2021 TAP Travel Guide by The Group Travel Leader, Inc.

TRAVEL

ALLIANCE

PARTNERS TR AVEL GUI D E

PUBLISHED BY THE GROUP TRAVEL LEAD ER

FORWARD TOGETHER TAP OPERATORS ARE POISED TO RECOVER IN 2021

“All of our tour operators are still in business,” said Lisa Doerner, TAP’s

executive director. “They’re planning for 2021. In some cases, their travelers just pushed their 2020 trips to 2021. In other cases, they’re creating new tours and trying to come up with creative itineraries.”

The whirlwind of cancellations, closures and government-imposed

restrictions imposed since March have left travel providers worldwide

scrambling. TAP’s operators have leaned into their relationships to navigate these uncharted waters.

“TAP is working harder than ever on collaborating with our suppliers,”

Doerner said. “That’s really big for the coming year. We’re collaborating as much as we can to create itineraries and work with smaller destinations. We feel like that’s going to be the key to a successful recovery. “Because of where

travel is right now,

ow in its 20th year, Travel

more diversification

of their products,

(TAP) has proven that

they have to accom-

ration help travel buyers

Much of that col-

our tour operators are

Alliance Partnership

because they have to

cooperation and collabo-

leaders want.”

and sellers succeed. That point is especially powerful in 2020.

Founded in 2001, TAP is a consortium of tour

companies around North America, each with its own

at TAP Dance, the

looking for more and do smaller trips. So

modate what group

LISA DOERNER

laboration took place organization’s annual

conference. Since the event takes place each June, the 2020 edition was one of the first tourism industry gatherings to move to a virtual format.

“People were very skeptical because it was new to everyone,” Doerner

area of specialty or regional expertise. The partner-

said. “But based on the survey feedback, the event exceeded everyone’s

other’s tours. The partnership allows TAP members

higher attendance than we anticipated in the networking activities. People

gives each TAP partner a wider network of poten-

The organization’s board is now evaluating its options for next year’s

ship consists of 26 members who buy and sell each

expectations. The business meetings were more productive, and we had

to offer their customers a wide array of products and

were so eager to see each other.”

tial customers from around the country. The TAP

TAP Dance, but other elements of its operations are already back on track.

tours, safaris, cruises, sporting events and other travel

Atlantic Tours, have begun operating trips again. And the popular TAP

TAP’s collaborative approach was groundbreaking

“We’ve certainly seen webinar attendance increase since March,”

catalog is large and diverse: It features motorcoach

Several member companies, including Southwest Adventure Tours and

experiences.

Into Tuesday webinar series has continued.

when the organization was launched, and it led to

Doerner said. “People are eager for information on tours.”

two decades of growth and profitability for its tour

To learn more about TAP and its tour products, visit tapintotravel.com.

operator members, as well as the destinations and attraction suppliers that support them. Now, during

a year of crisis no one could have anticipated, that team spirit has helped TAP’s member companies remain strong.

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

Let Oklahoma Strum Your Heartstrings Oklahoma’s musical roots run deep. In Oklahoma City, marvel at the American Banjo Museum’s 400+ banjos. Refuel at the Rock Café in Stroud, a Route 66 diner that once served Led Zeppelin front man, Robert Plant. Another fun fact? Its zany owner, Dawn, inspired a Cars character. At the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, pay homage to the legendary folk musician and political activist. Then, treat yourself to a plate of chicken and waffles at the original Ole Red bar and grill in Tishomingo, country superstar Blake Shelton’s hometown.

Browse more attractions and itineraries at TravelOK.com/Group.

ICONS AWAIT

POMPEY’S PILLAR NATIONAL MONUMENT

BY R AC H E L C A R T E R Courtesy NPS

TA P PA RT N ER S PU T A M ER IC A FRON T A N D CEN T ER

ewis and Clark set off on an expedition to explore America’s newly acquired and completely uncharted western territory. New York’s Hudson Valley drew Gilded Age tycoons of American business. Whether they were giants of American industry, stars of America’s pastime or heroes of American wars, these Travel Alliance Partners itineraries showcase some of the most influential icons in American history.

LEWIS AND CLARK TRAIL SHEBBY LEE TOURS

Lewis and Clark. Those two names conjure an expansive tale of exploration and adventure, of trailblazing, groundbreaking and place-making. Meriwether Lewis and his close friend, William Clark, have become legend, though their exploits were real. President Thomas Jefferson chose the pair in 1803 to lead the Corp of Discovery expedition to cross the nation’s newly acquired Louisiana Purchase territory. American schoolchildren are weaned on the story, but international travelers who take Shebby Lee Tours’ Lewis and Clark Trail trip often say the same thing: “It’s a great story.” The itinerary appeals to history buffs, and tour operators can sell into an already scheduled departure by ones and twos. Though the itinerary includes museums and other attractions, the tour retraces the expedition’s actual route, starting in St. Louis and continuing to Oregon. “One of the things we stress is that we go where history happened,” Lee said. That includes a stop at Pompeys Pillar National Historic Landmark, where Clark carved his name in the rock on the return trip in 1806. One of the best “they stood here” places is at the beginning of the trip, the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers where the expedition started. Lee then takes the group to the Missouri Historical

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Courtesy MARS

Society annex, where a historian takes out special items, including the actual Lewis and Clark journals and some original maps, “things that they touched.” The group will also climb the path to the top of Spirit Mound in South Dakota, though today’s travelers will likely have a much easier time of it than the expedition did. The itinerary is also dotted with re-created forts and trading posts, many of which were built in those locations because of the expedition’s work to find sites to further the fur trade. Lee also hires many re-enactors “to make it come alive even more all along the trail,” she said.

AMERICAN VALOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND MID ATLANTIC RECEPTIVE SERVICES

They may not be famous, but the names of veterans who have given their lives in service to this country are carved in the hearts of their families and descendants, and America pays tribute to them every Memorial Day. Mid Atlantic Receptive Services (MARS) operates the American Valor Memorial Day Weekend itinerary in Washington D.C., to “honor those in every branch of the military and obviously those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms,” said MARS president Kate Scopetti.

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The itinerary takes groups to Arlington National Cemetery, where they witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The trip is packed with memorials and monuments: the Marine Corps War Memorial (the Iwo Jima Memorial), the United States Navy Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial Park, the Air Force Memorial and the Eisenhower Memorial. The memorials are personal to each traveler — perhaps it has to do with their experiences growing up or with family members who served — but the Vietnam and WWII memorials seem to resonate the most. Depending on the group’s interests, Scopetti has also arranged a wreath-laying ceremony, a flag ceremony or a bagpipe ceremony at a memorial. The Air Force Memorial overlooks the Pentagon and sits on a knoll, “so it has a fantastic view of the city,” Scopetti said. MARS added the newly opened Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial to the itinerary, and the Navy memorial has a small museum where visitors can watch a film. The National Memorial Day Parade is the highlight of the trip, and MARS partners with the American Veterans organization to be the only tour group with seating at the event. MARS groups sit by the troops, so they have an unobstructed view of the parade and performers. The trip also includes reserved seating at the National Memorial Day Choral Festival Concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME SPORTS TRAVEL AND TOURS

The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducts new members annually, but every year is different — and every year is a once-in-a-lifetime dream for die-hard baseball fans. “We tap into a traveler’s passion; we’re hitting a nerve,” said Jay Smith, president and owner of Sports Travel and Tours. “It could be from childhood or from playing or from life, but there’s a passion and a love of seeing someone you grew up with doing something special.” The 2020 Hall of Fame induction event was postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic, but with Derek Jeter being in the class of 2020 and his induction happening in 2021, “this will be the event of a lifetime,” Smith said. Sports Travel and Tours starts with a core package and offers several itinerary options that build from

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S VAL-KILL COTTAGE Courtesy NPS

FORT OSAGE

there with nicer hotels, more time and greater access. Cooperstown, New York, fills up for the annual inauguration, so Albany serves as a hub, and travelers stay in surrounding towns. Visitors spend Saturday in Cooperstown, touring the Hall of Fame and exploring the quaint downtown, where they may run into Hall of Famers walking around. On Saturday night, the Parade of Legends includes a chronological promenade of Hall of Fame members by inductee year, starting with the oldest and ending with that year’s inductees. The induction ceremony takes place Sunday on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center. As the Hall of Fame’s official licensed travel company, Sports Travel and Tours has reserved seating for its VIP travelers, giving them access to the sectioned “infield” area alongside players and media. On Monday, travelers can attend the Legends of the Round Table, an intimate Q&A with the just-inducted players. During one of its receptions, Sports Travel and Tours offers the Ump’s Eye View program with stories from a retired MLB umpire.

ROCKEFELLER TO ROCKWELL TWIN TRAVEL CONCEPTS

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER Courtesy MARS

Courtesy Jackson Co. Parks & Recreation

TOURING COOPERSTOWN

Courtesy Sports Travel & Tours

KYKUIT, THE ROCKEFELLER ESTATE

The “three Rs” has a different meaning for Twin Travel Concepts: Rockefeller, Rockwell and Roosevelt. The company’s Rockefeller to Rockwell itinerary takes groups through the Hudson Valley and Berkshire Mountains to the Gilded Age-mansions and country retreats of some of the nation’s most notable names. The FDR Presidential Library and Museum is a national park where the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt is better known simply as Springwood. Groups can explore the library and museum during self-guided tours, but a guided tour of FDR’s home includes stories about many of the leaders of the day who visited. Another Roosevelt stop is Val-Kill Cottage, Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal home about two miles from Springwood. Though she lived at Springwood, so did FDR’s mother, and Eleanor decided she wanted her own place. Kykuit is the Rockefeller Estate along the Hudson River that was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, starting with John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. A tour leads groups through the main rooms of the six-story stone house and into the gardens that are dotted with Gov. Nelson Rockefeller’s sculpture collection. At the Norman Rockwell Home and Museum in the Berkshires village of Stockbridge, groups spend most of their time exploring the museum and Rockwell’s studio. Rockwell was famous for his Saturday Evening Post illustrations, and groups can see all the covers at the museum along with many of his larger pieces. But visitors will also learn that Rockwell was an intense man and a meticulous artist who used models and mockups, and elaborate sets and photographs, rather than draw from his imagination alone.

By Jaime Martorano, courtesy Historic Hudson Valley

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

REDISCOVER ATLANTIC CITY

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Atlantic City Expert Heather Colache is available at 609-318-6097 or hcolache@meetac.com to make sure you enjoy Atlantic City as it was meant to be experienced. Call today to book your Atlantic City Experience. Meet AC received funding through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

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OUT THERE A PUFFIN LANDING IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR BY R AC H E L C A R T E R Courtesy Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism

BUCK ET LIST JOU R N E YS AWA I T W I T H TA P I TI N ER A R I E S

eople often call them bucket-list trips or dream vacations, but no matter what they’re called, these journeys are the kind of voyage that travelers will do only once in their lifetime — or that people may wait a lifetime to do. What each person wants to tick off his or her bucket list is highly personal. Some want to go on safari in Africa to see the “big five”: lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants and Cape buffaloes. Others want to see whales and puffins and icebergs in the northern Atlantic. Some want to cruise through Europe on one of its great rivers, and others want to take a helicopter tour that lands on a glacier in Alaska. Check out these Travel Alliance Partners itineraries for your group’s next bucket list adventure.

CIRCLE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR ATLANTIC TOURS AND TRAVEL

In Newfoundland and Labrador, visitors will find quaint communities, family-owned accommodations and fresh local fare. And in Newfoundland and Labrador, “you’ll never meet more friendly people,” said Chris Rose, product and sales manager for Atlantic Tours and Travel. People sign up for the Circle Newfoundland and Labrador itinerary for abundant wildlife, expansive scenery and unique culture, but the itinerary offers plenty of history as well. There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Newfoundland, “and we’ve got three of them,” Rose said. L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is a Viking or Norse settlement dating to A.D. 1000 where visitors can see original Viking mounds and watch for passing icebergs and moose. There, costumed actors dress as Vikings, and “you can actually see impressions in the ground where their huts were,” he said. Gros Morne National Park is one of the few places in the world where the Earth’s mantle is exposed. In the park, travelers can choose between two boat tours: one on Bonne Bay or another on Western Brook Pond. Red Bay National Historic Site is the location of a 16th-century Basque whaling station on Labrador’s southern coast. Visitors can

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

ON SAFARI IN TANZANIA

Courtesy Sun Tours

wander through the former whaling town that dates to the 1500s and explore the whalers’ cemetery. Summer is the best time of year for whale watching and puffin-sighting, and June through early July is prime iceberg season. “It would be very rare not to see a humpback breach on the boat tour in St. Anthony,” Rose said. Throughout the trip, the group stops in a number of quaint fishing villages and cozy inlets, like Port au Choix to learn about the area’s earliest settlers and the scenic outport of Twillingate, where they’ll visit Long Point Lighthouse. The itinerary wraps up in St. John’s, a bustling seaport with colorful row houses lining steep streets. At Cape Spear National Historic Site, travelers can stand on the easternmost point of North America.

MAGNIFICENT ALASKA SOUTHWEST ADVENTURE TOURS

Alaska is the proverbial final frontier of American adventure. “Alaska is a place where you can drive for hours at a time and there’s nobody around,” said Jason Murray, owner, founder and guide at Southwest Adventure Tours. “Alaska is still very much what it was 100 or 1,000 years ago; you can just disappear and not see people for hours and days at a time.” That sense of exploration draws people to the Magnificent Alaska

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itinerary, which is capped at 10 passengers to ensure a small-group experience as travelers explore a vast array of wildlife and wilderness. In Seward, the group visits Exit Glacier, where they can hike the Harding Icefield trail. Travelers can also take an optional helicopter flight-seeing tour of Godwin Glacier that lands at a dog camp. There, they visit the kennel, meet the mushers and take a dog sled ride on the glacier. “They get that iconic Alaska frontier experience,” Murray said. Those who don’t do the optional excursion will visit a kennel in Seward and go dog-sledding in a wheeled cart. Travelers can also go deep-sea fishing with “whales right next to you.” In Homer, a seaplane takes the group to Katmai National Park, where they’ll be 100 yards from bears fishing in the river for salmon and fighting each other for the best fishing spot. Also in Homer, travelers will take a sea taxi to Kachemak Bay State Park, where they’ll hike to a glacier-fed lake to kayak at the base of a glacier. A scenic Alaska Railroad GoldStar Dome train ride takes the group back to Anchorage for the northern half of the itinerary. The group will stop in Talkeetna for a two-hour narrated river float before heading to Denali National Park. A bus tour takes the group to the park’s visitor center, and travelers can explore on their own from there. The capstone of the trip is either a high-altitude flight around Denali, formerly Mount McKinley, or a glacier-landing experience on one of Denali’s glaciers.

TANZANIA-SERENGETI ADVENTURE SUN TOURS

Going “on safari” conjures images of trekking through rugged terrain, sweating under a beating sun and batting away unimaginable bugs. But five-star lodges, tented camps and Land Rovers provide plenty of comfort during Sun Tours’ Tanzania-Serengeti Adventure. Travelers visit during migration season to experience as much wildlife as possible at several national parks. “We’ll see thousands of zebras and tens of thousands of wildebeest and hundreds of giraffes and elephants and lions,” said owner Frank Fine. The group travels in land cruisers that seat six passengers, and each vehicle features a pop-top roof for unobstructed — and safe — views. It’s common to have elephants or lions walk by within 10 feet of the vehicles, Fine said. The itinerary includes game drives in Arusha National Park and Tarangire National Park, where

wildlife gathers at the area’s only permanent river. Serengeti National Park is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals in the world, including migratory herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles. Tanzania’s highly trained, college-educated guides are extremely knowledgeable about the animals, the culture, the flora and the fauna, Fine said, and Sun Tours’ guides adjust each day’s route depending on where they know the animals are. “One day, we got up at 4 in the morning to go see the hippos,” he said. “It was an extraordinary experience.” The group visits Ngorongoro Crater, a

TAKING IN THE ALASKAN WILDERNESS

Courtesy Southwest Adventure Tours

A EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKET

Courtesy Grand View Tour and Travel

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR’S GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK Courtesy Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism

CHRISTMAS TREATS AT A EUROPEAN MARKET

100-square-mile crater that’s home to elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes and rare black rhinos. Travelers will also see Olduvai Gorge, where the prehistoric skeleton known as Lucy was discovered. But the trip is not wholly focused on nature; the group will also get to learn about and experience Tanzanian culture. Travelers will visit a market where residents shop for their daily needs, a local art collective and an authentic Maasai village, one that’s not staged for tourists. “It’s a very personal experience,” Fine said. “They take us to their homes, and you really get to see how they live. It is the real thing.”

RHINE GETAWAY CHRISTMAS MARKETS GRAND VIEW TOUR AND TRAVEL

The European tradition of Christmas markets dates to the late Middle Ages in the German-speaking part of Europe and the eastern regions of France. Today, these holiday street markets are held in nearly every city, town and village across Europe; they range in size from a handful of humble stalls to massive, annual festivals. Each has its own personality, but at every market, visitors will find holiday treats like cookies, cakes and other local specialties along with French chocolate chaud, Rüdesheim coffee or Glühwein, the German mulled wine. Hundreds of stalls showcase handmade items, from toys and trinkets to ornaments and ornate artwork, along with traditional folkcraft like nutcrackers, prune dolls and German smokers, wooden-figurine incense burners. “It’s where the spirit and romance of Christmas comes alive,” said Denise Hay, owner of Grand View Tour and Travel. “And the best way to move from one market to the next is the rivers.” Grand View will take travelers on a Viking Cruise to explore cities and their Christkindlmarkts along the Rhine River. The December 2021 itinerary includes the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. The cruise begins in Amsterdam, sailing south on the Rhine to Basel, Switzerland. The cruise stops in Cologne and Koblenz before arriving in Rüdesheim, which boasts one of the best Christmas markets on the trip, Hay said. The picturesque medieval town welcomes over 120 vendors who set up stalls throughout the famous Old Quarter and pedestrian-only Drosselgasse area. A local favorite is Rüdesheim coffee, made with locally distilled Asbach Uralt Brandy, whipped cream and sugar and served in a special coffee cup. The market in Strasbourg, France, is another highlight, Day said. Located on the Grande Ile near Strasbourg Cathedral and Place Kléber, the market draws some 2 million visitors each year, and many vendors feature traditional Alsatian goods. The trip offers plenty of Christmas cheer but also delivers classic European history with tours of churches and castles. Travelers can tour the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral, as well as Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and the 700-year-old Marksburg Castle.

Courtesy Grand View Tour and Travel

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

A DATE WITH

HISTORY A MONUMENT ON NORMANDY’S UTAH BEACH BY R AC H E L C A R T E R By Fred Pot, courtesy Image Tours

TA P M EM BER S OFFER I NSIGH TS ON WOR L DW I DE E V EN TS

istory often gets chalked up as dusty and dull: antiques behind velvet ropes and artifacts in glass cases. But historic tours give visitors the chance to stand in the very spot where the course of the country shifted or the fate of the world’s future was decided. Visit a step pyramid in Egypt, the oldest construction of stone in the world. Stand on the beaches of Normandy where Allied troops stormed the shores on D-Day. Drink a beer in the same tavern George Washington frequently visited. Take in views of Lake Huron while rocking on the front porch of one of America’s great railway hotels. Along with providing an authentic glimpse into history, these historic sites also deliver thrilling experiences.

WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL TOUR IMAGE TOURS

Every day, memories of World War II disappear to history: its sites and scenes, its terrors and triumphs, its heroes and heroines. But it’s not the people who fought in Europe during World War II that sign up for Image Tours’ World War II Memorial Tour. They don’t want to return to the beaches of Normandy or the camps in Germany. They already lived it. Many want to forget it. It’s the younger generations that wants to know what their parents or grandparents saw “because they didn’t talk about much of that — and there’s a reason they didn’t talk about it,” said Justin Osbon, sales director for Image Tours. “They [younger people] want to see it with their own eyes to get an idea of what they [older people] experienced.” Image Tours leads groups through World War II history in Germany, France, Austria, Belgium and Holland, while also ensuring that travelers see iconic European landmarks and enjoy quintessential European experiences. In Nuremberg, Germany, the group explores the Nazi party rally grounds where Hitler staged his propaganda rallies and the Palace of Justice, where the War Trials were held. A deeply sobering visit to Dachau Concentration Camp begins at the entrance, where the guide translates the German phrase over the iron gate: “Work Sets You Free.”

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

EGYPT’S ICONIC SPHINX

Courtesy Ed-Ventures

In Austria, travelers can take an optional excursion to the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s hideaway perched high atop a mountain peak. The group will explore the Belgian Ardennes Region where soldiers fought in the infamous “Battle of the Bulge” and can even see the foxholes used by Easy Company. Image Tours spends an entire day exploring the Normandy landing beaches, which “everyone wants to do; that’s something that’s very high on the list,” Osbon said. The itinerary also includes visits to the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, and the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial — all meticulously maintained in honor of “our boys and what they did during World War II.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF EGYPT ED-VENTURES

Egypt attracts travelers who want adventure, who value history and who seek to understand some of civilization’s oldest roots. Ed-Ventures’ Highlights of Egypt itinerary goes beyond the pyramids to immerse travelers in a world that is both modern and ancient, steeped in centuries of culture and millennia of recorded history. “It has that majestic feel; it’s an exotic destination; and people gravitate toward that,” said Shannon Larsen, co-owner of Ed-Ventures. People are always blown away by the size and precision of the pyr-

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amids of Giza; and with the iconic Sphinx in front of them, “they get that double whammy,” Larsen said, not to mention taking a camel ride to get different panoramas or enjoying views from the new visitors center. At the necropolis of Saqqara, the group will see the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest construction of stone in the world. The group visits the Valley of the Kings, where they’ll enter burial chambers of kings and pharaohs and see nearly perfect hieroglyphics in Luxor temples. At the Temple of Hatshepsut, travelers learn about Egypt’s first female ruler. But the trip is not all ancient ruins. The monumental Grand Egyptian Museum will be completed this year and is scheduled to open in 2021, offering access to 100,000 artifacts, including thousands of items from the tomb of Tutankhamun. An enormous statue of Ramses the Great towers in the atrium, and 87 statues of pharaohs and Egyptian gods line the grand staircase. Travelers can also barter in the markets, explore a Nubian cultural village and visit Old Cairo’s ancient church crypts where the Holy Family stayed during their exile. The itinerary includes three nights aboard a Nile River cruise, and guests can swim, snorkel or dive in the Red Sea, “one of the best places in the world to scuba dive,” Larsen said.

HOMES OF THE PRESIDENTS MID ATLANTIC RECEPTIVE SERVICES (MARS)

Mid Atlantic Receptive Services’ Homes of the Presidents itinerary “can be very rich because there’s so much content in the area,” said Kate Scopetti, MARS president. In addition to Washington, D.C., memorials and monuments, the itinerary features the homes of six presidents, and MARS can add additional programming like Woodrow Wilson’s boyhood home or Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s villa retreat. The program begins at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. During a guided tour, groups will see the bedroom where Washington died in 1799 and the key to the Bastille that hangs in the hallway. Travelers explore Virginia’s Old Town Alexandria, where they tour Christ Church and can have a beer at Gadsby’s Tavern, just like Washington used to. Groups may tour the White House, though that can be canceled at a moment’s notice; but a trip to the White House Visitor Center “is the next best thing,” Scopetti said. Visitors can watch a film, explore exhibits and interact with a touch-screen table that lets them virtually explore any room in the White House. The group will go inside the President Woodrow Wilson House and visit the National Portrait Gallery,

CRUISING THE NILE

THOMAS JEFFERSON’S MONTICELLO Courtesy Ed-Ventures

Courtesy MARS

which houses U.S. presidents’ official portraits. During a tour of President Abraham Lincoln’s cottage, visitors learn that he spent sumers there during his presidency. During the Civil War, Lincoln observed an active battle and he was shot once through his top hat. James Madison and his wife, Dolley, lived at Montpelier in Virginia. Groups take a docent-led tour of the home, but the site has also updated its programming to represent generations of enslaved people who lived on the estate. At Monticello, Jefferson’s home and mountaintop estate, the visitors center features a museum and film that acclimates guests to Jefferson’s world. Shuttles then take the group to the house, which is riddled with Jefferson’s inventions that are still in use. Guests will see the slave quarters and farmland and stop at the 1784 Michie Tavern for a tour and “the best fried chicken in the world.”

MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN SHENANDOAH TOURS EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY Courtesy Ed-Ventures

It’s not difficult to feel like you’ve traveled back in time on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. No automobiles are allowed on the island, so there’s no traffic or congestion. People get around on foot, on bicycles and on horseback. Groups can arrange horse-drawn carriage rides to explore the island’s coastlines or bike into town to get some of Mackinac’s famous fudge. Most of Mackinac Island in Lake Huron is a state park, but the 3.8-square-mile island is also home to the Grand Hotel, which has been

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

welcoming guests for 133 years. Railroad and steamship companies opened the hotel in 1887 as a resort destination, and the tradition is alive and well today. Shenandoah Tours’ Mackinac Island itinerary takes groups on a horse-drawn carriage tour of the island, past preserved Victorian houses perched high atop the bluffs to the Grand Hotel. The hotel’s tradition of luxury and leisure is alive and well thanks in large part to being owned by the same family since 1933. After having lunch at the hotel, travelers can shop along the town’s quaint Main Street or visit Fort Mackinac, an 18th-century French, and later British, fort and trading post overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. There, visitors learn about soldiers’ daily lives during the era as costumed re-enactors march, shoot rifles and fire the cannon. When the group ferries back to the mainland, they’ll travel south to Frankenmuth, a German village known as Michigan’s Little Bavaria, which boasts Bavarian-style architecture and Bavarianstyle shops lining the streets. Travelers can stroll over Holz-Brucke, a 239-foot-long replica of a 19th-century covered bridge, and visit Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the world’s largest Christmas store. In Dearborn, the group will learn more about the history of the American automobile. A behind-the-scenes tour of the Ford Rouge Plant delves into American car manufacturing, and the Henry Ford Museum houses historically significant vehicles and artifacts, like the limousine in which President John F. Kennedy was shot and the chair in which Lincoln was assassinated.

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MACKINAC ISLAND’S GRAND HOTEL Photos courtesy Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau

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ANDERSONVACATIONS.CA

ATLANTICTOURS.COM

With a full scope of tours, we offer touring at its finest. From preplanned, hosted, group motorcoach tours across the United States, to air, rail, and cruise tours, we help travelers fulfill their dreams, to discover and explore the world. A multitude of hosted, high-quality group tours are offered annually, ranging from one-day tours to multi-day adventures, designed with exciting and unique attractions, great dining opportunities and a friendly atmosphere.

TRAILWAYSTRAVEL.COM Custom Holidays serves all of southeastern Michigan with local, long-distance, and worldwide tours. Personalized service is coupled with the best available components of a tour to make it cost effective, entertaining, and educational. As a small tour operator, clients enjoy very personalized service and we have a good number of repeat travelers.

CUSTOMHOLIDAYSONLINE.COM Durgan Travel is primarily a group travel promoter of tours to Europe and a full-service retail travel agency. Our primary market is social groups, senior citizens, and fraternal and religious travel. Italy is our number one destination, along with Israel, some domestic destinations and ocean and river cruises.

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CTN Travels is a tour operator specializing in custom group tours to domestic and international destinations. Our primary market is bank travel clubs with a focus on senior and boomer travelers and we market to about 150 banks nationally. CTN Travels offers inbound receptive services to most all southern states.

CTNTRAVELS.COM

We are a family-owned Canadian company with over 60 years of experience developing interesting itineraries for our customer base and custom groups. Our unique long-stay programs in sunny destinations such as FL and SC set us apart from the competition. Our newest specialty is a range of guided hiking tours that combine traditional sightseeing with the chance to get out and explore the area on foot.

DENURETOURS.COM Ed-Ventures’ skilled and multi-lingual staff will embrace travelers’ journeys and dreams to create life-changing and memorable travel experiences. Whether it is to a neighboring city or across the ocean, we understand that every tour is different and strive to create the perfect, customized itinerary and experience for groups on nearly every continent. We are known for journeys of faith and special events to Europe and the Holy Lands.

ED-VENTURES.COM 2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

W W W.TA P I N T O T R AV E L .C O M

Fancy-Free Holidays, a member of the Legacy Travel Group, has been a TAP Partner since 2006. We offer unique and memorable tour and travel experiences to some of the most sought-after, as well as distinctive destinations. We combine stellar customer service with exceptional traveler-focused quality. With a focus on providing a memorable and unique travel experience, customers continue to travel with Fancy-Free Holidays year after year.

FANCYFREEHOLIDAYS.COM

Image Tours is a third-generation family owned and operated escorted Europe Tour Specialist and has been offering tours in Europe since 1939. We offer our signature 15-day HEART OF EUROPE Circle tour. This provides an excellent panoramic view of Europe for first time travelers to Europe, or anyone looking for a great vacation value. Other tours include World War II and Heart of British Isles, plus many more.

We are a fully accredited travel agency and an expert group tour operator with over three decades of success in the industry. What sets us apart is our unfailing commitment to create a oneof-a kind travel experience, designed specifically for our client’s preferences and budget. Each trip is meticulously planned for travelers to have a worry-free and memorable experience. We look forward to partnering with you in creating the trip of a lifetime.

GRANDVIEW.COM We have been fulfilling travel dreams since 1985, specializing in customized group travel for the mature adult market. Joy offers unique, exciting and affordable itineraries for group travelers. Many tours present adventurous options and culinary experiences, with some free time built in for independent exploration. Additional options include independent leisure products, as well as cruises and custom trips for couples and families.

IMAGETOURS.COM

JOYTOURS.COM

We arrange travel packages for groups, offer receptive services and provide tour guides for Colorado and the Southwest. Working with historical groups and museums has allowed us to provide tours with strong educational components. Experiential tours for birding and geology have been among the most popular. We enjoy the challenge of finding unusual opportunities and venues and custom-design tours for general sightseeing, high adventure, railroads, geology, eco-tours, agri-tours and just about any other special interests.

Sweet tea and sweet magnolias laced with all genres of music, history and adventure served up with southern hospitality is just a smattering of what the South is all about. We know the south like no other. Tennessee from the Mississippi to the Great Smoky Mountains, Memphis to New Orleans, Alabama and Atlanta through Savannah to Charleston. The possibilities for tours are endless, Come on y’all bring your groups big and small, let’s explore the South… Let’s Experience the South…Let’s Go Travelin’.

LEISUREWESTTOURS.COM

LETSGOTRAVELIN.COM

We have been packaging tours for older Americans for more than 35 years. We are always looking to incorporate interesting experiences into itineraries, in hopes of connecting customers to new cultures and cuisines, fascinating people and out of the way places. We are dedicated to the idea that tours should go beyond just sightseeing -- that it’s all about having an experience that you will never forget.

MARS, is the nation’s leading inbound operator to the Mid-Atlantic Region, providing group products and services to Tour and Motorcoach Operators visiting the East Coast including Washington DC, NYC, PA, VA, MD, DE, WV, NJ, NC, SC, GA, and FL. Our outbound company – Mid Atlantic Travel Tours, LLC – provides custom group travel and promotes TAP Guaranteed Departures, as well as other TAP travel throughout the world. Other companies include Go Student Tours, Go Performing and Go Sports Tours.

MAINSTREETEXPERIENCES.COM

TAKEAFUNTRIP.COM

Shebby Lee Tours is a receptive operator specializing in the historic and cultural heritage of the Great American West. Our signature program is a six-day hub-and-spoke Black Hills Destination tour in late September, featuring the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. In addition, we offer a schedule of retail tours to the public at commissionable rates, and custom-design tours of the western United States for pre-formed groups.

We are a full-service tour operator and travel agency, serving the needs of travelers near and far. Our goal has always been to offer a memorable journey filled with unique treasures. We are embarking on our 49th year of providing tours to destinations filled with life- enriching experiences, combined with personalized service. From the historic East Coast to New England’s autumn colors to the wondrous beauty of the West, a unique journey awaits our travelers.

SHEBBYLEETOURS.COM

SHENANDOAHTOURS.COM

WWW.TAPINTOTRAVEL.COM

TRAVEL ALLIANCE PARTNERS We are a full-service sports travel company run by sports fans that strive for all-star performance with every package or tour offered. Travelers can choose from Baseball Road Trips that cover all of the Major League Parks, Gridiron Getaways for pro and college football fans, major sporting events, or Hall of Fame travel packages. Sports Travel and Tours has custom trips and prepackaged tours or FIT’s for nearly every sport.

SPORTSTRAVELANDTOURS.COM

Sun Tours was founded with a vision of sightseeing tours with excellent quality and great value. Travelers from around the country join their local New Mexicans to see the world in worry-free comfort. Our tour directors take care of every detail of the trip. They are carefully chosen for their genuine warmth and caring and they create an atmosphere of congeniality and security, in which travelers can relax and enjoy themselves. “We’re with you all the way!”

SUNTOURSUS.COM

We are a multi-dimensional company with 80 years of experience in the travel industry, offering deluxe motorcoach transportation throughout the Midwest and other parts of the lower 48. We offer an assortment of multi-day escorted vacations throughout North America by coach, air, rail and cruise. We also provide escorted packages for a wide variety of private pre-formed groups throughout the Midwest, both domestically and internationally and receptive services out of Chicago and the Great Midwest.

TRISTATETRAVEL.COM

We are a full-service receptive Tour Operator that has the knowledge and capabilities to provide travelers with unique and personalized experiences. Multiple small group active vacations that are guaranteed departures easily provide travelers with opportunities to create memorable experiences that will last a lifetime. Tours cover a vast area with a variety of activities, from the National Parks and houseboating on Lake Powell, to Pacific Northwest travel, birdwatching and wildlife photography.

SOUTHWESTADVENTURETOURS.COM Talbot Tours specializes in tours and cruises for groups and individuals. We offer tours to the 11 western US states and Canada, along with international destinations to Europe, South America and Asia (most of which are guaranteed departures). Talbot Tours also wholesales several tours, including Costa Rica, Kenya Safaris and New Year’s Eve programs. Receptive services for meetings and conventions in Northern California are also offered.

TALBOTTOURS.COM

Twin Travel Concepts custom-designs group tour programs throughout North America. We are currently rolling out a Small Group Getaway program to smaller, less populated destinations in the East. Unique and creative is what inspires us. Our Heartland office offers group trips out of the Cleveland area. It’s only through listening carefully to you that we can create exciting and unique tours.

TWINTRAVELCONCEPTS.COM

LISA DOERNER

866-373-0790 WWW.TAPINTOTRAVEL.COM MARKETING@TRAVELALLIANCEPARTNERS.COM

2021 TAP TRAVEL GUIDE

WE’VE GOT THE CURE. Because being cooped up inside can cause a real case of cabin fever and the 2020 Blues, it’s time to start planning a trip where you can get a dose of the good kind of blues. Begin at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center— where social distancing is easy—and understand the tough road B.B. King traveled before becoming one of the most beloved musicians of all time. Ranked by Trip Advisor in the Top Ten Percent of all listed properties, the museum features films and exhibits that weave the inspiring and heart-swelling story of young Riley B. King who followed an unlikely dream to becoming a world-revered blues icon. This journey can be a true immersion into the culture of the Mississippi Delta, from its food to music and welcoming hospitality, so go ahead and crank up some B.B. tunes to get primed for this trip of enjoying fabulous meals from unique restaurants as well as shopping for locally produced gourmet food items. We can almost guarantee that the real blues is just the prescription you need.

400 Second Street • bbkingmuseum.org We are following adapted tourism practices to promote responsible Travel / Best Practices from the CDC on COVID-19 for the Tourism Industry.