Select Traveler May June 2020

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

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TOUR OPERATORS ADDRESS ADJUSTMENTS

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ARKANSAS AWAITS |

SECOND CITIES SHINE

WICHITA

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Select Traveler delegates MAY/JUNE 2020

Uncover Unexpected Gems in Oklahoma From serene state parks to bustling cities, Oklahoma is a treasure trove of remarkable attractions.

Start with a hike or horseback ride at Beavers Bend State Park, nestled in the mountains near Broken Bow. Next, explore the quaint cobblestone community of Medicine Park, voted Oklahoma’s most charming small town.

At Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum of Art, tour stunning gardens, sculptures and impressive collections. Then, visit the Marland Mansion in Ponca City, a Mediterranean Revival-style home known for its intricate architecture and fine art.

Discover more delightful destinations at TravelOK.com/Group.

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

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VOL.28 NO.3

MAY/JUNE 2020

WAITING FOR WICHITA

contents

Courtesy Visit Wichita

ON THE COVER: The Keeper of the Plains statue stands 44 feet tall at the confluence of Big and Little Arkansas rivers in downtown Wichita. Photo by Drone-tography.

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planners

toolbox:

TALK BACK RESTART YOUR PROGRAM

tour what’s new marketing: operators IN OKC E-NEWS

REBOUND

LETTERS

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MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL ELIZA MYERS HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS ASHLEY RICKS CHRISTINE CLOUGH RENA BAER KELLY TYNER KYLE ANDERSON

KYLE ANDERSON

888.253.0455

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES

K YLE@ GROUPTR AVELLE ADER.COM

Founder and Publisher Partner VP & Executive Editor Associate Editor Senior Writer Creative Director Graphic Designer/Circulation Manager Copy Editor Proofreader VP, Sales and Marketing Director of Advertising Sales

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ALL ABOUT

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TRAVEL GUIDE

Select Traveler, the Magazine for Bank, Alumni and Chamber Travel Planners, is published bimonthly by The Group Travel Leader, Inc., 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507 and is distributed free of charge to qualified travel program directors throughout the United States. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and other travel-related companies, may subscribe to Select Traveler by sending a check for $49 for one year to: Select Traveler, Circulation Department, 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507. 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.

NAME OR ADDRESS CHANGES: If your copy of Select Traveler should be mailed to another manager in your organization, or if you personally know another travel director who is not receiving Select Traveler, please send your correction to: Select Traveler, 301 East High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507, or call (859) 253-0455.

JOIN US FOR A TRIP TO MYRTLE BEACH IN DECEMBER

H

ave you always wanted to experience the magic of the holidays in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina?

Are you looking for ways to learn more about trip possibilities in Myrtle Beach and have a great time doing it? Do you have a few days to visit Myrtle Beach firsthand in December?

Would you like to spend a few days with executive staff of The Group Travel Leader and Select Traveler magazines while you’re at it?

If so, we have just the opportunity for you.

Brian Jewell (bottom right) and Kelly Tyner (bottom left) will accompany travel planners to attractions The Myrtle Beach Area Convention and in Myrtle Beach, including Brookgreen Gardens (top) and Alabama Theatre (bottom center).

Visitors Bureau is inviting up to 20 of our travel planner readers to enjoy a four-day site Courtesy Brookgreen Gardens inspection trip, December 6-9. Qualified travel planners will be guests of the CVB staff and will enjoy visiting the holidaythemed music shows, attractions and special events throughout the Grand Strand area.

And once you get to Myrtle Beach, all your expenses are covered.

“Join The Select Traveler’s executive editor, Brian Jewell, and Kelly Tyner, our Courtesy Alabama Theatre director of sales and marketing, for this fun and educational site inspection trip to experience the holidays in Myrtle Beach,” This readership event and site inspection tour is limited to 20 qualified said publisher Mac Lacy. “Brian and Kelly will accompany our Myrtle travel planners. Applicants will complete a brief travel profile that will be Beach hosts on this trip and will be sharing their travel experiences with used by the Myrtle Beach Area CVB staff to select attendees. everyone in attendance.

To submit your travel profile and request a spot on this exciting trip, go “Brian and Kelly will be highlighting the trip in real time on social to grouptravelleader.com/myrtle-beach-fam and fill out your profile online. media, and Brian will write an article on this tour for publication in The To inquire by phone or to ask a question, call us toll-free at 888-253-0455 Group Travel Leader magazine,” said Lacy. “Tour participants will have and ask for Kelly. the opportunity to share their impressions and experiences about Myrtle Registration for this complimentary site inspection trip in Myrtle Beach Beach with our staff and meet some wonderful hosts from the state. It’s closes September 15, so don’t delay. going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved.”

Join Brian, Kelly and the Myrtle Beach Area CVB for a wonderful trip All accommodations, sightseeing, transportation and meals are included December 6-9. once participants arrive in Myrtle Beach. No travel expenses to and from Myrtle Beach will be reimbursed.

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perspective P U B L I S H E R ’ S

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his is no time for wishful thinking.

I should explain: As we gradually put this national nightmare behind us, successful trips for most of you will be built around your travelers, not your tourists. Your travelers are going to go on your trips. Your tourists are going to be wishful thinkers. Because of a booming travel economy the

past seven or eight years, you may have had the luxury of filling trips with both types for a long time. But for the immediate future, that won’t be the case.

Our advertising sales department is quick to spot our wishful thinkers. They have to be. Wishful thinkers can eat up a lot of valuable time. Our salespeople spend their time working with people who are serious about spending marketing dollars to reach all of you, our readers.

As your group eases back into travel, you will likely have to do the same. Your travelers have not put their aspirations on hold. They already have a list of places to which they want to go or to which they want to return. They are already figuring out the destinations that will aggressively seek to fill their hotels with guests who will enjoy their cuisine and walk their streets. Those people are going to go with you when the green light flashes.

For your travelers, when the green light flashes, all the Facebooking ceases and the trip planning begins. Sometimes travel is hard, but your travelers know that. They’re ready for it. And they’ll be looking to you for the thumbs-up.

Your tourists, today's more wishful thinkers, will come around in time. But when this ends, it will be your travelers who fill your trips.

Email me anytime with your thoughts at maclacy@grouptravelleader.com.

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P L A N N E R S

T A L K

B A C K

follow us @ gotripsinc

What tour was more successful than you expected?

ERICA PERKINS

WOODSVILLE GUARANTY SAVINGS BANK WOODSVILLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE “We did a music- and train-themed tour to West Virginia a few years ago. It was so popular we had to add another bus, making our group a total of 97. Our group is most drawn to areas that have a similarity to where they are from in the northern New Hampshire region but offer a different cultural experience. Most rural destinations have a safer, more comfortable feel to our group.”

CINDY CULLINS

RELYANCE BANK DESTINATION CLUB PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS “Our Alaskan cruise on Oceania was very popular. Most of the customers had never traveled on Oceania and wanted to see how it compared to other cruises.”

JULIANA FERMIN HJ TRAVELS

CYPRESS, TEXAS “Our Soca on the Seas music-theme group toured Spain, France and Italy in May 2018. Our time spent in Rome was amazing, as we were able to visit the Vatican, the Colosseum and several other fascinating and historic landmarks. Days later we visited Pisa and Naples at length, so our clients were thrilled. Our nights at sea enhanced our entire trip, as the entertainers we brought onboard entertained us with their reggae and soca music.”

Travel ☼ Thoughtfully Designed ☼ ☼ Delightfully Executed ☼

LESLIE JERDEN

TRUITY CREDIT UNION BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA “A Kenya Wing Safari tour with Tanzania as a five-day extension was very successful. It was also the most expensive tour I had offered to that date. I started marketing it 18 months in advance after I had taken a FAM to the destination. I used my FAM photos and short clips to create my own slideshow presentation and formally introduce it myself. I felt those decisions helped sell it. People wanted to see exactly where they would be staying, what the food looked like and the quality of the safari drives themselves. Once I could show them my own photos and voice my own experience, it helped them make a decision.”

CHERYL WALTER

NORWIN EXPRESS TOURS NORTH HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA “Sicily stood out for me. I anticipated a great trip, but our tour guide made it a fabulous trip. Our group never realized the beauty and history that we would witness on this adventure.”

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888-55-TRIPS

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T R A V E L

T O O L B O X

During the pause, plan to power up!

BY BRIA N JE W E LL

T

ravel is going to make a comeback. When it does, will your group be ready?

The events of the past few months have taken us all by surprise. And although nobody can predict exactly when, at Select Traveler we are confident that #TravelAwaits.

When the world opens up again, many people will be anxious to start traveling, including some of your members and customers. So instead of sitting still and staying quiet during this season, why not use this time to prepare for the trips your group will take in the future?

The work of restarting your travel program doesn’t begin once restrictions end — it begins now. Here are five things you can do now to set your program and your members up for success.

KEEP IN TOUCH The purpose of your affinity program is to foster relationships with your members, and that doesn’t have to change just because travel is suspended. During this time of uncertainty, relationships are more valuable than ever, and you can use this opportunity to strengthen them. You should regularly be communicating with your members through e-newsletters and social media posts. And consider reaching out personally to your most important customers through phone calls or video chats. You could even set up a virtual happy hour or other social gathering for your members using Zoom or another videoconferencing tool.

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CONTINUE TALKING TRAVEL Travel will resume eventually — it’s only a matter of time. And there will be a fair amount of pent-up demand among people who love to travel. You can help stoke that demand by continuing to talk about travel, even while it’s suspended. You should already be communicating with customers about the status of trips that they’ve booked. But in addition to that, talk about other trips, too: Share memories and photos from great trips your group has already taken, and spread ideas about places you could go in the future. You can find some helpful resources for these communications on our #TravelAwaits page at grouptravelleader.com/travelawaits.

PLAN AN INTRODUCTORY OUTING Given the unprecedented nature of what we’re experiencing, some of your travelers may be a bit gun-shy about getting back out on the road.

You can help allay their fears by planning shorter trips to nearby places.

These should be the first outings you offer after restrictions are lifted. You can work with CVBs or tour operators now to build evergreen itineraries that can be easily rolled out once travel is safe to resume. Then operate those trips to demonstrate to your other members that your program is hitting the road again — even if only a handful of people sign up. Some of your travelers may be more comfortable with a group of 12 to 15 than one of 40 to 50.

RELY ON YOUR PARTNERS As you restart your travel program, it will be more important than ever to work with trusted partners to operate your trips. Although there may be some advantages to planning your own tours, in this environment the liabilities outweigh the benefits. Professional tour companies and cruise lines have many resources that you don’t, and they’re constantly monitoring the horizon for potential challenges. If complications or delays arise with an upcoming trip, these professional travel partners will go to great lengths to protect your investment and ensure the safety of your customers.

COMMIT TO MAKING AN IMPACT Your group’s travel has always had a positive economic impact on the places you visit. But now more than ever, people are realizing just how important that impact is. You can help inspire people to join your trips by reminding them how much their spending will help front-line workers at the hotels, attractions and restaurants you visit. Or go one step further and arrange some voluntourism projects or charitable gifts in the communities you travel to. Your group’s generosity will be much appreciated, and your travelers will love being part of travel’s comeback story.

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TRAVEL DREAMS

ENDURE

BY ELIZA MYERS

Collette has continued to book future tours to North American destinations like Canada’s Lake Louise.

Courtesy Collette

Ian Scott, CEO of Aventura World, in Egypt

Courtesy Aventura World

Rockin’ the Boardwalk event with U.S. Tours

Courtesy U.S. Tours

tour operators discuss their responses to a global disruption

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he events of this spring have turned the world upside down. Within two weeks in March, virtually the entire globe shut down travel.

Under the best of circumstances, tour operators already run on slim margins, so the mass cancellations have led to unprecedented challenges. Without a pandemic playbook, each company must decide for itself how to respond.

U.S. Tours, Aventura World and Collette are three Select Traveler travel companies working to stay relevant during the pandemic as well as develop a reopening plan once restrictions are lifted. We asked them to talk to us about their postpandemic plans. Here’s what they had to say.

U.S. TOURS

U.S. Tours doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach to shutdowns and travel stoppages. The wholesale travel company based in Vienna, West Virginia, serves traditional tour operators and Select Traveler group leaders. Its tour operator clients have been hit hardest from the pandemic, so U.S. Tours has halted marketing efforts to these customers and has focused instead on helping them cancel programs.

As the situation continues to develop, the company will help them work on recovery plans.

U.S. Tours’ Select Traveler members offer more of a service to their customers than most businesses, so most of these customers were not as negatively affected.

“These groups are actually buying new products for fall, winter and the rest of 2021,” said Bob Cline, founder of U.S. Tours. “We are continuing our marketing with e-blasts, phone calls and even a few sales calls.”

The company has also transformed its special events scheduled in October in Virginia Beach and on New Year’s Eve in Myrtle Beach into recovery parties to celebrate the end of travel restrictions.

Cline believes there are reasons to remain hopeful, including the low cost of fuel and the fact that many of the company’s travelers are already retired and thus not as affected by the economics of social distancing.

“This will be a benchmark moment in history,” said Cline. “We will define things as pre-Corona and post-Corona. In post-Corona world, I think travelers are going to come flocking to buses, eager to go and spend.”

ustours.biz

AVENTURA WORLD

Aventura World, a wholesale travel company based in Moonachie, New Jersey, wants to focus on giving hope rather than taking reservations. Founded in 1972, the company takes the long view of the pandemic, confident that it, too, will pass.

“We’ve experienced many downturns, two Gulf wars, the Balkan conflicts and all kinds of world events,” said Ian Scott, president of Aventura World. “We have created new programs to take care of our travelers.”

The company partners with the Association of the Chambers of Commerce Executives to provide chamber programs with tours. It also plans trips for alumni associations, church groups and other affinity travel programs. Aventura World markets its tours to the 55plus crowd, with typical itineraries going to exotic locales for authentic, immersive experiences.

To respond to the pandemic, the company is taking a step back

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from marketing for the present to aspirational travel.

“It’s about expressing the dream of travel,” said Scott. “We talk about our tour programs to keep hope alive. We’re still here to take reservations, but we are more education-focused. It’s about making our clients comfortable.”

The company is using its Cultural Discovery Series to educate guests on fascinating facts about various countries. These digital campaigns are often timely, with facts about how Egypt’s pharaohs stayed healthy over the centuries with honey and anise seeds.

Posts on social media contain a new address — #aventuraworld4u — to reflect this digital campaign.

“People want to come together but don’t want to put their money down yet,” said Scott. “They want a plan. We want to facilitate their dreams. We have the ability to reserve our programs without any financial risks.”

The company has loosened its cancellation policies to assuage fears.

Guests can now cancel with no questions asked 90 to 120 days before a trip, depending on the destination. Before the pandemic, there would have been cancellation fees for dates that close to international tours.

“We have to look at life a little differently now,” said Scott. “We are aiming to build a community of hope for our group leaders and our vendors.

We want members to allow their travelers to believe that we are going to get back to normal. All of our products are there, and we can do that.”

aventuraworld.com

COLLETTE

While the world is on lockdown, Collette, one of the oldest tour operators in the world, is emphasizing relationships. Based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Collette specializes in group travel to all seven continents.

“It’s a tough time because we can’t be out there traveling,” said Jeff Roy, executive vice president of Collette. “We normally have a lot of face-to-face conversations with group leaders. Our CEO has been on the phone with a number of group accounts. This isn’t a time to sell. It is a time to work on our relationships.”

With social media, emails and phone calls, the company is spreading a message of aspirational travel to unite its customers so they will be ready to hit the road when the world opens back up.

“We have 70 sales representatives, so we are having a lot of conversations with people every day,” said Roy. “We are also on social media platforms. Our president posted videos to keep people up to date on travel restrictions.”

Collette has posted a steady stream of inspirational social media posts relating to the pandemic, including a video that encouraged viewers to relive travel memories that last forever. Beyond just imagining travel, the company continues to book trips in 2021 with Europe and North America now dominating in popularity.

Though COVID-19 has led to some cancellations in the immediate future, most groups booked in August and onward still plan to go. Roy believes this is partially due to Collette’s worry-free cancellation policy, under which travelers can cancel up to 24 hours before a trip for any reason.

“We’ve been doing that for 30 years,” said Roy. “People think it is crazy because it is expensive for us. In an environment like this when you have a pandemic, people are really happy they can cancel at any time. That is a huge differentiation for us in the market.”

gocollette.com

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C O N F E R E N C E

connection JOE CAPPUZZELLO

Wichita skyline

A HISTORIC GATHERING AWAITS IN WICHITA, AUGUST 19-21, TRAVEL DIRECTORS BEGIN THEIR COMEBACK

By Drone-tography

BY DAN DICKSON

W

hen quarantines, closures and stay-at-home orders ground travel to a halt, organizers of the Select Traveler Conference had a decision to make. The original event, scheduled for March 22-24 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, couldn’t be held as scheduled. So the organizers chose to postpone the gathering and combine it with the faith-based Going On Faith Conference, which was already scheduled for this summer.

The combined conference will be held August 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita, Kansas.

“As far as a working title, I think you would simply call it the Select Traveler/Going On Faith Conference,” said Joe Cappuzzello, CEO of The Group Travel Family, the company that organizes both conferences. “We’re still working out some of the details, but the big picture is that we’re putting the two meetings together.”

Visit Cheyenne is a partner in the canceled Select Traveler Conference. Cappuzzello praised the CVB’s new president and CEO, Domenic Bravo, as well as Jim Walter, director of sales

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and marketing, for their cooperation in light of the city’s losing out on the Select Traveler Conference.

“We talked to them, and they agreed with our overall plan to work with Visit Wichita to combine the conferences,” he said.

Cappuzzello said Cheyenne will be guaranteed a future date to host the Select Traveler Conference when a slot opens.

Cappuzzello also commended the leadership at Visit Wichita for their cooperation in accommodating the two conferences. Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita, and Moji Rosson, vice president of sales, led the effort.

“We look forward to the opportunity to host attendees for both Going On Faith and Select Traveler in our wonderful city,” said Rosson. “We are also excited to showcase Wichita as a must-visit Midwest destination.”

In the coming months, organizers will monitor the registration numbers for the combined conferences and figure out how to accommodate everyone. That includes possibly adding overflow hotel rooms and perhaps expanding the marketplace area, since there could be many more planners in the room than would normally attend just one conference.

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The Keeper of the Plains statue

Wichita art

Photos courtesy Visit Wichta, except where noted

“WE HOPE TO RETURN TO A NEW NORMAL THIS SUMMER AND ARE EXPECTING PRETTY GOOD ATTENDANCE. THERE MIGHT STILL BE SOME PRECAUTIONS THAT WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN BASED ON WHAT STATE AND FEDERAL HEALTH EXPERTS TELL US, BUT OUR MAIN CONCERN WILL ALWAYS BE TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF OUR MEMBERS AND STAFF. WE WON’T PUT ANYONE IN HARM’S WAY.” — JOE CAPPUZZELLO

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“We hope to return to a new normal this summer and are expecting pretty good attendance,” said Cappuzzello. “There might still be some precautions that will need to be taken based on what state and federal health experts tell us, but our main concern will always be to protect the health of our members and staff. We won’t put anyone in harm’s way.”

In 2021, Select Traveler and Going On Faith will be held as separate conferences in separate times and places, Cappuzzello said. The combined event is a one-time occurrence.

WICHITA WELCOMES ALL

Wichita is pleased to invite additional delegates to the combined conference. City leaders already believe they are an ideal market for Going On Faith planners.

“Wichita is primed to host these kinds of groups simply because of the culture we have in the city,” said the CVB’s Rosson. “We have many different faiths represented here, and we are part of the Bible Belt.”

Convention sales manager Lindsay Gulley agreed.

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connection “We have over 600 churches, and we are very welcoming,” she said. “The things the church groups I work with like best are the size of the city and what it has to offer. It’s easy to get to and navigate in, and we have plenty for them to do.”

Gulley thinks Select Traveler planners would want to bring their groups to Wichita for many reasons. “Wichita is a pretty lively Midwestern city located right in the middle of the country and with a lot of local pride,” she said.

Wichita has more than 8,100 hotel rooms ranging from luxury to economy. The only AAA Four-Diamond hotel in Kansas is Wichita’s Ambassador Hotel. The city’s main meeting space is the nearly 200,000-square-foot Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center with its headquarter hotel, the Hyatt Regency Wichita. The convention center also has 20 meeting rooms, a concert hall, a theater and other amenities.

Wichita is rightfully proud of its emerging downtown area.

“Over the past 15 years, downtown Wichita has been evolving into a vibrant area,” said Gulley. “There has been a lot of revitalization with restaurants, boutique shopping, breweries, art galleries and neat outdoor spaces. It’s really fun to walk downtown and see all of those things.”

Keeper of the Plains Plaza

HISTORY EVERYWHERE

Wichita is remembered for its Old West cattle-driving cowboy days. After the Civil War, the late 1860s, Wichita became a prime destination at the end of the famous Chisholm Trail. Cowboys drove an astonishing 20 million head of cattle north from Texas to the railheads in Kansas, which meant that Kansas helped deliver beef by train to a growing and hungry nation.

One of the city’s signature attractions, Old Cowtown Museum, celebrates that heritage. This living-history museum is in the Delano entertainment district near the Arkansas River, which flows through the middle of the city. The museum lets visitors immerse themselves in the sights, sounds and excitement of a Midwestern cattle town.

Fast-forward half a century: Wichita embraced the future of aviation in the 1920s and 1930s when business leaders and aeronautical engineers established such elite aircraft manufacturing companies as Cessna, Beechcraft and Stearman Aircraft. Aviation luminary Charles Lindbergh visited the city often. Famed flier Amelia Earhart was a Kansas native. In the late ’40s, Wichita operated one of the busiest airports in the U.S. because it was the main midcontinent stopover for the burgeoning commercial airline industry.

Piatto Neapolitan Pizzeria

“OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, DOWNTOWN WICHITA HAS BEEN EVOLVING INTO A VIBRANT AREA. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF REVITALIZATION WITH RESTAURANTS, BOUTIQUE SHOPPING, BREWERIES, ART GALLERIES AND NEAT OUTDOOR SPACES. IT’S REALLY FUN TO WALK DOWNTOWN AND SEE ALL OF THOSE THINGS.” — LINDSAY GULLEY, VISIT WICHITA

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Chicken N Pickle

SIGHTSEEING FOR DELEGATES

Visit Wichita is planning to offer several sightseeing options to delegates of the Select Traveler/Going On Faith Conference.

One will be a preconference tour to see the B-29 Doc Hanger and Education Center.

Doc is the nickname for the World War IIera B-29 Superfortress aircraft. About 1,644 of these planes were manufactured in Wichita, and one of them has been restored and made airworthy. It serves as an active flying museum and a glimpse into Wichita’s important role in aviation history. Another preconference tour may include Tanganyika Wildlife Park, where visitors get close to many rare and endangered animals The park’s mission is to be a steward of these unusual creatures and share their mystery and beauty with the public.

There will be sightseeing tours during the conference itself. One will likely be a history trip with stops at the iconic “Keeper of the Plains” statue and plaza, as well as the adjoining Mid-America All-Indian Center. Also included on this tour is the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. One of the evening events will take place at the Old Cowtown Museum. A third sightseeing tour will be “sweet”: Participants will visit the Nifty Nut House; Cocoa Dolce Chocolates; the Spice Merchant; and Peace, Love and Pie.

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When travel resumes, consider these lesser-known options

BY ELIZA MYERS

O

nce travel restrictions end, many travelers plan to rush out and see the world. To avoid everyone’s flocking to the same few places, a travel trend that started before the pandemic will likely still apply once normalcy resumes.

“Second-city travel” is a term referring to visiting a lesser-known destination instead of similar larger cities. Second cities might not be the most evident choice, but they still offer the culture, food and high-quality attractions that travelers seek.

Those looking for a more authentic version of a destination often enjoy these types of cities, since they generally feature more locals than tourists, fewer crowds and more bang for your buck.

Instead of taking the same photos of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, for example, groups can focus their tour on Marseille, France, for lesscrowded museums, mouth-watering French cuisine and more interactions with French residents.

While dreaming of travel, consider these second cities for a group experience without the touristy aftertaste.

Seville, Spain, transports guests back centuries with impressive architecture from the Renaissance period.

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SEVILLE INSTEAD OF BARCELONA

Tapas is not just a meal in Seville, Spain — it’s a lifestyle. Quieter than its larger counterpart, Barcelona, Seville is known for evenings centering around friends, tapas and drinks at various places around town.

The city’s laid-back vibe works well with its mild climate and extravagant festivals. The city’s impressive architecture seems to have frozen time, and visitors can walk past one treasured historic attraction after another.

Over the centuries, several civilizations fought over Seville, including the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs and the Christians. Their various influences can still be seen in Seville.

Spain’s oldest city, Seville preserves three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Royal Alcazar of Seville, the Seville Cathedral and the Archive of the Indies. The remains of Christopher Columbus lie in the Seville Cathedral, one of the largest existing Gothic cathedrals.

The Royal Alcazar served as a residence of kings starting in the Middle Ages. Today, the ornate structure serves as the official residence of the Kings of Spain, making it one of the oldest active royal palaces in Europe.

Groups can watch a flamenco dance, an expression of the surrounding Andalusia region’s folklore. Begun in the 15th century by gypsies, the dance became popularized in the mid-19th century in flamenco bars.

VISITASEVILLA.ES/EN

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The Royal Alcazar of Seville

Courtesy Seville Tourism

A sweet shop in Seville

Belfast Courtesy Northern Ireland Tourist Board

B E L FAS T I N S T E A D O F D U B LIN

Friendly locals, fascinating history and lively pubs entertain guests in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Though part of the United Kingdom, Belfast retains its singular Irish culture without the crowds of Dublin.

A stroll down Cathedral Quarter shows off many of the city’s historic pubs full of character and Irish music. Belfast Food Tours offers a more comprehensive night out with its guided Whiskey Walk or Gin Jaunt for a selection of the town’s finest whiskeys and gins.

The city also attracts foodies at St. George’s Market, one of the city’s oldest attractions. The 1890 market allows guests to sample both local items and European delicacies like crepes.

Titanic Belfast tells the story of the Titanic and how the ill-fated ship was built in Belfast’s shipyard. Nine interactive galleries, an immersive movie screening of the wreck and special events like Tea on the Titanic bring the infamous ship to life.

More of Ireland’s past awaits at the Ulster Museum, Northern Ireland’s largest museum. Set in the stunning Belfast Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum showcases exhibits on the country’s archaeology, zoology and three-decade conflict between pro-Irish Catholics and pro-British Protestants, known as the Troubles.

Groups can still explore plenty of Irish castles in the area, including the city’s own Belfast Castle built in 1870. Visitors can also explore the historic St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast City Hall and the Grand Opera House.

A short drive from Belfast takes travelers to the dramatic Antrim Coast and the Giant’s Causeway. This remarkable outcropping of more than 40,000 basalt columns is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Courtesy Seville Tourism

OAXACA INSTEAD OF MEXICO CITY

Though tourism crowds Mexican hot spots like Mexico City, Cancun and Tulum, Oaxaca City and the surrounding state of Oaxaca stays true to its heritage with colorful colonial buildings, acclaimed cuisine and charming local squares.

Many tours follow craft routes through the region, stopping at craft demonstrations by family members who have been involved in the business for generations.

In the city itself, groups can enjoy the slow pace and the emphasis on cuisine. The Zocalo is one of the city’s most well-known plazas, where travelers can soak in the atmosphere of marimba ensembles and traffic-free sidewalk cafes.

Culinary tours highlight the city’s mezcal specialty drinks, mole flavors and famous Oaxacan cheese. Guests can activate their senses at a trip to a local Oaxacan market for regional fruits, veggies, cheeses and chilies.

The Museum of Oaxacan Cultures introduces guests to the farreaching history of the area. It follows the region’s past from pre-Hispanic to contemporary cultures. The most dazzling display lies in the Monte Alban exhibit. Visitors can view the buried treasure discovered in a Mixtec tomb from the site, used when Mixtecs reused an old Zapotec tomb to bury one of their kings amid his silver, turquoise, jade, gold and other jewels.

Monte Alban sits not far from Oaxaca City at an archaeological site dating to 500 B.C. The former Mesoamerican city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Belfast Castle

A festival in Oaxaca Courtesy Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Courtesy Visit Mexico

Huautla Cave in Oaxaca

A Oaxacan performer

Courtesy Trips Courtesy Visit Mexico

Courtesy Visit Mexico

QUIRKY COFFEE SHOPS, BOUTIQUE STORES

Cape Palliser Lighthouse

A Wellington coffee shop

AND HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE MAKE WELLINGTON A PLEASURE TO DISCOVER.

WELLINGTON INSTEAD OF AUCKLAND

New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington may be smaller than Auckland, but the town makes up for it in culture and friendliness. Quirky coffee shops, boutique stores and historic architecture make the walkable town a pleasure to discover.

New Zealanders, known locally as kiwis, are notoriously chilled out and hospitable. Groups can enjoy these welcoming people as they sample the city’s celebrated gastronomy.

Most attractions lie a short walk from the waterfront, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Translated as the “container of treasures,” the museum offers interactive exhibits on the Maori culture, local art and natural history. One exhibit shows a colossal squid and then explores its life through 3D animation.

The city also offers a sizable city museum, a botanical garden and a zoo. The Beehive, New Zealand’s memorable parliamentary building, also offers tours.

Groups can enjoy the country’s natural beauty inside the city’s many parks or nearby at Otari-Wilton’s Bush and Kaitoke Regional Park.

By Rebecca Kempton, courtesy WellingtonNZ

By Jeff McEwan, courtesy WellingtonNZ

Wellington skyline

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Courtesy WellingtonNZ

MARSEILLE INSTEAD OF PARIS

The Old Port of Marseille

Marseille’s Monument Aux Morts Des Orients

Travelers seeking the romance of Paris without the long lines and high prices can enjoy Marseille, France. The emphasis on French cuisine, wine, art and culture remains a tenet of everyday life here. Yet its position on the Mediterranean has thrown in a mix of other cultures, making the city an interesting hodgepodge of heritages.

Most visitors start at Vieux Port, the city’s central hub. Travelers come to take photos, dine on fresh seafood and walk to several of the city’s top attractions.

Built in 2013, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations gives a comprehensive look into the region’s culture. The museum spans three buildings with exhibits on gods, spices, travel routes and more.

Like Paris, Marseille has its own must-see church. Notre Dame de la Garde is a city landmark overlooking the city and sea. Visitors come to marvel at the mosaic interior and golden nave.

History is tied to the present in the city, and nowhere is that more evident than on a stroll through Marseille’s Old Town. The picturesque neighborhood was first inhabited in 600 B.C. by the Greeks.

Though Cannes’ and Nice’s beaches attract all the attention, Marseille’s beaches also stun in natural beauty, though with considerably less expense.

Boat rides from the city to the cliffs of the Calanques offer gorgeous landscapes. Cruises can also sail by Chateau d’If, the setting for the novel “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

Marseille’s reputation as a cultural melting pot extends to its culinary offerings. North African cuisine served with a French twist has grown popular.

French classic dishes, such as bouillabaisse, also remain in demand by locals and visitors.

MARSEILLE-TOURISME.COM

Photos courtesy Marseille Tourism

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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GROUPS CAN TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD

Adega Restaurant in San Jose

EACH NIGHT IN SAN JOSE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF CULINARY OPTIONS, FROM BRAZILIAN TO INDIAN TO GREEK.

SAN JOSE INSTEAD OF SAN FRANCISCO

To avoid the throngs surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge, visitors should try San Francisco’s neighboring city San Jose. The tech-savvy town not only serves as the headquarters for Google, Facebook and Apple but also holds its own in cuisine and attractions.

Groups can travel around the world each night in San Jose with a wide range of culinary options, from Brazilian to Indian to Greek.

Award-winning wineries cater to groups with tours and tastings.

The city boasts several engaging attractions, such as the Winchester Mystery House, the Lick Observatory and the San Jose Museum of Art. The Tech Museum of Innovation reflects the city’s forward-thinking reputation. The hands-on technology and science museum’s exhibits include “Body Worlds Decoded,” “Cyber Detectives” and “Innovations in Healthcare.”

San Jose’s residents prioritize access to nature, which groups can enjoy at the 5.5-acre Municipal Rose Garden, 5,242-acre Castle Rock State Park and 172-acre Kelly Park.

San Pedro Square Market

San Jose Municipal Rose Garden

SANJOSE.ORG Photos courtesy San Jose CVB

GO ANYWHERE, DO ANYTHING AND SEE IT ALL! Customize your next road trip with Be Native Tours and create a personalized experience for any group. From iconic landmarks and local attractions to Native American and Western culture, let Be Native Tours create a special itinerary of your choice. Whether it’s across the country or down the road, your group travel adventure will be anything but ordinary.

For information, contact:

MORGAN PRIM 405-642-4082 | morgan.prim@chickasaw.net M A Y / J U N E

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S T A T E

o f

M I N D

Arkansas awaits

WHEN THE SKIES CLEAR, HEAD FOR THE NATURAL STATE

BY TOM ADKINSON

A

rkansas, known at the Natural State for its outdoor attributes, is full of character — and full of characters, too.

Rolling across the state can introduce you to a country music star and an interplanetary traveler in the Delta flatlands, to a president in a major river city and the spirits of gangsters in a spa city, and to folk artists and fine artists in the mountains.

Arkansas is a fairly compact place. It’s less than 300 miles east to west and about 250 miles north to south, but don’t assume there are that many straight-line highways in a state where major rivers and two mountain ranges — the Ozarks and the Ouachitas — create some curvy and beautiful routing.

IN THE DELTA

The flat Delta farmland in eastern Arkansas produces cotton, soybeans and rice, along with memories of two internationally famous entertainment figures. This was the boyhood home of Johnny Cash of country music fame and the unfortunate forced-internment home of George Takei of “Star Trek” fame.

North of West Memphis, the Dyess Colony was an agricultural resettlement community created to give a fresh start to 500 impoverished Arkansas families. One was the Cash family, which arrived in 1935 with 3-year-old JR, later called Johnny. It was one of Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression-era recovery efforts.

Today, you can see the simple home that sheltered Cash.

Inside is a piano that Cash’s mother, Carrie, played to lift family spirits after long days in the cotton fields. The experience undoubtedly shaped Cash’s love of music and story.

Nearby, the Dyess Colony Visitors Center explains the New Deal project’s scope.

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EU R EKA S P R IN G S

MOUN TAI N VI EW

LITTLE R O CK WES T M EM PHI S

HOT S P R IN G S

Farther south, almost equidistant between Pine Bluff and Greenville, Mississippi, is a place with a much darker story.

It is the site of World War II’s Rowher and Jerome internment camps that held Japanese-American families. One of those families contained by barbed wire fences and armed guards was that of George Takei, who decades later steered the Starship Enterprise for Captain Kirk.

Today, you can tour the grounds where the Rowher camp once existed and sense the isolation. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. There’s not much left, only a couple of monuments in a cemetery. One commemorates JapaneseAmericans who fought for the U.S. in Anzio, elsewhere in Italy and in France during the war. Thirty-one from Rohwer died in action, and their names are here.

Begin your exploration in nearby McGehee at the Jerome-Rohwer Interpretive Museum. Then take the recorded walking tour, narrated by Takei. dyesscash.astate.edu rohwer.astate.edu

LITTLE ROCK AND NORTH LITTLE ROCK

Little Rock and North Little Rock, connected by a trolley ride over the Arkansas River, are a trove of activities — indoors, outdoors and almost underwater.

Groups can see American art from the Colonial era to modern day on a visit to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.

North Little Rock’s trolley

Courtesy Visit Bentonville

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Courtesy Arkansas.com

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Folk Center and would feel right Little Rock’s big attraction is at home with the quilters, soapthe Clinton Presidential Library makers, potters, weavers, jeweland Museum, which sits high ry-makers, leatherworkers and above the Arkansas River and at carvers who demonstrate their the foot of the Clinton Presidenskills and lead workshops. He tial Park Bridge, a pedestrianswould understand the Heritage only crossover. Regardless of Herb Garden and the imporanyone’s political leaning, the tance of the medicinal and edlibrary and museum provide ible herbs that grow there. He a snapshot into eight years of would revel in the music that American history. flows from the park’s 1,000-seat Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in Dyess Highly inviting museum theater, whether the performdisplays chronicle the newsers were folks with day jobs or packed Clinton years — everybig-name celebrity stars. For a thing from international strife dose of the music, find tracks — war in the Balkans — to from “Ozark Highlands Radio,” a domestic strife — Clinton’s imweekly show from the park. peachment. Artifacts, photos, While in the neighborhood, documents and videos tell the take in more entertainment at stories, including one poputhe Jimmy Driftwood Music lar reel of presidential humor Barn, which authentically celhighlights. Added amusement ebrates Driftwood’s spirit on comes from viewing some of Friday and Sunday nights during the odd gifts Clinton received. prime travel months. A cool sumAmong them are a baseball bat mertime option is 15 miles up Hank Aaron autographed, a carthe highway at Blanchard Springs peted treehouse for the presiCaverns, a living cave, meaning dential cat and an Elvis-at-thethat formations are still growing. piano cookie jar. Take your own It is administered by the USDA souvenir picture in a replica of Forest Service and is always Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View the Oval Office. about 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Photos courtesy Arkansas.com The Clinton Bridge has added your placeinthemounimportance because it is part of tains.com a 14.2-mile loop of the Arkansas River Trail on both sides of the river. Active groups can rent bicycles at the nearby River Market and pedal to the Big Dam Bridge — that’s its real name. An alternative is strolling through the 11-block-long Characters to encounter in the spa city of Hot Springs range Riverfront Park. Among its attractions is a view of the “Little Rock” from Hernando de Soto and Andrew Jackson to Babe Ruth and Al that gave the city its name.

Capone. How’s that for a mixed bag? This “Valley of the Vapors” in North Little Rock destinations are the Argenta Arts District, the Ouichata Mountains was neutral turf for Native Americans, which includes art galleries, chef-driven restaurants and bars, a who recognized the healing properties of naturally flowing hot farmers market, shops, a monthly art walk and live entertainment springs — 143 degrees Fahrenheit — long before Spanish explorvenues, and the perhaps unexpected Arkansas Inland Maritime Muer de Soto ambled by in 1541. Jackson designated the area the seum, with two vessels that bookended World War II. On December first federal reservation in 1832.

7, 1941, the USS Hoga, a tugboat, pushed the damaged USS Nevada As the 19th century progressed, a spa industry evolved, culmiout of the mouth of Pearl Harbor, and the USS Razorback, a submanating in construction of resort hotels — the Arlington is practirine, was in Tokyo Bay the day Japan surrendered. cally legendary — and fancy Victorian bathhouses. The center of littlerock.com town became a national park in 1921, and the Fordyce Bathhouse northlittlerock.org now is the park service’s visitor center. As the 2021 centennial of the national park nears, you still can “take the waters” at some Bath House Row locations. The Backstaff Bathhouse, built in 1912, is the oldest in continuous operation.

Head north from Little Rock into the hills for the quintessential And what about Ruth and Capone? They didn’t hang out toArkansas experience, visiting the Ozark Folk Center State Park in gether, but early baseball teams congregated here for training and Mountain View. Here, among musicians, artists and crafters who pertreatment, and Hot Springs had a notorious gangster era when petuate the mountain folkways, lives the spirit of Jimmy Driftwood, Capone and others found virtual sanctuary. Hot Springs was the high school teacher who wrote “The Battle of New Orleans” to help calmer and greener than Chicago. Learn more about both through his students learn history, performed at Carnegie Hall and was on the the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail and the Gangster Museum. advisory committee to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Check out the newly opened Crystal Ridge Distillery, just a mile Washington, D.C. from Bath House Row, which has adapted a 1920-vintage merDriftwood, who died in 1998, helped inspire the creation of the Ozark

HOT SPRINGS

MOUNTAIN HOME

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cantile building into a distillery and group-friendly restaurant.

Owners proclaim their goal is “paying homage to the roots of Arkansas moonshine,” but they go beyond white lightning to produce flavored moonshines, bourbon and vodka. hotsprings.org

EUREKA SPRINGS AND BENTONVILLE

Eureka Springs, where the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, took the early lead drawing visitors to northwest Arkansas. The entire region’s popularity has spread and diversified in recent decades, but Eureka Springs remains a magnet with its shops, art galleries, spas and classic hotels such as the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa. The Crescent is an icon in Arkansas hospitality, and among its claims to fame is being labeled “America’s most haunted hotel.”

Yes, ghost tours here and elsewhere in town are popular.

Just as you might not have expected a submarine in North Little Rock, you might not expect a sanctuary for abandoned, abused and neglected lions, tigers and other exotic big cats in Eureka Springs. However, that’s what the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is. It operates in stark contrast to a recent television series that thrust big cats into visibility.

The business community knows Bentonville because of its connection to Walmart, but Alice Walton, daughter of retail icon Sam Walton, made sure that art lovers know this Ozark town, too. Alice endowed the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which is within walking distance of downtown, making it easy for guests at the 21c Museum Hotel and other properties to see works by Thomas Hart Benton, Gilbert Stuart, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol and others.

New in early 2020 and a satellite of Crystal Bridges is the Momentary, which transformed a decommissioned cheese factory into a space for visual and performing arts, culinary experiences, festivals and more. The Momentary’s mission is to champion contemporary art in everyday life. It is an expansive 63,000-square-foot facility with abundant spaces indoors and outside in the Arkansas sunshine. eurekasprings.org visitbentonville.com The Momentary in Bentonville Hot Springs’ Quapaw Baths and Spa

Courtesy Arkansas.com

Courtesy Visit Bentonville

Miss Laura’s Visitor Center | 2 N. B St.

Star of the Western Frontier

Fort Smith is a town rich in living history, immersive art and natural beauty, where groups will enjoy big city amenities packaged alongside a shared spirit of small town hospitality. Start your visit at Miss Laura’s and tour a former Old West bordello that now serves as the city’s Visitor Center. Then, relive a history that inspired True Grit and other iconic Western tales at Fort Smith National Historic Site. Nearby, explore the majesty of the Ozarks on the A & M Excursion Train, sit where Elvis got his first Army buzz cut at Chaffee Barbershop Museum, or discover The Unexpected gallery of world-renowned outdoor art downtown.

start planning your group tour at

www.tourfortsmith.com

Ouachita Mountains in Hot Springs Courtesy Arkansas.com

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Carolyn Joyce | tourism@fortsmith.org |

(800) 637-1477

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A CITY ON THE RISE

BY ELIZA MYERS

Scissortail Park offers trails, gardens, a concert venue and easy access to some of Oklahoma City’s top attractions.

OKLAHOMA CITY CAN REJUVENATE YOUR TRAVEL PROGRAM

O

klahoma City is a shining symbol of destination innovation.

Case in point: In the 1990s, the city’s leaders began a project to transform a blighted urban area into Bricktown, a recreation, dining and nightlife area that has become the signature of the city.

Since then, the city has constructed a convention center, sports arenas and the recently opened Scissortail Park. These modern developments encouraged more entertainment opportunities, which continue to grow each year.

Previous visitors have plenty of reasons to revisit Oklahoma City, with the soon-to-open First Americans Museum, the new arts space for the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center and the upcoming Coop Ale Works.

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Photos courtesy Oklahoma City CVB

SCISSORTAIL PARK

Proposed more than a decade ago, Scissortail Park officially opened 40 acres of urban oasis in September. With plans to eventually extend the park, the natural space will stretch from downtown to the shore of the Oklahoma River for an additional 30 acres.

Named after Oklahoma’s state bird, the scissortail flycatcher, Scissortail Park frames views of the city’s skyline. The $132 million park is connected from the north to the south by the Skydance Bridge.

Trails wind through the park past native prairie grasses, lush flower gardens and tree-lined walkways. A boathouse offers pedal boat, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals on a 3.7-acre lake.

The Love’s Travel Stops Stage will host a variety of concerts throughout the year, with space for up to 15,000 people on the Great Lawn. More activities are in the works with plans for a cafe, sports facilities and more naturalistic plantings.

“From a group perspective, there is a vast amount of space,” said Tabbi Burwell, senior manager of destination communications for Visit Oklahoma City. “Groups could join yoga in the mornings or plan a pic-

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nic there. The Oklahoma streetcar service runs right in front of the park. If a group wanted to take the streetcar around Oklahoma City from the park, they could.”

FIRST AMERICANS MUSEUM

Few tribal nations originated in Oklahoma. Most were removed from their homelands and sent across the U.S. to what was considered Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a state in 1907. The upcoming First Americans Museum will tell the story of the 39 original and relocated tribes of Oklahoma.

Formerly known as the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, the First Americans Museum has been in the works for over a decade. With plans to open in 2021, the museum will serve as a gateway that unifies tribes from the eastern and western United States.

The museum will sit on the banks of the Oklahoma River not far from downtown.

“It’s going to be an amazing experience,” said Burwell. “It will be like a homecoming for many Native Americans. There will be exhibits on display from their descendants they may have never seen before.”

At the Smithsonian Gallery, visitors can explore exhibits of 140 objects on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. These items were collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and came from Oklahoman tribes.

The Tribal Nations Gallery will tell the history of each of the tribes by highlighting tribal origin stories and historical accounts. For an interactive experience, groups can walk through the Family Discovery Center. Exhibits for all ages provide hands-on activities that teach aspects of Native American culture.

Yet the museum will go beyond exhibits to include group tours and programs at the 200-seat multipurpose theater. Native dancers, workshops, cooking demonstrations and music events will provide memorable ways to interact with native culture.

“The full-service restaurant will serve indigenous foods from the tribes,” said Burwell. “It will be perfect for people looking for an experiential meal.”

OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER

Artists in Oklahoma often look up for inspiration. The expansive and colorful Oklahoma sky makes appearances in many of the state’s artworks, including the architectural design of the new Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center building.

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A view from the First Americans Museum

First Americans Museum exterior

First Americans Museum walkway

Since the museum has outgrown its venue at the state’s fairgrounds, the museum officials wanted a structure that could expand the art museum’s gallery, educational and event space. Due to open sometime this year, the museum will house its contemporary collection and rotating exhibits in a 54,000-square-foot building in the heart of downtown.

Oklahoma City firm Rand Elliott Architects nicknamed the building Folding Light. The building reacts to the ever-changing sky with extruded aluminum that functions as a luminous mirror. The museum’s inaugural show, “Bright Golden Haze,” ties into the building’s theme of light.

The Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center’s new home will feature a 200-seat theater, classroom space and shops. Outside, groups will be able to stroll through a sculpture garden and art park.

“There will be a studio school where groups can take a class with a professional artist,” said Burwell. “The museum will also offer dining on-site and a coffee shop where groups can get refreshments.”

COOP ALE WORKS

Coop Ale Works opened in 2009, when few craft breweries existed in Oklahoma. The brewery’s founders took a risk on the idea, and it paid off. The company outgrew its current building, so Coop’s founders chose to turn their space problem into a new opportunity by transitioning their brewery from just a place to grab a beer to a community center.

The company hopes to move into a renovated former armory and Veterans Administration building by late 2020. In addition to the brewery, the connected venues will include a restaurant, a hotel and an event venue.

The $28.7 million redevelopment will connect the two buildings with a 4,000-square-foot lounge and taproom on the production floor.

“When you walk in, the floor looks like a gymnasium,” said Burwell.

“The ceilings are extremely beautiful wood. The people staying at the hotel will be able to watch the beer being made below. For someone in the beer world to take on hotels and event spaces is original. They have brought in experts to help manage their different concepts.”

The designs honor the history of the downtown armory building by keeping the original exposed steel truss room and redwood decking part of the 1935 Art Deco design. The 87,000-square-foot armory building will offer brewery tours of a 60-barrel brewhouse production.

Up to 160 patrons will be able to dine at the 8,000-square-foot restaurant and taproom.

Groups looking for a boutique hotel experience can book the 22 rooms for a memorable way to stay in downtown Oklahoma City.

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TIME FOR A

THESE MIDWEST CITY TOURS FEATURE FRESH AIR AND FRIENDLY LOCALS

St. Louis-style pizza

Courtesy Choose Chicago

T

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

Courtesy Visit Denver

Courtesy EAT Saint Louis Food Tours

Top: Groups can explore the Windy City’s celebrated buildings on a tours with Chicago Architecture Center.

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here are many ways to visit a new city. You can step on a narrated trolley tour, sample the local cuisine on a culinary tour or learn more about the architecture that gives a city its character.

Here is a sampling of some great Midwest city tours.

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EAT SAINT LOUIS FOOD TOURS

WALK

ST. LOUIS Pete Manzo, founder of Eat Saint Louis Food Tours, started his culinary tour company because he wanted other people to get to know the food and culture of the Hill, one of the oldest neighborhoods in St. Louis and a very tightknit Italian community. He can host groups of up to 80 people.

Manzo founded the company six years ago. He had grown up around food, as his family started an Italian grocery store in the area when they first came to the U.S. “Myself and my family and siblings grew up working in the family business,” he said. “We grew up around food.”

The Hill walking tour takes about three hours.

“I really believe the best way to experience this tour is on foot because the area itself is one square mile,” Manzo said. Guests stop and sample cuisine at roughly six tastings as they walk around and learn the history of the area.

“I think a lot of people choose this tour because it has a lot of things St. Louis is known for,” Manzo said, including St. Louis-style pizza, toasted ravioli and charcuterie. In between tastings, he stops at historical points of interest and tells visitors a bit about the local architecture.

Eat Saint Louis Food Tours also offers walking tours of the Soulard historic district and Maplewood. Soulard is home to many beer companies and was founded by beer barons who built beautiful homes and buildings in a European-inspired style. Maplewood is his newest tour, focusing on vegetarian and vegan fare.

SAINTLOUISFOODTOURS.COM

Red velvet waffles in St. Louis

A bartender on a St. Louis food tour Courtesy EAT Saint Louis Food Tours

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Courtesy EAT Saint Louis Food Tours

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NEBRASKA TOUR COMPANY

Nebraska Tour Company’s Old Market Walking Tour Courtesy Nebraska Tour Company

St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis

OMAHA, NEBRASKA Nebraska Tour Company’s Old Market Walking History Tour is one of the most popular tourist activities in Omaha, said Alan Rust, chief experience officer for the America Tour Company. Old Market, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is celebrating its 50th anniversary as an entertainment district. Revitalized in 1970, the area quickly became a visitor favorite with its cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture.

“There’s so much going on, so much history and an eclectic mix of art galleries, restaurants, bars and shops,” Rust said. “That’s why it is the most popular tour.”

Large groups are welcome; they just need to book in advance. Nebraska Tour Company also offers a three-hour walking food tour of the area, which is led by foodies and includes food tastings and one cocktail.

At the end of 2020, the company will begin offering tours of the Blackstone District, which is about 5 years old and built up around the Blackstone Hotel, which opened its doors in 1916. The hotel is being refurbished and will reopen in August as a luxury hotel. The walking tour will include historic sites in the district, among them points of interest in the former Blackstone Hotel. The company will also offer a walking food tour of the district, including food tastings and a cocktail.

If a guided tour isn’t your thing, Nebraska Tour Company also offers self-guided walking or biking tours and customized chauffeured tours.

NEBRASKATOURCOMPANY.COM

Courtesy Twincitytours.com

Posing next to Minneapolis’ statue of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Courtesy Twincitytours.com

TWIN CITY TOURS

MINNEAPOLIS Minneapolis and St. Paul sit across the Mississippi River from each other but are different places in terms of built and natural environments. Twin City Tours, founded by Douglas Rosenquist, shows visitors the many differences by taking them through cathedrals and churches and the beautiful homes and buildings of the golden age of architecture.

Even though Minneapolis and St. Paul are 10 miles apart, “they are not identical twins,” Rosenquist said. “They are fraternals with wonderfully unique features.”

Groups that take his tour have a hard time deciding which city is more beautiful.

“It is never a clear decision,” he said. “Both are uniquely beautiful.”

St. Paul’s Summit Avenue is a highlight because of its Victorianera homes that were built by the early mercantile class. St. Paul was the commercial center and the uppermost harbor on the upper Mississippi River. It is known for its commercial buildings, high-rises, the domed Capitol and the architecture of its cathedral.

Minneapolis, the city of lakes, is 13 miles up the Mississippi River from St. Paul. It started out as a milling town.

The early movers and shakers in the area believed that the beautiful lakefront properties across the city should remain open to the public, so they wouldn’t allow private ownership of lakefront property, Rosenquist said. Instead, the city’s wealthiest people built beautiful homes in the Italian, French and Scandinavian styles on the perimeter of the publicly owned lakefront property.

TWINCITIESTOURS.COM

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Dodge City’s Santa Fe Depot

Courtesy Dodge City CVB

DODGE CITY TROLLEY

DODGE CITY, KANSAS Dodge City earned its reputation in the late 1800s as a rowdy Wild West town full of saloons, soldiers, cowboys and gamblers. Its two most famous lawmen — Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp — played a part in giving Dodge City its wild reputation. Today, Dodge City attracts Western aficionados from all around the world who want to see firsthand how the West was won.

Dodge City Trolley offers daily, onehour narrated tours of Dodge City, from Fort Dodge and Boot Hill Cemetery to the feed lots and meat plants that sustain the town.

The trolley drives visitors right into one of the biggest feed yards in town and to Fort Dodge, which is how Dodge City came to be in the first place.

Robin Bailey, tourism coordinator for the Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she likes to give visitors a taste of everything that makes Dodge City special. It gives them ideas on where they would like to spend more time while in town.

“A lot of people, especially international travelers, have never seen a feed yard or know what it is about,” Bailey said. “The smell is part of the perk. They really enjoy it.”

The convention and visitors bureau also offers a walking tour through downtown Dodge City. Tourists follow the Dodge City Trail of Fame, a trail marked by sidewalk medallions and statues that commemorate famous Dodge City events; residents, like Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp; and celebrities that put Dodge City on the map, like the cast of “Gunsmoke.”

Dodge City Trolley Courtesy Dodge City CVB

your Adventure Begins at visitkansasCitykS.com 800.264.1563

VISITDODGECITY.ORG

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signature

MI D WEST

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ample some of these iconic Midwest comfort food dishes for cuisine that feels like a warm hug.

IOWA: SWEET CORN Iowa sweet corn doesn’t taste like the typical corn in the grocery store. The state loves to serve this flavorful corn on the cob with a hefty dose of butter. Expect to see piles of fresh sweet corn for sale on every street corner during the summer in Iowa.

OHIO: CINCINNATI CHILI Skyline Chili introduced Americans across the country to the taste of Queen City’s unique chili style. The mildly spiced, meat-based sauce is ladled over Coney dogs or big platters of spaghetti. Groups can taste original takes on the dish at popular Camp Washington or at several other local Cincinnati restaurants.

WISCONSIN: FRIED CHEESE CURDS Small, bumpy lumps of cheddar give a springy bite of cheesy flavor. Visitors don’t have to work to hard to find the beloved cheese curds at landmark restaurants like Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. They are often served batter-fried with dips and beer.

MICHIGAN: CHERRY PIE Michigan is one of the country’s leading producers of cherries, with over 90,000 tons of the fruit harvested in the state every year. Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival in July celebrates the fruit with fresh cherry pies.

INDIANA: SUGAR CREAM PIE Supposedly first served in 1816, the sugar, heavy cream and vanilla custard pie is so common in the state it’s nicknamed Hoosier pie. Groups can dine on the decadent dessert for a down-home experience.

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D IS HES

MISSOURI: TOASTED RAVIOLI Crispy, breaded ravioli is a twist on the Italian classic invented in St. Louis. The indulgent dish now appears all over the state with variations, including a barbecue version at Salt and Smoke in St. Louis.

Wisconsin’s cheese curds

Courtesy Travel Wisconsin

NEBRASKA: RUNZAS Well-known in Nebraska, but not commonly found elsewhere, runzas are meat wrapped in a doughy pocket. Similar to a calzone, the dish also commonly contains beef, sauerkraut, onions and other seasonings.

MINNESOTA: HOT DISH Traditionally topped with tater tots, hot dish is a casserole commonly seen at church meals and family reunions in Minnesota. Restaurants also offer the casserole, which is a combination of beef or chicken, vegetables and canned cream of mushroom soup. The Mason Jar in Eagen offers an adaptation of the meal made from scratch.

Kansas barbecue Courtesy Kansas Tourism

Chicago-style pizza

Courtesy Illinois Office of Tourism

KANSAS: BARBECUE RIBS Kansas loves its finger-licking smoked barbecue ribs. Topeka offers some of the state’s best ribs at places like HHB BBQ. Smokers slow roast the ribs with various rub concoctions. The result is fall-apart tender ribs that go well with a side of cheesy potatoes or smoked mac and cheese.

ILLINOIS: DEEP-DISH PIZZA The overflowing cheesy goodness of a deep-dish pizza is better consumed with a fork and knife in Illinois. Deep-dish pizza appeared in Chicago in the 1940s, and devouring the famous stuffed pies at Pequod’s and Giordano’s in the Windy City is considered an essential Illinois outing.

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Chicago’s Palmer House

Wrigley Building

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER

CHICAGO The Chicago Architecture Center organizes many architectural tours around Chicago, including by river cruise. Its most popular tour, Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age, takes visitors to see some of the icons of the Chicago’s skyline, buildings that best represent Chicago’s Golden Age, from 1890 to 1930.

Much of Chicago was destroyed by fire in 1871; but by 1890, it had risen from the ashes, bigger and better than ever before.

The Chicago Architecture Center tour takes visitors to see 10 of the most famous buildings from this era on Michigan Avenue and State Street. Tour guests can go inside four of these buildings.

The Palmer Hotel, which has handpainted ceilings and Tiffany light fixtures, is a highlight of the tour. The Chicago Cultural Center is another stop. The building used to house the main branch of the Chicago Public Library.

“The mosaic work is astounding, and it has the largest Tiffany dome in the world,” said Leslie Clark Lewis, a volunteer docent who leads this and other tours for the Chicago Architecture Center.

The Carbide and Carbon Building is another building guests can explore. The 1920 Art Deco building began its life as an office building. It has since been turned into the St. Jane Hotel.

The walking tour is an easy mile-and-ahalf walk and takes about two hours. Large groups can schedule in advance so that additional docents can be brought on. Each docent will lead 12 individuals.

The Magnificent Mile in Chicago

Photos courtesy Choose Chicago

ARCHITECTURE.ORG

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MADE IN WHEN TRAVEL RETURNS, THESE POPULAR FACTORY TOURS AWAIT

An assembly of John Deere engines Courtesy Wick’s Pies

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

Courtesy Visit Denver

Courtesy John Deere

A

merica’s past and present are full of technological innovation, and much of it is centered in the Midwest.

On your next trip through the region, make time for a tour of one of these iconic manufacturing facilities.

Top: Visitors to Wick’s Pies in Winchester, Indiana, are advised to come hungry to fit in all the delicious pie flavors.

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AMERICA

JOHN DEERE

WATERLOO, IOWA John Deere has been building tractors in Waterloo, Iowa, for more than 100 years. Visitors to the Tractor Cab Assembly Operations plant and the John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum can take a 90-minute tour that details how the company got into building tractors and engines.

There are three tours available: the Engine Works tour, which runs twice a day and shows visitors how John Deere engines are manufactured; the Drivetrain Operations tour, which shows visitors how gears, shafts and housings are machined and critical components are tested; and the Tractor Cab Assembly Operations tour, where teams of production employees complete final assembly on the company’s 7, 8 and 9 Family Tractors.

Tours of the Tractor Cab Assembly Operations facility run three times a day.

While in Waterloo, visitors should check out the John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum, which features classic tractors and interactive displays that tell the evolution of the tractor from horse-drawn to engine-driven. The company continues to innovate and improve its large tractors with the latest technology and design improvements.

VISITJOHNDEERE.COM

Applying the John Deere decal

Tractors on display at John Deere Photos courtesy John Deere

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HONDA HERITAGE CENTER AND AUTO PLANT TOUR

Honda Heritage Center

Courtesy Honda Heritage Center

MARYSVILLE, OHIO The Honda Heritage Center, which opened in 2015, is a free museum that showcases how Marysville, Ohio, became the largest Honda manufacturing facility in the country. It started out by manufacturing motorcycles, but in 1979, it began producing automobiles. The first U.S.-made Honda Accord rolled off the line in November 1982.

Today, the company’s Marysville operations include the Marysville Auto Plant, the East Liberty Auto Plant and the Performance Manufacturing Center. In January 2020, Honda of America built its 20 millionth vehicle in Ohio. The plants make Honda and Acura brand cars and light trucks.

Groups of up to 60 people can sign up to take a 2.5-hour tour of both the manufacturing plant and the museum. Tours start at the Honda Heritage Center and include either a tour of the Marysville Auto Plant or the East Liberty Auto Plant. Guests visit the museum first and then drive to the plant. The tour is physically demanding and includes a fast-paced one-hour walk through the factory floor that covers about a mile and a half. Visitors get to see every step of the production process except paint. The manufacturing robots are a highlight of the tour.

HONDAHERITAGECENTER.COM/TOURS

MILLER BREWERY TOUR

Honda Accord production line Courtesy Honda Heritage Center

A Miller Brewery Tour van

Courtesy Miller Brewery Company

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MILWAUKEE Celebrating its 165th anniversary, the Milwaukee Brewing Company offers a public tour and a historic tour of its extensive Milwaukee operations. The public tour tells the story of Frederick Miller and his journey to the U.S. to start a brewery in 1855. Visitors get the chance to explore his large underground cave complex where he stored his beer before mechanical refrigeration was invented, said Kindra Loferski, guest relations manager for the Miller Visitor Center.

Miller chopped ice from local lakes and streams, covered it with sawdust and hay and lined the walls of the caves. He would put beer there to keep cold during the hot summer months.

Visitors also get to see the Miller Inn, which once housed brewery workers and had a bowling alley, a mess hall and a bar. Today, the building is home to three bars.

The 80-minute tour includes a visit to Miller’s brewhouse, packaging and distribution halls. Miller Brewing’s newest offering takes visitors on a two-hour, extensive history tour of Miller Valley and details how things used to work before modern technology came about.

Groups are welcome on both tours with advance bookings. Guests on the public tour over the age of 21 leave with a pint glass and a chip that is good for a free beer at one of many retail locations in Milwaukee. Guests on the history tour leave with a ceramic beer stein.

Guests on both tours have many beer-tasting opportunities throughout their visit. They also get a free drink at the end of the tour.

MILLERBREWERYTOUR.COM

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FORD ROUGE FACTORY TOUR

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN The Ford Rouge Factory tour begins with a 3D multisensory film experience that uses advanced projection mapping technology, vibrating seats and robots to immerse visitors in the production process of Ford’s iconic F-150 truck. They then head over to the Dearborn Truck Plant for a one- to two-hour tour of the Ford campus.

The top attraction is the walking tour of the Dearborn Truck Plant, where the new military-grade aluminum-alloy-body Ford F-150 truck is made. The tour of the plant is self-guided. Guests walk above the plant’s final assembly line on a 1/3-mile elevated walkway where they get to see the F-150 come into the plant as an empty shell and leave as a completed, fully tested road-ready vehicle.

The manufacturing plant can turn out one truck per minute at full line speed.

The plant has been recognized for its sustainability. The company transformed a brownfield into a living laboratory using stormwater management, land use and redevelopment, support of natural ecosystems and wildlife habitat, and solar energy.

The roof of the Dearborn Truck Plant final assembly building is covered with droughtresistant plants like sedum that cover 454,000 square feet or more than 10 acres.

Visitors can also visit the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, which tells the stories of many of America’s greatest minds, including the Wright brothers; and Greenfield Village, an open-air museum that immerses visitors in the sights and sounds of 300 years of American life through seven historic districts.

Tour

SOUTHEAST INDIANA

Ready When You Are If you’ve visited us in the past, or plan to visit us in the future, thank you.

When you’re back on the road again, remember, we are ready with history and hands-on fun adventures!

THEHENRYFORD.ORG/VISIT/FORD-ROUGE-FACTORY-TOUR

Ford Rouge Factory

Hillforest Victorian House Museum

Courtesy Ford Rouge Factory

Miller Brewery Company’s Milwaukee operations

McCabe’s Greenhouse

OHIO Indianapolis

INDIANA

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Cincinnati

KENTUCKY

Louisville

Lexington

South of I-74 & west of I-275, 20 minutes west of Cincinnati

www.TOURSoutheastIndiana.com Courtesy Miller Brewery Company

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800-322-8198

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virtual tours T

I N

o plan future itineraries, take a virtual tour to these Midwest attractions.

in.gov/dnr

rivermuseum.com

nationalmuseum.af.mil

TALIESIN ESTATE SPRING GREEN, WISCONSIN A virtual visit walks guests through Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece: Taliesin Estate. You can even explore a few viewpoints not available to the public, like Blue Loggia.

Taliesin Courtesy Taliesin Estate

saultstemarie.com

ST. LOUIS AQUARIUM ST. LOUIS To keep up with the 13,000 animals at the St. Louis Aquarium, you can follow the attraction’s page on Facebook for a live stream.

stlouisaquarium.com

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WILLA CATHER’S RED CLOUD RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA Feel connected to the iconic American author Willa Cather by exploring where the author lived, worked and dreamed. The tours are led by the site’s educational coordinator for fascinating facts explaining the importance of each room.

virtualcather.org

Willa Cather’s Childhood Home

COOKS OF CROCUS HILL MINNEAPOLIS Take a virtual cooking class to hone your culinary skills with Cooks of Crocus Hill. These webinars are free and teach everything from cocktail classes to baking bread.

cooksofcrocushill.com

Courtesy Nebraska Tourism Commission

taliesinpreservation.org

ST. MARY’S RIVER SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN Paddle down St. Mary’s River without exerting any effort on a virtual kayak tour from Voyager Island to Rotary Park. The 360 degree virtual guided tour watches freighters passing through on their way to and from the Soo Locks.

MI DWES T

INDIANA STATE PARKS INDIANA Discover Indiana’s diverse state parks from your couch on the Indiana State Park’s Facebook page. Previous videos have captured pelican migrations, waterfalls and scenic vistas.

NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM DUBUQUE, IOWA The National Mississippi River Museum’s YouTube channel releases a new educational video each day. Lessons about the exhibits, feedings and animal activities reveal the content covered on a typical visit.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE RIVERSIDE, OHIO Walk the virtual halls of this popular museum to view the incredible aircrafts and flight artifacts. You can also download the app to examine a 360-degree interior view of an aircraft cockpit.

TH E

KANSAS MUSEUM OF HISTORY TOPEKA, KANSAS Bring the past to you with the Kansas Museum of History’s online exhibits. These virtual tours move through the museum’s artifacts, from Lewis and Clark's Expedition to the state’s battle flags.

kshs.org

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Courtesy Dayton CVB

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO CHICAGO The Art Institute of Chicago has been planning the release of its “El Greco: Ambition and Defiance” renaissance exhibit for year. The major exhibit only opened to the public for one week before closing. Now you can view the impressive exhibit online on a guided tour led by a museum curator.

artic.edu

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Assembling a Wick’s Pies dessert

WICK’S PIES

WINCHESTER, INDIANA Wick’s Pies was founded in 1944 by Duane “Wick” Wickersham. He started his own bakery and cafe, the Rainbow Restaurant in downtown Winchester, using his mother’s recipes. The pies were so popular that he decided to start selling those separately and then had to start a factory to produce enough pies to meet the demand.

That factory still stands, and visitors are invited to tour the plant and see where the magic happens, including the making of the sugar cream pie, Indiana’s state pie.

Fast-forward to 2020, and Wick’s family still runs Wick’s Pies. The company’s pie factory pumps out 10,000 pies and 30,000 pie shells in an eight-hour shift.

Tours of the plant include the flour room, where the company uses about 15,000 pounds of flour daily, said Dylan Wickersham, Wick’s grandson, who works in sales and marketing for the company.

The flour comes from the flour silo into a large sifter that shakes the flour into a 50-gallon stainless bowl where it is mixed with lard or vegetable shortening, salt, water, dextrose and baking soda.

The dough is then rolled out twice by machine before being laid flat over a pie pan. The pies are filled just before they go into the large oven for baking. They are then packaged and frozen.

“We recommend you bring a cooler so you can load up on pie before you leave and come hungry for a nice farminspired meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner,” Wickersham said. Mrs. Wick’s Restaurant, which was founded by Wick in 1986, is a full-service bakery and cafe that serves 36 varieties of pie each day. It is just north of the factory.

A 1962 image of Wick’s Pies

Wick’s Pies

Photos courtesy Wick’s Pies

WICKSPIES.COM

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marketing Y O U R

P R O G R A M

TAKE THIS TIME TO CREATE A GREAT E-NEWSLETTER

T

BY ELIZA MYERS

o help sell future trips, it’s important to continue to interact with your members year-round.

Even if customers aren’t currently buying travel, e-newsletters can build loyalty to your program. When members are ready to book trips, their interactions with your e-newsletters will make them think of your travel program first.

Our inboxes are inundated with promotional emails of all kinds, so you want to make sure your e-newsletter doesn’t end

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up in the spam folder. Learning to build compelling, brandbuilding e-newsletters will establish your travel program as the go-to place for group travel.

MAKING TIME

For some group leaders, it seems impossible to find the time to craft a monthly e-newsletter for travelers. However, when you look at the benefits, you may realize that you can’t afford not to do this.

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IF YOU LOOK AT THE BENEFITS, YOU MAY REALIZE THAT YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO NOT CRAFT A MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR YOUR TRAVELERS. E-newsletters can outweigh social media because you have more control of the content, how it looks and who receives it.

You own your email list, rather than Facebook or another social media site. Plus, you don’t have to rely on algorithms or additional advertising money to deliver your product.

When beginning or rethinking your travel program’s enewsletters, brainstorm some ideas about how your e-newsletters can reach new customers, retain the ones you already have and build a strong brand identity. According to Experian, $1 spent on email marketing can provide a return of $45, so a thoughtful plan can be worth your while.

To increase your list of member emails, make sure your website has an obvious place to sign up for your e-newsletters.

Make note of any deals and quality information they will receive to make the offer tempting. Some group leaders even create contests on social media or online that users automatically enter when they sign up for the program’s e-newsletters.

DESIGN POLISH

Realistically, you will only have a few seconds of time to convince someone to read your e-newsletter before they delete it.

The quality of the design will often save or doom an e-newsletter.

To create an eye-catching e-newsletter, start by looking online for inspiration. The internet is filled with examples of travel e-newsletters that you can look through to see what strikes you and what seems to fit your company’s brand best. Save the ones you like so you can see what design elements stand out to you most.

Unless you are familiar with InDesign or Dreamweaver, you will want to choose a premade template from your email marketing provider, such as Constant Contact or Mailchimp. You can customize these email templates with a quick tutorial from your provider to make sure you achieve the look you want.

Consider what your email will look like on a mobile device when choosing a template. You want the email to look attractive on all devices by incorporating a responsive design that changes to become easier to read when viewed on a phone.

When incorporating your color scheme, restraint is key. Two or three complementary hues work best. Designers might want to make their newsletters pop with contrasting colors like blue with orange, but subtle color schemes work better, such as multiple shades of the same color.

Use your company’s logo when deciding what colors to choose.

For example, alumni travel planners can select colors from their university’s logo to keep a uniform brand look across platforms.

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Simple designs with large, high-quality photos and easy-to-read text prove most pleasing to the eye. Customers judge companies on the look of their websites and e-newsletters. Choosing a modern, sleek-looking e-newsletter will subconsciously cause people to associate your organization with superior travel products.

CLASSY CONTENT

After you captivate your customers with your e-newsletter’s design aesthetic, keep them by incorporating customized content.

Since your customers have limited attention spans, limit the text on your e-newsletters to 200 to 300 words.

Choose topics around themes that might interest your readers. For example, bank members might find interest in financial tips. Or you can personalize your e-newsletter with a post about a recent tour or a funny travel story.

Since your email is travel-themed, make sure at least one of the posts showcases aspirational travel photos or videos. You can post some of your own photos from a recent trip or ask for some from fellow travelers who might be willing to share.

Educational content about travel will help build your reputation as a group travel expert. This builds confidence in your group travel program, which is crucial for members who might feel skittish about traveling after a pandemic.

According to a survey by TripAdvisor, 90% of travelers worldwide report their booking decisions are influenced by online reviews. Bring the reviews to your members by placing testimonials in your e-newsletters. If clients tell you personally how much they enjoyed a tour, ask if you may use their statements in the next e-newsletter.

Don’t make every email promotional — readers will quickly learn to skip every email from you if they feel like they’re always being sold to. But occasional, exclusive discounts will appeal to readers if they know it is a one-time deal.

Experts are divided on how frequently to send e-newsletters. Some maintain that once a month is plenty; others advise weekly emails. Decide what you have time for, and test different days, times and frequencies to see how these factors affect your e-newsletter’s open rates.

Use your email provider’s analytics to determine what type of content receives the most clicks. You don’t want to keep churning out the same types of emails without using this valuable feedback.

These metrics, along with a big-picture plan for your e-newsletter, can help make your next marketing email irresistible for members eager to travel.

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W H E R E

w e ’ v e

B E E N

Commercial Bank BARBOURVILLE, KENTUCKY TRIP: New England TOUR OPERATOR: Travel Unlimited DATE: September 2019 On a 10-day journey through New England, Commercial Bank’s Golden Presidential Club traveled up the coast from Monticello, Virginia, to Boston. The group explored several historic stops along the way in West Point, New York; Newport, Rhode Island; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

“This trip was a quick-paced itinerary. We saw and covered a lot of history. Every day was a new adventure, and we were always excited at what the next day was going to be. I would recommend this trip to other groups.”

— CAROLYN VALENTINE, VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP COORDINATOR

TreasureTime Tours BUCHANAN, NEW YORK TRIP: The Wonder of Christmas with the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum

DATE: December 2019 With a goal of seeing the dramatic Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, TreasureTime Tours sent a group to view the site at Christmastime. The trip also included stops at Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield, Ohio, and the Winter Festival of Lights in Wheeling, West Virginia.

“After many months of anticipation, we departed to one of the most amazing and unreal sites ever. The Ark Encounter is truly a work of art with the magnitude of the largest wooden structure in the world.

Traveling at Christmastime made the trip even more magical with millions of lights and a live Nativity scene. It was breathtaking.”

Courtesy Ark Encounter

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— JUDY LOSASSO, PRESIDENT

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