2014 December Leisure Group Travel by Premier Travel Media

DECEMBER 2014

A Premier Travel Media publication â&#x20AC;˘ www.leisuregrouptravel.com

Mardi Gras Bash Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 Shreveport-Bossier, LA The 9th Annual Mardi Gras Bash is the ultimate party in a climatecontrolled tent on the most exclusive spot on the parade route. The event starts at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. Group tours that book for the Mardi Gras Bash enjoy authentic Louisiana cuisine, dancing to Cajun tunes, seeing outrageous Mardi Gras personalities and, of course, catching some beads at the parade.

Reserve your groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spot today Tickets are just $35 per person.

T he Party Starts Here

To book your group, contact Erica Howard, group tour sales manager, at ehoward@sbctb.org or call (800) 551-8682 ext. 104.

WEST FELICIANA PARISH

45 VOL. 24, NO. 6 • DECEMBER 2014

contents ON THE COVER:

COVER STORY

Carefree days at the beach await groups on Maryland’s Atlantic coast. (Photo courtesy Ocean City CVB)

45 Exploring Ocean City, Maryland

BY LAUREN REINIGER

Groups enjoy beach time, watersports and special events, plus shopping, oceanfront eateries and boardwalk amusements

COLUMNS

BY JEFF GAYDUK

INDUSTRY FORECAST SPECIALS

12 14

Millennials’ Values Are Changing the Way We Do Business

BY MARTY SARBEY DE SOUTO

Five Steps to Selling Out Your Next Group Program Group Travel Promotion Secrets from Millionaire Internet Marketers BY TOURISM TIM WARREN

FEATURES

American Group Travel Awards

Up a Lazy River

Must-See South Dakota

Nebraska’s Panhandle

Discovering Central Illinois

BY MARTY SARBEY DE SOUTO

BY RANDY MINK

Touring the Tennessee Smokies BY DAVE BODLE

Arizona’s Valley of the Sun BY RANDY MINK

4 December 2014

On Tour

BY MARTI WIGDER GRIMMINCK

BY MIKE MARCHEV

On My Mind

On Marketing BY DAVE BODLE

NUMBER CRUNCHING

60 Height in feet of Mount Rushmore faces

ON LOCATION

3,902

Jeff Gayduk, publisher of Leisure Group Travel, visits the National September 11 Memorial, a moving experience in Lower Manhattan.

Length in miles of the Mississippi River

WHAT’S ONLINE? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR NICHE SITES

s the industry leader in the digital realm, we are constantly innovating to bring you the resources and information you need when and where you need it, in the most useful format possible. Toward this end, November saw the complete redesign of our InSite on Leisure Group Travel e-newsletter. Packing it with industry news, Site InSpections, Take 5 interviews, Online Exclusives, Itineraries, Supplier Profiles and more, we’ve taken an industry favorite and made it even better. Make sure to stay informed by taking a peek at the new design and signing up here: LeisureGroupTravel.com/insite-onleisure-group-travel. Also, keep an eye out in December for an early Christmas present. Our one-of-a-kind group itinerary repository, TourItineraries.com, is getting an all-new look and greatly enhanced searchability and usability. We’re closing out 2014 strong and heading into 2015 with big plans!

Hours it takes to drive from one end of Nebraska to the other

3,000 Approximate number of Amish residents in Central Illinois

10 Miles of free beaches in Ocean City, Maryland

1934 Year that Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established Visit Mesa

462,821 Population of Mesa, Arizona’s third largest city

O N MY M I N D

By Jeffrey Gayduk

Vol. 24, No. 6 December 2014

Making 2015 Your Best Year Ever IT’S THAT TIME of year again. The tree goes up, the lights go on, business gets slow(er) and we set our sights on the New Year. That’s what Leisure Group Travel’s Industry Forecast issue is about. As we do this time each year, we reflect on the current year while prepping for the coming one. For this edition we’ve assembled a collection of industry experts to help guide your future success—with articles like Marty de Souto’s river cruising trends and Dave Bodle’s trade show tips, plus guest columns by marketing maven Mike Marchev, social media guru Marti Grimminck and skilled internet entrepreneur Tim Warren. Each of these professionals has applied their own success to provide practical tips and tools for group travel professionals. It’s our hope that their pointed advice will help you shape your business in a positive fashion in the coming year.

Editorial & Advertising Office 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 info@ptmgroups.com

Publisher – Jeffrey Gayduk jeff@ptmgroups.com

Associate Publisher – Dave Bodle dave@ptmgroups.com

Managing Editor – Randy Mink randy@ptmgroups.com Director of Online Media – Lance Harrell lance@ptmgroups.com

Staff Writer – Lauren Reiniger lauren@ptmgroups.com Director, Design & Production – Robert Wyszkowski rob@ptmgroups.com

Vice President – Theresa O’Rourke WHAT’S YOUR OPPORTUNITY COST? I’m a subscriber to the theory “if you’re going to start doing something new, you have to stop doing something old.” The concept behind this is you can’t keep piling on your to-do list without sacrificing something you are currently doing. So as you explore new marketing tactics, new sellable products or new technologies that will help you get there, think about what you can give up that isn’t working. We regularly apply this lesson to our own business. Case in point: early this year we chucked our directory system after nearly eight years for a new map-driven, mobilefriendly website and completely overhauled print guide. Hundreds of man hours went into the transformation of this platform, and many days it was frustratingly painful. But the end result is a reinvigorated, reimagined Group Travel Directory. The beautiful new print version accompanies this edition of Leisure Group Travel, the online version (www.GroupTravelDirectory.com) is artistically elegant and amazingly functional. Over a decade ago we started the industry’s Reader’s Choice Awards where you selected your favorite suppliers in over a dozen categories. This year we pivoted this program to become part of the American Group Travel Awards. In a gala event in New York City this past month (see story on page 10), 300 industry professionals gathered to celebrate the best of the best. With over 6,000 votes, this is the true voice of group travel planners. I hope you find this Industry Forecast edition of Leisure Group Travel both informative and invigorating as you gear up for a successful 2015. We value your readership and I ask that you take a moment to renew your subscription to America’s Leading Group Travel Magazine…ensure they keep coming!

theresa@ptmgroups.com

Regional Business Development Managers Northeast & Eastern Midwest/Canada – Harry Peck P 330.830.4880 • F 630.794.0652 harry@ptmgroups.com

Mid-Atlantic/New England/ Wisconsin/Arkansas – Ellen Klesta P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 ellen@ptmgroups.com

Southeast/West Coast – Cheryl Rash P 563.613.3068 • F 815.225.5274 cheryl@ptmgroups.com

Frontier & Mountain West/ Illinois/Minnesota/Southwest – Linda Ragusin P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 linda@ptmgroups.com The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes no responsibility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, but the publisher makes no warranty that listings are free of error. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited photos, slides or manuscripts.

Leisure Group Travel (ISSN-1531-1406) is published bi-monthly by Premier Travel Media, 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406, Willowbrook, IL 60527. The magazine is distributed free of charge to qualified tour operators, travel agents, group leaders, bank travel clubs and other travel organizations. Other travel-related suppliers may subscribe at the reduced rate of $12.00 per year. The regular subscription price for all others is $18.00 per year. Single copies are $4.95 each.

Happy Holidays, Send Address Change to: Premier Travel Media 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527

Jeff Gayduk Publisher

publication

6 December 2014

LeisureGroupTravel.com

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By Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC

O N TOU R

Festive Year-End Tours

ith the year’s end upon us,

and Joseph’s search for a

several holidays come around:

room at the inn in Bethlehem.

Christmas, Hanukkah and

There are candle-lit celebra-

New Year’s most notably.

tions at homes and hotels

Many of you who plan group trips – both

including, of course, the

big and small – may wish to focus on

traditional breaking of the

ways that travel can help your members

dangling piñata and scram-

enjoy the holidays. And while it may be

bling for the candies and

too late for this year, it’s not too late to

mini-gifts that fall from above.

A traditional Christmas market in Berlin

start now making plans for year’s end 2015. I find that many folks plan family get-togethers during this time of year.

WORLD HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES There are also many

Yet, on the other hand, I often see those

holiday festivities to enjoy as

who seem to be at loose ends during

we travel the world. In France,

holidays. I see those who are recently

it may be cold but wonderful

widowed, those whose family may be

nativity scenes (called creches)

scattered all over the country (and over-

abound. The locals enjoy a very

and all sorts of other goodies. One

seas), and others whose kids decide not

late after-midnight supper, and children

keeps the brisk winter weather at bay

to come home for the holidays but rather

don’t get their gifts on Christmas Day

while enjoying hot mulled wine and

visit some far-off land.

but rather on St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6).

gingerbread and often carolers will

In Argentina, it’s mid-summer, school’s

entertain from nearby balconies to

out and everyone’s at the beach if they

enhance the festive spirit of the season.

AVOIDING THE PRE-HOLIDAYS CRUNCH So, while many of your past travelers

vistBerlin

possibly can. There are fireworks and red and white decorations everywhere.

AND CLOSER TO HOME

have holiday plans with their families,

Similarly, New Year’s Eve on Copaca-

We mustn’t forget holiday opportuni-

others would welcome a year-end

bana Beach in Rio is a scene never to

ties here at home. Many world-famous

festive get-together or even a getaway

be forgotten. Small fires are lit in the

hotels feature unbelievable festivities

tour or cruise. For years I operated an

sand everywhere and the local practi-

celebrating the season. For example,

annual Christmas/New Year’s tour and

tioners of macumba play their drums,

the Ahwahnee Hotel in California’s

many are the tour members who decided

puff on their pipes and invoke the spirits.

Yosemite National Park features the

to climb on board and bring the whole

Those who come to the many hotel

Bracebridge Dinner, turning the dining

family along, thus avoiding the whole

parties along Copacabana wear yellow,

room into an 18th century English

pre-holiday “crunch” of planning, shop-

the typical color of celebration.

manor. The dinner event includes a four-hour pageant out of the Middle

ping, cooking and general exhaustion that often accompanies the holidays.

OTHER HOLIDAY IDEAS

Ages on certain dates in December.

Other thoughts, but slightly afield,

Other hotels may do equally interesting

surrounding towns, where we learned to

might be a pre-holidays trip visiting the

holiday events worthy of your investiga-

celebrate the Mexican holiday customs.

renowned Christmas markets along the

tion for the one that’s closer to home

The tour membership included several

Rhine – perhaps on a river cruise – and

and of interest to your particular group.

families with three generations on board

throughout Germany. During the month

and the children interacted with the

of December leading up to Christmas

children of the hotel employees at the

the Germans enjoy festivities at their

evening holiday celebrations, known

outdoor town markets where one can

as the posadas. This is a nine-night

buy lovingly-crafted toys, hand-blown

celebration (Dec. 16-24) recreating Mary

glass ornaments, dollhouses, nutcrackers

I took them to Mexico City and

8 December 2014

Marty is a Certified Travel Counselor who designs and leads tours. Her travel industry consulting and educational firm is Sarbey Associates (sarbeyassociates.com). Her e-book How to Plan, Operate and Lead Successful Group Trips can be ordered on groupuniversity.com.

LeisureGroupTravel.com

INAUGURAL

Group Travel Awards Event Recognizes High Achievers

he Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel at

Times Square hosted nearly 300 travel industry profes-

sionals at the inaugural American Group Travel Awards event on November 11. Presented by HotelPlanner and Group Travel Organiser, the event was sponsored in part by Leisure Group Travel magazine with a gala awards dinner for the top hospitality providers in North America. The host and emcee for the evening was former MSNBC television host Dylan Ratigan. Over 6,200 votes were received via online polling with voting in 23 separate categories. Tim Hentchel, CEO of HotelPlanner, said, “We were excited to present the best of the best in group travel to a sold-out show. A special thanks to our host, Dylan Ratigan, and all our great Broadway show entertainers, Les Miserables, Kinky Boots and Phantom

of the Opera. The final performance of ‘Music of the Night’ concluded the awards with a standing ovation, which summed up the success of the event perfectly.” Peter Stonham, Editorial Director of Group Travel Organiser magazine, added, “What a marvelous evening we had at the Hudson Theater – a fantastic and iconic venue for a great occasion! We couldn’t have gotten the American Group Travel Awards off to a better start – and the response indicates that we can only go from strength to strength in putting the spotlight on the best in group travel in North America, with its own high-profile event.” LGT 10 December 2014

LeisureGroupTravel.com

This year’s winners include: Best Group Hotel Brand - Full Service: Hilton Hotels & Resorts Best Group Hotel Brand - Limited Service: Comfort Inn & Suites Best Group Hotel Brand – Luxury: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Best Group Hotel Brand – Boutique: Hotel Indigo Best Group Casino Hotel – Leisure: Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort & Casino Best Airline: American Airlines Best Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines Best River Cruise: AMA Waterways Best Rail Company: Amtrak Best Broadway Show for Groups: The Phantom of the Opera Best Theme Park for Groups: Disney World Florida Best City Destination for Groups: New York City Best Beach Destination for Groups: Hawaii – Oahu Best State for Group Travel: New York Best Group Shopping Experience: Mall of America – Minneapolis Best Outlet Shopping for Groups: Sawgrass Mills (Sunrise, FL) Best Group Ground Transportation: Super Shuttle Best Group Dining Experience: Hard Rock Café

The 2015 Group Travel Awards will be held in New York on November 10.

MONUMENTS

MONUMENTS + MEMORIES

SEE DC FROM THE TOP!

CitySightsDC.com LeisureGroupTravel.com

December 2014 11

industry forecast ❖

Millennials’ Values Are Changing The Way We Do Business By Marti Wigder Grimminck

Holding the world in the palms of their hands, the Millennial generation relies on social media and engages with companies in a whole new way.

©iStock.com/Robert Churchill

or most people, the word “Millennial” elicits instant reactions

incorporate a social connection as part of their product provide a

– mystery, frustration or admiration. There is no neutral re-

mechanism for trust and validation, easing the consumer’s barriers

action to the Millennials. As a generation, they are not sitting

to buy.

idle, but rather at a rapid pace they are changing the way we do busiSOCIAL IMPACT

ness, requiring new ways to communicate with them. Inevitably, every youth generation pushes the boundaries of pre-

With information at their fingertips and the ability to connect with

vious generations, but the Millennials are not the same youth as seen

peers globally, Millennials are holding companies accountable for

before. They mark a new era of thinking, interacting and existing. The

their service to the world. They demand that they buy from and work

Millennials, who are roughly 18-30 years old, grew up in a digital era,

for organizations that provide a socially conscious return to their en-

one with global connectivity and social media. As a result, they are

vironment, people and communities.

highly connected, technologically advanced and globally conscious,

This passion to have global impact is more than a philanthropic

and, according to Deloitte, they will make up 75 percent of the global

or corporate social responsibility strategy, but rather Millennials

workforce by 2025, making them the future leisure, business and

want this impact to be wrapped in the core of companies’ product

family travelers.

and services. In fact, according to the data released at MCON14: The Millennial Impact Conference by the Case Foundation, 55% of BRAND LOYALTY

Millennials in the US were influenced to take their job after dis-

What is modern brand loyalty when you live in a 24/7 connected

cussing cause work in their interview. In other words, a Millennial

state? Word moves fast across social media and the companies that

would only accept a job with a company that was already involved

are engaging are benefiting from the PR. Marriott Hotels recently

with social good activities.

launched a portal for feedback for innovation aimed at Millennials

Is your product environmentally safe? Who makes your product

wordwide. This is a great tool to include this vocal and engaged com-

and what are the conditions that they work in? How does your com-

munity in a conversation around product development with the goal

pany raise the level of human existence in these communities?

of ultimately creating brand loyalty.

These are just some of the questions raised by Millennials in evalu-

Equally so, this loyalty can easily be damaged and Millennials are not afraid to tell you instantly what they think. Scared by failing economies and with a distrust of large companies such as banks, Millennials demand an honest, open and authentic conversation. For

ating organizations and ultimately using them as criteria when deciding to buy. THE OPPORTUNITY

them, brand loyalty stems from the core values of the organization.

When traveling and when at home, Millennials are driving inno-

This is also why the sharing-economy is blossoming. Companies that

vation to create new projects and services around the globe. They

12 December 2014

LeisureGroupTravel.com

are highly open to new formats in products and services - but the way in which these are consumed, experienced and shared has new rules. Many travel companies have recognized this need and are providing more flexibility, socially supportive business models, technology and apps to support consumers. This age group calls for targeted products, strong technology, new business models and an authentic way to impact communities worldwide. Ultimately, this provides a massive opportunity for those who can embrace innovation and be open to catalyzing their own product to meet the needs of this generation. LGT Marti Wigder Grimminck, @IntlConnector, established the communications company International Connector to help companies and destinations attract and meet the needs of Millennials. An expert in producing events and multi-channel campaigns, Marti for more than 15 years produced and marketed Broadway shows, events and entertainment brands across North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. She frequently speaks on digital marketing, mobile and social, Millenials and their global outlook, and women entrepreneurs. Marti earned an M.A. in social media and marketing from New York University’s Gallatin School and a B.F.A. in directing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Clinton House Museum, Fayetteville

SCAN FOR TRIP IDEAS

Babe Ruth, Hot Springs Baseball Trail

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home at Moss Mountain Farm, Roland

#VisitArkansas

From viewing this season’s beautiful gardens to journeying back decades along the Baseball Trail or standing where Bill and Hillary Clinton got married, Arkansas is rich with culture and history for you to explore. FIND OUT MORE BY VISITING ArkansasGroupTravel.com OR CALLING 1-800-872-1259.

WWII Japanese-American Internment Museum, McGehee

industry forecast ❖

5 STEPS

to “Selling Out” Your Next Group Program (Time and Time Again) in 2015

©iStock.com/Robert Churchill

t amazes me how straightforward, logical and fundamental approaches to solving problems often take years to settle in the adult brain. This question is only superseded by why it took

man so long to put wheels on his luggage. I recently stumbled upon a formula that not only makes sense, but I am betting will make the year 2015 your absolute best year

The List. Your list of prospects is the most important piece

of real estate you own. In truth, it is your business. It is not just a bunch of meaningless names, but rather a document

comprised of real people who have shown a genuine interest in your service. It is golden. It is the key to the vault. You need to (and must) continue to build your working list daily.

to date when it comes to selling group travel space. Regardless of your current practices or how successful these efforts have been to date, try to internalize the logic behind my recommendations. Here are few facts to help set the stage:

Ask for Opinions: One of the first lessons I learned years ago in professional salesmanship is that people have a deep-rooted tendency to endorse their own ideas. It is im-

portant therefore to allow prospects to have a voice. You can ac-

Selling without a list is like shooting clay pigeons in the dark.

complish this task with a simple questionnaire or by soliciting the

Consumers are not at a loss for options. They have a mil-

ideas of the prospects themselves. It is truly amazing how much

lion of them. Why choose you?

People do not like to be sold. They do like to make buying

useful information you can acquire by simply asking for your prospect’s opinion.

decisions.

People are influenced by identifiable “mental triggers.”

People digest small chunks of information more easily than

large data dumps.

Distribute Valuable Information: In 2015 there will not be a shortage of information. A prospect’s knee-jerk defense is to protect himself from useless information so as not to

People are people ... and therefore are quite unpredictable.

clog their already jammed brain cells. The way to circumvent this

The steps to selling out your next group movement

roadblock is to piece-meal meaningful information in small tolera-

consist of just that ... steps. When taken one at a

ble chunks. This can be referred to as a Sideways Sales Letter.

time you will find your successes will exceed

It delivers the message in its entirety, but in three bite-size chunks

your “nice tries.”

... during three distinct delivery points. We spoon-feed our audi-

Step One: Build and define your target list of participants. Step Two: Ask for opinions. Step Three: Distribute three pieces of valuMike Marchev

able information to your targeted audience. Step Four: Launch your program with a defined “scarcity.”

14 December 2014

ence little-by-little in an effort to aid comprehension and to better ensure message internalization. This strategy will prove to be both effective and appreciated. Consumers are looking for connection, reliability and somebody they can trust. This is where a little knowledge and understanding of “mental triggers” comes into play. It is a well-recognized fact that people make buying decisions based on emo-

Step Five: Continue promoting after

tion. They then justify their decision with logic. Mental triggers play

you analyze your short-term results.

a pivotal role when deciding on a particular buying decision. In this LeisureGroupTravel.com

article I will touch on three such triggers:

marketing hype, but it is a good idea if you can position your offer

Authority. We have come to rely on those in authority. We re-

making it appear that the potential participant does not have all

spect their input and more often than not, follow their advice.

the time in the world to make a decision. The concept of “scarcity”

Therefore, it behooves you to do what is necessary to become an

is still effective when trying to get people to make a decision.

authority figure. This is done by writing articles on your subject matter and by offering to speak on your topic of interest. In a true sense, you will become the leader of your group. You will be perceived as the one-in-the-know based on your communication skills (speaking and writing). Reciprocity. Simply stated, people feel obligated to return kind favors. If you give me a present, I feel that it is only proper to

Each time we make contact with our clients/prospects we must have something valuable to say, explain or offer.

Track Your Progress. Although your designated time limit may have come and gone, you can still continue to promote your group movement. Pay attention to what is work-

respond in like fashion. If you provide me with valuable informa-

ing and what may be lacking in effectiveness. Dare I say “analyze”

tion with no strings attached or hidden agenda, more often than

your progress and take detailed notes on how you can improve

not I will be looking for opportunities to return the service.

upon your next group launch.

Trust. Trust takes time and must be earned. Therefore, it is in

Travel options are a dime a dozen and selling group space

your best interest to consistently be looking for ways to establish

will continue to be a formidable task as consumers become more

trust while consciously avoiding behaviors that will negatively af-

knowledgeable and the options continue to accumulate. As the

fect your relationships. Each time we make contact with our

New Year unfolds, the winning organization will learn how to re-

clients/prospects we must have something valuable to say, ex-

frain from playing “me-too ... only-better,” and focus on building

plain or offer.

itineraries tailored to their specific groups. By adhering to this fivestep strategy you will find your group movements filling more rap-

The Launch. Now that you have set the stage, it is time

idly with more people who are eager to let the good times roll.

to announce to your audience the availability of your group movement. This day has been long anticipated and those

who have a genuine interest in joining in the fun will respond accordingly. It is important that you refrain from all signs of outdated

Mike Marchev is a life-time student of marketing and people behavior. His motivating presentations have been applauded by audiences in 19 countries, on 18 cruise ships and in 40 states. You can register for his ongoing marketing tips at www.moreonseries.com/marketing or contact him via email at mike@mikemarchev.com.

Tourism Tim Warren and Sir Richard Branson on Necker Island In the BVI’s

industry forecast ❖

Group Travel Promotion Secrets from Millionaire Internet Marketers

ack in 2004 I received a call from Yanik Silver, who wanted my help to start his dream adventure travel business for millionaire entrepreneurs. We launched Maverick Business Adventures with many of his top Internet marketing buddies as founding members. What I learned from my new millionaire friends has dramatically improved my tourism clients’ online marketing. Let me share with you some of my many Maverick marketing secrets. You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure

How to Capture More Leads From Your Website

One of the most important aspects of your web marketing is

The lead magnets that generate the highest email opt-ins are

knowing how visitors are interacting (or not interacting) with your

very conspicuous in the top half of the home page and are one of the

website. Simply said, you cannot expect to generate leads if the

dominant graphics on the page. To increase your results even more,

majority of your web visitors leaves quickly.

add similar enticing free information on EVERY page as a smaller

Google Analytics is a great free website measurement tool you easily can set up. The Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to start to

item, but equally well placed because not all traffic comes into the home page.

track include: 1. Monthly Visitors: Are they going up or down?

Building a Website That Sells

2. Bounce Rate: For many tour companies, the majority of your

Once you’ve captured a web visitor’s email, send them the

website visitors leaves in less then 10 seconds. (I’ll show you how

“freemium” you promise. Then over time you can start sharing other

to improve this below.)

value tips, tools and specials that friends would share with friends.

3. Duration: How long the average visitor stays on your site

This can be done automatically using email auto-responders. When

4. Repeat visitor percentage: More is better

your website consistently generates leads and converts friends

5. Lead acquisition & sales generation: Is your website doing

into customers over time, you will see huge increases in sales,

its most important job?

profits and even lower your marketing costs.

KPI number 5 is important because if you don’t have a proven strategy to capture a web visitor’s email, the reality is few will ever come back to your site. You lose…they lose. Converting website

How an Alaskan Tour Operator Increased Sales 45% in 18 Months

strangers into friends—and those new friends into bookings—takes

Doreen and Bob Toller run a small-group, soft-adventure tour

time to develop. Here’s a proven method to entice strangers to be-

business and B&B. This is a small family tourism business with big

come friends.

competition. Doreen started applying website marketing tips she got from me at a tourism conference. I recently interviewed her and

Why Email Newsletter Sign-Ups Don’t Work and What Does

she was really excited. She said sales were up 45% in 18 months,

99% of web visitors are not motivated to sign up for yet another

worth an additional $174,000. Doreen admits her website is not

“newsletter” to clog their overburdened inbox. But what will get

super polished, yet generates profitable leads and sales. She

web visitors to stick around and give you their email is called a

reinforces that smart website marketing applied little by little over

“freemium” or “lead magnet.” This is valuable information that helps

time adds up to BIG sales and revenues. She and Bob just bought

potential visitors in their travels that you as a tourism expert in your

a fourth VIP van and will be vacationing in Hawaii again this winter.

niche or region can share. This can be a free “PDF Special Report,”

If you monitor your web analytics, capture emails effectively

“Top Tips,” video or audio information and interviews, DVD or

and send valuable information, your leads and sales will increase

mini-course on your area of expertise.

dramatically in 2015. LGT

When you provide valuable information to your visitors properly, research shows your email opt-in rates can increase threefold or more. One of the top tools to do this simply and easily, plus track

Tourism Tim Warren is a speaker, consultant and author of Tourism Marketing Success Online and runs the blog TravelBusinessSuccess.com. If you want to get some of Doreen’s top website marketing tips and tools that skyrocketed their Alaska tour business bookings, get her short audio interview and free PDF special report at tinyurl.com/TourGuideTips.

results in real time, is a program called Lead Pages. 16 December 2014

LeisureGroupTravel.com

There’s something for everyone in your group, including you. From our homestyle cooking that satisﬁes the pickiest eaters to our country store ﬁlled with gifts and games for everyone. With our designated tour bus parking*, dedicated group phone line, and large party seating accommodations, it’s like we were custom built just for you. And as always, a meal for your driver and guide is on the house. It’s just one of our ways of making sure everyone on the road is taken care of.

crackerba el.com/tourgroups • 1-800-576-7693 Sunday–Thursday 6 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 6 a.m.–11 p.m. All locations company owned and operated.

on student travel ❖

Student Travel Planning Guide

Your Print and Online Resource for Building Better Youth Trips

he 2015 print edition of Student Travel Planning Guide, recently released to much acclaim, is recognized as a must-

have reference for anyone planning student group trips in the coming year. We packed the edition with over 70 critical tips for group travel planners, as well as informative features covering topics such as how to plan your music group performance in a distant city or state, best practices when traveling with students suffering from food allergies, time-saving tech tools for tour leaders and ways your group can travel green. You’ll learn about the trend in language immersion programs to countries beyond Europe, with EF’s Hélène Vincent discussing high school students’ heightened interest in studying in Costa Rica and China, and best practices for incorporating train travel into a European itinerary. But as a resource, Student Travel Planning Guide has never been bounded by the print edition. Year round at StudentTravelPlanningGuide.com, we are continually adding destination reviews and Site InSpections to give you detailed perspectives and fresh travel ideas on

18 December 2014

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locations, attractions, tour operators and more. Useful advice and tips from industry experts, along with the ability to directly contact travel suppliers to build your trips, will keep you coming back time and again. With many years of experience in bringing useful and actionable content to student group travel planners, we are confident youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find a wealth of information to make your next student trip a breeze. LGT

We invite you to check out

Student Travel Planning Guide NEXT STEPS Get Our Newsletter by Sending an Email to: signup@studenttravelplanningguide.com View the Digital Edition of the Print Guide @: StudentTravelPlanningGuide.com/2015-student-travel-planning-guide Download the Free PDF of the Print Guide @: GroupUniversity.com/downloads/student-travel-planning-guide

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December 2014 19

Up A Lazy

RIVER

More and more group planners are latching on to the river cruise phenomenon By Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC

“Your true (river) pilot cares nothing about anything on earth but the river, and his pride in his occupation surpasses the pride of kings.” Mark Twain Life on the Mississippi

ave you booked your group on a river cruise yet? If not, it’s high time you did so because this particular genre of travel is proving to be the hottest type of travel product around. In fact, it’s proving so popular that some companies are already well-booked for 2015 and are now taking reservations for 2016.

Of course, travel on the rivers of the world has been around long before we were. You

may recall seeing drawings of Cleopatra on her royal barge as she traveled the Nile. And certainly in our childhood studies we may have learned how early civilizations used the rivers as we use our highways today – to ship goods and as people movers. But probably nobody expected the popularity of today’s river cruises nor the rush to build more and more river cruise ships as fast as shipbuilders can turn them out. And with the opening of the 106mile Main-Danube Canal in 1992 we can now cruise from the North Sea all the way to the Black Sea – some 2,200 miles – plenty of room for cruises long and short. Why are river cruises proving so popular? Well, one reason may be that in most instances, river travel is known for its s-m-o-o-t-h sailing, unlike the ocean-going experience which at times can be a challenge in rough waters. I recall my first ocean crossing from New York to Liverpool, England in November weather long before stabilizers; my mother took to her bed and stayed there for the entire trip, nauseated and miserable most of the time. I braved going to the dining room for my meals and became accustomed to my tableware sliding to the right, then to the left. Indeed, river cruising can be a totally different experience than ocean cruising. Also, most ships designed for river cruising are built to accommodate anywhere from 60 to a maximum of 200 passengers – a friendly and easy-going number. Everyone eats dinner together – no rushing you through the early sitting to make room for the late sitting to follow. It’s just one gracious, casual and leisurely evening meal that we can enjoy with fellow travelers as we catch up on the day’s happenings. Ask anyone who has been on a river cruise after previous experiences on motorcoach tours and they’ll tell you that one thing they really like about river cruises is that you unpack 20 December 2014

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when you first arrive on board and you don’t have to pack and unpack throughout the trip until the last day when you pack up to head homeward. No time wasted with checking in and out every few days as on a coach tour because on a river cruise your “hotel room” literally moves with you. River cruising is close to shore, so you can see the landscape, people and points of interest as you glide by. Your boat can pull in to dock at riverside towns and you can walk off your ship on to the town square to enjoy markets, famous sights, cafes, appealing shops and perhaps nightlife with the locals. This is a very different experience from life on the big ships where you may have to stand in line forever with thousands of other passengers to get on and off the ship.

Spread photo: The AmaPrima in Passau, Germany, where the Danube, Ilz and Inn rivers meet. Inset photo, opposite: The American Queen on the Mississippi.

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December 2014 21

New Guidebook Rates River Cruising in Europe erlitz has just introduced River Cruising in Europe, a guidebook that discusses shipboard life and popular destinations, with descriptions and ratings of 280 ships that ply the Danube, Rhine and other great rivers. River Cruising in Europe by Douglas Ward (256 pages, $19.99) is a companion book to the author’s Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, a Berlitz publication that is celebrating its 30th anniversary. As in his book on ocean cruising, considered the bible of cruise guidebooks, Ward rates the ships on a star system. The book’s first 100 pages, on glossy paper with color photos, paint a picture of the river cruise industry and the most popular destinations. Ward profiles the major cruise operators, offers tips on booking and budgeting, tells what to do if certain problems arise, and discusses life onboard (from air-conditioning and baggage handling to smoking, security and swimming pools). He also goes into the pros and cons of river cruising while offering comparisons to ocean cruising. The book also addresses shore excursions, river ship design and layout, and problems the disabled may encounter. Also helpful are river facts, river maps, and what to see and do in ports along the Danube, Elbe, Rhine and its tributaries, Rhone, Seine, Po and Douro. The last 140 pages are devoted to short descriptions of more than 280 river ships (two per page), each evaluated on its strengths and weaknesses. The rating system is based on one to five stars, though none of the vessels are rated one- or five-star. The star ratings are based on a maximum total of 500 points, with a possible 100 points in five criteria—Hardware, Accommodation, Cuisine, Service and Miscellaneous. The vital statistics on each ship (i.e. manager/operator, year launched, number of decks and cabins, rivers sailed) are followed by a summary paragraph and the points awarded in each of five categories. A banner sentence sums up the ship in a nutshell. For CroisiEurope’s Beethoven, for example, it reads, “This fuss-free French ship is comfortable but dated.” For Ama Waterways’ AmaBelle: “A tip-top contemporary river ship known for its high-quality cuisine.” Based in England, Ward spends about nine months of the year at sea and emphasizes that he has no commercial links with any cruise operator. He is president of Maritime Evaluations Group, an independent international agency that rates cruise ships worldwide.

22 December 2014

Another wonderful advantage of river cruising is that most companies include shore excursions in the total package price. A few lines may have occasional additional optional tours for purchase, but the basic excursions are usually already in the cruise cost and prebooked for everyone – no confusion as to which shore trips you should take and which not, no having to incur additional expenses continually as you go along. Of course, there’s no law that one has to participate in all shore excursions. If a group member would rather just relax on board with a good book, or write postcards or take a nap - no one is reporting home on their inactivity. A river trip can be as strenuous or as lazy as one makes it. Cultural events are often included as well, as most river cruise line officials want you not only to have an enjoyable time but also want you to learn about the history and culture of the area you’re seeing. On a river cruise I took to Russia, the cruise line arranged for us to attend a fabulous symphony concert in St. Petersburg, a Cossack dance performance, a cooking demo on board and other such activities. To this day I remember a trio of men with deep, deep bass voices who sang for us in a tiny church. All of these activities were in the basic trip cost. One of the best things is that the new made-to-order river ships feature cabins designed like hotel rooms for comfort, with big picture windows or balconies for maximum viewing without ever leaving your room. The ships are designed so that there are almost no inside cabins. Note that since there are rivers virtually everywhere, nowadays the river cruise phenomenon is happening around the world. Here in the U.S we have wonderful Mississippi sternwheeler cruises complete with Dixieland jazz. We have a homegrown, family-owned company with shallow-draft vessels cruising the Hudson and along the Erie Canal. There are now Southeast Asia tours with river cruise segments in Myanmar (Burma) on the Irrawaddy, in Venezuela on the Orinoco or across Northern Italy on the Po. And, of course, we have an endless selection of cruises throughout Europe – both West and East. So if you’d like to offer a river cruise to your favorite group or club or organization, where and how should you begin? While many companies will take bookings directly from the public, most prefer to handle your group through an experienced travel agency. You’ll probably want to review a brochure or the website of several companies that offer cruises to the area of the world which you think will most appeal to your potential group. Note the choices are not only where you want to cruise but also what special interests your group may have. Many companies are designing trips around a theme such as food and wine, gardens, inter-generational travel, history and many more. A word of warning – most river cruise lines will expect you to promote your group quickly once they

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have given you a block of space, even if it’s a departure well into the future. Since many sailings are going out full, they will not be interested in blocking group space that you are not going to promote until much, much later. In fact, if they don’t see any promotional efforts on your part, they may notify you that they’re going to cancel your space. Another “heads up”– while most cruise lines don’t require an advance deposit to block your space, they will require a deposit for each traveler as he/she joins – often at least $500 per person. And it will be necessary that those who wish to share a cabin come with their own roommate (or you put roommates together) as the cruise line will not assume responsibility for locating roommates and the single room supplement is often steep. River cruising is a phenomenon we should all try. Once you’ve tried one itinerary, you’ll want to come back for more of the many rivers and itineraries that await. LGT

A FEW POPULAR RIVERS FOR CRUISING NAME OF RIVER Amazon Danube Douro Elbe Ganges Irrawaddy Loire Mekong Mississippi Nile Orinoco Rhine Rhone Volga Yangtze

LENGTH (MILES) 3,976 1,795 557 778 1,628 1,348 629 2,705 3,902 4,132 1,306 768 505 2,266 3,917

LOCATION Brazil and others Austria, Hungary, Germany & others Portugal Germany, Czech Republic India Burma/Myanmar France Cambodia, Burma & others United States Egypt + 9 others Venezuela Germany & others France, Switzerland Russia China

The Avalon Luminary glides past a peaceful Moselle River town in Luxembourg. Spread photo: Romantic castle ruins loom above Emerald Waterways’ Emerald Sky.

Mileages as listed by Wikipedia. Mileages may vary and may depend on such factors as season, weather, erosion, flooding, levees and more.

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December 2014 23

A DV E RTOR I A L

WHEN DESIGNING ITS SHIPS,

AVALON WATERWAYS STARTED WITH THE TRAVELER, NOT THE SHIP. Avalon let innovation, imagination and a relentless desire to create a smart use of space be its guide. The result? More space.

Avalon’s Panorama Suites are 30% larger than the industry standard.

Bigger views. More comfort. All thanks to one-of-a-kind Panorama SuitesSM on the industry’s only Suite Ships®.

Even Avalon Waterways’ bathrooms are atypical. The design team

And Avalon doesn’t just offer your group travelers a few

angled each interior stateroom wall to provide guests a large shower

Panorama Suites on each ship. Instead, 80 percent of the guest

with glass doors. Avalon bathrooms also feature marble countertops,

rooms on the company’s Suite Ships are Panorama Suites. And

premium fixtures, L’Occitane® amenities, and shelving.

they’re 30 percent larger than the average river cruise room. In designing its ships, Avalon has refused to see space as a barrier. That fact couldn’t be truer when looking at the company’s

Avalon brings an unprecedented level of thoughtfulness and attention to detail to every aspect of the Panorama Suite, providing travelers an oasis to escape to, not escape from.

inspired indoor/outdoor space. For instance, Avalon’s Open-Air Bal-

Avalon has considered every detail of the cruise experience.

conies®, a completely new concept, make full use of the intended

But perhaps it’s what the company hasn’t done that makes it

balcony experience – in any weather condition, in any season – without compromising room space. How? Giant,

so unique. It hasn’t filled its ships to capacity with people. In fact, because the river

wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows with a 7-foot

cruise line made its rooms so

opening. The result is a space where travelers can

spacious, there’s more room

slide the doors wide open and enjoy the feeling of

for less people.

sitting comfortably “outside” as the amazing views of castles and villages, rolling green hills and ancient cities pass by. A Danube cruise on the Avalon Expression showcases Austria’s romantic Wachau Valley.

SIMPLY PUT, AVALON WATERWAYS IS BUILT DIFFERENTLY.

EVERY ONCE EVERY O IN A WHILE, SOMETHING COMES ALONG THAT THAT CHANGES AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY. INDUSTRY. The Suite Ships® o off A Avalon valon ar are e rrevolutionizing evolutionizing the river cruise industry industry.. E Every very aspect o off these spectacular ships tive has been designed to deliver an extraor extraordinary dinary experience. Our spacious, innova innovative are e some of of the biggest in river cruising, featuring featuring giant Panorama SuitesSM ar travelers velers lea leave wall-to-wall windows and our unique OpenOpen-Air Air Balcony®. And once tra ve their room attention everywhere e on boar board. that same a ttention to detail everywher room they will ﬁnd that d. Plus they’ll ﬁnd fewer more everywhere e they go. e space everywher fewer people. Which means mor

More More comfort. innovative tive Suite Ship design tha thatt e com fort. And an innova More space. Bigger views. Mor delivers more more of of everything. Our guests love them. And you will too.

Groups: Groups: 866.821.2752 | GlobusFamilyGroups.com GlobusFamilyGroups.com

MUST-SEE

South Dakota

rom the Black Hills in the west to Sioux Falls in the southeast, with the state capital of Pierre smack dab in the middle, South Dakota abounds with group-friendly attractions, tours and recreational activities. Whether your gang is happy with wildlife watching, communing with history or just looking out the bus window at spectacular scenery, the state of Great Faces, Great Places has all the right ingredients for a satisfying itinerary in Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartland.

Photos by South Dakota Department of Tourism

Mount Rushmore National Memorial he face of South Dakota tourism, this grand mountain carving in the Black Hills features four great American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Each sculpted face is 60 feet high. For a closer look at this symbol of American democracy, visitors can walk the half-mile Presidential Trail, which loops along the base of the mountain. In a moving ceremony on summer nights in the amphitheater, the sculpture is bathed in light while patriotic music plays.

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December 2014 27

Custer State Park roups enjoy watching the wildlife at this world-class park, where a herd of 1,300 bison roams the 71,000 acres, along with pronghorn, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and a band of curious burros. Go fishing, swimming or paddle boating at one of the four lakes or hiking or horseback riding on the scenic trails. Explore the Black Hills terrain on hayrides, mountain bikes and backcountry Buffalo Jeep Safaris. For overnight accommodations, the park has five lodges.

Jewel Cave National Monument

Black Hills National Forest

ubterranean splendor awaits visitors at what is believed to be the second longest cave in the world, with 170 miles of mapped passageways underneath the Black Hills. Scenic tours, from easy to strenuous, wind along the web of trails highlighted by glittering calcite crystals that line the walls. Rare formations include hydromagnesite balloonsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fragile silvery bubbles an inch or two thick in diameterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and moonmilk, a powdery substance resembling cottage cheese.

28 December 2014

preading across 1.2 million acres of tree-covered mountains and meadows are canyons and gulches, grasslands, streams and blue lakes to explore. Stands of ponderosa pine, spruce and aspen are home to mountain lions, deer, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. The forest offers more than 350 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Harney Peak, at 7,242 feet above sea level, is the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains.

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South Dakota State Capitol • Pierre arble staircases, Victorian leaded glass, terrazzo floors and murals in the rotunda give the domed building, completed in 1910, its stately character. At Christmastime the rotunda displays dozens of decorated trees. Tours are available of the Capitol, memorials and Governor’s Mansion, all set on handsome grounds along a walking path and manmade lake. Exhibits in the nearby South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center spotlight pioneer, Native American and 20th century history.

Fort Sisseton Historic State Park

Wind Cave National Park

riginally established in 1864 as Fort Wadsworth, this military outpost in northeastern South Dakota, near Lake City, is one of the nation’s best preserved frontier forts. The 14 stone buildings include the officers’ quarters, barracks, powder magazine and guard house. First-person tours by costumed guides can be arranged, and there is a visitor center/museum. The annual Fort Sisseton Historical Festival in June features fur traders, cavalry troops and a military encampment.

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ne of the nation’s oldest national parks offers visitors not only a glittering underground labyrinth but nearly 30,000 acres of prairie grasslands and forested hillsides inhabited by bison, elk, deer and prairie dogs, often visible from the road. Take in views of the Black Hills from the Rankin Ridge Fire Tower. Named for the winds that move in and out of its entrance, the world’s fourth longest cave features unique formations illuminated by indirect light. Five types of cave tours are offered.

December 2014 29

Badlands National Park ith 244,000 acres to explore on the vast prairies of southwestern South Dakota, this ruggedly eerie landscape, carved by millions of years of wind and water erosion, is an eye-catching sight. Both barren and beautiful, the park presents a stark moonscape composed of shale, sand, gravel and volcanic ash. Ravines, ridges and cliffs display bands of color that alternate with grayish-white sediment. Bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and mule deer are just a few of the mammals that may be spotted.

Falls Park â&#x20AC;˘ Sioux Falls centerpiece of South Dakotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest city, the 123-acre park features a visitor information center with a five-story observation tower that affords 360-degree panoramic views of the triple waterfall, Big Sioux River and city skyline. The falls are illuminated nightly during the holiday season (mid-November to mid-January). The site also includes a cafe in a former hydroelectric plant and walking trails that showcase the pink granite outcroppings, plus a historic horse barn and ruins of an 1887 flour mill.

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on location: midwest ❖

By Randy Mink

Westward Ho! Touring Nebraska’s Panhandle invokes visions of wagon trains and hardy pioneers

ook at a map of Nebraska and you’ll see there aren’t that

wagons that rolled along the Oregon Trail, reflect that westward slant.

many towns on the western side, at least compared to the

It’s possible to see the original wagon ruts in several places, though

eastern and central parts of the state. The largest city, Scotts-

grass had covered them up at two sites we visited in June, leaving

bluff, has a population of only 15,000, and many communities number in the hundreds. Traveling through the high plains of Western Nebraska, you will

it up to our imagination. Chimney Rock, a tall spire rising out of a dome-like outcropping, was the natural landmark most often

find rolling grasslands. barbed-wire fences and black angus cattle

mentioned in the journals and diaries of settlers on

aplenty, along with corn fields here and majestic buttes there. Your

the westward trek. In the U.S. Mint’s quarter series,

main impressions of Nebraska’s Panhandle center on wide-open

the iconic formation is pictured on the back of the

space and the frontier feeling conjured up by landscapes reminis-

Nebraska coin.

cent of the American West. But this is the Midwest. Or is it? Perusing the map also reveals that Colorado, South Dakota and

From the visitor center’s terrace at Chimney Rock National Historic Site near Bayard, tourists

Wyoming neighbor Nebraska’s western reaches. On several occa-

take photos of the rock (a hoodoo in geological

sions during our trip, we were just miles from the borders of all three.

lingo) that signaled the end of the prairie

In fact, the group trip to Western Nebraska started and ended in Den-

for pioneers on the Oregon, Mormon

ver, the most convenient airport. Rapid City, South Dakota would be

and California trails.

the other choice for those flying in. Culturally, the Panhandle aligns itself with the West. Many of the sightseeing attractions, drawing on pioneer history and the covered

Randy Mink 36 December 2014

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They could see it two days before, from 37 miles away. One of the

but beware of rattlesnakes. The visitor center has museum exhibits

half-million settlers who passed it called Chimney Rock “the most re-

and a video that tells the story of the great migration West.

markable thing I ever saw.” Many carved their initials on it. A dirt road

Closer to the Wyoming border, more stories of westward

near the visitor center provides access for those who care to walk

movement come alive at Scotts Bluff National Monument, another

through grass for three-fourths of a mile and climb Chimney Rock,

landmark that guided intrepid settlers. A series of wind-sculpted, clay-and-sandstone buttes, an escarpment rising 800 feet above the Platte River Valley, could easily be a Western movie set. Visitor center exhibits describe the hardships of the long Oregon Trail journey that started in St. Joseph or Independence, Missouri. The very sight of the bluffs, you learn, was a psychological reward for those who had trudged for days (15 miles a day) through endless prairie on their creaking wooden prairie schooners. Wrote one woman about the tedious trek: “How I wish the Indians would attack. I am so bored.” During the summer at covered wagons outside the Scotts Bluff visitor center, living history interpreters describe life on the trail and cook up vittles over the fire. You might have a chance to sample hard tack—tasteless, rock-hard biscuits made from flour and water—but don’t break your teeth. The wagons and costumed characters provide great photo opportunities.

Scotts Bluff National Monument provides all the right elements for that romanticized scene of westward migration.

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December 2014 37

Nebraska Tourism Commission

Rip-roaring adventures in Western Nebraska include riding at Fort Robinson State Park and the Crystal Palace Revue and Shoot Out in Ogallala.

on location: midwest ❖

Horses are still very much a part of life at Fort Robinson. Besides horseback trail rides, horse-drawn wagon and stagecoach rides are

Cars and buses can ascend to the top of Scotts Bluff, where the views stretch 100 miles. You’ll spot Chimney Rock, 23 miles away.

available. A free rodeo put on by the wranglers and their kids is staged on Thursday nights in summer.

From the summit, one can make the 35-minute hike back to the

The Post Playhouse, the former quartermaster’s depot, offers

visitor center on a trail flanked by juniper, ponderosa pines and walls

nighttime entertainment from late May to mid-August. This summer’s

of rock.

playbill at the professional repertory theater will feature Grease, All

Scotts Bluff National Monument is three miles west of the twin towns of Gering and Scottsbluff. Cheyenne, Wyoming is an hour and

Shook Up!, A Man of No Importance, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

a half away. At the far eastern end of Nebraska

Spotting mountain sheep is the highlight of

lies Omaha, an eight-hour drive.

open-air jeep rides into the wilderness. Visitors

Sitting on 100 acres with Scotts Bluff as a

to Fort Robinson also see grazing herds of buf-

backdrop, the Legacy of the Plains Museum

falo and Texas Longhorn cattle. Other activities

was formed in 2013 from the Farm & Ranch

include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, tubing

Museum and North Platte Valley Museum, both

and kayaking. The Lodge, built in 1909 as an enlisted

hibits opened this past fall. The museum will

men’s barrack, is the focal point of the park. It

cover everything from pioneer trails, sod houses

offers 22 rooms with private bath and houses

and Native American crafts to livestock ranches,

the Fort Robinson Inn Restaurant, whose West-

irrigation and the area’s sugar beet industry. You

ern theme is carried out through the log tables

Nebraska Tourism Commission

of which were in Gering. The first phase of ex-

can see sugar beets and other crops being grown on the museum grounds. (Tours can be arranged at the two local sugar beet factories that remain of the seven that flourished in the 1920s.)

Fossils and badlands formations intrigue hikers at Toadstool Geologic Park.

Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraska’s

and chairs, plus wall decorations like rifles, spears, saddles, chaps, portraits of Indians and photos of officers. The “Lunch in the Barracks” menu features a buffalo cheeseburger, buffalo tacos and hot buffalo sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Meal options at Fort Robin-

largest, is a gem in the state’s northwest corner, three miles from the

son also include chuck wagon buffalo stew cookouts and hayrack

town of Crawford. Formerly a frontier military outpost, it commands

breakfast rides.

a scenic setting in Pine Ridge Country, a land of canyons, grassy hills, and buttes and ridges crowned with ponderosa pines. Established in 1878 to defend white settlers and cattle ranchers against possible Indian troubles, Fort Robinson became a cavalry

In addition to the Lodge, accommodations are in kitchenequipped cottages and stately homes that once served as officers’ quarters. Commanche Hall, perfect for family reunions, has 14 baths and sleeps 60.

post in 1887 and later developed into the U.S. Army’s largest train-

Avid sightseers, especially those into fossils and geology, will want

ing, care and breeding center for horses and mules. Known for its

to make excursions to Toadstool Geologic Park, famous for its bad-

lively social life in the 20th century, it was called the “Country Club

lands formations; Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, which

of the Army,” with a calendar featuring parties, polo matches, fox

also has an impressive collection of Indian artifacts; and Hudson-

hunts and other equestrian events. Two museums on the grounds

Meng Education & Research Center, site of the largest extinct

showcase the fort’s history and area geology.

bison bone bed in the world.

38 December 2014

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Obtain Nebraska visitor guides and itineraries and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

History buffs will enjoy the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron,

Front Street, famed for its Crystal Palace Revue and Shoot Out,

while literature fans will be intrigued by the Mari Sandoz High Plains

complete with dance hall girls. Groups also visit the Petrified Wood

Heritage Center at Chadron State College, where exhibits shed light

& Art Gallery, where 86-year-old twins Harvey and Howard Ken-

on author Mari Sandoz (1896-1966), who wrote powerfully of life in

field display their creations made from small pieces of petrified wood

the grass-covered sand hills that cover a quarter of Nebraska.

along with Native American and other Western art.

The town of Alliance, on the western edge of the sand hills, has

While Nebraska’s Panhandle may not have sights as famous as

two major attractions. The most photogenic is Carhenge, a whim-

Mount Rushmore or Yellowstone National Park, groups will find

sical replica of England’s Stonehenge built from 38 vintage cars, all

plenty to marvel about on the high plains where the Midwest meets

painted gray. The state-of-the-art Knight Museum and Sandhills

the West. For information, log on to visitnebraska.com. LGT

Center is a treasure house of local ranching, farming, railroad and Native American history. In the southern reaches of Western Nebraska, along Interstate 80, are several groupfriendly places. Sidney is home to the flagship store of locally-owned Cabela’s, the “World’s Foremost Outfitter.” After Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, it is Nebraska’s most visited attraction. Besides offering every kind of gear and clothing imaginable for outdoor activities, it dazzles cus-

Nebraska Tourism Commission

tomers with its displays of mounted animals,

The Drifter Cookshack at High Plains Homestead, a remote outpost near Crawford

even an elephant bagged by Dick Cabela in 1989. The cafe offers boar, bison and elk deli sandwiches, and there’s a room on the mezzanine that groups can use. The National Pony Express Monument is on the Cabela’s campus, and minutes away are hotel chains like Comfort Inn, Days Inn and Hampton Inn. Ogallala, another I-80 town, abounds with Wild West history. Favorite stops include Boot Hill cemetery, dating from the 1870s, when Ogallala was a rip-roarin’ cow town at the end of the Texas trail drives. Here in Nebraska’s “Cowboy Capital” you can enjoy Western entertainment at LeisureGroupTravel.com

December 2014 39

on location: midwest ❖

J CENTRAL DISCOVERING

ILLINOIS The heart of the Prairie State abounds with cultural treasures, rural pleasures and reminders of Abraham Lincoln By Randy Mink

ust an hour outside Chicago, Illinois reveals itself as a land of farms and small towns sprinkled here and there with micro-urban oases dominated by universities or government. Visitors to the Land of Lincoln looking to follow in the footsteps of the state’s most famous son will not be disappointed, as dozens of historical attractions have some connection to the life of Abraham Lincoln, who spent 30 years in Illinois. While people associate Illinois with our 16th president, not everyone knows the state has a thriving Amish

community. Route 66 lore, another surprise to some, also attracts retro-minded travelers to Illinois, recalling the heyday of America’s “Mother Road.” Traveling from Chicago on Interstate 55, a convenient first stop might be Pontiac, a small city that has emerged in recent years as a groupfriendly destination with four free museums. The Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum, housed in a former fire station and city hall built in 1900, sports a glorious, 25-foot-tall Route 66 shield mural on the exterior back wall, a perfect backdrop for group photos. Museum exhibits focus on iconic Illinois restaurants, motels and gas stations that served motorists on the historic highway that ran from Chicago to California. In the same building is the Livingston County War Museum, a treasure trove of artifacts from World War I to A statue of President Lincoln graces Springfield’s Union Square Park, across from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.

40 December 2014

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Randy Mink

Groups revel in nostalgia at the Route 66 Hall of Fame in Pontiac and enjoy garden tours and culinary demonstrations at Effingham’s Firefly Grill.

Effingham CVB

Iraq and Afghanistan. On the grounds of the nearby Livingston County

In March and April groups can catch a performance of the Amer-

Courthouse, groups can pose with a life-size bronze statue of Abra-

ican Passion Play at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

ham Lincoln leaning on a fence, his stovepipe hat on the post.

The annual Illinois Shakespeare Festival is held at a theater on the

Car buffs enjoy the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum, with

grounds of Ewing Cultural Center, a 1929 estate. The Bloomington-

restored vehicles of the two brands, thousands of dealer artifacts and

Normal area, as home to Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan

more than 2,000 oil cans. The International Walldog Mural and

University, offers an abundance of cultural and sports events.

Sign Art Museum is dedicated to the art of outdoor wall advertising

Springfield, the capital of Illinois, abounds with Lincoln sites, in-

before the advent of electronic mass media. Outdoor murals adorn

cluding the state-of-the-art Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

many downtown Pontiac buildings.

& Museum, which blends scholarship with showmanship and 21st

A star attraction in Bloomington, another city on I-55, is the

century technology to immerse visitors in the 19th century. The Lin-

David Davis Mansion Historic Site, the Victorian-era estate of

coln Home National Historic Site preserves the only home that Lin-

U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Davis, Abraham Lincoln’s men-

coln ever owned; it’s part of a four-block historic district that is being

tor and a key campaign contributor. The McLean County Museum

returned to its 19th century appearance. In Oak Ridge Cemetery,

of History tells the story of Central Illinois and has a recently in-

Lincoln’s Tomb is an impressive monument in which the 16th pres-

stalled Route 66 exhibit that focuses on the Mother Road’s impact

ident, his wife and three of their four children are buried. Also visit

on the community. Vintage planes and helicopters are on display

the Old State Capitol, the stage for Lincoln’s

at the Prairie Aviation Museum, near the

“House Divided” speech; after the as-

entrance to the Central Illinois

sassination, his body lay in state

Regional Airport.

in the House chamber.

Springfield Illinois CVB

LeisureGroupTravel.com

December 2014 41

on location: midwest ❖ Near the town of Petersburg, 20 miles northwest of Springfield, groups can tour Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, a reconstructed log village where Lincoln spent his early adulthood. They can see an orientation film and poke into the gristmill, Rutledge Tavern, a school and other buildings; only the cooper’s shop, where Lincoln studied at night, is original. Costumed interpreters demonstrate pioneer chores and crafts. If driving from Chicago on Interstate 57, your first stop might be in Kankakee County, about 50 miles south of the city. One of the best ways to explore the scenic countryside is with a step-on guide on the Barn Quilt Tour where colorful quilt patterns are displayed on more than 40 historic barns and corn cribs. At the Kankakee County Historical Society Museum see a one-room schoolhouse and learn about the birth of Dairy Queen. The B. Harley Bradley House, considered the first Prairie-style house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, lures groups to Kankakee’s Riverview Historic District. For a look at a well-preserved Main Street district, downtown Momence makes a pleasant interlude. Champaign County, anchored by the twin cities or Champaign and Urbana, offers a plethora of group-friendly sights, some of them on the campus of the University of Illinois. At the U of I’s Japan House, groups can participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and stroll through the gardens. The campus’s Krannert Art

on location: midwest ❖

Obtain Illinois visitor guides and itineraries and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

Museum, with works from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas,

In Charleston, home of Eastern Illinois University, find more Lin-

ranks high among university art museums nationwide. Music-minded

coln lore at the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum on the site of the

groups will like the school’s Sousa Archives and Center for Amer-

one of the famous 1858 debates between Lincoln and Stephen A.

ican Music, which documents the country’s music heritage from the

Douglas. A life-size bronze sculpture of the two men provides good

19th century to the present and boasts the world’s largest concen-

photo ops. And snap a picture of the world’s tallest upright Abe Lin-

tration of original compositions by John Philip Sousa, known for his

coln statue—72 feet tall—a great roadside attraction in Charleston.

patriotic marches. Visitors can handle vintage instruments with white

The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site includes a reproduc-

gloves. Technology tours in the university’s Research Park area fea-

tion of the 1840s home of Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln, and step-

ture the Bluewater Super Computer, one of the fastest in the world.

mother, Sarah Bush Lincoln. A working, living history farm has been

At Champaign’s Prairie Fruits Farm &

developed around the two-room cabin. Effingham, at the intersection of I-57

cheese making, pet the goats, and get a

and I-70, offers groups a wide range of

chance to sample the cheeses and goat

options. Alongside one of America’s most

milk gelato. Groups also can pick their

traveled Interstate corridors stands the

own fruits or enjoy a farm-to-table dining

Cross at the Crossroads, a 20-story-tall

experience. Curtis Orchard, an apple or-

beacon for the 53,000 motorists who pass

chard, pumpkin patch and entertainment

by it every day. Groups enjoy the interac-

farm, has a country store full of apple

tive stations for each of the 10 Com-

goodies, including fritters, donuts and cider. It offers behind-the-scenes tours for groups. Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul, popular in the fall for pumpkin

Kankakee County CVB

Creamery visitors learn about goat

mandments and at the visitor center can watch an eight-minute video on how and why the cross was built. Those who favor the fast lane flock to A Barn Quilt Tour with a step-on guide is the perfect way to explore the countryside of Kankakee County.

picking and its 10-acre Cornfusion maze,

MY Garage Museum and its collection of

becomes a Christmas wonderland in De-

classic Corvettes, Corvette memorabilia

cember; make sure you get a kiss from

and other cars.The museum is owned by

one of the reindeer roaming the ranch.

MidAmerica Motorworks’ Mike Yager, who

Also in Rantoul, the Chanute Air Mu-

brings thousands of visitors to Effingham

seum showcases more than 30 aircraft on

with his annual Corvette and VW events.

a former Air Force base.

Effingham appeals to foodies with

Visit Champaign County offers a vari-

crowd-pleasers like Tuscan Hills Winery

ety of customizable group itineraries, inof historic barns and churches, each with its own story to tell. A potluck lunch can be arranged at one of the churches, and the organist will come in and play. Tour members can meet famed photographer Larry Kanfer at his gallery, where he shares

and Firefly Grill, a modern roadhouse Bloomington-Normal Area CVB

cluding “Barn Again,” a nostalgia-filled tour

restaurant dishing up fresh American cuisine on the shores of Kristie Lake. Garden tours and cooking demonstrations are popular with groups at Firefly. Another culinary gem is The Mill Store, a visitor Step into Victorian times at Bloomington’s David Davis Mansion, the home of a mentor to Abraham Lincoln.

evocative stories behind his book Barns of Illinois.

center/store just opened by Hodgson Mill, an Effingham company known for its

whole-grain and organic foods, including flours, cereals, baking

About 45 minutes south of Champaign on I-57 lies Illinois Amish

mixes and pastas. Plans call for the store to offer cooking classes for

Country. Most of the 3,000 or so Old Order Amish live around Arcola

groups. Fans of TV food shows will want to visit the showroom and

and Arthur, where you’ll see their horse buggies on the roads and

outlet store of John Boos & Company, the country’s oldest manu-

hitched up in town. Rockome Gardens, famed for its specialty

facturer of butcher blocks and oldest industry in Effingham, in busi-

shops and Depression-era rock sculptures and floral gardens, is the

ness since 1887. Boos butcher blocks and cutting boards are used

new location of the Illinois Amish Museum. For a hearty

by celebrity chefs like Rachel Ray and Emeril Lagasse. Tours of the

Amish/Mennonite-style meal, take your group to Yoder’s Kitchen

Boos plant are available.

for broasted chicken, inch-thick smoked pork chops and plate-sized

Whether your group is looking for history, nostalgia, foodie ad-

cinnamon rolls. Amish Adventures Tour Services and ACM Tours can

ventures or good old-fashioned country charm, Central Illinois has all

arrange meals at Amish farms.

the right elements for the perfect tour. LGT

44 December 2014

LeisureGroupTravel.com

on location: northeast ❖

g n i r o l Exp

, y t i d C n a l n y r a a M e c O ger Reini n e r u By La

What was once a barren, wind-swept barrier island known only to a handful of fishermen offers year-round fun for groups, including one of the best boardwalks in the nation

he island emerged as a popular vacation spot after the laying

take in an impromptu show by a street performer, view the beaches

of its famous three-mile boardwalk in 1910. In recent years,

from the top of the Ferris wheel, ride the 1902 carousel, see profes-

Ocean City’s Victorian-style boardwalk was named America’s

sional sand sculptures or even ride horses on the shore. During the

best by The Travel Channel; National Geographic lauded it as one of

summer, you'll find free fun on the beach every day of the week, in-

the top 10 in the nation; and USA Today called it one of the nation's

cluding bonfires, movies, beach Olympics, and a concert series in

best boardwalks for food.

downtown’s Sunset Park and on the beach.

The boardwalk, 10 miles of free beaches, bayside recreational ac-

In OC, your group can choose from more than 200 restaurants—

tivities and a variety of special events provide year-round amusement.

including oceanfront and bayside— from fine-dining and boardwalk

Catch the OC Beach Light laser show, ride bikes on the boardwalk,

specialties to carry-out and buffets. “Maryland is for crabs,” or so says

Ocean City CVB Photos

As the heartbeat of Ocean City’s beachfront, the three-mile boardwalk abounds with shops, restaurants, activities and amusements. Above: Artistic creations at Sandfest 2014.

LeisureGroupTravel.com

December 2014 45

on location: northeast ❖

Obtain Maryland visitor guides and itineraries and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

In September, Sunfest celebrated its 40th year as Ocean City’s biggest and best festival, featuring artists, food vendors and musical entertainment.

a slogan on a popular 1970s T-shirt. Mouths water for famous Mary-

shops of all kinds, plus free internet access for everyone. Factory

land crab cakes or Delmarva fried chicken. For dessert, try saltwater

outlet stores can be found in in West Ocean City, and galleries and

taffy, caramel popcorn, thick creamy fudge or hot funnel cakes.

bookstores are abundant in nearby Snow Hill.

The whole city encompasses just 4.5 square miles; it feels inti-

As far as attractions go, must-sees include Ripley's Believe It or

mate but with endless possibilities. You’ll find plenty of shopping op-

Not and the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, where your

portunities along the boardwalk and on many side streets as well.

group will relive the adventures of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, a

Somerset Plaza, for example, is on the boardwalk and features

predecessor of today's Coast Guard. Guests also love the Aquarium Room, featuring huge saltwater tanks with an ever-changing display of sea creatures. Other museums explore maritime, African-American, Native American and 19th century heritage. Ocean City’s most popular events are the annual festivals: Springfest, Sunfest and Winterfest of Lights – and they're free! Venture off Ocean City’s shore for worldrenowned deep-sea fishing for white/blue marlin, bigeye and yellowfish tuna and mako. Ocean City is home to the largest billfish tournament in the world, White Marlin Open, held annually in the beginning of August. Fishing isn’t the only popular water activity; choose from boating, sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and almost any water sport. While in OC, why not meet the neighbors? For those interested in getting lost in nature, Ocean City is only 15 minutes from Assateague Island National Seashore and State Park. The Native Americans knew it as Assateague: “the marshy place across.” Nature lovers know it as an unspoiled paradise, home to the wild horses made famous in Misty of Chincoteague. Not to mention around 260 species of birds and at least 44 species of mammals, including Sika deer, otters, LeisureGroupTravel.com

foxes, muskrats and raccoons. Sightseeing and nature cruises also allow you to see all the natural wonders the area has to offer. Ocean City is located in Worcester (pronounced “Wooster”) County, Maryland. Here, explore the arts, crafts, history and recreational opportunities along with delicious fruits and vegetables fresh from Delmarva’s famous farms. Snow Hill is a designated Arts and Entertainment District. Visit Purnell Museum, which houses arts and artifacts exclusively from Worcester County, or you can also experience 1840s life at the Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum. Grab a guide to a walking tour

White Marlin Open, the largest billfish tournament in the world, is one of Ocean City’s big annual events.

that will lead you to 47 homes in Berlin listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In Pocomoke City, you’ll find excellent fishing just a short way down the Pocomoke River in Pocomoke Sound. Or explore the city’s museums and the Marva Theater, a magnificent 1920s Art Deco theater that now hosts both movies and live productions. Pocomoke City’s newest attraction is the Delmarva Discovery Center, located right on the riverbank. The center features life-like exhibits on the river’s cultural and natural heritage, and explores the city’s long history as a shipbuilding center. About eight million visitors come to Ocean City annually, with the majority during the summer months. OC offers 9,500 rooms to fit every budget and travel style, and more than 25,000 condominiums so visitors can get comfortable in a setting that feels like a home. To begin planning your group’s trip, contact the Ocean City CVB at 410-289-2800; ococean.com. LGT LeisureGroupTravel.com

on location: south ❖

By Dave Bodle

ong before theaters, theme parks, shopping centers and attractions graced the hilly landscapes of Eastern Tennessee, there were the Smoky Mountains. In 1934, 500,000 acres became Great Smoky Mountains National Park and today it attracts more than 9 million visitors a year.

Any visit to the area should begin at America’s most visited na-

tional park. It’s filled with adventures that can accommodate the interests of any group. A stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center gets you started. Park rangers and volunteers are there to share their knowledge and answer questions. The on-site museum tells the story of the park’s plant and animal life. A must-see film serves as an introduction to the park. A mile-long trail just outside the visitor center provides a leisurely

Grand Majestic Dinner Theater in Pigeon Forge stages a high-energy tribute to Motown legends. Below: Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

hike. Markers on the path and a corresponding pamphlet describe

cause of the narrow two-lane road through the park, it’s recom-

many of the trees along the way. Whether you explore this natural

mended that groups transfer to the Heritage Tours vans. An early

wonderland by hiking, bicycling, horseback riding or motorcoach,

morning tour is best.

take time to enjoy the beauty of the park.

Little River Outfitters, also in Townsend, can introduce your

Located in scenic Townsend, Tennessee, near the west entrance

group to another park asset. The 800 miles of fishable streams in the

to the park, is the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. In ad-

Smokies are ideal trout habitats and that means fly fishing. Although

dition to the early 1900s Appalachian community and the lifestyle

specializing in full-day beginner fly fishing programs, they’ll work

portrayed, the center features a look at early transportation, Native

within your time constraints. It’s amazing the knowledge you can gain

Americans and an art gallery. It is also home to Cades Cove Her-

in just a half-day of instruction.

itage Tours. These tours through Cades Cove (within the park) share

To many of us, golf is an “outdoor adventure,” and one of the best

the story of early settlers. Wildlife viewing and outstanding photo op-

places to pursue that option is the Sevierville Golf Club. Both 18-

portunities shine. Box lunches and step-on guides are available. Be-

hole courses are outstanding. True to its name, Par 70 The Highlands

Touring the

Tennessee Smokies A popular national park, first-rate attractions and the best in mountain crafts lure groups to Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

48 December 2014

LeisureGroupTravel.com

Course features rolling hills, a few dramatic drops and inclines and scenic freshwater ponds. Par 72 The River Course parallels and crosses the Little Pigeon River to elevated greens. Both courses are wide open without forced carries and feature large, well maintained white sand bunkers. With course views from the Stone Hill Lodge at Wilderness in the Smokies Hotel, the club is adjacent to the Sevierville Convention Center. Much of what we consider crafts today were necessities of life to our forefathers. However, when the national park opened it didn’t take long for the area’s early settlers to discover a livelihood. The arts and crafts community was born. In Gatlinburg there’s no better place to begin than the eight-mile loop presenting more than 120 working craftsmen and artisans. Virtually every medium is explored from pottery and watercolors to stained glass and soap. The G. Webb Gallery, Jim Gray Gallery and Cliff Dwellers Gallery should be on your itinerary. The trolley system serves the entire loop for individuals in the group with varying arts and crafts interests. At one time or another many of us remember

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

watching an elderly family member quilting and

Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner show is a group travel favorite in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

on location: south ❖

Obtain Tennessee visitor guides and itineraries and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

probably didn’t give it much thought. Quilting seemed to be associ-

glass is provided at the third stop, a commemorative gift at your

ated with bedspreads and the possible arrival of a new cousin.

fifth and final stop.

Although quilting may have been born of necessity, it is a true Amer-

Popular additions to any itinerary are Ripley’s Aquarium of the

ican art form. Plan to spend time in Cosby, Tennessee at Holloway’s

Smokies (you’ll love the penguins); The Island, a Pigeon Forge

Country Home Quilts. In a historical log build-

shopping and dining destination featuring a new

ing you’ll find exquisite American-made quilts

fountain presentation created by the same folks

that will awe you with their beauty and crafts-

who did the Bellagio in Las Vegas; and Tanger

manship. Classroom demonstrations and in-

Outlet Shopping.

struction can be arranged for groups.

Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede is a Pigeon

In the Smokies, arts and crafts were not the

Forge favorite any time of the year, but Christ-

only things being “Made in Tennessee.” Thanks

mastime is extra special. Soul of Motown and

to Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine, the tra-

America’s Hit Parade, both at the Grand Majestic

ditions and recipes of the art of distilling are

Dinner Theatre, will keep your toes tapping.

being preserved. Groups are invited to visit the

Though any visit to Dollywood is delightful, a

Gatlinburg distillery to watch how moonshine is

Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood is

made and sample the many flavors. It’s a great

truly memorable. The lights, rides and crafts

way to end the day with a tour, a little tasting, some shopping and relaxing in a rocking chair listening to music.

At the Island in Pigeon Forge, groups can ride the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and see the stunning show fountain.

blend with shows like Dollywood’s A Christmas Carol and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas to create a truly magical experience.

One does not survive on moonshine alone and many of our eld-

The Smoky Mountains area has a vibrant arts and crafts scene,

ers chose to make wine. Five wineries in the area have joined to-

varied outdoor adventures, history and traditions, and dining options

gether for the Rocky Top Wine Trail. Your trek begins at Sugarland

for every palate, plus world-class theater shows, shopping and at-

Cellars Winery in Gatlinburg and continues with a stop in Pigeon

tractions. What more could any itinerary need? Start your planning

Forge, two tours in Sevierville and finishing in Kodak. A free wine

online at tnvacation.com/grouptours. LGT

WELCOME TO A PLACE THAT MAKES MORE MEMORIES PER GALLON Bring your tour groups to a place that puts a sparkle in the eye and creates ear-to-ear smiles. A destination with more shows. More shopping. More arts and crafts. More mountain views. More down-home cooking. A city ﬁlled with fun for anyone, any age. Welcome to a detour from the ordinary.

PIGEONFORGETOURS.COM

1-800-285-7557

on location: west ❖

Arizona’s WINTER ESCAPE

Valley of the Sun Snowbirds flock to the Phoenix area for a powerhouse line-up that includes baseball and a lot more By Randy Mink

Fans bask in the sun on a warm March day at the new Cubs Park in Mesa. Below: Hikers explore the Sonoran Desert at Usery Mountain Regional Park.

or fans of Major League Baseball, especially those who live in

seated closer to the action and can more easily make out the players

northern climes, it’s a grand slam. Who wouldn’t want to trade

without binoculars. The crack of the bat and smack of the catcher’s

snow and ice for a desert getaway with temperatures in the

mitt are more resounding. Players are more accessible for autographs

70s? Spring just can’t come soon enough for anyone who feels

and photos. The new Cubs Park in Mesa, sporting features that mir-

trapped in the winter doldrums,

ror Chicago’s Wrigley Field, boasts the highest capacity of the 10

With all that in mind, I and a group of Chicago Cubs diehards flew

All Photos by Visit Mesa Photos

to Phoenix earlier this year to see the team play in its brand new

Cactus League parks, with room for 15,000 fans, including a lawn area that accommodates 4,200.

spring training facility in Mesa. But we ended up having just as much

But after the game’s over—or before it starts—how should a

fun exploring Arizona’s third largest city—and the rest of Greater

group spend its time? The Sonoran Desert itself, an exotic setting for

Phoenix—as we had at the ball park.

most of us, is a good place to start. Discover little secrets about the

The Phoenix area is home base every February and March for 15

flora and fauna on a hike or 4x4 off-road adventure with Apache Trail

Major League teams that play in the Arizona Cactus League. The an-

Tours. (The wildflowers start coming out in February.) Or consider a

nual influx of winter-weary fans means big business for the state’s

hot-air balloon flight over the rugged landscape.

tourism industry.

Western-style attractions near Mesa include Goldfield Ghost

The best part of a spring training game is the intimacy you don’t

Town, which features gunfighters, mine tours, horseback rides and

find during the regular season. Because

a narrow gauge railroad. Rockin R Ranch in Mesa offers gold pan-

of the parks’ size, you’re

ning, gunfights and wagon rides, plus cowboy suppers with a Wild West show. Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse, on the Gila River Indian Community in Chandler, is another rip-roarin’ spot. To go back further in time, consider an outing to the Arizona Renaissance Festival near Apache Junction. Culinary forays took us to nationally acclaimed hotspots in Gilbert and Queen Creek, both a half hour or so from our MarDecember 2014 51

on location: west ❖

Obtain Arizona visitor guides and itineraries and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

Visitors to the Greater Phoenix area can get their Western fix at a Saba’s Western wear store and tourist attractions like Goldfield Ghost Town.

riott hotel in downtown Mesa. At Queen

munity called Agritopia. Occupying a con-

strum a guitar or pluck the strings of a harp.

Creek Olive Mill. known for its extra virgin

verted 1960s farmhouse, the restaurant

The upper level’s Geographical Galleries

olive oil, we took the 40-minute “Blossom to

takes pride in its organic ingredients (many

are divided by continent, then by country.

Bottle” class ($5) and learned all about har-

from the surrounding farm plots). Joe’s ahi

In downtown Mesa, baseball fans will like

vesting, production, health benefits and the

tuna sandwich, onion rings and barbecue

the Mesa Historical Museum, whose ex-

art of tasting.

chicken pizza were featured on the Food

hibit The Arizona Spring Training Experience

Joe’s Farm Grill, a foodie haven in

Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. You

offers a 20-minute video on Cactus League

Gilbert, is located in an agricultural com-

can eat in the dining room, the Johnston

history and plenty of memorabilia, including

family’s former living room, or outside under

autographed balls, bats and jerseys.

the tamarisk, palm and citrus trees.

be on every group itinerary is Mesa’s Organ

tours at Superstition Farms, a fourth-

Stop Pizza, a cavernous, theater-like space.

generation dairy farm; The Orange Patch,

The food is simple (pizza, pasta, salad bar,

one of Mesa’s original citrus growers; and

ice cream), the bench seating at long tables

Schnepf Farms, Arizona’s largest organic

basic, but the music—oh-so-grand.

peach grower.

52 December 2014

Another one-of-a-kind place that should

Other agritourism experiences include

Tunes belted out from the “mighty” 1927

Even those who are not musically

Wurlitzer organ, towering above the room,

inclined enjoy the Musical Instrument

serenade guests, whisking them back to

Museum (MIM) in north Phoenix. MIM has

days when theater organs provided the

instruments from almost every country on

soundtracks for silent movies. The vast for-

earth, from horns, harps and harmonicas to

est of pipes is visible behind glass, and all

banjos, bagpipes and balalaikas.

around the room you can see the drums,

Everyone at MIM gets a high-tech audio

cowbells, pianos, trumpets and other in-

guide that makes touring the museum a

struments the organ console activates in

breeze. These compact receivers with

mimicking an orchestra. During 40-minute

headphones provide the soundtrack for

sets, the organist presents a program that

videos at more than 300 sites in MIM’s spa-

might include anthems from Phantom of

cious, light-filled galleries. The Artist Gallery

the Opera and Star Wars, Big Band num-

has individual exhibits that showcase video

bers and patriotic tunes, plus medleys from

clips, costumes, instruments and awards of

movies like The Sound of Music.

singers and composers like Presley, John

Fun attractions…balls and strikes….

Lennon, Leonard Bernstein, Taylor Swift

pleasant weather…a change of scenery. It’s

and Toby Keith. In the Experience Gallery

a win-win for snowbirds seeking refuge in

guests can beat a drum, pound a gong,

Arizona’s Valley of the Sun. LGT LeisureGroupTravel.com

By Dave Bodle

O N M AR K ET I NG

Getting the Most out of Trade Show Attendance

e all know a trade show

event and help defray the costs. At

attendee or two that “never met

one time it was all about entertainment

a show they didn’t like.” The

at marketplaces. That’s certainly still

good news is those folks are

valued, but operators want suppliers to

Photo by ABA

Mind-opening seminars are a big draw at the annual American Bus Association Marketplace.

going the way of the dinosaurs. Today, tour

stay on message. Keep in mind these

operators are all about business. They are

buyers are looking for new ideas. It’s

faced with challenges they didn’t know

hard to get a feeling for the sizzle of a

with pictures of the new petting zoo

existed 10 years ago. No longer are they

host museum, or attraction, while

addition. Possibly it’s a lack of staff that

attending conferences to just catch up

standing in the buffet line. Most operators

prevents operators from reaching out to

and see what’s new in the industry. Astute

still prefer a sit-down function with a

suppliers before attendance. However, the

operators are taking every opportunity to

presentation that’s on target with their

seven minutes on the floor would be far

do business and that includes industry

expectations and needs.

more productive if the seller knew exactly what the buyer’s triggers were. Reaching

events. First and foremost, these marketplaces

Seminars. Both the American

out to suppliers prior to conferences with a

Bus Association Marketplace and

quick message regarding their interests

are all about business for most operators

and they are treating them as such. We

National Tour Association Travel Exchange

will be rewarded on the marketplace floor.

reached out to a few operators for their

have an educational component that’s

Do not let the event sneak up on you. Find

thoughts about trade shows. Here are

an important part of the agenda for their

the time to prepare.

five things that they said maximize their

events. It goes without saying that tour

experience at trade shows:

operators agree these instructive semi-

Follow-up. Yes. Without exception

nars are of significant value. Most tour

Expectations. The times they are a

operators are considered small business.

marketplace business opportunities

changing! Today, when a tour operator

Group travel itineraries are the “product”

within two to three days of returning to

asks, “What’s new?” the majority is not

they sell and the marketplace floor is key

the office. It’s a critical step if marketplace

expecting a brick- and-mortar photograph

to gathering input. However, they are still

expectations are going to be realized.

of a new hotel property or the latest

looking for fresh insights into manage-

addition to the petting zoo. They’re looking

ment skills for all facets of their business.

reasons tour operators attend any market-

to their supplier partners for new and

The major trade associations and their

place, travel exchange or showcase is the

exciting tour concepts that are sellable.

conferences are the place to find that

social aspect. Who doesn’t want to share

Tour operators are seeking partners that

information.

pictures of the new grandbaby? However,

understand that their business is creating and selling memorable tours to their

tour operators will follow up on their

Let’s be straightforward. One of the

with that said and with few exceptions, Appointments. Properly preparing

operators have much higher expectations,

for appointments is often not a tour

which are going far beyond the “church

clients. In responding to these expecta-

tions, the creative DMO will put aside

operator’s strength. Unfortunately, it’s

the “I need to sell my member properties

frequently a hit-or-miss proposition and

because they pay my salary” thinking.

leads to asking that time-worn question,

They’re coming more prepared with ideas

“What’s new?” Then becoming frustrated

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