Destination Events: A Reason Travelers Visit and Return

Once two totally separate industries, the special events industry and the travel industry are working more closely together than ever before, leading to mutually successful business relationships, new and fresh tour itineraries, and destination events (as opposed to local events) putting “heads in beds.”

The American Bus Association has realized this for the past 28 years and annually votes on the Top 100 Events in North America for tour operators. Similarly, Red Hot Celebrations is rapidly becoming the travel trade’s event connection.

Special events are often the reason first-time travelers select a destination. The economic impact of these first-time guests traveling to destinations for niche celebrations, fairs, festivals and anniversary commemorations can be felt for years to come.

On the other hand, tour operators who have a loyal customer base need to provide reasons for repeat guests to return to a destination. Their itineraries need to be fresh and special events add flavor, value, novelty and excitement to existing itineraries and previously-visited destinations.

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Student Travel Planning Guide Provides Valuable Lessons

Tour planners interested in expanding their student travel offerings—or jumping into the student market for the first time—will find a gold mine of practical tips in the 2011 edition of Student Travel Planning Guide. A comprehensive resource for planning student/youth trips, the 36-page guide is published by Premier Tourism Marketing, parent company of Leisure Group Travel.

Randy Mink, managing editor of Student Travel Planning Guide, said, “Teachers, travel agents and other tour planners will find the handy guide a welcome addition to their arsenal of resources. There is nothing like it out there.”

Written by educators, the second annual edition of Student Travel Planning Guide provides how-to advice on planning and executing successful youth trips. Directory listings pinpoint attractions, tour companies and destinations eager for student travel business.

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Cross Country International Offers Two New Horseback Riding Vacations

Cross Country International (CCI) is offering two exciting new riding vacation packages in California – the California Northern Coast Trail and the California Wine Country Trail Ride. rn rn“After a day of riding along the beautiful California Coast, there is no better way to spend the evening than returning to a good meal, fine wine and the conversation of friends,” said Cross Country International President Karen Lancaster. “That is exactly what our visitors can look forward to with either of these new vacation packages.”rn rnThe California Wine Country Trail Ride incorporates sun drenched vineyards with exquisite vintages and regional cheese. Who says you need to learn French to revel in the pleasures of Vin et Fromage? rn rnOn this ride, guests will ride great horses and tour the sumptuous wine regions north of San Francisco – Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties – while enjoying the gracious hospitality and luxurious accommodations of the 750 acre Cowboy Hideaway Ranch. Nestled at the top of a hill in the heart of wine country, Cowboy Hideaway Ranch offers spectacular views of Clear Lake, California’s largest natural lake.rn rnThis ride offers the chance to travel to Seabiscuit’s Ridgewood Ranch where jockey Red Pollard brought the famous horse back to winning form.rn rnGuests will ride along the Mendocino coastal bluffs, wind through vineyards, explore redwood forests and ride the banks of the Tule Lakes while enjoying the cuisine and wine of the area, including the spectacular Ceago del Lago, Jim Fetzer’s new vineyard and Rosso & Bianco, Francis Ford Coppola’s new winery.rn rnIn addition to riding and winery tours, other things to do on this include are hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, spa, antiquing and sightseeing.rn rnThe California Wine Country Trail Ride Includes:rn• Six nights accommodations rn• Five days guided trail riding rn• Most meals rn• Transfers from San Francisco airport at pre-set times rn• Winery tours rn• Horse, guides, tack and tax rn• Available in 2008 from April-October rn rnThe California Northern Coast Trail Ride is a five-day, five-night ride located just one hour south of San Francisco, along the undisturbed California Coast. Long before maps and diaries were inked on Spanish galleons, the indigenous people, the Ohlones, sang the name of this place: “Dancing on the brink of the world.” The host and horses are located on site at a picturesque seaside inn which overlooks a spectacular stretch of rugged bluffs surrounded by endless acres of wilderness, rolling coastal hills and secluded beaches. This provides a great base camp for the first half of this spectacular horseback trail ride vacation. The final day crosses through backcountry wilderness to a charming turn of the century Inn for a night in a coastal town that still retains pristine its 19th century atmosphere.rnrnGuests will ride through wilderness areas that are accessible to few travelers. The ride traverses coastal grassland, seasonal wildflower filled meadows and stands of Redwood trees and crosses creeks where guests will encounter wildlife ranging from herons and hawks to deer and possibly coyote and bobcats with the spectacular Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. After a full day of riding guests can experience the relaxation of the “California outdoor hot tub” under the stars. rn rnOther sightseeing excursions include the coastal towns of Pescadero, Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz to sightsee and shop for handcrafted gifts. Another possibility is a tour of Harley Farms, a local organic goat farm that produces excellent goat cheese and where guests can make their own cheese to take home. Another option is a visit to the local Bonny Doon Winery in the coastal hills nearby.rn rnOther amenities include a spa, yoga, mountain bike riding, hiking and kayaking, as well as visits to Ano Nuevo State Park, Santa Cruz Board Walk, historic Pigeon Point Light House and Bib Basin Redwood State Park.rn rnThe California Northern Coast Trail Ride Includes:rn• Five nights hotel/B&B accommodation rn• Breakfast, lunch, dinner day of arrival rn• 50 minute massage rn• Five days guided trail riding rn• Horse, tack, and tax rn• Available Sunday to Friday, April – November rn rnFor information on these or any of Cross Country International’s numerous other vacation packages, please contact Cross Country International by phone at (800) 828-8768, via e-mail to or by visiting

Travelocity Launches Its New Service, Farewatcher Plus

Expanding on its ongoing promise of being the customer’s champion, Travelocity has launched FareWatcher Plus, a free, personalized service that automatically tracks the best round-trip airfares to selected destinations and sends e-mail alerts to subscribers when prices change. rnrn“Airline prices change by the second, and we understand how difficult it can be to find the trip you want at the price you want,” said Jeffrey Glueck, chief marketing officer Travelocity. “It’s impossible for travelers to dedicate time every day to search for the right price on airfare. With FareWatcher Plus we are making it easier for them to find the trip they want at the price they want. For example, in the Dallas to Boston market this year, we have tracked fare drops of more than $40 on 28 different days – the most we’ve seen in 2007.”rnrnFareWatcher Plus is the next-generation service that features an easy-to-use control panel for setting up fare tracking, email alerts and It also expands the capabilities of Travelocity’s original FareWatcher®. It does this by not only giving travelers the flexibility to simultaneously monitor roundtrip airfares from ten city pairs, but it allows them to search links to low price package deals to their chosen destinations.rnrnThese enhancements add relevance to the traveler’s shopping experience now more than ever as pricing data from Travelocity’s parent company Sabre Holdings shows that in 2007 on average 369,492 domestic fares change daily, an increase of approximately 15 percent year-over-year. A recent example of FareWatcher’s value occurred when fares from Phoenix to San Jose dropped from $255 to $103 in one day. Travelocity customers subscribing to the service jumped on the deal, producing the most bookings from a FareWatcher email alert in 2007. rnrnrnFor travelers who want inspiration and ideas for specific types of vacations, FareWatcher Plus provides an unparalleled search capability that allows subscribers to find low price travel packages by interest. Users can select up to ten themes – family, romance, sun and beach, luxury, adventure, casino, ski, arts and culture, all-inclusive and urban – and FareWatcher Plus recommends the top travel packages for each. As customers explore by theme, they will be given a wide range of editor’s picks in destinations ranging from Orlando, Las Vegas and Hawaii to Costa Rica, Chicago and Williamsburg, Va.rnrnAfter a short sign-up process, subscribers decide which cities to track, for how long and whether they want to be notified of changes to those airfares via e-mail. Some of the more random city pairs FareWatcher Plus currently tracks include Dubuque, Iowa to Louisville, Ky. and Baltimore to Walla Walla, Wash. rnrnFareWatcher Plus is integrated into the subscriber’s Travelocity account so destination information is displayed on their personalized Travelocity homepage. And, unlike similar services offered by competitors, the service does not require any downloads as alerts are sent via e-mail.

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