore and discover. The same will be true when Meow Wolf ’s third permanent exhibition, “Convergence Station,” opens in Denver this month.

“All of it, for us, is really about inspiring creativity through art, through exploration and through being able to play again,” DiCostanzo said.

O M E G A M A R T.C O M

ART COLLECTIVE MEOW WOLF OPENED ITS IMAGINATIVE OMEGA MART IN LAS VEGAS EARLY THIS YEAR.

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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Fort Belvoir, Virginia The National Museum of the United States Army opened during the pandemic — twice. COVID-19 delayed the original June 2020 opening by about five months, but the museum eventually opened its doors on Veterans Day 2020. NMUSA was open for 31 days before COVID restrictions caused it to close. The museum then reopened June 14, 2021.

“The reception has been great,” said Pauline Bonilla, director of visitor engagement, programs and group sales. “People are just in awe when they come to the museum.”

The 185,000-square-foot, stainless steel-clad building is located in a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. NMUSA displays and interprets more than 245 years of America’s oldest military service in times of war and peace, conflict and construction, through the eyes of soldiers.

Eleven galleries display nearly 1,400 artifacts. In the Global War Gallery, visitors will see an M4 Sherman Cobra King tank as well as a Higgins Boat landing craft that was used in the D-Day Normandy beach landings.

In the Experiential Learning Center, or ELC, groups can simulate work done by Army soldiers at five G-STEM stations. In Geography, visitors use satellite imagery and maps, and the Science station resembles a medical tent.

Visitors operate an unmanned aerial vehicle at the Technology station and build and repair bridges at the Engineering station. The Math station allows

The Mississippi Aquarium opened in Gulfport last summer.

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI AQUARIUM

The National Museum of the U.S. Army made its debut in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, during the pandemic.

COURTESY NMUSA

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Florida’s St. Pete Pier opened in July 2020.

Home of the planet’s largest collection of space technology and the world-famous Space Camp . ®

groups to figure out how to accurately drop cargo from a Chinook helicopter, complete with wind and vibrations.

NMUSA also offers three paid virtual-reality simulator experiences. Tank Commander takes people inside a Sherman tank during World War II; Bunker Defense puts guests in a bunker in the Middle East. The Army Action Pod Simulator is a motion movie theater that simulates over 100 years of flight.

The museum expects to start accepting groups October 1.

T H E N M U S A .O R G

ST. PETE PIER St. Petersburg, Florida The new St. Pete Pier opened July 6, 2020, the culmination of a 17-year journey to reimagine and redevelop the city’s former “inverted pyramid” pier.

The new pier is more than a long dock that juts into Tampa Bay; it’s a 26BY AMY MARTZ, COURTESY VISITSTPETE acre waterfront park where groups can CLEARWATER.COM gather together or explore on their own, with dining, drinking, shopping, swimming, fishing, live music and public art.

“It really seamlessly combines the peaceful water of Tampa Bay with the vibrant greenery of downtown St. Pete,” said Rosemarie Payne, director of leisure travel for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.

As visitors walk up to the pier, they’ll find a marketplace of independent vendors selling local products beneath a solar roof structure. Groups are also greeted by public art, notably Janet Echelman’s “Bending Arc,” an enormous, netlike, perpetual-motion sculpture that floats overhead and is lighted at night.

Dining options range from pastries and paninis at Driftwood Cafe to high-end dining at Teak. Pier Teaki is a rooftop tiki bar that offers unobstructed views, tiki huts, couches and a fire pit; Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille features Florida-Caribbean fusion cuisine with indoor-outdoor dining. Groups can enjoy casual fare on Spa Beach Bistro’s outdoor patio or dine on a deck overlooking the marina at Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro.

The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center is a small museum run

by Tampa Bay Watch, an environmental organization. Admission is free, and visitors can explore exhibits, interactive displays and video presentations about local waters and marine life. Groups can also arrange demonstrations and lectures at the center’s amphitheater-style observation deck.

Visitors can rent fishing gear to do some catch-and-release from the pier, sunbathe at Spa Beach or jump on the free Looper trolley that runs through downtown.

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MISSISSIPPI AQUARIUM

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum opened in Colorado Springs last summer.

Gulfport, Mississippi The pandemic pushed back the opening of the Mississippi Aquarium by four months, but it opened August 29, 2020, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the region, including the aquarium’s hometown of Gulfport.

“We chose that time specifically to show how the gulf has changed in that time,” said Jeff Clark, public relations and communications manager.

The aquarium was under restrictions until this past spring, so “this is our first summer, and we’re having a great summer,” he said.

The Mississippi Aquarium has more than 200 species of animals on campus – and “70 to 80% of it is outdoors,” Clark said. “We’re very unique like that.”

A freshwater river runs the length of the six-acre campus, with catfish, cuttlefish, alligator gar and other species found in local estuaries. The three-story Aquatic Wonders building houses the saltwater aquarium. There, visitors can experience rays, sharks and invertebrates in large touch pools. Guests walk through a 360-degree tunnel through the main saltwater tank as they wind their way from the third floor to the “big reveal” on the first floor.

During a dolphin encounter, visitors can get close to and interact with one of four Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in their outdoor habitat. Groups can also arrange an Eco-Tour, which the aquarium offers in partnership with Ship Island Excursions; the tour is led by Holley Muraco, the aquarium’s director of research. The 70-passenger boat takes groups onto the Gulf of Mexico to learn about its ecology, wildlife and conservation work, and even use sonar to listen to dolphins.

Groups can also take a behind-the-scenes tour to learn about the ins and outs of aquarium operations, like how staff feed the animals and how the aquarium makes its own salt water.

M S A Q U A R I U M .O R G

COURTESY USOPM

U.S. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC MUSEUM Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado, is home to one of three U.S. Olympic training centers, the first to be built, and has been headquarters of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee since 1978.

Now the city is also home to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, which opened July 30, 2020, after delaying its original May 2020 opening and rescheduling its four-day grand opening celebration because of the pandemic.

Instead, ​​the museum kicked off its Colorado Grand Opening this past July, with a series of weekly activities and events running through Labor Day that include live music, athlete autographs, workouts with athletes, athlete meet-and-greets, demonstrations, Fight Night with USA Boxing and a four-day Tokyo Games Fan Fest.

The museum offers guided group tours and tries to accommodate group requests to meet an Olympian or a Paralympian, though “we can’t always guarantee that,” said Judy Cara, group sales manager.

In Gallery Four, interactive exhibits and simulators allow guests to run on a 30-meter track or try archery, skeleton, downhill skiing and goalball, a team sport for athletes with vision impairment that uses a ball with a bell inside. At “Ask an Athlete,” visitors can ask questions of a prerecorded Olympian or Paralympian.

When the 2022 Winter Olympics open in February in Beijing, the museum plans to hold another Fan Fest with more special programming.

U S O P M .O R G

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Oklahoma’s cultural fabric is as rich as its landscape. Take it all in at the Coleman Theatre in Miami, an architectural gem adorned in Spanish Colonial Mission style. On day two, admire another stunning structure in Ponca City. The Marland Mansion was built to showcase fine art, but it’s a masterpiece unto itself. Next up? Go see one of the world’s largest Dale Chihuly exhibits at Oklahoma City Museum of Art. It’s so breathtaking, you might get glassy-eyed! Wash it all down with a classy martini at Two Frogs Bar & Grill in Ardmore. They treat mixology as an art form … and it shows!

Score the full 6-day itinerary and more at TravelOK.com/Group.

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OUR RESEARCH REVEALS 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GROUP TRAVEL TODAY

By Brian Jewell

D

espite recent challenges, the group travel industry remains resilient, diverse and adaptable, according to new research conducted by The Group Travel Leader.

This summer, we partnered with Bandwagon, a tourism research and public relations firm, to begin our most ambitious study of group travel buying habits to date, asking travel planners more than 20 questions about their group’s travel plans, demographics, price preferences, marketing methods and more.

Preliminary results of this ongoing study came from responses submitted by more than 75 tour operators, travel agents and group leaders throughout the country. Their answers confirm some enduring strengths and reveal some surprising evolutions.

Here are 10 of the most interesting findings from the survey, along with key takeaways that will help travel planners and industry suppliers alike grow their group travel business.

ANNUAL NUMBER OF TRIPS

We asked respondents to indicate the number of day trips and overnight trips they planned in 2019 — the last full year before the pandemic — and the number of day trips and overnight trips they planned for 2021.

MAIN FINDINGS: In 2019, respondents planned an average of 29 overnight trips. That number dropped to nine overnight trips for 2021. In addition, respondents planned an average of 21 day trips in 2019. That number dropped to 12 in 2021.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Before the pandemic, our readers were doing an impressive amount of business, with overnight trips slightly outpacing day trips. And though the number of trips they planned dropped precipitously through the pandemic, group travel is making its way back, with our average respondent planning a total of 20 trips this year.

TRAVELER DEMOGRAPHICS

We asked respondents to indicate the percentage of their travelers that fell in various age ranges, beginning at under 21 and increasing in increments of 10 years.

MAIN FINDINGS: Respondents indicated that 31% of their travelers are in the 70-79 age range, followed closely by 30% in the 60-69 age range. An additional 14% fall in the 50-59 age range. For each age range below 50 years and above 80 years, respondents indicated single-digit percentages of travelers.

KEY TAKEAWAY: It’s no surprise that group travel is most popular in the 10 to 15 years after retirement, a period in which many Americans today remain active and healthy. But it’s also worth noting that 32% of group travelers had not yet turned 60. This suggests a potential growth opportunity for travel planners to begin courting new customers in the 50-59 age range. Travelers who encounter and enjoy group travel while they are still working are likely to become frequent customers in the years after they retire.

ABOUT 32% OF GROUP TRAVELERS HAVE NOT YET TURNED 60, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH FROM THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER.

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TRIP LENGTH

We asked respondents to indicate the average length of their overnight trips, ranging from one night to 15 or more nights, for both 2019 and 2021.

MAIN FINDINGS: Respondents showed a strong preference for shorter trips. In 2019, 20% said their average trip length is two nights; that dropped to 19% for 2021. Three-night trips dropped from 12% in 2019 to 11% in 2021.

Four-night trips dropped from 13% to 9%, and five-night trips dropped from 15% to 13%. The share of seven-to-eight-night trips dropped from 18% to 15%. The share of groups not operating overnight trips grew from 5% in 2019 to 12% in 2021.

KEY TAKEAWAY: The trend toward shorter trips, which has been developing for years, continues to hold, with trips under a week proving most popular.

And while a small minority of travel planners have suspended overnight trips altogether, the majority who are still operating them haven’t deviated from their pre-pandemic trip lengths. These average durations likely reflect domestic trips, as international tours often last seven to 10 days or longer.

TRIP PRICING

We asked respondents to indicate the average retail price they charged for domestic day trips, domestic overnight trips and international trips in both 2019 and 2021.

MAIN FINDINGS: The average overnight domestic trip price in 2019 was $1,284. That dropped 12% to $1,135 for 2021. The average international trip price in 2019 was $1,834, dropping 13% to $1,592 for 2021. The average prices for domestic day trips for both 2019 and 2021 was $92.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Pricing for overnight and international trips fell 12-13%.

On these trips, where tour operators have some profit margins and pricing flexibility, discounts might reflect efforts to encourage customers to return to travel after the pandemic. The reduced prices may also reflect a redirection to closer international destinations, as European and Asian borders were largely closed to American travelers.

LODGING TYPE

We asked respondents to indicate the types of lodging they include in their tours. They were given a list of eight categories and were able to choose multiple selections from the list.

MAIN FINDINGS: The most popular hotel category was national full-service chains such as Hilton or Marriott, which are used by 79% of travel planners.

Next came national limited-service chains such as Hampton Inn or Fairfield Inn at 64%, followed by resorts at 56% and local full-service hotels at 51%. Only 12% of respondents reported using budget chains such as Days Inn or Red Roof Inn. KEY TAKEAWAY: Contrary to conventional wisdom, group leaders seem willing to use nicer properties, including full-service hotels and resorts. Limited-service chains will always be a mainstay of the group market, but price is not the only factor planners care about. Hotel sales professionals may have an opportunity to sell more upscale product to groups than they previously thought.

COURTESY GRAND OLD OPRY

GROUP TRAVEL TARGET PRICES (2021)

MOTORCOACH CHARTER PRICE (per day)

LUNCH PRICE

(per person/day)

$16.56

$827.36 HOTEL PRICE

DINNER PRICE

(per person/night)

(per room/night)

$103.28

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MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

We asked respondents to indicate the percentage of their trips in 2019 and in 2021 that included flights.

MAIN FINDINGS: Respondents said that in 2019, 32% of their trips included flights and 68% were drive-only. For 2021, those percentages changed slightly, to 31% and 69%, respectively.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Though the motorcoach is fundamental to group travel, industry observers shouldn’t make the mistake of assuming that groups don’t fly.

Nearly a third of our respondents’ trips include air travel, which allows them to visit faraway destinations while still keeping trip lengths short.

DRIVING DISTANCE

©Laura Grier

Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry, is one of many domestic destinations that draw consistently high group visitation.

We asked respondents to indicate the average distance from home that their groups travel on drive-only trips, with options beginning at 200 miles or less and increasing in 200-mile increments.

MAIN FINDINGS: A sizable minority — 39% — said their average drive trip is 200 miles or less. Another 27% said the average trip is 201 to 400 miles, followed by 401 to 600 miles at 13% and 601 to 800 miles at 12%. Only 10% of respondents reported traveling any distance greater than 800 miles from home.

KEY TAKEAWAY: When groups travel over the road, they don’t want to spend a lot of time on the motorcoach. The most popular answer, 200 miles or less, suggests that many groups aren’t willing to drive more than three hours from home, and few are willing to travel more than 10 hours on a motorcoach. The days of long, rambling coach trips are over.

SOUL OF SOUTH LOUISIANA Tri-Parish Itinerary

Join us on the Soul of South Louisiana tour, a multi-day group itinerary beginning on the Louisiana Northshore and featuring a multitude of destinations in the tri-parish region of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana River Parishes, and Jefferson Parish that honor the contributions and untold history of Native, Creole, and African Americans.

Groups will learn about the stories and traditions that help make up our rich South Louisiana culture. Your adventure awaits on the Louisiana Northshore!

Contact Tanya Leader at 800-634-9443 for more information.

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Group travel leaders plan to spend about $17 per person for lunch and about $28 per person for dinner.

SUPPLIER PRICE POINTS

We asked respondents to indicate the target price points they seek for motorcoach charter per day, hotels per room/night, lunches per person and dinners per person. They provided answers for 2019 and 2021.

MAIN FINDINGS: The average target price for motorcoach charter in 2019 was $769 per day, rising 8% to $827 in 2021. Target hotel prices rose slightly, from $100 in 2019 to $103 in 2019. Lunch prices rose from $15 to $17, and dinner prices rose from $26 to $28.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Recent events, including the pandemic, the general labor shortage and a long-term shortage of motorcoach drivers, are putting upward pressure on supplier pricing. These increases are also consistent with consumer price inflation documented throughout this year.

LEAD TIMES

We asked respondents to indicate how far in advance of departure they begin planning trips and begin marketing trips. They provided answers for 2019 and 2021.

MAIN FINDINGS: In 2019, planners began organizing trips about 267 days — almost nine months — before departure. For 2021, that number decreased by 9% to 244 days. In 2021, they began marketing trips 207 days — seven months — before departure, down 3% from 2019.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Many industry professionals have reported lead times decreasing in recent years, and these findings bear that out. Destination marketers should use this information strategically to begin reaching out to travel planners about a year in advance of their desired travel dates.

MARKETING METHODS

We asked respondents to indicate what methods and media they use to market trips. They were given a list of nine options and were able to choose multiple selections from the list.

MAIN FINDINGS: The most popular marketing method was word-of-mouth, with 88% reporting that they rely upon it.

GROUP Next was email or e-newsletters at 83%, followed by group presentations at 61%, 40 % social media at 60% and phone calls at 57%. Only 12% reported mailing physical catalogs, and only 9% are using paid on30 % line advertising.

KEY TAKEAWAY: As always, the tourism business runs on relationships. Wordof-mouth is still the leading marketing 20% method, which means that good reputation remains crucial for travel planners. But planners are growing increasingly adept at marketing through digital channels as well.

10 %

COURTESY MARBLESTREETSTUDIO.COM

TRAVELERS BY AGE RANGE

29.37%

30.52%

12.95%

8.09%

7.4%

6.28% 3.69% 1.69%

0% UNDER 21

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40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80 OR OLDER

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St. Augustine Florida…

America’s Oldest City

Nestled along the coastline of Northeast Florida, you’ll find St. Augustine, Florida, where we’ve been welcoming explorers since 1565.

Our curated travel itineraries span more than 450 years! Group tour highlights include: Conde Nast Traveler

Named one of the 20 Prettiest Towns in America

• Birthplace of African American History “Discovery to Civil Rights” • Gilded Age of Glory • Five Centuries of Architecture and History The cultural influences of Spanish, Menorcan, and traditional Southern cuisine make our group-friendly restaurants memorable.

Our accommodations fit every taste and budget from historic inns and chain hotels to luxury oceanfront resorts. Parking for motor coaches and buses is conveniently located in St. Augustine’s Historic Downtown.

Learn more at historiccoastculture.com National Geographic Top 20 Best of the World

Contact Christina Parrish Stone Executive Director, St. Johns Cultural Council grouptravel@historiccoastculture.com

BUYER’S GUIDE DIRECTORY ALABAMA

Huntsville/Madison County CVB

FLORIDA

St. Johns Cultural Council

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Department of Tourism

LOUISIANA

Destrehan Plantation

500 Church Street NW, Suite One Huntsville, AL 35801 256-551-2204 Pam Williams pam@huntsville.org www.huntsville.org Huntsville/Madison County, AL, is a perfect destination for group travel, with endless activity options, boundless natural beauty, and deep history. Find something for everyone in your group to enjoy and plenty of attractions where guests can participate in guided tours and interactive group experiences or wander on their own and explore at their individual pace.

15 Old Mission Avenue St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-808-7330 Christina Parrish Stone christina@historiccoastculture.com www.historiccoastculture.com St. Augustine, Florida has been welcoming explorers since 1565. As America’s oldest continuously occupied city, our curated itineraries span 450 years. Highlights include, the Birthplace of African American History, five centuries of architecture, and miles of beautiful beaches. Parking for motor coaches is conveniently located in St. Augustine’s Historic Downtown.

500 Mero St., 5th Floor Frankfort, KY 40601 502-564-4930 Margaret Fuqua margaret.fuqua@ky.gov kentuckytourism.com From Kentucky’s handcrafted bourbon to our superior horses, food, bluegrass music to picture-perfect natural scenery to our charming small towns and museums, the stories you will hear and the experiences you will have while in the Bluegrass State will last a lifetime. #TravelKY

13034 River Road Destrehan, LA 70047 985-764-9315 Tracy Smith tracy@destrehanplantation.org www.destrehanplantation.org Destrehan Plantation, the Gateway to the River Parishes, located less than 25 minutes from New Orleans and 10 minutes from the New Orleans International Airport. The site is handicap accessible and offers guided tours, 1811 Slave Revolt and Freedmen’s Bureau Exhibits, Daily Demonstration, Lodging, and a Mule Barn Event Venue.

ALABAMA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Leavenworth Convention and Visitors Bureau

Kentucky State Parks

Louisiana Northshore/ St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission

500 Mero St./5th floor Frankfort, KY 40601 502-892-3343 Paige Thompson (Jovan Wells) paige.thompson@ky.gov (jovan.wells@ky.gov) www.parks.ky.gov Bring your group of 5 to 500 for an experience they will remember and appreciate. We have 45 parks across the state, 17 with lodging, meeting space and dining; nestled amongst forests, lakes, and caves, giving guests a unique event. Additional offerings recreation, team building, and education.

Call us today!

1 Tranquility Base Huntsville, AL 35805 800-637-7223 Sara Vowell sarav@spacecamp.com www.spacecamp.com Space Camp® is a one-of-a-kind experience at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center®, an Official Visitor Center for NASA. Each year, trainees of all ages travel from across the U.S. and more than 70 countries to participate in our astronaut training programs.

Trainees learn the importance of teamwork, go on simulated space missions and learn what it really means to be an astronaut!

100 N 5th Street Leavenworth, KS 66048 913-758-2948 Kristi K Lee cvb@firstcity.org www.visitleavenworthks.com Explore Leavenworth, the “First City of Kansas”, a quaint historic town with vintage homes, eclectic shopping, diverse dining and fun for the whole family! Historic Fort Leavenworth is the “Post that opened the West”. Both are located just 30 minutes from Kansas City. Visit www.VisitLeavenworthKS. com for your FREE Visitors Guide.

CALIFORNIA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

Visit Kansas City Kansas

Oldham Kentucky Tourism & Conventions

Louisiana’s River Parishes Tourist Commission

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

40 Presidential Drive Simi Valley, CA 93065 805-522-2977 Melissa Giller info@reaganfoundation.org www.reaganlibrary.com The Reagan Library is one of California’s most beautiful and unique destinations. Tour through the actual Air Force One that flew seven U.S. presidents.

View a full scale replica of the Oval Office. Touch an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall. Also home to President and Mrs. Reagan’s memorial site.

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PO Box 171517 Kansas City, KS 66117 913-321-5800 Kerry Green kerry@visitkansascityks.com www.visitkansascityks.com Planning your next tour? Keep Kansas City, Kansas at the top of your list of places to see! Shopping, Taco’s, Barbeque, History, Legendary Kansans, major and minor league Sports, NASCAR, casinos, wineries, orchards, Group friendly hotels, attractions and restaurants-Kansas City, Kansas has it all. We can’t wait to welcome you!

6826 W. Highway 22 (inside The Maples Park) Crestwood, KY 40014 502-222-0056 Kim Buckler Hydes director@touroldham.com www.oldhamkygroups.com Stay near Louisville on I-71! Oldham County Kentucky is home to 13 Farm Tours, 4 HighEnd Bourbons, 20 Trains on Main, 5 Hotels, & 2 Underground Railroad history designations by the National Park Service. We’re well-known for our greater value, group perks, and several unique Kentucky attractions you’ll find ONLY in OLDHAM.

Mandeville, LA 70471 800-634-9443 Tanya Leader, V.P. of Sales tanya@louisiananorthshore.com www.louisiananorthshore.com/groups St. Tammany Parish, the Louisiana Northshore, is one hour from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Explore the Honey Island Swamp on a guided boat tour, hold baby alligators at Insta-Gator, paddle the bayous, feed giraffes at Global Wildlife, dine with a waterfront view, or enjoy a tour and tasting at Abita Brewery.

671 Belle Terre Blvd.

LaPlace, LA 70068 985-359-2783 Willma Harvey, CTP, CTIS willma@lariverparishes.com www.lariverparishes.com Louisiana’s River Parishes offers unique year-round experiences from the holiday displays of Bonfire Country to kayaking, ziplining, and guided bayou tours in New Orleans Swamp Country. Learn of our storied past along the 1811 Slave Revolt Trail in New Orleans Plantation Country and savor our cuisine along the Andouille Trail.

BUYER’S GUIDE DIRECTORY LOUISIANA

St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission

P.O. Box 1415 / 978 Kennerson Rd Opelousas, LA 70571 337-948-8004 Sarah Wise info@cajuntravel.com www.cajuntravel.com Equal parts Cajun and Creole, St. Landry Parish is a rural-heritage destination located in South Central, Louisiana. Symbols of the region’s culture and faith are present everywhere — museums, art galleries, and the local brewery! Whether you want to visit the site of a miracle or admire religious architecture, the St. Landry Parish Spiritual Trail is for you. It’s gumbo for your SOUL!

MISSISSIPPI

The Alluvian Hotel

MISSOURI

Missouri State Penitentiary

115 Lafayette St. Jefferson City, MO 65101 866-998-6998 Sheila Sanford, Prison Tour Coordinator info@missouripentours.com www.missouripentours.com Book a tour at the historical prison that once operated for 168 years, making it the oldest continually operating prison west of the Mississippi River when it was decommissioned in 2004. All tours are guide-led and will give visitors an idea as to what life was like inside “The Walls.”

MISSOURI

Visit Joplin

NEW YORK

OHIO

Christmas Spectacular

Youngstown Live – Mahoning County CVB

Starring the Radio City Rockettes presented by Chase Madison Square Garden Entertainment

2 Penn Plaza, 14th Floor New York, NY 10121 212-465-6055 Group Travel Department www.rockettes.com/gtl Celebrate the joy of the holidays at the Christmas Spectacular! Radio City Music Hall is delighted to welcome back generations of fans this holiday season. Secure your seats today for special savings and access to experience packages such as a preshow reception in the historic Roxy Suite and more!

21 W. Boardman St. Youngstown, OH 44503 Tara Mady 800-447-8201 tara@youngstownlive.com www.youngstownlive.com Stroll through beautiful Fellows Riverside Gardens, explore historic Lanterman’s Mill & Covered Bridge, and roam The Butler Institute of American Art. Discover great wineries, group-friendly dining options, and holiday tour ideas. Located midway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh and New York and Chicago, Youngstown is an ideal destination for your next group tour.

NORTH CAROLINA

OKLAHOMA

Jackson County, NC TDA

Chickasaw Country

318 Howard Street Greenwood, MS 38930 866-600-5201 (toll free); 662-453-2114 Forrest Hodge fhodge@thealluvian.com www.thealluvian.com Cross the sleek threshold of The Alluvian, and enter a realm with a nouveau-chic ambiance normally reserved for world cities. Luxurious and intimate.

Elegant and eclectic. Created by world renowned architects and designers, this boutique hotel has claimed iconic status with its modern design. The Alluvian is an alluring alternative to the ordinary.

602 S. Main Street Joplin, MO 64801 800-657-2534 Kerstin Landwer klandwer@joplinmo.org www.visitjoplinmo.com From the natural splendor surrounding the Grand Falls to the revealed wonders from beneath the surface at our Mineral Museum to our rich history depicted in public murals, the sights and the stories of Joplin await you in Southwest Missouri.

116 Central Street Sylva, NC 28779 828-508-0243 Caleb Sullivan, Sales & Marketing Manager sales@discoverjacksonnc.com www.discoverjacksonnc.com/ meeting-event-spaces From historic inns to luxury resorts nestled in the mountains, we have the perfect spot for your meeting. After the conference, our mountain towns have plenty to explore. Discover hidden waterfalls, enjoy Appalachian cuisine, or cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway.

One East Sheridan, Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-767-8998 Angel Green angelia.green@chickasaw.net www.chickasaw.net Chickasaw Country is a destination rich in First American and Western history, outdoor adventures and unique attractions. Located in south central Oklahoma, Chickasaw Country is a great place to enjoy a relaxing, educational and fun-filled getaway for groups of any size. Memories worth making await here in Chickasaw Country!

MISSISSIPPI

NEW JERSEY

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

Experience Columbus

Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department

Visit Oxford

1013 Jackson Ave. East Oxford, MS 38655 662-232-2477 Nadia Thornton nadia@visitoxfordms.com www.visitoxfordms.com An hour south of Memphis, Oxford, MS welcomes visitors with quintessential southern charm and the convenience of big city amenities. Home to the University of Mississippi, Oxford has been touted as the “Cultural Mecca of the South.” Oxford is the ideal location for your next meeting with facilities that can accommodate events of all sizes. Oxford, MS: where business meets pleasure.

Tour Atlantic City

1 Convention Boulevard Atlantic City, NJ 08401 609-318-6097 Heather Colache hcolache@meetac.com www.touratlanticcity.com From top-notch dining experiences, luxury hotel accommodations, entertainment and more, Atlantic City has more than enough to make it a perfect and safe getaway. We offer complete Atlantic City information and knowledgeable staff to assist you.

277 W. Nationwide Blvd, Ste 125 Columbus, OH 43215 614-222-6136 Roger Dudley rdudley@experiencecolumbus.com www.experiencecolumbus.com/tours Experience Columbus’ mission is to sell, market and promote the best of Columbus to groups coming to Ohio’s capital. Named one of the Travel Channel’s Top Domestic Destinations to Visit in 2020, you’re sure to find a city full of hands-on tours, great food, friendly people and travel professionals that make planning easy.

900 N. Stiles Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-990-1087 Todd Stallbaumer todd@travelok.com www.travelok.com/group Oklahoma, land of what’s new. In 2021, Tulsa welcomed the opening of OK POP Museum, Church Studio and Greenwood Rising and are excited to announce The Bob Dylan Center will open in May 2022. This September, we’ll also celebrate the long-awaited opening of the First American Museum in Oklahoma City.

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BUYER’S GUIDE DIRECTORY SOUTH CAROLINA

VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of

Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

​​Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

Commerce | Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

1200 N. Oak Street Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 843-916-7248 Sandy Haines sandy.haines@visitmyrtlebeach.com www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/groups The Myrtle Beach Area of South Carolina is known for our wide sandy beaches and an even wider variety of options to keep groups entertained. Create the perfect tour that offers something for everyone. Take advantage of 7 live theaters, sculpture gardens and an assortment of other area attractions and activities.

PO Box 1607, Williamsburg, VA 23187 888-868-7593 group.reservations@jyf.virginia.gov www.jyfmuseums.org At Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, groups are immersed in the story of America’s beginnings through innovative gallery exhibits, films and outdoor living history - from the first permanent English colony in 1607 through America’s decisive Revolutionary War Victory in 1781. Real History. Right Now.

2101 Parks Avenue, Fifth Floor Virginia Beach, VA 23451 757-385-6642 Jim Coggin jcoggin@visitvirginiabeach.com www.visitvirginiabeach.com/group-tour Welcoming groups to Live the Life is a long-practiced tradition in Virginia Beach, giving visitors a chance to experience the genuine hospitality of a city with a lot to share. We suggest groups arrive ready to discover, like the original settlers who got their first glimpse of the New World on these shores.

SOME PEOPLE SEE A PILE OF TOOLS. WE SEE A WAY TO HELP IMPROVE A DESTINATION IN NEED.

Tourism Cares can help you see the world differently. By participating in our outreach, education and volunteering programs you’ll be able to more successfully connect needs to opportunities.

And, you’ll gain the direction, networking, tools and skills required to shape a more resilient and sustainable future for the destinations and communities we all sell and rely upon. Join us and unite with your industry colleagues to harness the transformative power of travel.

Visit TourismCares.org. See the possibilities.

Join these companies in seeing the possibilities.

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60 MILES OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER Nothing brightens a meeting like ocean views and a full slate of experiences to help your guests unwind. Your meeting belongs at The Beach.

MyrtleBeachMeetings.com