NAJ News Center
IMPORTANT LINKS
- Airports
- Airport/City Codes
- Attraction Tickets
- Driving Directions
- Driving Distances
- Event Tickets
- Factory Tours
- Flight Distances
- Hotel Numbers/Sites
- Hotel Quote Form
- Motorcoach Charter
- National Parks
- Receptive Finder
- Restaurant Reservations
- Scenic Byways
- Tourism/CVB Offices
- Trade Show Calendar
- Weather forecasts
INTERNATIONAL
- Currency Converter
- Language Tricks
- Passports/Canada
- Passports/Visas U.S.
- Weights/Measures
- Wi-Fi Finder
- World Time Clock
- Int'l Dialing Codes
- Int'l Tourism Research
ASSOCIATIONS
- American Bus Association
- Gay and Lesbian Travel
- National Tour Association
- Receptive Services Assn
- Student Youth Travel Assn
- Travel Industry Assoc. of America
NAJ EVENTS
NEWS HEADLINES, WEEK OF JUNE 29, 2009
Orlando to become Hub for Medical Tourism: From Medical Tourism Magazine’s bi-weekly newsletter, June 9, 2009: “The University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine aims to be this century’s premier medical school. Local tourism officials hope the college and its medical city at Lake Nona will also attract people from around the world. ‘Medical tourism’ is not only on the rise, but a goal for Central Florida. Central Florida hospitals have begun encouraging patients from abroad to come to Orlando for medical treatment. To increase the area’s reputation as a medical destination, Florida cities are also looking to increase their share of the lucrative medical meetings market. Orlando, the nation’s top-ranked medical meeting hub for the past decade, played host to more than 215 medical meetings with 170,000 attendees in 2008.” JTB Subsidiary to Open Day Trip Program to Other Operators . Sunrise Plaza, a subsidiary of JTB, has developed a 19-hour day trip to Monument Valley from Las Vegas that has found surprising acceptance and strong traveler reviews from their Japanese clients since it was introduced last October. Sensing that the market is ready for an affordably priced Day Trip that takes in several marquee sights without the expense of another overnight or airfare, (and that they can amortize the costs over more passengers) JTB is now making the tour available on a wholesale basis to other operators who have clients that are not intimidated by the duration of the trip. Utilizing two drivers to comply with regulations, the tour stuffs visits to a number of prominent landmarks along the way—-St. George, Antelope Canyon (1.5hrs), Horseshoe Bend (45 min) and Monument Valley (90 minutes)—at an affordable cost--$200 wholesale and $279 retail—including lunch and admissions and hotel pick up and drop off.) . For more information contact: Arizona Botanical Park First to Offer Cell Phone Tours. Tohono Chul Park , a 37-acre Sonoran Desert preserve on Tucson's north side, now offers cell phone tours to anyone with a cell phone. Tohono Chul Park is the only botanical garden in Arizona to provide this approach to self-guided tours. Visitors can choose from 35 different recorded prompts that provide unique access to staff commentary on current exhibits, history of the park, geology of the adjacent Santa Catalina Mountains and the legend of the park's night-blooming cereus cactus. Visitors also can access various links on the park's website to hear recorded information. Travel + Leisure magazine has listed Tohono Chul Park as one of the Ten Great Botanical Gardens in the world. Contact: http://www.tohonochulpark.org/ What Are the Top 10 Beaches for 2009? “Dr. Beach,” (AKA Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of the Florida International University Laboratory for Coastal Research, has named his top 10 beaches for 2009, marking the 19th year that he has released such a list. A Ph.D. coastal scientist with more than 30 years of scientific experience studying storm impacts, erosion, and ways to improve beach health and safety, Dr. Beach uses 50 criteria in selecting the best beaches—including water and sand quality, facilities and environmental management. Top 10 Beaches 2009
New Low Cost Carrier Launched using Newark as hub. A new low-cost airline will begin serving mid-sized U.S. cities that it believes larger carriers have left behind. Clearwater, Fla.-based JetAmerica said it will start 34 nonstop passenger flights a week beginning July 13 at Toledo, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Melbourne, Fla.; Newark, N.J.; Minneapolis; and Lansing, Mich. Its route structure will hinge on 28 flights that start or end at Newark Liberty International Airport . The carrier will add six more flights—from Toledo to Minneapolis—starting starting Aug. 14. Initial promotional fares are going for as low as $9 one-way. In the recent compilation of the most visited theme parks in the world by Forebestraveler.com, the list is dominated by U.S.-based or U.S.-operated properties—specifically, those of Disney and Universal Studios. What are the Top 15 Theme Parks in the World?
Source: Forbestraveler.com *Note from Forbestraveler.com: “In choosing the parks to tally for the list, waterparks and aquarium parks like Seaworld and Japan's huge Yokohama Hakkeijim Sea Paradise have been excluded in order to focus solely on amusement parks whose rides are the major attraction. Although Disneyworld and Disneyland comprise several parks, we used the most popular section of each—for instance the Magic Kingdom—as the watermark for overall attendance, since most visitors purchase base tickets that allow them multiple-park visits over the length of their stay.” |
International Arrivals Down 14.3% in First Quarter of 2009 Year-Over-Year Inbound Traffic Down by One Fifth in March, by One Seventh for First Quarter of Year: “If your business is flat, then you are doing very well,” one Italian tour operator told Inbound last month during the U.S. Travel Association Pow Wow last month in Miami. The international arrivals statistics for March and the first quarter of 2009 confirm this assessment, as the U.S. Department of Commerce and its Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) have announced that 3.8 million international visitors traveled to the U.S. March 2009—this is a decrease of 20 percent compared to March 2008—and that total visitation in the first quarter 2009 was down 14 percent from the first quarter 2008. In Inbound’s table of Top 15 Overseas Markets, just 11 countries increased their first quarter 2009 visitor counts. The percentage drops in international and overseas inbound arrivals to the U.S. are among the worst since the year following 9/11.
|
NAJ PEOPLE (Covering 23 People and 24 Organizations)
Beverly Calendar, long standing industry veteran, is no longer working with AlliedTpro.++Anna Pierce, who joined Niagara Helicopters Limited nearly 25 years ago and spent two decades with the organization, eventually serving as its director of sales and marketing before accepting the position of executive director of Niagara Falls Tourism in 2006, has returned to the company as vice president. In her new role, Pierce will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, accounting, guest services, café, engineering, maintenance, sales and marketing and the front office. ++ Ann Pilcher is the new tourism sales manager for the Pocono Mountains CVB. ++ Joan Cumming has been appointed senior director of marketing for the Autry National Center—it includes the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of the American West and the Institute for the Study of the American West—in Los Angeles. Previously, she served as vice president of marketing and communications for the Los Angeles Philharmonic/Hollywood Bowl. ++ Kasey Perry was recently named senior sales manager, tourism development, for Visit Baton Rouge. ++ The New York City Opera has recently announced the following staff changes: Michelle Levengood has been named director of group and event sales; Maura Leahy has been appointed group and event sales coordinator; and Alexandra Winogora is the new group and event sales lead account executive. ++ The Saint Paul (Minn.) CVA has the following new staff to announce: Ted Davis is vice president of marketing, Adam Johnson is the new marketing projects director, and Michael Hernandez has been appointed group sales and convention services manager. ++ At the Greenbrier County (W. Va.) CVB, Amy Kaczynski has been named director of sales and promotions. ++ At Go Wichita (until recently, it was the Greater Wichita CVB), Shakila Saifullah has been named director of marketing and Jan Hiebert has been promoted to director of visitor services. Hiebert had been senior manager of tourism sales and services. ++ Katie Petrucci has been appointed to the position of marketing associate at the Blue & Gold Fleet in San Francisco, and Dennis Swayne has been named business development manager for the company. ++ Sharon Cavileer has been appointed interim director of The Prince William County/Manassas (Va.) CVB. ++ Katy Schneider has been named tourism and communications manager for the Fort Collins (Colo.) CVB. Schneider has served as the partnership/guest services manager for two years. Previously, Schneider also served as the convention services director at the Greeley (Colo.) CVB. Replacing Schneider as the partnership and convention services manager is Kaye Jolly. ++The Valdosta Lowndes County (Ga.) Conference Center and Tourism Authority has named Rick Hamilton as the center’s new director of sales. Hamilton began his career in Knoxville, Tenn., where he eventually became executive director of the city’s coliseum, exhibit hall, auditorium and convention center. He later worked in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he directed a conference center for 18 years. ++ In Glen Falls, N.Y., Bianca Perilli recently resigned her position as the city’s downtown business manager. So, city officials combined the position with that of the city’s tourism director. Now, Alice Grether, the tourism director will serve as director of tourism and business and have her salary boosted from $41,000 to $45,000. The consolidation of the two positions will save the city $22,000. ++ The Greater Springfield (Mo.) CVB has announced that it has hired an assistant director for its Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission. She is Melissa Divincen, who will be responsible for membership sales and will serve as a member liaison. Divincen's past experience includes a marketing internship at Barrett Restaurant Corp. at Lake of the Ozarks. She is a recent graduate of Drury University in Springfield. ++
WHAT'S NEW IN NORTH AMERICA FOR JUNE, 2009
WHAT’S NEW IN HOTELS AND RESORTS (26 ITEMS)
BRITISH COLUMBIA: The Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, in the heart of Richmond, BC, is now accepting reservations for arrival on or after July 1, 2009. The hotel has 390 guest rooms and 25 meeting spaces, the largest of which is 7900 square ft. (733 sq. meters). Food and beverage outlets include Starbuck’s, Harold’s Bistro & Bar or the new Link@Sheraton experience with Microsoft -- the lobby “connection destination.” Harold’s is a casual, all-day and evening restaurant serving local and regional cuisine with award-winning BC wines, beer and world spirits. Rooms have coffee makers, high speed Internet access, fax/data ports, movies, voicemail and multiline telephones. Contact: www.sheraton.com.
ARIZONA: The Best Western Sundial Resort has opened in downtown Scottsdale. This boutique hotel has 54 contemporary guest rooms, including 12 suites that are Zodiac-themed rooms with astrological artwork. All rooms feature flat-screen TVs, high-speed Internet access and many of the guest rooms have a whirlpool tub and bar with balcony views of the signature Camelback Mountain and McDowell Mountains. Guests are provided complimentary breakfast each day. Contact: www.bestwestern.com.
The Aloft Phoenix-Airport will open its 142 rooms on September 24, at the corner of Washington and 44 th Street, Phoenix. The property will have all the brand’s room amenities and public spaces: w xyz bar, re:fuel snacks and re:mix lobby. Contact: www.starwood.com, 602-275-6300.
CALIFORNIA : Joie de Vivre Hotels is opening its first full-service, luxury (four star) Long Beach boutique hotel, Hotel Maya, the result of a major renovation of an existing property. Hotel Maya is located at 700 Queensway Drive, adjacent to the Queen Mary and Carnival Cruise Line terminal and within minutes of downtown Long Beach, the Long Beach Convention Center, and the Aquarium of the Pacific. While all the 199 guest rooms are complete and available for bookings, the public areas will remain under construction until June 30th with work conducted daily between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The restaurant, room service, banquet facilities, fitness center and the pool will not be available until July 1. Most rooms have balconies with a view; all have flat-screen TVs with complimentary HBO, a hair-dryer and coffee maker. Contact: http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/maya, 562-435-7676.
The 305-room W Hollywood is scheduled to open October 29 at the fabled corner of Hollywood and Vine, the epicenter of an entertainment capital. The hotel has, of course, all the accoutrements that go with the brand – the Living Room, SWEAT, the W bed, and so forth. The hotel also has five meeting spaces, the largest of which is 5909 sq. Ft. (548 sq. m.). Contact: www.starwood.com, 323-798-1300.
The Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga is now accepting reservations for arrival on or after June 30, 2009. Located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the hotel has fitness and business centers. Its casual restaurant, The Grand, serves American “comfort food” for breakfast and dinner. Guests will also find the standard Country Apple pie, Seattle’s Best Coffee and Best Brews. The hotel has 162 rooms. Contact: www.sheraton.com.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : The W Washington D.C. is scheduled to open July 8 next to the White House at 515 15 th St. NW. It has 317 rooms in an Italian Renaissance building (Hotel Washington) that is actually the oldest hotel in town. Besides its signature restaurant J&G Steakhouse it has a rooftop bar and terrace with views of the White House and the city. Rooms have the W bed and fully wired technology. There are five meeting spaces, with the largest at 6494 sq. ft (603 sq. m.). Contact: www.starwood.com.
The Jefferson Hotel ( 1200 16th St. NW,) is on track to be completed this summer. After an extensive renovation, the hotel will have 99 guest rooms, a lounge and bar area, an upscale dining venue, a fitness center and a private spa for guests. Some other unique features for guests will be electronic “do-not-disturb” and “housekeeping” systems, Nespresso espresso machines in every room, complimentary Internet access and local and long distance phone calls. Contact: www.thejeffersonwashingtondc.com, 202-448-2300.
FLORIDA : The Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport Hotel-Town Center opened in May with 169 guest rooms. It also houses the Oasis restaurant and bar that serves all meals, an outdoor heated pool with Jacuzzi, a fitness center, and an outdoor fire pit. The hotel also has 7,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space. It is near Interstate 75, three miles from Southwest Florida International Airport and about 15 miles from the city center. Rooms have a kitchenette and there is an on-site guest self-laundry. Contact: www.holidayinn.com.
Homewood Suitees by Hilton is now open in Fort Myers. The all-suite, residential-style hotel has 133 studio, one- and two-bedroom units on five floors. The hot breakfast is included in the rates, as is a light meal with beverages Monday-Thursday evenings. Many other restaurants are near, as is Town Center. There is an executive business center, a 24-hour pantry, a swimming pool and 919 square feet of meeting space. The property is less than one mile from Southwest Florida International Airport. Contact: www.homewoodsuites.com.
The Aloft Tallahassee Downtown is due to open its 162 rooms August 27, 2009 at 200 North Monroe Street. It is a short walk from Florida State University. Those who know the brand will be familiar with the w xyz bar, re:fuel food,re:mix lobby and 24-hour pantry. WiFi is included. Contact: www.starwood.com.
GEORGIA : A $100 million investment funded the 304-room hotel and 38 residences of Palomar Hotel in Midtown Atlanta at the corner of Abercrombie and West Peachtree streets. This pet-friendly property includes an onsite fitness center and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. The Atlanta boutique hotel is also home to Pacci Ristorante, a destination restaurant and rooftop terrace lounge. Rates include in-room wireless high-speed Internet access and a hosted evening wine reception; in-room spa services are available. Contact: http://www.hotelpalomar-atlantamidtown.com/ .
InterContinental Hotels Group is launching two Hotel Indigo Properties. In August, Atlanta's second Hotel Indigo will open on Ellis Street in Downtown. Formerly the historic Carnegie building, the boutique property will feature wall murals that change every four years in guest rooms and a lobby with changing backgrounds, music and scents to complement the seasons. Hotel Indigo College Park, near Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport, will open in late summer 2009 with retro, eclectic décor. This 142-room property will be one block from the College Park MARTA station and the closest hotel to the Atlanta airport and the Georgia International Convention Center. Contact: www.hotelindigo.com .
HAWAII : The Princeville Resort on Kauai’s north shore will have a St. Regis Hotel when the 252-room lso hotel completes a transformation and reopens Oct. 1. Rooms come in five categories: Mountain/Garden View with or without Terrace, Ocean View with or without Terrace and Premium Ocean View. Rooms have high definition TV, high-speed Internet access, a safe and an honor bar. Contact: www.stregisprinceville.com/kauai .
ILLINOIS : Chicago has an all-new boutique hotel downtown, the Hotel Felix. The hotel was designed to be as environmentally positive as possible. Its 225 rooms have free WiFi and wired Internet, service. There is lobby bar with fireplace; a spa; Elate, an upscale American restaurant with all-day service, a fitness center, a business center. It is located at the corner of Clark and Huron streets. Contact: www.hotelfelixchicago.com.
MARYLAND : Fairfield Inn & Suites will soon become Baltimore's first "green" hotel. The planned 154-room hotel will open in July on the former site of the DeGroen's Baltimore Brewing Company in historic Jonestown, a few blocks from the Inner Harbor. It will mark the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hotel in the city and one of several green Marriott hotels planned company-wide over the next five years. Contact: www.marriott.com . .
Hotel Monaco in Baltimore is planned as part of a $60 million project by ARC Wheeler in the historic B&O Building at Charles and Baltimore Streets. This mixed-use project, scheduled to open in July, will include the 208-room Hotel Monaco on the top seven floors of the building. The hotel will be managed by the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group. Contact: http://www.monaco-baltimore.com/.
Hotel Indigo will provide a modern, contemporary atmosphere with the best in traditional hotel hospitality when it opens in July. A fresh, innovative appearance is complemented with hardwood flooring, large rugs and wall murals that change seasonally. Rooms include a spa bathroom experience with Aveda bath products. An in-house gourmet restaurant is planned, along with in-house Starbucks . Contact: www.starwood.com .
MINNESOTA : Embassy Suites Hotels has opened its 200th hotel—the Embassy Suites Minneapolis-Brooklyn Center. This all-suite property is Brooklyn Center’s first new hotel in 10 years, and one of the first in the U.S. to be of the new, environmentally friendly design from Embassy Suites. The hotel also represents the brand’s second Design Option III prototype, as well as Flying Spoons, the chain’s new the hip, casual food and beverage concept. Located near downtown Minneapolis/ St. Paul, the 175-suite hotel is the brand’s fourth location in the greater Minneapolis area. and the first Design Option III prototype and Flying Spoons restaurant in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Contact: www.embassysuites.hillton.com.
NEW YORK : Renaissance New York Hotel 57 has opened at 130 E. 57 th St., (at Lexington) in Manhattan. It has 17 floors, 167 rooms and 31 suites. Guest rooms were designed with warm birch wood paneling, flat-screen televisions, and large marble bathrooms. Le Colonial Restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine at lunch and dinner. French food is served at dinner in the Den, a semi-private section of the Opia Lounge. Opia Restaurant, also French, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Contact: http://www.marriott.com/renaissance-hotel/travel.mi, 212-753-8841, 800-240-8604.
OHIO : The Doubletree Hotel Cleveland Downtown/Lakeside has opened, the product of a major renovation and rebranding. The hotel has 379 guest rooms with wireless high-speed Internet access and Wolfgang Puck coffee service. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and fitness facility and Doubletree has added a lounge on the 18 th floor for executive guests. There is more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,600-square-foot grand ballroom. Contact: www.clevelanddowntownlakeside.doubletree.com.
PENNSYLVANIA:The Crowne Plaza Philadelphia-Bucks County has opened, following $4 million in renovations to guest rooms and public spaces. It is located just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 95 and state Route 1. The property is located at 4700 Street Rd., Trevose, PA. Guests will be near corporate offices, historic Philadelphia, New Hope, Peddler's Village, Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack, and Sesame Place theme park. The six-story hotel has 214 guest rooms, equipped with complimentary wireless high speed Internet access. The hotel has a fitness center, 24-hour business center, indoor swimming pool and complimentary shuttle to businesses within a five-mile radius. The hotel's restaurant, Brady's, serves relaxed American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a sports bar with more than 30 beers on tap. Contact: www.crowneplaza.com, 1-800-2CROWNE.
SOUTH CAROLINA : The Hampton Inn & Suites hotel is now open on University Boulevard near I-26 and US-78. It is convenient and located 18 miles from downtown historic Charleston. Other nearby points of interest include Wanamaker County Park, Charleston Southern University and Trident Medical Center. The property boasts 115 guest rooms and two meeting rooms. Contact: www.northcharlestonuniversityblvdsuites.hamptoninn.com.
TENNESSEE : A 65-suite Comfort Suites hotel has opened in Nashville, providing free continental breakfast, free wireless high-speed Internet access, free airport transportation, an indoor heated pool, exercise room and business center. Guest rooms of the 100 percent smoke-free hotel have flat screen/Plasma TVs, microwaves, refrigerators, in-room coffee makers, irons and ironing boards. Contact: www.choicehotels.com, 615- 391-5959.
TEXAS : Hyatt Place Dallas/ Garland has opened 153 guest rooms, all with the standard Hyatt Place furnishings and 42-inch TV. The hotel is located in the Firewheel area of the northeast suburb of Garland, minutes from golf and family fun of Firewheel Town Center Mall, the 63-hole Firewheel Golf Club, and the Hawaiian Falls Water Park. The hotel provides free shuttle to stores such as Bath Junkie, Brookstone, Coldwater Creek, Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, Dick's Sporting Goods, Firewheel Day Spa & Salon, James Avery Craftsman, and Macy's, all located within the Firewheel Town Center complex. The Hyatt Place Dallas/Garland is located next to such corporations as Raytheon, Cisco Systems, Rockwell Collins, Texas Instruments, Fujitsu, Samsung, and Perot Systems and the hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to these locations. The 12,000 square foot conference center and the 6-story, 153-room hotel are located adjacent to the 7,500 seat Garland Special Event Center on President George Bush Highway. Contact: www.HyattPlace.com .
The Best Western Atrea, a new-build, has opened approximately 10 miles from the center of San Antonio. It has 77 guest rooms, a cocktail lounge, a heated indoor swimming pool and an exercise famility. There is a nightly manager’s reception, 5:30-7 p.m. with complimentary beer, wine and snacks. Rooms have high-speed Internet access, a microwave and refrigerator and a flat screen television. Atrea is a contemporary concept that has been described as upper midscale. A full breakfast is available. Contact: www.bestwestern.com.
WHAT’S NEW IN TRANSPORTATION, TOURS AND PACKAGES (10 ITEMS)
QUÉBEC: Through November 1, the Orford Express will take travelers through the most beautiful countryside in the Eastern Townships (Cantons-de-l’Est). One of Canada’s most sumptuous trains, it features a rich decor in leather, velvet and wood trim, well-stocked kitchens and stainless steel accessories. To accommodate increasing client demand, a new car with capacity for 72 passengers will begin running on June 27. Scenic views can be enjoyed from two lower-level lounges, a domed space on the upper level and a bar. Excursions range from a quick getaway to a twilight dinner to Sunday brunch. Weekly departures are scheduled for a number of trips offering fine dining and entertaining commentary. Contact: www.orfordexpress.com
CALIFORNIA: Alaska Airlines will begin daily flights between Oakland and Hawaii in November, with three flights per week to Kona, on the Big Island and four to Maui. In the meantime, Alaska will open a Portland-Maui route on July 3. Contact: www.alaskaair.com.
FLORIDA : Thirty-five hotels and resorts along Florida’s Gulf Coast have designed Summer Sanctuary Vacation Packages , most of them commissionable to travel agents. They are in the communities of Bonita Springs, Captiva Island, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island. Each one is different, some offering resort credits or free activities, fourth night free, a discount, etc. Packages are valid through August. Contact: http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/
HAWAII : Island Helicopters on Kauai has an exclusive: the 90-minute Deluxe Kauai Grand Tour now includes a landing deep within a privately owned valley, otherwise inaccessible to the public. It’s near the base of the nearly 400-foot Manawaipuna Falls, seen in the movie Jurassic Park. After landing, the pilot-guide leads the passengers on a tour along a short trail to the base of the falls. Contact: www.islandhelicopters.com, 800-829-5999. .
MARYLAND : Fast, frequent and free...that's the trademark of downtown Baltimore's new shuttle bus system coming on line in August 2009 with 21 hybrid buses providing convenient and reliable transportation. There will be three routes - Federal Hill and the Inner Harbor to Mt. Vernon and Penn Station; Westside's B&O Railroad Museum and the University of Maryland to Harbor East and Fell's Point; and the Shot Tower/Marketplace Metro Station to Harbor East, Fell's Point and Johns Hopkins Metro Station. The free shuttles will run every 10 minutes from early morning to late night, seven days a week. Contact: www.baltimore.org.
MASSACHUSETTS : There are new Culinary & Heritage tours and free MP3 tours in Boston. A sampling of new visitor tours include a new walking Tour of Jewish Cuisine that features tasting authentic Jewish food - matzo ball soup, latkes, falafel, kosher wines, noodle kugel ice cream; Cultural Heritage Tours in the North End by Chris Rosetti; new free and low-cost online MP3 downloadable tours are available of Boston HarborWalk, Spectacle Island, the New England Aquarium, and Cambridge. Download the MP3 audio walking tour to an MP3 player from the following websites:
www.bostonharborwalk .com, www.newenglandaquarium.org
www.cambridge-usa.org.
The new 44-mile Boston HarborWalk has a changing character as it winds through the city's waterfront neighborhoods and downtown district, stretching from Chelsea Creek to the Neponset River, through East Boston, Charlestown, North End, Downtown, South Boston and Dorchester. The HarborWalk is designed to connect the public to a clean and restored Boston Harbor, linking the water's edge to the city's open space system. The HarborWalk also connects to new and existing networks of inland trails including the Emerald Necklace system, the Charles River Esplanade, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. In the future, the South Bay Harbor Trail will offer Boston residents a new way to access the Boston Harbor on foot or bicycle. The trail will extend from the Ruggles MBTA station and winds its way through Lower Roxbury, the South End, and Chinatown to reach the HarborWalk at the Fort Point Channel. Contact: www.bostonharborwalk .com
The new one-mile Walk to the Sea encompasses four centuries of Boston history. Beginning at the State House on Beacon Hill overlooking Boston's ancient Common, the Walk passes among historic landmarks and skyscrapers on Beacon Street, Tremont Street, Court Street, State Street & finally Long Wharf. The Walk crosses ground that, centuries earlier, was not ground at all but an active harbor. Boston's history is tied to the sea, whose smells and sounds once pervaded the town. The Walk from summit to sea, spanning one mile and descending a hundred feet, brings that history to life. Contact: www.walktothesea .com .
NEVADA : British Airways will begin daily non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Las Vegas October 25, 2009 using three-class Boeing 777 aircraft. The flight will depart daily from Heathrow at 2:20 p.m., arriving in Las Vegas at 5:10 p.m. local time. The return flight departs Las Vegas nightly at 7 p.m. and arrives in London the following day at 12:50 p.m. Contact: www.britishairways.com.
Pink Jeep Tours has created a new Grand Canyon Classic Deluxe Tour highlighted by exclusive access to Quartermaster Point, one of the most remote areas at Grand Canyon West. The tour includes brief stops and photo opportunities at the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the desert community of Dolan Springs and the rugged Joshua Tree forest, then continues to the Grand Canyon's West Rim, home of the Hualapai nation with views of the Skywalk attraction. Once at the West Rim, guests travel to Quartermaster Point, a remote and panoramic viewpoint overlooking the Colorado River. The tour lasts approximately 9-10 hours. Contact: Marina Nicola, Wagner Junker Agency, marina@wjagency.com.
WHAT’S NEW IN ATTRACTIONS AND EVENTS (17 ITEMS)\
QUÉBEC: Cirque du Soleil will be putting on a free traveling performance created exclusively for Québec City, called Le Rêve Continue. Running for the next five years, the show will be held every weekday evening in summer, from June 24 to Labor Day weekend. Its artistic content will be refreshed yearly. Spectators are summoned to three sites and then invited to follow the tribes of traveling people to the Garden of Desolation. All of the performers and spectators will meet at Îlot Fleurie, under the Dufferin-Montmorency highway in the Basse-Ville. Contact: sylvie.walter@quebecregion.com, www.quebecregion.com, www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/tickets/quebec.aspx .
CALIFORNIA : A little over a year after fire damaged the world's largest working movie studio lot, Universal Studios will re-open most of its iconic sets in mid-summer and will unveil innovative shooting locations designed to meet contemporary film production needs. The new and re-created sets will be featured on the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour -- recently upgraded with Hi-Def digital servers and flat screen monitors -- and will enhance visitors' behind-the-scenes experience of a working studio environment. Production will also resume on the world- famous Courthouse Square, Brownstone Street and an enhanced New York Street. The new locations include a gas station, a firehouse, a London Street and, most notably, a modern urban cityscape, with glass and steel façade structures that will provide film and TV crews with the opportunity to replicate a modern city street scene in a controlled studio environment. The contemporary cityscape will be the largest, modern urban, backlot shooting location in Los Angeles. Additional sets remain in construction and are planned to open in 2010. Also, beginning June 1, "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" is broadcast from a newly renovated sound stage located on the Universal Studios lot. The show's state-of-the-art studio will become a featured showpiece of the Studio Tour. Contact: www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino opened the new 16,379-square-foot Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art on May 30, 2009, to showcase its growing American art collection. The area is more than twice the previous size and will be one of the largest presentations in Southern California of American art from the colonial period through the mid-20th century. The dramatically expanded space comprises 15 galleries redesigned from the Virginia Steele Scott Gallery and the Lois and Robert F. Erburu Gallery, which formerly displayed European works. Permanent and temporary exhibitions will feature thematic groupings of works selected from The Huntington's more than 9,400 American art pieces including paintings by Benjamin West (1738-1820), silver table ware by Tiffany and Co., and Zenobia in Chains (1859), a monumental sculpture by Harriet Hosmer (1830-1908) that will be on public view for the first time in nearly a century. One wall will be devoted to George Washington, anchored by a portrait by Gilbert Stuart (1775 - 1828). Free audio guides will be available. Contact: www.huntington.org.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : Washington , DC’s National Geographic Museum will be the final stop for Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardian’s of China’s First Emperor, the largest collection of ancient artifacts to ever travel to the US from China. Running November 19-March 31, the exhibition features 15 life-sized terra cotta figures unearthed from the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, who ruled from 221-210 B.C. C onsidered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, the warriors were discovered in 1974 by a group of farmers digging a well near Xi’an in Shaanxi province. When archaeologists began excavating the area, they uncovered a subterranean vault containing fragments of thousands of terra cotta figures in three large pits. More than 1,000 figures have been restored as part of the site’s ongoing excavation. To capitalize on the buzz and record-breaking attendance the exhibition has generated in its prior US stops, DC’s cultural and tourism communities are planning a citywide promotion of Chinese art, artifacts, cuisine and world treasures, complete with hotel packages and special restaurant menus. More information will be released this summer. Contact: www.warriorsdc.org, nationalgeographic.com/museum.
After two years of recovery following a devastating fire in April 2007, Eastern Market will reopen June 26. The market is famous for offering DC residents and visitors a wide variety of locally-sourced meat, produce, cheese and baked goods in addition to the crafts of local artisans. The new market will have modern heating and air conditioning, new restrooms and sprinklers and access ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The skylights and chimneys have been restored and new windows have been installed that protect against ultraviolet (UV) light. The North Hall will include a movable stage and gallery walls. Contact:www.easternmarketdc.org.
Ford’s Theatre Museum is scheduled to reopen in July. The newly renovated museum will use 21st-century technology to transport visitors to 19th-century Washington, DC. The museum’s remarkable collection of historic artifacts (including the derringer that John Wilkes Booth used to shoot Lincoln and a replica of the coat Lincoln wore the night he was shot will be supplemented with a variety of narrative devices. Contact: www.forstheatre.org .
FLORIDA: Cornell Fine Arts Museum in Orlando presents “Andy Warhol: Personalities,” until Jan. 3, 2010. The exhibition consists of Polaroid photographs of socialites, celebrities and patrons; including Carolina Herrera, Pia Miller and Ric Ocasek. Contact: rollins.edu/cfam, 407-646-2526.
The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Orlando opened ZOOm Air Adventures which takes guests on an aerial adventure over the tree tops. The adventure course features rope bridges, zip lines and suspended disks. Prices for the adventure course start at $20 for the Upland Course and $35 for the Upland and Rainforest Courses. Contact: centralfloridazoo.org, 407-330-0767.
GEORGIA : Atlanta Botanical Garden will open a new LEED certified visitor center and parking facility in summer 2009. The addition will include a new pedestrian path that will connect pedestrians from Piedmont Avenue to the Visitor Center and directly to Piedmont Park. This expansion will also include Canopy Walk, a 600-foot-long, 45-foot-high "skywalk" through the treetops of Storza Woods. By 2010, the current parking lot will be replaced with a new Edible Garden and outdoor cooking demonstration kitchen . Contact: http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/home.do.
ILLINOIS: The Addams Family will have its world premiere, pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre on November 13, 2009 through January 10, 2010. Two-time Tony Award® winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth star in this magnificently macabre new show created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winning songwriter Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and Olivier Award-winning director/designers Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter). It’s an Addams Family portrait not seen before. Gomez, all mad impetuosity, Morticia, equal parts fire and ice, Fester, restless and romantic, Pugsley, for whom immediate gratification can’t come soon enough and Wednesday, eighteen years old and finally feeling what it means to be a woman. Contact: www.broadwayinchicago.com, 312-977-1710.
KANSAS: Kansas Wetlands Education Center has opened at Great Bend, in the Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands Area, the largest interior marsh in the United States. Interpretive displays throughout the center educate visitors about the value of the wetlands. The area is the site of a biennial Wings & Wetlands Birding Festival. Contact: www.visitgreatbend.com, cvb@visitgreatbend.com.
LOUISIANA : The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, through the assistance of an anonymous donor, has sponsored the recovery of an SBD Dauntless – a World War II dive bomber, for eventual recovery and display in the New Orleans museum. In the meantime, the National Naval Aviation Museum has lent The National World War II Museum a fully restored SBD Dauntless, a Guadalcanal combat veteran, which is currently on display until the newly recovered aircraft can be restored. During World War II, many young naval aviators were given their first opportunity to take off and land on aircraft carriers in Lake Michigan. In the hands of the inexperienced pilots, many of these planes missed their mark and ended up at the bottom of Lake Michigan. That is where they remained until the National Naval Aviation Museum initiated its Underwater Aircraft Recovery Program in 1990. The Museum is in the midst of a $300 million multi-phase expansion project that will open its first buildings in November 2009. Contact: www.nationalww2museum.org, 877-813-3329, 504-527-6012.
MARYLAND : The Maryland Science Center and the National Aquarium in Baltimore are joining forces to promote the Aquarium's Jellies: Oceans Out of Balance and Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Dynasty at the Maryland Science Center. In addition to the new exhibits, the summer-long Waterfront Invasion will also include family-friendly events and activities, such as outdoor movies and concerts, and "invasion" décor elements around Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Chinasaurs presents more than 20 dinosaur skeletons in what is the largest touring exhibition of authentic Chinese dinosaur fossils. Visitors will discover massive skeletons of rarely seen and exotic dinosaurs, fossils, claws and dinosaur nests with real fossil eggs. The National Aquarium show, Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance, will explore how Jellies have survived - and thrived - amid environmental changes that have negatively affected other forms of sea life. Nine different species of these unique and pre-historic creatures will be on display. Chinasaurs closes on Labor Day. Jellies will be at the National Aquarium indefinitely. Contact: www.waterfrontinvasion.com.
NEVADA : Disney Theatrical Productions and Mandalay Bay opened the award-winning Broadway phenomenon The Lion King at the Mandalay Bay Theatre May 15. This production will join the six other successful companies of The Lion King around the world in New York, London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Fukuoka. Mandalay Bay’s production will be virtually identical to the other companies and will be staged with the same music, sets, and costumes that have made it a worldwide phenomenon. Contact: Erin Randell, MGM Mirage, erandell@mgmmirage.com.
TEXAS: A phase of the planned extension of San Antonio’s River Walk opened in May, connecting the original downtown River Walk with the San Antonio Museum of Art and the historic Pearl Brewery to the north. The San Antonio Museum of Art is for known its antiquities collections and the 30,000-square-foot Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art—the largest repository of its kind. The 125-year-old Pearl Brewery is being redeveloped into an urban village along the river. It’s brimming with authentic places to shop, dine, live and more.
San Antonio is extending the River Walk south of downtown to connect four of the city’s 18th-century Spanish colonial missions. These monuments tell of how lives were lived and lost during colonial days. Scheduled for completion in 2014, this addition is noted as the nation’s largest urban ecosystem restoration and will bring the River Walk up to 13 miles. Contact: www.visitsanantonio.com or call 800-ALAMO-07.
UTAH : This year’s Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats has been scheduled August 8-14. Speed Week consists of six days of racing, weather and conditions permitting, and entrants come from all over the world to participate in the week long event. Last year’s event saw more than 12,000 spectators and participants, and those attending are free to walk through the pits, view the vehicles, and talk to the drivers and crew members. Bonneville Salt Flats, 88 miles west of Salt Lake City, is one of the most unique natural features in Utah and drew international attention in the 1930s when Utah driver Ab Jenkins lured British racer Sir Malcolm Campbell to compete for speed records on the salt surface. By 1949, the raceway on the Bonneville Salt Flats was the standard course for world land speed records. On this natural straight the 300, 400, 500, and 600 mile per hour land speed barriers were broken. Contact: www.utah.travel..
For Vegas, “What Happens Here Stays Here” is Back Here: In another Vegas-related development, the Las Vegas CVA is re-deploying the widely popular slogan “What Happens Here Stays Here” that garnered so much attention when it was launched back in 2003 then, several years later, put on the shelf. During the past year Las Vegas has gone back and forth trying to find the right tagline to counter the effects of the economic recession that has plagued the entire U.S. travel industry before finally making the decision to bring back “What Happens Here Stays Here.” "We feel it is time to get back to our brand messaging," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas CVA, in an email. The "What Happens Here" campaign pays obeisance to the destination’s reputation as a party town where visitors can enjoy themselves in behavior that they wouldn’t otherwise indulge in, and not worry about the consequences