Select Traveler September October 2019

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

select T R A V E L E R

CHEYENNE SHINES IN MARCH | AMAZING ART ENCOUNTERS

| FALLING FOR SIOUX FALLS

HOMES offer windows into America’s past

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

select T R A V E L E R

VOL.27 NO.5

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

HISTORIC HOMES: HAVENS FOR BEAUTY

Courtesy Explore Charleston

contents checking in: MARCIE HOCHHAUSER

toolbox: conference

CLASSICS REVISITED

CHEYENNE SHOWCASE

ON THE COVER: Many historic residences in Charleston, South Carolina, have preserved their past elegance down to the last detail.

Photo by Lumiere.

west coast marketing: WINERIES

CUSTOMER SERVICE

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MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL ELIZA MYERS HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS ASHLEY RICKS CHRISTINE CLOUGH KELLY TYNER DANIEL JEAN-LOUIS KYLE ANDERSON

DANIEL JEAN-LOUIS

888.253.0455

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER

DANIEL@ GROUP TR AVELLE ADER.COM

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

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18 abounds 24 culture

ARTAINMENT

KANSAS

28 outdoors

SIOUX FALLS

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.

CUSTOM CONTENT

HOLIDAY SPIRIT IS SIMPLE AND SWEET

IN AMISH COUNTRY

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

I

f your group’s ideal holiday is more “It’s a Wonderful Life” than “Miracle on 34th Street,” Amish Country is a perfect destination. In this Northern Indiana region, the holiday season starts with a parade of lights through a twinkling 2.5-block town and ends with midnight fireworks over a pond.

“It is a warm step back into time,” said Sonya Nash, director of group and experiential sales and marketing for Amish Country of Northern Indiana CVB.

SHIPSHEWANA FLIPS THE SWITCH

Each year, Shipshewana (pop. 550) lights up the holidays with its annual Light Parade and Lighting of Shipshewana, to be held November 9 this year. Horses, carriages and floats parade through downtown and crowds enjoy the view from lawn chairs or bleachers.

Stores bedecked in lights stay open late, Santa drops by and a giant community Christmas tree is lighted. The evening, said Nash, looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.

MORE LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT

Wellfield Botanic Gardens brighten evenings beginning Black Friday each year during its Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights.

Complimentary hot cocoa warms hands as visitors wander a half-mile lighted path. Fire pits and benches are good for short breaks.

The light show continues through the season.

Shipshewana’s Lights of Joy begins at the entrance to the Shipshewana Flea Market. With nearly 2 million lights, the drive-through holiday light display opens November 15 this year.

SONGS OF THE SEASON

Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell’s Christmas season show at the Shipshewana Event Center, December 7-14, begins with popular hits and ends with holiday favorites.

Get holiday decorating ideas, Christmas cookies and a dose of history on guided tours of Ruthmere, a Victorian mansion that Alka-Seltzer built. Local interior designers decorate, and visitors vote for their favorite décor.

and entrepreneurs. Some businesses present visitors with gifts, and all sell items that make wonderful holiday gifts, from cinnamon/caramel doughnuts and handmade wind chimes to wooden toys. Experiences can also be handson: feeding camels at a local farm, making cookies in an Amish kitchen or learning the art of fashioning blown-glass ornaments.

NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS SHOW

MIDNIGHT FIREWORKS ARE THE GRAND FINALE

RUTHMERE IS WRAPPED IN HOLIDAY FINERY

“Noel” is certainly not your typical holiday show, with two hours of action that includes elves on horse-drawn sleds, circus-style aerialists, holiday singers and dancers, a live Nativity scene and Roman horseback riders.

The show, produced by Hugh and Chelsie Warren from Tennessee, is in its first season at the Michiana Event Center in Shipshewana, with 10 performances from December 1121. Next year, there will be 13 shows. A VIP experience includes front-row seats and behind-the-scenes meet ups and plenty of time for photos and questions with performers.

GO HOME WITH A STOCKING STUFFED WITH GIFTS

Stocking Stuffer Tours live up to their name, as once-empty stockings overflow with goodies and gifts by tour’s end. Each tour itinerary is customized to fit a group’s time and interests.

One group might visit two to three off-the-path Amish businesses; another might spend the entire day traveling country lanes to meet artisans

New Year’s Eve at Amish Acres combines all that an end-of-year celebration should — song, dance, food, mingling. The package includes a family-style dinner, a Broadway show — this year, Beauty and the Beast — hors d’oeuvres and a cabaret with the show’s stars. The evening ends with fireworks over a winter pond. The Inn at Amish Acres books up fast, but plenty of overnight accommodations are available in nearby communities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit AmishCountryTours.org or contact Sonya Nash at 574-262-8161 sonya@amishcountry.org

perspective P U B L I S H E R ’ S

W

e publish several magazines here, and this one definitely receives the most direct input from its travel planner readers. Because of the worldwide influence of your travel programs, we have made a point of asking for Select Traveler readers to give us input, and many of you have been great about responding.

I was curious to see over the past three or four issues where these responses had come

from, and what kinds of travel destinations they highlighted. Including the issues since our March/April issue, we have published responses from travel planners in 14 states. We’ve heard from planners in Alabama, California, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

In those responses, our planners have referenced travel to dozens of North American destinations, including places as geographically diverse as Bok Tower Gardens in Florida; Rocky Mountain National Park; Bryce and Zion national parks; Ellis Island and NYC; and Washington’s San Juan Islands.

These same planners referenced international trips to places like Antarctica, Ireland, Panama, the Norwegian Fjords, European rivers, the Mediterranean, New Zealand and Amsterdam.

In the next couple of weeks, you will receive a very brief survey from our office asking if you would like to join the many planners who are responding to our queries. We’d love to profile you and your travel program and gain your insights about places you’ve been with your travelers. Watch for an online survey soon and let us share your expertise with everyone else through Select Traveler magazine.

Thanks!

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

Mac Lacy

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P L A N N E R S

T A L K

B A C K

how important is free time in your tours?

SUE MEIER

WILMINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA “We make sure our trips have enough free time. We’ve found that while people really enjoy the tours, they also want time to explore on their own.

People’s interests are different, so it’s important for there to be free time so they can enjoy what is most important to them.”

Tour

SOUTHEAST INDIANA

Fall Mums, Farms & Markets Meet a friendly herd of alpaca, tour a greenhouse, visit an orchard and find locally made specialty foods and fresh produce in the Fall.

“Fun Farm & Market Experiences!”

- Clarksville Parks & Rec, Clarksville, IN

PEGGY FULLER

CITIZENS PROGRESSIVE BANK MONROE, LOUISIANA “I think it is ideal for the group members to have a certain amount of free time. Not everyone has the same interests, and this gives them time to explore on their own or simply rest. I also think it is important not to have too much free time so members will feel they are getting a good value on their investment.”

JANE MYERS

BANK OF MISSOURI | INVESTORS’ CLUB PERRYVILLE, MISSOURI “I believe free time is important. We want each member to experience as much as possible, so the days can be busy. To offer free time for our travelers gives them the possibility to go back to an attraction they saw on the tour but was not included in our stops. Free time may also be an opportunity to simply relax and reflect on the day they had.”

ROBIN TORBRON WARDE BRYANT UNIVERSITY

SMITHFIELD, RHODE ISLAND “Free time is not always all that important. It depends entirely on the itinerary.”

OHIO Indianapolis

INDIANA

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Cincinnati

JEFF WENDORF

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON, WISCONSIN “Our travelers certainly enjoy their free time and dinners on their own. When hosting, I make it a point to research restaurants and attractions they could choose during their free time. I make advance reservations to a restaurant during free time and extend an invitation to the group members, especially to our single travelers, to join me if they wish.”

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KENTUCKY

Louisville

Lexington

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

www.TOURSoutheastIndiana.com 800-322-8198

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checking in MARCIE HOCHHAUSER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

W I T H

M A R C I E

H O C H H A U S E R

WALNUT CREEK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA Founded in 1926, the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce is a memberdriven association that promotes the Walnut Creek region of California. Comprising 800 firms and representing more than 3,000 employees, the chamber is one of the largest accredited chambers in the Bay Area. The travel program began in 2007 with a trip to China. The chamber doesn’t restrict membership to the travel program, which is now at 1,000 members.

Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Education: B.A. in communications and marketing from American University Employment: Hochhauser started working at the chamber in 1980 as manager of member services. In her current role as senior vice president, she juggles many tasks along with the travel program, including the day-today operations of running the chamber.

Marcie Hochhauser poses with the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce travel group in Italy.

BY ELIZA MYERS

I

n 2007, an opportunity for the Walnut Chamber of Commerce to lead a trip to China fell into Marcie Hochhauser’s lap.

“We were approached by a gentleman who was putting together trips to China,” said Hochhauser, senior vice president of the Walnut Chamber of Commerce. “They were very reasonable. We ended up sending six different trips to China over the course of several years. We sent hundreds of travelers.”

The China trips proved an instant hit. After this success, Hochhauser decided to start an ongoing chamber travel program. For some travel expertise, she reached out to a travel agency that helps organize a variety of

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travel programs offered to members and the community at large.

Today, the chamber helps make dreams come true for people from the local community and beyond by taking them on adventures around the world.

T R AV E L R E A DY

Before striking out into the group travel world, Hochhauser didn’t have a lot of international travel experience. Her previous trips had mainly stayed domestic, with a few Caribbean Cruises. However, the desire to explore the world was already strong.

“It had always been my dream to go to Italy,” said Hochhauser. “Now I have done that, and I just loved it. I also loved that we were able to offer this to the community so they could take advantage of the opportunity with me. Personally, I have made a lot of friends who travel with us now, which is wonderful.”

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Despite her busy schedule at the chamber, Hochhauser travels on most of the group’s trips to give her travelers extra support.

“The tour guide plays a major role, of course,” said Hochhauser. “I make sure everybody is happy and that everything is going smoothly and no one is having any issues.”

F RI EN D O F A F R I E N D

What started as a program for the local community soon spread through word-of-mouth.

“We have a couple who travels with us who have a brother and sister-in-law in Arizona who join them,” said Hochhauser. “The Arizona couple makes their own travel arrangements and meet us at the destination. We frequently pick up travelers throughout the country.”

Hochhauser wanted to open up the travel program to the community from day one. People from outside the chamber quickly signed up for the tours.

“The Walnut Creek is a regional chamber and not specific to the city,” said Hochhauser. “We didn’t want to limit it. We had friends who joined us; then they had friends who joined us. We’ve become very popular. I don’t think we’d have the numbers we do if we had limited it to chamber members.”

To keep up with the demand, the chamber expanded the program from one to two major trips a year: one in the spring and one in the fall.

So far, the group has chosen only international trips, with the majority to Europe. Members also venture to more exotic locales, with past trips having included South Africa, Dubai and Thailand.

“It’s a great group,” said Hochhauser. “We have our database of travelers who have become friends. They look to us for where they are going next. They like that it’s safer and more economical in a group.”

To foster loyalty to the program, the chamber travel program hosts several social events. Every tour comes with a pretrip orientation with wine or cuisine from the upcoming destinations.

house. We were spread throughout the house. Those kinds of things are unique and exciting. It’s not that the monuments and attractions aren’t amazing, but these special experiences give us insight into how the locals live.”

The chamber’s travel program is only a small part of Hochhauser’s total responsibilities. It would be easy to see how she might discard the program when the overwhelming number of travel-related issues came up time and again. However, Hochhauser values the program and its outreach mission.

“The travel program has created a lot of camaraderie and community involvement,” said Hochhauser. “It has made people more aware of the chamber. It’s a great marketing piece for us. The best part of the program is giving the opportunity for people to travel. We go to places they likely wouldn’t go on their own, and that is very satisfying.”

T R A V E L

tips

• Pack light.

• Inform travelers of terrain and difficulty of walking.

• Press the travel company for including the unusual in a tour.

C OM M O N LY U N C O M M O N

With two main trips a year, the pressure is on to choose the perfect two destinations from a world of options. Hochhauser relies on the chamber’s preferred tour operator’s suggestions and travelers’ preferences for ideas. She then examines which tours will be the most economical for her members.

For example, the chamber’s upcoming October trip to Portugal and Spain originated from a conversation with a Jet Vacations tour guide a year ago, when he outlined why the destination would be a perfect fit for the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce.

“I would never have known to go there if he hadn’t mentioned that area,” said Hochhauser.

“We’ve developed an amazing relationship with our tour operator.”

Hochhauser seeks unusual experiences to include in the chamber’s tours that the general public can’t access.

“We’ve stayed at an Italian farmhouse on a winery in the mountains where the owners cooked dinner for us,” said Hochhauser. “We just came back from Japan, where we rode a rickshaw to a private home. They made lunch for us in their

Experience Paducah Come be a part of our story and immerse yourself in Paducah’s new Signature Experiences exclusively for groups.

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T O O L B O X

new approaches to classic destinations

BY BRIA N JE W E LL

E

very year, affinity travel planners like you face a tough decision: Do you plan return trips to places your customers know and love, or take a chance on a trip to an unproven destination?

If you try a new destination and it doesn’t sell well, you may have to cancel the trip. However, if you continue to offer trips to the same destinations, eventually your travelers will grow tired of going to those places, and your numbers will start to drop.

Fortunately, there is a third way: Plan brand-new experiences in favorite destinations. With some fresh ideas and creative thinking, you can build trips that capitalize on a popular place’s appeal while also giving your loyal travelers new ways to enjoy themselves there.

Here are five ideas to help you to take creative approaches to your group’s most beloved destinations.

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TRY NEW CITY TOURS The city sightseeing tour has been a staple of packaged travel for decades. And though these overview tours can make good introductions for people visiting a city for the first time, they can be pretty boring and redundant to travelers who have been there before. Fortunately, many popular destinations now have all kinds of tour options that allow visitors to explore them in innovative ways.

Culinary tours and ghost tours are always popular. Groups can also enjoy getting a ground-level view on Segway, bicycle or running tours. Sculpture walks, gallery hops and public art tours also make for inspiring ways to explore a classic destination.

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CHANGE THE TIMING Many popular destinations have well-defined tourist seasons, receiving most of their visitors inside a particular time frame determined by weather or other factors. But high season isn’t the only time to go. You can significantly change the experience your group has in a popular destination by changing the timing of your trip. Mountainous ski areas have lots of fun activities in summer, for example, and Yellowstone is breathtaking in winter. And many popular destinations have special programming during the holiday season, so visiting between Thanksgiving and Christmas can help create new group experiences.

MAKE IT MULTIGENERATIONAL Traveling with people of different ages makes any trip more interesting. If you have a destination that you know is popular with your core travelers, consider packaging it as a multigenerational trip. By opening up opportunities to bring children or grandchildren, you’ll give your customers a reason to return to places they’ve been before. With several generations joining your group, you’ll likely want to plan some activities that you may not have visited previously. And even the must-do attractions will feel different because bringing younger people along changes the energy of the entire trip.

ENLIST LOCAL EXPERTS If you want to plan new ways to enjoy perennially popular destinations, one of the best strategies is to reach out to local experts to help you come up with new ideas. Virtually every city in the United States has a convention and visitors bureau or similar organization staffed by tourism professionals who would love to give you creative ways to explore their hometowns. When you’re plan-

OFFER A BUNDA N T O PT I O N S

ning a trip, work with the group tour

In the most popular tour destinations, there’s more to do than can

experts at the CVB to find out what

realistically fit into any single group itinerary. So to broaden the appeal of

your group can do this time that its

a trip, organize it in such a way that travelers choose among plenty of op-

never done before.

tions when they arrive. With a bit of planning, you can arrange for smaller subsets of your group to go off on different adventures in the same city.

Some go to the golf course, for example, while others go to the spa; some visit an art museum while others sample spirits at a distillery.

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connection Vedauwoo Recreation Area

WYOMING AWAITS! CHEYENNE TIPS ITS HAT TO SELECT TRAVELER 2020 ATTENDEES Photos courtesy Visit Cheyenne

BY DAN DICKSON

‘AUTHENTIC WILD WEST’

F

or those feeling a little constrained in their busy home or work lives and sensing the need to bust out and escape somewhere far away from it all, Wyoming may be the perfect place to visit.

The Cowboy State is the nation’s 10th-largest state but the least populated, with just 578,000 souls. However, this off-the-beaten-path state enjoys a wonderful reputation for entertaining its guests, which makes sense, since tourism is one of the state’s biggest industries.

The Cheyenne Convention and Visitors Bureau recommends that harried folks leave behind the jammed rush-hour highways and the sprawling cookie-cutter subdivisions and experience rugged, beautiful and surprising Wyoming. Cheyenne, a town of 60,000 and the state’s capital city, is a cool, Western-vibe community that loves its heritage and wants people to learn about it and experience it.

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“We have such a deep history here, what you would call the authentic Wild, Wild West, including the railroads,” said Jim Walter, director of sales and marketing for Visit Cheyenne, the local CVB. “For an old Western town, we didn’t have any real big water source nearby, and we weren’t in the middle of either the Mormon or Oregon trails,” Walter said. “But we just happened to be the best place for the Union Pacific Railroad to stage its historic rail ascent over the Rocky Mountains in 1867, and our little town stayed here and grew because of that.”

The town grew so fast that the Chicago Times that year expressed amazement: “It is a city that sprang into existence in a night, in obedience to the waving of a magician’s wand over a patch of wild buffalo grass.” Cheyenne is in the southeast corner of the state, in Laramie County. Its name is believed to have come from Native Americans living in the area.

Delegates will hear more about all that history and see some fascinating places when they attend the next Select Traveler Conference, March 22-24, in downtown Cheyenne. The conference

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A Western music concert

“WE HAVE SUCH A DEEP HISTORY HERE, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL THE AUTHENTIC WILD, WILD WEST.” — JIM WALTER, VISIT CHEYENNE

A carriage ride past the Nagel-Warren Mansion

will be held at the Little America Hotel and Resort.

Cheyenne is located at major crossroads: Busy Interstate 80 handles east and west traffic while Interstate 25 does the job for northbound and southbound travelers. The city is approximately 100 miles from Denver, 370 miles from Salt Lake City and 380 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Cheyenne Regional Airport has opened a new terminal, which replaces a 50-year-old building. The 30,000-square-foot terminal serves three airlines, and officials brag that it is so quick and convenient that there is no need for escalators or people movers. The airport also offers direct daily flights to such popular destinations as Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

TOURS AND MUSEUMS

It would be smart for visitors hitting town to board a Cheyenne Trolley in the heart of downtown for a tour of the city’s historic districts.

“People are going to be surprised at the number of things to do in Cheyenne,” said Walter. The trolley tour will give riders an opportunity to learn the intriguing stories of Cheyenne’s

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connection wild old days of muddy streets, gunfights, brothels, saloons, characters like Wild Bill Hickok and the railroads. All of this is presented by lively, experienced trolley conductors.

For visitors that want to gain a real sense of the history of Cheyenne and Wyoming, several excellent museums can bring the legends to life. The Cheyenne Depot Museum downtown is located in the restored former Union Pacific Depot, which is designated a National Historic Landmark. Visitors enjoy the rich railroad history through exhibits, photos, audio and visual displays, and interactive presentations. Just outside, the Cheyenne Depot Plaza is a lively place in pleasant weather, with concerts and other fun events.

The Nelson Museum of the West plays up the Old West heritage with exhibits that include cowboy, military and Native American artifacts and fine Western art. There are more than 6,000 artifacts throughout the museum.

The Wyoming State Museum downtown collects, preserves and interprets the human and natural history of the state from prehistoric times to the present. Visitors will gain real insight into what Wyoming is all about. The museum store offers mementos to take home.

Wyoming’s state capitol, which was originally opened in 1889, has been renovated and restored to the tune of $300 million. It is gorgeous, and tours are highly recommended, no matter what state you hail from. “We consider that building to be the people’s house,” said the CVB’s Walter. Another interesting stop on the trolley tour is the historic Governor’s Mansion, which is beautifully decorated for the holidays.

Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley

Luxury Diner

MARQUEE RODEO

If folks are free to visit Wyoming in the summer, they must attend the state’s premier 10-day event of the year: Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“Cheyenne Frontier Days in late July is a bucket list item for many people,” said Walter. “We are home to the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and celebration of Western heritage. It is a big draw. Next year will be the 124th year for it.”

A ticket agent for the Union Pacific Railroad is said to have dreamed up “Cheyenne Days” as a way to drum up more ticket sales between Cheyenne and Denver.

Naturally, the rodeo is the main attraction, but there is everything from a cattle drive to a grand parade, an Indian village, a chuck wagon cook-off, a Fiesta Day, an old frontier town and a carnival midway. There are also A-list country music acts to enjoy.

To add to the excitement, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pierce the blue skies with their daring aerobatic formations.

Tea at the NagelWarren Mansion

Terry Bison Ranch

MORE ACTIVITIES

Whatever time of year they visit, groups can take historical ranch tours for a sense of what life on the open range must have been like more than a century ago. Bison train tours are offered at the Terry Bison Ranch outside of Cheyenne. It is a narrated trip on a custom-built train, and riders will see a massive bison herd, get to hand feed some of the beasts and also view camels, ostriches and other farm animals. There are horse and pony

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Cheyenne Farmers Market

“WE ARE HOME TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST OUTDOOR RODEO AND CELEBRATION OF WESTERN HERITAGE. IT IS A BIG DRAW.” — JIM WALTER, VISIT CHEYENNE

Lincoln Theater

“The Iron Horse” statue

A boot statue downtown

Historic Union Pacific Depot

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Downtown Cheyenne

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Cheyenne Frontier Days

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connection rides available. The ranch offers seasonal lunch tours, too.

People under a certain age may not know much about the Cold War, that period of American history, 1947 to 1991, when there were political and nuclear tensions between the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its satellite states.

Surprisingly, Wyoming played a big role in the Cold War. About 25 miles north of Cheyenne is the Quebec 01 Missile Alert facility, which once served as home to three of this country’s most powerful nuclear weapons. Built in 1962, the decommissioned site now allows tourists to see and learn about America’s missile alert and peacekeeper systems and gaze at the former nuclear launch control facilities. It is a fascinating place and, perhaps, a little sobering.

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

MODERN CHEYENNE

Cheyenne is more than just cowboys, Indians and trains. It is an up-to-date city as well. “We have a bustling downtown where we have a new-life music venue that is opening up this fall,” said the CVB’s Walter. “It is located in the Lincoln, a former local movie theater. We have also opened four new restaurants and a distillery in the past few months. We do free live concerts on the plaza every Friday night. We have our strong Western roots, but at the same time we have modern touches, too.”

Another nugget in the city has recently been expanded. Just completed is a $13 million addition to the wonderful and popular Cheyenne Botanical Gardens. The new Grand Conservatory contains a lush, tropical plant collection; a bonsai house; and an orangery, which holds delicate fruit trees that would not survive Wyoming’s harsh winters. Locals say the gardens are a beautiful place to visit no matter what time of year it is.

For all there is to do in Cheyenne, many people visit, enjoy themselves immensely and then head to other places in the West.

“It can be the first stop on a family’s great American Western vacation,” said Walter. “People come here and launch to Rapid City, South Dakota, and to Mount Rushmore, to Devil’s Tower National Monument, to Yellowstone National Park or down to the Grand Canyon. We are a great gateway.”

The Cheyenne Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to create a special partnership with Select Traveler trip planners.

“We aren’t just here to promote all of the good things going on in Cheyenne,” said Walter. “We will give you suggestions and walk you through many possible itineraries. We want to help make trip planning easier for you and for your clients.”

Rib and Chop House

Wilstem Ranch

Morris House Bistro

selecttravelerconf.com

“PEOPLE COME HERE AND LAUNCH TO RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND TO MOUNT RUSHMORE, TO DEVIL’S TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT, TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK OR DOWN TO THE GRAND CANYON. WE ARE A GREAT GATEWAY.”

Cadillac Ranch Bar

— JIM WALTER, VISIT CHEYENNE

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T H A N K S TO THESE

SPONSORS AVENTURA WORLD Vendor Showcase

GO NEXT Vendor Showcase

BRANSON’S BEST RESTAURANTS Sponsor Auction

LOUISVILLE TOURISM Delegate Orientation

CHEROKEE NATION CULTURAL TOURISM Stepping Stones

MAYFLOWER CRUISES & TOURS Delegate Mixer 10 Minute Presentation Time

COLLETTE Official Luncheon DUTTON FAMILY THEATER COMPLEX Sponsor Booth EF/GO AHEAD TOURS Marketplace Kickoff One

US TOURS Breakfast Day One Marketplace Sponsor VISIT CHEYENNE Delegate Registry Ad Host City Opening Night Reception Travel Industry Report

MSC CRUISES (USA) INC Marketplace Kickoff Two THE TRAVEL CORPORATION Destination Showcase TRIPS Breakfast Day Two

FRENCH LICK RESORT Conference Padfolio

WESTERN

Authenticity. Hospitality. Experience.

Cheyenne offers your group the history and romance of the West, paired with attractions, restaurants, museums, and hotels that will create memorable experiences for your customers.

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VIEWERS beware!

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Exhibits like “Dreamed Japan, Images of the Floating World� at Atelier des Lumieres in Paris allow viewers to feel like they have stepped inside a work of art.

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By E. Spiller, courtesy CultureSpaces

Artainment venues are fun —and anything but passive

BY ELIZA MYERS

I

nteracting with fuzzy monsters or walking through infinite rooms is normally the stuff of deep-sleep dreams. But at “artainment” exhibits across the country and around the world, artists have conjured their fantastic sights, sounds and sensations and made them real.

Artainment fuses art and technology to create an entertaining experience. The trending art style doesn’t necessitate new art; it can feature classic artworks in engaging ways. Other artainment exhibits feature interactive elements where virtual displays move along with the viewer.

This imaginative art form has drawn a new audience to art museums.

The experience goes beyond passively gazing at works in quiet galleries.

It blasts the viewer with color, movement and the unexpected.

Already, these installations have drawn sold-out crowds, with many artainment-themed museums popping up across the country and in Europe. At the rate these immersive art installations are continuing to expand, groups can take their pick of artainment exhibits to explore.

ARTECHOUSE WASHINGTON

After walking into a cosmic gateway, visitors to Artechouse in Washington see the walls and floors melt away into never-ending galaxies. The artainment organization’s Infinite Room plays games with the mind for an extraordinary experience. Part of the museum’s latest exhibit, “Infinite Space” by Refik Anadol, the installation uses sound and virtual reality to push the limits of a viewing experience.

Art, science and technology blend at an attraction that will interest an art lover, an experience seeker and any curious individual. The installations rotate seasonaly to encourage repeat customers.

In 2017, Artechouse opened its first permanent home in Washington. The groundbreaking museum quickly opened additional spaces in Miami soon after, with one more set to open in New York City this year.

Each museum offers a different self-guided, multisensory experience. Groups can book packages that include private admission, drinks and food options.

“New Nature” at Artechouse

Artechouse Courtesy Artechouse

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Courtesy Artechouse

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“The House of Eternal Return” at Meow Wolf Art Complex

Color-changing art at Meow Wolf Art Complex

Interactive art at Meow Wolf Art Complex Photos by Lindsey Kennedy, courtesy Meow Wolf

Founded by art advocates Sandro and Tati in 2015, Artechouse encourages movement in their installations. At a previous installation in Washington called “New Nature,” gigantic screens of moving shapes would transform in response to the movement of the observer.

Each installation features a new artist to keep the exhibits fresh.

DC.ARTECHOUSE.COM

MEOW WOLF ART COMPLEX SANTA FE, N EW MEXICO

At first it looks like visitors are standing in a kitchen of a normal Victorian home. Then a wormhole opens in the kitchen’s refrigerator.

From there, guests enter a bizarre world of multidimensions, trapeze shows and skeleton marimbas at the Meow Wolf Art Complex in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Meow Wolf, an artainment group that transports audiences into fantastic realms with story, music and interactive experiences, opened the Santa Fe venue in 2016. The art groups were started in 2008 by artists who felt shut out of the city’s art scene. Meow Wolf installations appeared at various places intermittently until “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin decided to invest in the group and leased a vacant bowling alley for a permanent Meow Wolf facility.

The site’s interactive, nonlinear storytelling experience, “The House of Eternal Return,” resulted from the investment. The art venue drew 400,000 visitors its first year, nearly six times the population of Santa Fe. The digital art collective announced in 2018 that it plans to open

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two new art complexes, in Las Vegas and Denver. The Las Vegas art park will open in 2020 inside a 90,000-square-foot shopping mall for a psychedelic art bazaar called “Area 15.”

Denver’s “Kaleidoscape” complex will conceptualize a trip inside a piece of contemporary art. The absurdist ride will run as part of Denver’s Elitch Gardens Theme Park in 2021.

Meow Wolf’s latest announcements include plans to open immersive experiences inside a fully operational hotel in Phoenix and a permanent installation in Washington.

MEOWWOLF.COM

OTHERWORLD

COLUMBUS, OHIO

Groups can lose themselves in 32,000 square feet of pure whimsy at Otherworld, an immersive art installation in Columbus, Ohio. Friendly monsters appear periodically, simulations of paint pour down the walls, and trees flash bright colors through hanging bulbs at some of the themed rooms.

Guests can interact with the surreal world that blends science fiction and fantasy using interactive technology, large-scale props, sets and engaging narrative. Artists with backgrounds in programming, metalworking, animals, sculpting and other mediums worked together to create the attraction.

Over 40 rooms invite participants to touch the art, with experiences like solving a puzzle to activate light displays and zapping vintage video game characters with blasters.

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Guests interacting with art at Otherworld Courtesy Otherworld

Wisdome

Otherworld Courtesy Wisdome

Courtesy Otherworld

GUESTS CAN INTERACT WITH THE SURREAL Visitors act like characters in a choose-your-own-adventure narrative by exploring the tactile walls, secret passageways and restricted laboratories full of experiments gone wrong. Bioluminescent creatures, alien flora and expanses of abstract light and geometry complete visitors’ journeys into an alternate realm.

Though the artists in charge of the project had background experience in haunted houses, the experience stays eccentric without any scary elements so that all ages can enjoy the attraction.

Artists began designs for the project in 2017. Otherworld opened in May to rave reviews.

WORLD THAT BLENDS SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY.

Virtual reality art at Wisdome

OTHERWORLDOHIO.COM

WISDOME LOS ANGELES

When the CEO of Wisdome, known as Swami, first came across Android Jones’ work, he created a film using Jones’ visuals with a soundtrack in a 360-degree immersive space. When Jones posted the video on social media, it reached 100,000 views by the next morning.

The video started a partnership that led to the opening of Wisdome in Los Angeles.

The 35,000-square-foot venue creates artainment on a massive scale. The 2018 attraction includes five domes each with 360-degree, surround sound experiences.

The virtual reality experience hosts various rotating art installations that feature vibrant colors, textures and visuals. The showcase Courtesy Wisdome

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piece called “Samskara” takes viewers on a multisensory experience inspired from the path to meditative transcendence. Visitors feel transported to other dimensions with color creatures, lush CGI forests and kaleidoscope abstractions. The 90-foot domes have also hosted live performances, spherical movie theaters, digital canvases and a Pink Floyd-themed exhibit called “Beyond the Wall.”

Wisdome works to re-create the excitement of a pop-up artainment experience. These types of shows convert industrial buildings and vacant lots across the country into temporary interactive environments.

Groups can arrange to walk through with a tour guide to listen to more in-depth descriptions of the art.

Wisdome

WISDOME.LA

ATELIER DES LUMIERES PARIS

Courtesy Wisdome

Van Gogh’s “Irises” at Atelier des Lumieres

Most people learned about Vincent van Gogh’s artistic genius in school. This informative understanding of his artistic ability can’t compare to virtually entering the artist’s paintings. The “Van Gogh: Starry Night” show at the Atelier des Lumieres in Paris originated from Culturespaces, a French museum foundation that specializes in immersive art displays.

The digital art museum rotates exhibits on classic painters.

Past exhibits highlighted paintings by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The museum projects the art onto 32-foot-tall walls in a 10,000-square-foot space that once served as a 19th-century foundry in the eastern part of the city.

An estimated 120 video projectors, 50 speakers and a 3D visual experience help a younger generation appreciate artistic masters.

Audio tracks from classical musicians accompany the sensory-immersive experience.

More than 1.2 million visitors flocked to Atelier des Lumieres between its opening in April 2018 and January 2019. Already, Culturespaces plans to open venues in South Korea and Bordeaux, France.

The building’s bare walls light up in a mesmerizing digital display as 360-degree views of various artworks flash around the room. The shows also delve into artists’ lives. The van Gogh exhibit details not only the artist’s expressive brushstrokes and bold colors but also his highly emotional and chaotic inner world. Guests can watch as his paintings evolve from the grim realism of “The Potato Eaters” in 1885 to the impressionistic “Bedroom at Arles” in 1889.

In conjunction with the van Gogh exhibit, “Dreamed Japan, Images of the Floating World” imagines living inside a world made of Japanese art. Geishas, samurai warriors and spirits move to the music of Claude Debussy.

ATELIER-LUMIERES.COM

Courtesy CultureSpaces

“Van Gogh: Starry Night” at Atelier des Lumieres Courtesy CultureSpaces

THE VAN GOGH EXHIBIT DETAILS NOT ONLY THE ARTIST’S EXPRESSIVE BRUSHSTROKES BUT ALSO HIS CHAOTIC INNER WORLD.

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Viewers standing inside a Van Gogh painting at Atelier des Lumieres

Courtesy CultureSpaces

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MICHELANGELO AND THE SECRETS OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL ROME

When visitors enter the Sistine Chapel, they must crane their necks upward to view the majesty of Michelangelo’s most impressive feat of art. To more fully appreciate and examine the world-famous ceiling paintings, guests can watch “Michelangelo and the Secrets of the Sistine Chapel” by Giudizio Universale.

The show uses a high-tech blend of cinema and live theater for a one-hour show on a stage and a giant 270-degree projector screen.

The Vatican provided high-resolution images of the paintings and oversaw the design to ensure historical accuracy.

Dancers perform, actors gesture, and audiences listen to audio that tells the story of the Italian artist’s life and works. The show is available in nine different languages.

The story starts in the 16th century in the quarries of Carrara as Michelangelo searches for the perfect piece of marble to craft his masterpiece, “David.” The show then follows his journey to complete the ceiling fresco.

Michelangelo’s previous works mostly consisted of sculptures; he had no experience in fresco painting. He eventually covered the 10,000 square feet of ceiling in jaw-dropping paintings in just 500 days.

During the show, audiences can admire the finished works, such as the iconic image of God’s outreached finger about to give life to Adam, at close range.

“Michelangelo and the Secrets of the Sistine Chapel”

An actor depicting Michelangelo

GIUDIZIOUNIVERSALE.COM/EN

Photos courtesy Giudizio Universale

PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

One of California’s most beautiful and unique destinations!

For information on EGYPT’S LOST CITIES and our other special exhibits visit ReaganLibrary.com

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S T A T E

o f

M I N D

plains and skies KANSAS LOVES ITS HORIZONS

M

aybe the air is different in Kansas.

On the state’s eastern border, Kansas City hosts NASCAR races and major league soccer. Heading west on Interstate 70, Manhattan has been affectionately nicknamed the Little Apple and lies within the tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills, one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. For a slice of Scandinavian culture, Lindsborg, known as Little Sweden, USA, boasts redbrick streets, European-style storefronts, working artist studios and shops filled with Scandinavian imports. And as the Air Capital of the World, Wichita’s fascinating aviation legacy is just one of the many reasons to visit this diverse city.

Discover the diverse experiences available in these cities during your group’s next journey to Kansas.

BY ELIZABETH HEY

The Keeper of the Plains stands 44 feet above the convergence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers in downtown Wichita.

KANSAS CITY

Kansas City straddles the Kansas-Missouri line. Though the lion’s share of the city is in Missouri, the Kansas side has no shortage of great group attractions. At its epicenter is Village West. Built around the Kansas Speedway, Village West offers destination shopping, restaurant and lodging options at Legends Outlets KC. The adjacent Kansas Speedway features a one-and-a-half-mile racetrack that hosts NASCAR, plus more than 200 events that include the American Royal World Series of Barbecue. Your group can opt for a track tour and the NASCAR Racing Experience before or after a reception in the pit area or inside one of the garages.

Within Village West, the Kansas City T-Bones minor league professional baseball team plays at JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium, where the farthest seat is only 50 feet from the field. A center-field party area and party decks make great

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M AN HATTAN K ANS A S CI TY LIN DS BORG

WI CHITA

Courtesy Wichita CVB

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spots for pregame receptions or dinners. One of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer and the 2013 MLS Champions, Sporting Kansas City, competes at Village West’s Children’s Mercy Park. This state-of-the-art venue seats 18,500 fans under a canopy roof that covers every section. Nonstop action can be viewed on the park’s massive high-definition video boards.

Behind-the-scenes tours are available.

There’s more to discover in other parts of Kansas City, Kansas. Celebrating many nationalities, the Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center is housed in an 1887 Victorian Queen Anne that was originally a private home. Another unique spot on historic Southwest Boulevard, Spicin Foods creates specialty sauces, salsas, snacks and dips for wholesale, retail and private label. At the tasting table, customers can try one of the company’s 150 products manufactured under 13 different brands and purchase “seconds” at bargain prices that aren’t available at retail.

Above the Kansas River bluffs at Zip KC, visitors can soar on nine zip lines and reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Options include team building on a guided hike through the

KC Timber Challenge Obstacle Course. After sundown, the Night Flight tour zips under the stars illuminated by glow sticks, lasers and headlamps.

“Day trips to three- or fourday itineraries are all customizable based on interest and need due to the breadth and diversity of our attractions,” said Maila Yang, marketing and communications manager for the Kansas City, Kansas, Convention and Visitors Bureau. visitkansascityks.com

MANHATTAN

The $25 million Flint Hills Discovery Center is the capstone of Manhattan. The center showcases the tallgrass prairie: its ecosystems and geology, plus cultural and Native American history. All four seasons are highlighted in an immersive theater experience in which the audience feels the heat from the burning prairie and the chill of falling snow. Traveling exhibits rotate throughout the year.

“Groups will want to start their time in Manhattan at the Flint Hills Discovery Center,” said Karen Hibbard, director of Visit Manhattan. “It provides an understanding of the Flint Hills, the significance of the tallgrass prairie and the reason for our limestone buildings because many of them were constructed from limestone quarried right here in this area.”

The city’s historic downtown hosts Third Thursdays on Poyntz Avenue, May through September, featuring artist demonstrations, sidewalk performances and live music. Manhattan Town Center houses an Imax theater, plentiful shopping and four full-service res-

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taurants. More than 100 years old, the Wareham Opera House hosts wide-ranging year-round events and productions such as comedy, musicals and concerts.

The Midwest Dream Car Collection opened in June. The museum features a pristine collection of classic and modern dream cars, including exotic, muscle and custom machines.

Muscle cars from the ’60s to current models include the iconic Plymouth Superbird and a pair of 2018 Dodge Demons.

Visitors can also view two 1966 Mustangs created for Sonny and Cher. Ride the Classics offers the opportunity to take a ride in cars from the museum’s collection.

To start or end a visit or group tour, the Lounge serves self-payand-pour beer and wine.

Aggieville is the oldest shopping district of its kind in Kansas. The Aggieville Olympics, sponsored and organized by the Aggieville Business Association, invites groups of 40 or more to

join the fun. The groups are divided into teams that rotate to a different bar every 15 minutes, where they play competitive games such as darts, pingpong, trivia and more. manhattancvb.org

LINDSBORG

Last year, the state legislaZip Kansas City ture designated Lindsborg as Courtesy Kansas City Tourism the state’s Fine Arts Capital.

Throughout the community, 49 pieces of original artwork Kansas City Royals decorate street corners, neighborhoods and building facades.

Visitors can bike around town on a rented quadracycle that has four wheels, a sunshade, and two or four seats with pedals for everyone. Short trails were recently added for biking into the countryside.

“Among our many galleries, Lindsborg is one of the few places in the world where you can Konza Prairie Biological Station walk into the studio and gallery of a National Geographic photographer,” said the director of Courtesy Kansas City Tourism Courtesy Manhattan CVB the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau, Holly Lofton.

“The gallery also showcases custom jewelry made by the photographer’s wife and created from beads and stones from around the world.”

Noteworthy galleries include the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery on the Bethany College campus that displays Sandzén’s artwork and offers studio tours. The Red Barn Studio features the eclectic craftsmanship of Lester Raymer, a finalist in Eight Wonders of Kansas Art, who takes discarded or mundane objects and transforms them into beautiful works. The Hemslöjd gift shop sells Swedish gifts, crafts and housewares. Visitors can chat with folk artists or crafters as they make Dala signs and other specialties in their workshops.

Groups can stay at the 18-room Dröm Sött Inn — translated, “Sweet Dreams Inn” — which is reminiscent of small inns found throughout Sweden. Imported furniture and a Swedish breakfast buffet offer a touch of the old country. Serving authentic Swedish specialties for more than five decades, the Swedish Crown Restaurant celebrated its grand reopening in August after the restaurant was donated to Bethany College.

Although this tiny community celebrates its your Adventure Begins at heritage year-round, the town sets aside spevisitkansasCitykS.com cial festival days. Residents dress in traditional 800.264.1563 Swedish folk costumes during Svensk Hyllningsfest, which commemorates the area’s Swedish

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Stearman Field Fly-In and Car Show

Visit!

LEAVENWORTH

Courtesy Wichita CVB

Downtown Manhattan Courtesy Manhattan CVB

pioneers in odd-numbered years in October.

April brings the weeklong Messiah Festival of the Arts, when the Bethany Oratorio Society performs Bach’s “Passion According to St. Matthew” on Good Friday and Handel’s “Messiah” on Easter Sunday. The 300-plus-member community chorus and orchestra are joined by professional operatic guest soloists. visitlindsborg.com

WICHITA

Iconic aviation brands Beechcraft, Cessna and Stearman were born in Wichita, and modern-day Airbus Americas, Bombardier, Spirit Aerosystems and Textron Aviation now design and manufacture aircraft and aircraft parts in the city. Visitors never know what aircraft will come flying in at Exploration Place, where Wichita’s aerospace experts and resources are showcased. Learn how airplanes are designed, built and flown at Exploration Place’s hands-on “Design Build Fly” exhibit. Kansas Aviation Museum tours start with learning about how a wing creates lift and demonstrations of Bernoulli, an R/C helicopter. Besides enjoying three floors of exhibits, visitors can pose for a picture in the bomb bay of a B-52, climb inside a flight simulator and build an aircraft using materials in the STEM learning center. Afterward, they can rub elbows with aviation enthusiasts at Stearman Field Bar and Grill while aircraft take off and land a mere 20 yards away.

Wildlife enthusiasts won’t be disappointed at Sedgwick County Zoo, the nation’s seventh-

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Swedish art in Lindsborg

BUFFALO SOLDIERS TOUR Courtesy Lindsborg CVB

largest zoo with more than 3,000 animals and nearly 400 species in settings that mimic their natural habitats. The zoo’s boat ride passes the nation’s third-largest elephant habitat, which contains the world’s largest elephant pool, filled with 550,000 gallons of water. March through October at Tanganyika Wildlife Park, 15 minutes west of the city, animal encounter tours get close to giraffes, lories, bunnies, tortoises, guinea pigs and lemurs.

Sports play a central role in Wichita, too.

Depending on water conditions, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding in the Arkansas River offers exceptional views of “Keeper of the Plains,” a 44-foot-tall Indian chief sculpture that stands at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers in downtown. Nightly, the steel sculpture lights up for 15 minutes, surrounded by the glow of firepots. At the Great Plains Nature Center, explore 240-acre Chisholm Creek Park on two miles of paved trails that wind through wetlands, prairie and riparian habitats.

“Spring 2020, a new $75 million Wichita ballpark, will be home to the Miami Marlins Triple-A minor league team, which will be renamed when they relocate,” said Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita. “The stadium is part of revitalization happening all along the west bank of the Arkansas River.

Not only will it add to the entertainment options in the area, but the stadium also anticipates hosting approximately 200 events annually, including 70 regular-season games with the potential for seven playoff games.” visitwichita.com

Make HISTORY with your next group tour

HARVEY GIRL REENACTMENTS

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so very

SIOUX FALLS Falls Park sits in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

All photos courtesy Sioux Falls CVB

THIS GREAT AMERICAN CITY REVELS IN ITS OUTDOORS

BY ELIZA MYERS

W

hether you look up or down in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the view is sure to impress.

The “Arc of Dreams” sculpture rising 70 feet above the Big Sioux River illustrates the art-focused modernity of the city. And at the state’s newest park, Good Earth State Park, visitors examine the ground where archaeologists excavated remnants of a long-lost Native American settlement.

Although Sioux Falls boasts plenty of indoor attractions that appeal to groups, such as the Washington Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center

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and several local wineries and breweries, its outdoor attractions especially shine. The most populous city in the state offers an impressive downtown waterfall, an art walk and a water ski show.

Groups will rave about these four Sioux Falls outdoor attractions.

FALLS PARK

An average of 7,400 gallons of water drops down a three-tiered, 100-foot waterfall every second in Falls Park, a 123-acre park on the banks of the Big Sioux River in the center of Sioux Falls. Guests can enjoy the beauty and power of the waterfall before exploring the park’s many other attractions.

The Falls Park Visitor Information Center introduces guests to Sioux Falls. Groups can shop for local memorabilia or enjoy the panoramic view of the city from the top of the five-story, 50-foot-high observation tower.

The park holds many historic buildings. The Falls Overlook Café sits inside the former 1908 Sioux Falls Light and Power Company building. Groups can view the falls while eating lunch.

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Catfish Bay’s Greatest Show on H20

A late-1800s horse barn serves as the home of one of the city’s newest attractions: the Stockyards Ag Experience. The museum tells the story of the Sioux Falls Stockyard, which had an impact on the region from its opening in 1917 until its closing in 2009.

“Every generation moves a little farther away from a family farm,” said Jackie Wentworth, sales manager for the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau. “So many individuals may not have a concept of how their food is grown. This museum walks them through the process and connects them to agriculture. We are an agricultural city.

The museum really captures that part of our history.”

Groups in town during summer weekends can attend a free concert at the Levitt at the Falls outdoor music venue. The newly opened venue offers a diverse lineup of 50 concerts each summer.

CATFISH BAY’S GREATEST SHOW ON H20

A 20-person human pyramid zooms across the water effortlessly at every performance of Catfish Bay’s Greatest Show on H20.

On Friday nights during the summer, the water-skiing comedy adventure dazzles visitors with acting, singing, dancing and highly choregraphed water stunts. Wakeboarding, water ballet, barefoot water skiing and daring jumps keep guests gasping throughout the hour-and-a-half performance.

Over 25 skiers in the show have gone on to professional shows around the world in places like Sea World and Cypress Gardens.

“It’s neat to be able to see this type of show in South Dakota, a landlocked state,” said Wentworth. “You are not going to be able to see a show like this within a couple-hundred-mile radius. It’s so fun that we have this amazing water stunt show right in our backyard. It’s really fun for all ages.”

Spectators watch the show at Catfish Bay, a private water ski park with concessions and bleacher seating for over 1,000 people. Groups can book a package experience with reserved seating and concession vouchers.

GOOD EARTH STATE PARK

When workers began removing topsoil for the construction of the Good Earth Visitor Center, images began to take shape in the soil.

Archaeologists examined the dirt to discover that ancient Oneota tribes had moved soil from the river to the site to create designs on the ground. Hundreds of years later, these pictures in the soil were still visible.

The 11,000-square-foot visitors center moved to a less historically significant spot. Guests can still see the dirt images restored to their former glory as a design on the floor of the visitors center.

South Dakota’s newest state park includes the Blood Run Site, a National Historic Landmark created in the 1970s. The 2017 Good Earth Visitors Center explains the importance of the park’s archaeological treasures. Groups can stroll past a variety of exhibits, including a reconstructed Oneota lodge. A 20-minute video gives a historic overview of the Oneota tribes who populated the site for 8,500 years until 1720.

“These Native Americans were not nomadic,” said Wentworth.

“They lived off the land along the Big Sioux River. They lived in lodges instead of tepees. It is a very historically significant site where you learn how they lived.”

The park sits about 15 minutes southeast of Sioux Falls on the

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SculptureWalk

Good Earth State Park

Iowa border. Visitors can enjoy this time capsule of indigenous culture by attending an educational program or hiking any of the six miles of trails that traverse the 650-acre park.

SCULPTUREWALK

At first glance, the dramatic “Arc of Dreams” seems to be missing a piece. The massive stainless-steel structure spans the Big Sioux River in downtown Sioux Falls for the length of a football field, except for an 18-foot gap in the middle. The space at the top of the arch symbolizes the leap of faith that dreamers take to see their dreams come true.

The city installed this signature art piece in July as a celebration of SculptureWalk. Now in its 16th year, SculptureWalk has become one of the largest and most-well-known public art sculpture exhibits in the country.

“All art mediums are utilized, from bronze to metal to recycled goods,” said Wentworth. “The pendulum of styles swings from the very serious to the extremely whimsical. Last year, we had a 12-foot Bigfoot made from wire and metal. This year we have a bear sculpture made of forks. It’s a fun exhibit.”

In 2019, 59 sculptures line the Sioux Fall streets. The city switches over 50 sculptures each year in April and May. People can vote for their favorite until September, when the votes are tallied, and the winning sculpture is purchased to keep in permanent display.

Groups can dine at a local restaurant before using a self-guided map to find some of the sculptures. With so many artworks, the SculptureWalk is easy to access throughout downtown.

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known

FOR

HISTORIC HOMES

BY ELIZA MYERS

THE BREAKERS

With eccentric owners, breathtaking architecture and charm oozing from every corner, historic homes connect us across time. These tangible reminders of a place’s past tell stories not just with guide narration but also using people’s senses as they see, touch, hear and smell the house.

Travelers seek out cities with distinctive character. Without historic homes, many cities start to look alike. The cities that best preserve their past stand out for many groups. Newport, Rhode Island, opened up many of its mansions from the Gilded Age for tours. Charleston, South Carolina, placed an incredible 97 properties on the National Register for Historic Places.

The result in these cities and others is an increase in crowds eager to experience these authentic destinations.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND Courtesy Discover Newport

WHAT DOES INEXHAUSTIBLE WEALTH LOOK LIKE? Groups can see for themselves at the Gilded Age mansions of Newport.

America’s wealthiest families flocked to the compact seaside village to build lavish homes referred to as “summer cottages.”

Anything but quaint, these opulent homes along 10 Mile Ocean Drive and Bellevue Avenue offer picturesque ocean views and contain architectural marvels designed to awe. Groups should plan time to walk along Cliff Walk, a stunning public trail between the Atlantic Ocean and some of the most famous mansions, such as the Breakers, Rosecliff and Marble House.

Constructed by the Vanderbilt family, the Breakers holds 70 rooms decorated in elaborate marbles and mosaics. The home offers a Beneath the Breakers Tour, which reveals how the home functioned from an engineering perspective.

Each mansion has distinct architecture styles, stories and themed tours. Rosecliff served as the shooting location for several films, such as “The Great Gatsby” and “27 Dresses.” The Elms features a Servant Life Tour for the less-than-glamorous viewpoint of those working behind the scenes.

Closer to downtown, Newport’s historic homes reach even further back into history. On walking tours, visitors see many preserved Colonial homes. For smaller groups, the Hunter House is one of the most well-known examples of a Newport Colonial home open for tours.

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PHILBROOK MUSEUM

CHARLESTON IRONWORK

TULSA, OKLAHOMA

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Courtesy Tulsa CVB

GRAND MANSIONS BOUGHT WITH OIL MONEY showcase the abundant wealth of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Golden Age. In 1901, oil was discovered near the town, leading to an oil boom that lasted almost 30 years. Gothic and Art Deco mansions highlight the ostentatious attitude of the era.

Tours of Tulsa explore Art Deco, Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Italian Renaissance buildings downtown and in historic neighborhoods.

Known as Black Gold Row, the Maple Ridge neighborhood maintains some of the most extravagant homes built by oilmen in the 1920s.

Instead of keeping the mansions in the family, several of Tulsa’s most glamourous homes were transformed into museums to turn the Oil Capital of the World into a cultural center. The Philbrook Museum of Art originated with oil baron Waite Phillips. Phillips built the 72-room Italian Renaissance home on 23 acres that included formal gardens cascading down the front of the house. After he donated the home in 1938, the multimillion-dollar mansion was transformed into an art museum.

The Gilcrease Museum also offers an art collection in a former oilman’s home. Thomas Gilcrease collected Native American art before donating the museum. The museum holds one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive collections of American West art.

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Courtesy Explore Charleston

TO FEEL IMMERSED IN THE TIMELESS AESTHETIC of Charleston, groups can ride in a horse-drawn carriages past one historic home after another with Palmetto Carriage Works. With the city’s cobblestone streets, gas-lit alleys and numerous historic homes, carriages seem to fit better than cars.

Colonists first settled Charleston in 1670. Because the city managed to save so many of its gorgeous historic homes, the South Carolina city feels like a living-history museum. Groups can choose a walking tour to soak in the grandeur of each building.

The Joseph Manigault House is a favorite tour for its ornately designed fireplaces, period furniture and winding staircases. Named for a wealthy rice planter, the 1803 stately brick structure is an architectural gem saved from destruction by locals who turned the doomed home into an attraction.

Also on historic Meeting Street stands the striking Nathaniel Russel House. Constructed by a slave trader seeking to display his prominence in the city with remarkable architecture, the home features a free-flying cantilevered staircase and lavish furnishings. Groups can also hear the story of the slaves who resided in the home.

The Aiken-Rhett House reveals how the home changed since the early 1800s when South Carolina’s governor lived there. The grand home remains one of the only houses that retains access to the slave quarters and carriage house.

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D E S T R E H A N P L A N TAT I O N

NEW ORLEANS PLANTATION COUNTRY, LOUISIANA

A D O O R AT D E S T R E H A N P L A N TAT I O N Photos courtesy River Parishes Tourist Commission

KNOWN AS THE NEW ORLEANS PLANTATION COUNTRY, THE AREA SHOWCASES 10 PLANTATIONS THAT, THOUGH CLOSE TO EACH OTHER GEOGRAPHICALLY, DIFFER GREATLY IN EXPERIENCE.

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS of life experiences on the Mississippi River plantations of Louisiana: that of an owner and that of a slave. Groups can view both lifestyles at the 10 plantations open for tours between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Known as the New Orleans Plantation Country, the area showcases 10 plantations that, though close to each other geographically, differ greatly in experience.

Due in part to the Civil War, few areas boast as many preserved plantations as the New Orleans Plantation Country. New Orleans, the fourthlargest city in the country in 1860, emerged mostly intact from the war.

This helped the area’s plantations survive wartime destruction and financial collapse.

Among the most iconic plantation images in the area is the quartermile of 28 giant live oaks leading to an imposing Greek Revival mansion at Oak Alley Plantation. Visitors often recognize the plantation from its appearances in various movies and television shows.

Groups can sip mint juleps while admiring the home’s lush 1839 interior features, shimmering chandeliers, hardwood floors and lush grounds near the mighty Mississippi River. Tours that relate the history of the owners and their slaves can be combined with a traditional Cajun and Creole meal at the plantation’s restaurant in a 19th-century cottage.

Other tours also weave firsthand accounts of slavery into their plantation story. They include the Destrehan Plantation, Laura: A Creole Plantation and the Whitney Plantation. The 1700s Destrehan Plantation tour explores existing slave cabins. One of the site’s outbuildings has a museum dedicated to an 1811 slave revolt.

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OLD AND NEW GO HAND-IN-HAND in Milwaukee. Many of the city’s brand-new buildings stand next to century-old structures restored as historic sites. Groups can choose from several ways to explore the city’s historic homes, including Historic Milwaukee’s themed neighborhood tours and Gothic Milwaukee’s downtown walking tours.

One of the Wisconsin city’s most celebrated homes, the Pabst Mansion served as the home of Frederick Pabst, president of the Pabst Brewing Company. The 1892 home is known as one of the finest examples of Gilded Age architecture in town. Its interior Victorian decor creates a historic backdrop for the mansion’s many events, such as wine tastings and twilight tours.

The Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear went from use as a single-family home to a doctor’s clinic to Avrum Chudnow’s law office. Chudnow avidly collected memorabilia from the 1910s through the 1940s. The collection grew to more than 275,000 items now displayed in rotating themed exhibits at the museum.

The Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum and Charles Allis Art Museum each feature different architectural styles with extensive art collections. Groups can not only tour but also interact with the city’s historic homes at experiences such as an afternoon tea at the Schuster Mansion, a Murder Mystery performances at the Brumder Mansion and full moon tours at the North Point Lighthouse.

VISITMILWAUKEE.ORG

NORTH POINT LIGHTHOUSE

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Courtesy Visit Milwaukee

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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A vintage HEAD WEST ON A WINE TASTING TRIP

BY JILL GLEESON

I

t’s a gorgeous July day in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, with temperatures hovering in the low 80s, blue skies stretching overhead and brilliant sunshine lighting up the rural, rolling landscape, the perfect kind of day to tool around the valley’s vintners with Tesla Custom Winery Tours. My guide, Andrew, and I have just exited Montinore Estate, our first stop, and I’m already a little drunk — not on alcohol, but rather the entire experience, the incredible wine, fine food and stunning scenery.

There’s a reason wine tourism was projected to generate a whopping 43 million visits and $17.7 billion in expenditures, according to WineAmerica’s 2017 Economic Impact Report on the American Wine Industry. Visiting vino producers is fun. And it’s great for group travel, especially on the West Coast. There, winery-dense places like the Willamette Valley, the legendary Napa Valley and Sonoma County of northern California, Washington’s up-and-coming Columbia Valley and urban wine destination Seattle make it easy for groups to hit hot spot after hot spot in one festive fell swoop.

NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Legendary Napa might be a magnet for group tours and other visitors, but the tiny valley — it’s just 30 miles long and five miles wide — has managed to steer clear of fast-food restaurants and chain stores.

That’s due to its Agricultural Preserve status, in place since 1968 and the first of its kind in the country.

“When people come here they see vineyard after vineyard, and that’s pretty much it, except for wineries,” said Napa Valley Vintners director of communications Korinne Munson. “Thanks to the preserve, we don’t have a lot of other development. It’s kept pretty natural and centered around wine, which is a great thing for all of us.”

Napa, which hosted 3.8 million guests last year, is renowned for its cabernet sauvignon. And with 16 different subappellations, it gives groups a variety of flavors to experience.

“Cabernet lovers might like a more red fruit, more lush, which has a tendency to come from the valley floor or a warmer climate,” Munson said. “And then they can also go up into more mountainous or cooler

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vacation

Ponzi Vineyards opened in 1970 as one of the first wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

By Cheryl Juetten, courtesy Willamette Valley Visitors Association

Seattle’s Space Needle

Napa Valley’s Long Meadow Ranch Courtesy Visit Napa Valley

areas and experience more black fruit flavors, like a blackberry or cassis or a plum, and higher acidity — so brighter, more crisp kind of flavors.”

For the easiest motorcoach accessibility, groups can stay on or close to Highway 29, which runs through the valley and offers wineries like Castello di Amorosa. Located within a medieval-style castle, it offers groups experiences like private tours, wine tastings and specialty pairing. Or head to Long Meadow Ranch, which features stunning gardens and a number of bespoke group packages.

visitnapavalley.com

SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Like Napa Valley, its compact neighbor to the east, the wide-ranging Sonoma County boasts a diverse assortment of larger wineries happy to welcome groups. With more than 60 types of grapes grown in the county, there is also an assortment of great varietals from which to choose. Chardonnay is the undisputed king, with some 15,000 acres of it planted in Sonoma; others include pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon,

Sonoma County’s Ferrari-Carano Winery

By Sierra Downey, courtesy Sonoma County Tourism

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Courtesy Visit Seattle

sauvignon blanc and zinfandel. Today, about 85% of Sonoma County wineries remain family-owned and -operated, and it’s this statistic as much as anything else that has probably helped Sonoma remain a little more laid-back than glittering, glamorous Napa.

When asked what makes Sonoma a great destination for groups, Jaimie du Bois, tourism development manager for Sonoma County Tourism, replied immediately, “Personality and hospitality. Even though Sonoma County is a globally recognized wine region, the wineries here and the families behind them greet each visitor, including groups, with the same warmth that you’d greet a family member with. We are a down-to-earth community that welcomes all visitors.”

Groups in search of landmark Sonoma County vintners need look no further than Buena Vista Winery, which offers a winemaking museum, picnic grounds and special events like theatrical performances.

Founded in 1857, it bills itself as California’s first premium winery. Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery specializes in wines like fumé blanc and cabernet sauvignon, which it serves to groups in a spectacular, Italian-estate setting.

sonomacounty.com

Elsom Cellars in Seattle

By Rich Zollner Photography, courtesy Visit Seattle

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A tower at Castello di Amorosa Vineyards

Castello di Amorosa Vineyards in Napa Valley

Courtesy Visit Napa Valley

SEATTLE

You may know Seattle for Starbucks, the Space Needle and grunge music, but the city is quickly becoming a wine destination thanks to the wineries that have increasingly set up shop there. Many are not only tasting rooms but also actual producers that crush grapes brought in from the state’s viticulture areas, ferment the juice, and age and bottle the wine on-site, giving groups the chance to tour winemaking facilities similar to those found in rural areas. All pour vino good enough to have helped snag the city a spot on Wine Enthusiast’s 2016 shortlist of the country’s top urban winery destinations.

“In recent years, we’ve seen more than 30 wineries and tasting rooms open in the downtown area — predominantly in the southern neighborhoods of the city, like Pioneer Square, Georgetown and SODO,” said Chantelle Lusebrink, public relations manager for Visit Seattle. “They give visitors opportunities to discover some of Washington’s finest wines without having to leave the city. In particular, this is ideal for groups who want to learn more about Washington’s excellent wineries and wine regions while still enjoying iconic down-

Courtesy Visit Napa Valley

Wine tasting at Buena Vista Winery

Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma County

By Scott Chebegia, courtesy Sonoma County Tourism

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Courtesy Sonoma County Tourism

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Wine tasting at Willamette Valley’s Ponzi Vineyards

Charles Smith Wines in Seattle

By Cheryl Juetten, courtesy Willamette Valley Visitors Association

Grapes at Ponzi Vineyards

Courtesy Visit Seattle

town attractions like the Space Needle, Pike Place Market or the waterfront.”

Group members will get a kick out of visiting Charles Smith Wines Jet City, the West Coast’s biggest urban winery, where they can watch planes fly in and out next door at Boeing Field, and sample brands like K Vintners, Sixto, Substance, Vino CasaSmith and B. Leighton.

Meanwhile, boutique winery Elsom Cellars, which specializes in reds like malbec and grenache, welcomes groups small and large, offering those with more than 40 people buyouts of their space, with options like winemaker meets and warehouse tours available.

visitseattle.org

COLUMBIA VALLEY, WASHINGTON

There are a few other viticultural regions in the state, but the expansive Columbia Valley produces 99% of the wine grapes grown in Washington. This, said Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission, is a result of the valley’s “amazing growing conditions.”

“We get about 300 days of sunshine and about an hour and a half more daylight in the summer compared to, say, California because we’re farther north,” he said. “If we get any precipitation at all, it’s usually in winter. So we can use drip irrigation to really dial in the growth of the fruit, and then we have very unique soils that differentiates us as well.”

Numerous smaller viticulture areas sit tucked away within the greater Columbia Valley, among them Red Mountain, Walla Walla Valley, Rattlesnake Hills and Ancient Lakes. Producers there most typically plant riesling, merlot and chardonnay, but according to Warner, what they share as much as anything is a congeniality that makes their businesses a great destination for groups. “There’s a lot of friendliness and approachability,” he said, “not to mention beauty and great wine.”

Home to hundreds of wineries, the Columbia Valley gives groups loads from which to choose, but among the most intriguing is the Southwestern-style Desert Wind Winery. Best known for its red blend, Ruah, the winery offers tastings to groups of 10 to 50. Groups of up to 40 may opt for a guided wine and food pairing at Columbia Crest, worth a visit not only for its vino but also for its spectacular location overlooking the Columbia River.

Courtesy Willamette Valley Visitors Association

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Columbia Crest Winery

Courtesy Washington State Wine Commission

The Meeting for Bank, Alumni, & Chamber Travel Directors

WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON

When groups visit Oregon’s Willamette Valley, they’re going to be tasting some of the world’s best pinot noir, according to Andrew Finver, Tesla Custom Winery Tours guide.

That’s partly because of the area’s basalt and marine sedimentary soil, and the cooling wind blowing in from the Pacific.

“More than 80% of the wine produced here is pinot noir, which is a very finicky grape,” Finver said. “It’s thin-skinned, and it doesn’t like superhot temperatures. Pinot likes cooler temperatures, and it really likes the Willamette Valley. It’s said the Willamette Valley is the secondbest region in the world for pinot noir outside of Burgundy, France.”

Willamette Valley wineries remain mostly what Finver calls “mom-and-pop operations,” which he believes makes for a “charming” experience for the group visitor.

“At the end of the day, you remember that wine is still an agricultural product,” he said. “It’s easy to forget that connection to the soil when you’re in a lot of bigger places. And if you shop well here you can get a very good bottle of pinot for $25 or $30 and a world-class one for $50 or $60.”

While some of the valley’s mom-and-popwineries are too small to accept larger groups, there are plenty that do, including Domaine Serene Vineyards and Winery. The pinot, as promised, is superb, and the lavish winery can create a wide range of custom experiences for groups. Ponzi Vineyards, a second generationowned and -operated winery, provides events tailored to groups in its sleek, modern facility that can include goodies like a dedicated space and a private host.

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Cheyenne, Wyoming March 22-24, 2020

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Call to Register Today:

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marketing Y O U R

P R O G R A M

YOUR MARKETING PLAN

BY ELIZA MYERS

T

he only certainty in the group travel business is that sooner or later, something will go wrong.

Your group will miss a flight connection in Chicago, or it will rain on a Yellowstone hike. And people have accidents and break bones, no matter how carefully you have planned every detail of a tour.

When this happens, what saves the day won’t be the perfect itinerary, marketing pitches or any of the hundred other details involved in group travel planning. A smiling face can make all the difference. Your attitude as group leader and the attitudes of those who interact with the group can change the mood of a trip from gloomy to happy, from fearful to hopeful.

Customer service, or “people,” is one of the Seven P’s of Marketing. Already this year, we’ve seen how product, place, price and promotion strategies help craft a working travel program.

“People” marketing techniques focus on creating exceptional customer service in face-to-face, phone or online encounters.

Especially in travel, where experiences can be bought at the click of a button, having a person that a traveler trusts leading a tour can build a loyalty stronger than any itinerary.

ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE

A blizzard has canceled all your flights for the next three days.

You are stuck in Washington, D.C., until then. Do you put on a mournful face and apologize that their trip has been ruined? Or do you twist what happened into a fun adventure?

Successful group leaders try to fix mishaps on the road as best they can. But when chaos is unavoidable, put a humorous spin on it for your customers. If the travelers see the group leader laugh, they feel free to laugh, too. Model the mood you would like the travelers to feel, even if that means you must hide your stress during a travel catastrophe.

Another key to enhanced customer service is knowing the product. Even if you use a tour operator for all your trips, you should research the destination and itinerary enough to answer travelers’ general questions.

Especially when traveling to a foreign country, a preliminary trip there to learn more about the area can help you confidently speak about the destination. When that is not possible, take the time to research thoroughly. You want to seem like the expert, even if you didn’t plan any of the tour. Your members are buying the tour from you, and to keep it that way, you don’t want to appear clueless.

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TRAINING WHEELS

Thinking about customer service in vague terms isn’t as effective as writing out a customer service program. This document formalizes the level of customer service you aim to provide. It outlines how you plan to implement service at each point in a member’s experience.

For example, have a plan for answering questions before a tour that ensures that every member feels comfortable about the trip. Or make some bullet points for how to handle a traveler who becomes ill during a tour.

This outlines not only how you plan to interact with members but also how other staff will work with your members. Many group travel loyalty programs have other staff who help with the program. Some work behind the scenes, and others go on trips when the program director can’t.

Don’t assume that a staff member’s presence on a tour will enhance the experience. Instead, formalize a training program for staff that will go on tours or interact with your members in any other capacity.

Prepare them with protocols to

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STARTS WITH follow when something goes awry. The staff should also research the destination, know the itinerary by heart and be prepared to answer questions about future tours, just as you would.

Keep customer service in mind when you hire a tour operator. The tour operator may plan an enticing itinerary, but if they don’t also value customer service for your members during the tour, you should find another company that places a higher value on keeping your members happy.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING BLOCKS

It is much more expensive to find a new customer than to retain an existing one. Focus a significant amount of your attention on building strong relationships with your current customers.

Get to know customers personally as much as you can. Host social events where members can meet and mingle with you and each other. These events can prove both beneficial to the travel program and enjoyable as you learn about the people you send on travel adventures.

Surveys and feedback are vital for many reasons, but a major reason relates to customer service. You can’t make people feel cared for if you don’t know their expectations.

Asking for feedback face-to-face, on your website and at the ends of tours signals to members that you care about what they have to say.

When a customer is complaining about something, no matter how minor, first, listen carefully to the customer’s objections.

Then, confirm the validity of each concern.

After that, offer the best solution you can.

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YOU

Some group leaders offer loyal customers extra perks. These members might receive first dibs on future tours, attend special events or vote for future tour destinations.

No matter how your customer service plan ends up looking, remember that the connections you make with your travelers goes beyond the bottom line. Many travel planners say their friendships with their customers is their favorite part of the job. In a career that can involve incredible travel moments, that sentiment is especially meaningful.

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D e z I S KIng

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M O C .

D N A L E C A R G 800-238-2000

© EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2019 ABG EPE IP LLC

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W H E R E

w e ’ v e

B E E N

Williams College WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS TRIP: Expedition to Antarctica TOUR OPERATOR: Gohagan and Company CRUISE COMPANY: Ponant DATE: January 2019 The Alumni Travel Study program from Williams College spent 14 days on a tour exploring Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the islands of the Antarctic Peninsula. For nine nights, the group cruised to Wiencke Island, Petermann Island, Deception Island and Half Moon Island.

“Travelers on this exciting expedition to Antarctica enjoyed excellent weather, abundant wildlife, spectacular icebergs and glacier-lined channels. Our group was accompanied by world-renowned marine biologist and Williams professor Jim Carlton, who contributed rich educational context through field commentary and shipboard lectures. There was even a mild crossing through the storied Drake Passage. What more could you ask for?”

— LEILA DERSTINE, ALUMNI TRAVEL STUDY COORDINATOR

Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA TRIP: Reflections of Italy TOUR OPERATOR: Collette DATE: November 2018 A 10-day exploration of Italy delighted 27 residents of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The group immersed itself in the country’s cuisine, culture and architectural marvels at stops in Rome, Assisi and Tuscany.

“This was a fantastic trip that gave everyone a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our travelers were guided by local travel agents and accompanied by people from their home, giving them the chance to relax and enjoy the wonders of Italy without worrying about the hassles of planning a trip.”

— LARK KENNEDY, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

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INCLUDED ROUND TRIP

hometown to airport transfers Collette takes the hassle out of getting to the airport with our hometown pickup for all air-inclusive tours (for groups of 10 or more).

THE WORLD AWAITS WITH TOURS TO ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS. Call 844.445.5663 or your local travel professional now to learn about our booking offers.

CST# 2006766-20 UBN# 601220855 Nevada Seller of Travel Registration No. 2003-0279