BUSINESS
Find new ideas at federal agency , partner websites
BY JULIE P . HEIZER , U . S . DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE , NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM OFFICE
An example of the destination itineraries available on theculturaltraveler . com
NTA MEMBERS have an important role to play in maintaining the United States ’ competitiveness in today ’ s ever-expanding travel and tourism marketplace . The world gets smaller every day as the number of options available to global travelers grows exponentially . The United States can ’ t afford to rest on its laurels as one of the great travel experiences . That ’ s where you come in .
As an industry leader , you play a critical role by continually adding fresh product offerings so that clients always have something new and different to experience when they choose the United States as their vacation destination .
Here are some “ hidden resources ” that can help in your product development work . These websites focus on three different aspects of U . S . tourism product : the great outdoors , cultural heritage and Native American experiences . These options can help keep your product new and exciting for many years to come .
Not just a saying
“ America ’ s Great Outdoors ” isn ’ t just a saying . It ’ s a factual assessment . Various federal land- and water-based agencies came together last month at IPW , the industry ’ s largest annual sales gathering , to promote a set of itineraries that feature fabulous American scenery . Those agencies include National Wildlife
Refuges , National Marine Sanctuaries , and Parks and Scenic Byways .
Of course you know about the National Park Service and its website ( nps . gov ), but you might not know that a dozen brand-new itineraries have been posted to americasgreatoutdoors . com , a website that is hosted by the National Parks Promotion Council . On this website you can pull an itinerary that allows your clients to experience the wonders of Washington ’ s Olympic Peninsula , cycle Oregon ’ s spectacular state trails or discover President Theodore Roosevelt ’ s home . Those are just a few examples .
Itineraries will continue to be added to this site . If you are inspired by the examples of America ’ s Great Outdoors but want to find product in a different part of the country , you can also reach out directly to the National Parks Promotion Council , which can connect you to the individual federal partners who developed the itineraries .
A ‘ great get ’
From an international perspective , cultural heritage travelers are a “ great get .” According to the National Travel and Tourism Office ’ s “ 2014 Cultural Heritage Traveler Profile ,” cultural travelers stay longer while visiting the United States and spend more money here than general leisure travelers . International cultural heritage travel to the United States has increased each year since 2010 , so adding some cultural heritage “ spice ” to your product stew would not only give you something new to sell to your domestic clients , but it just might entice some new international clients .
Whether you ’ re looking for new and different cultural heritage tourism assets to refresh existing itineraries , or you ’ re looking for a whole new set of ideas , there are two good sites where you can begin your planning :
• The first , culturalheritagetourism . org , is an aggregator site organized into categories such as arts districts , world heritage sites , state heritage sites and national landmarks .
• On theculturaltraveler . com , you can view destination itineraries that have already been developed ; they include foodie tours , family fun , U . S . history and artisan trails .
12 July 2016