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Latest People News, Job Opportunities & RFPs

February 1, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr 2 Comments

P E O P L E

Gretchen Hall is leaving her position as President & CEO at Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau to join Destinations International as Chief Operating Officer in April. She has been a longstanding DI member and has served on its board as well as numerous committees, and recently served as chair of the organization’s board. She has been with the LRCVB since 2001 and has led the bureau since 2011.

Michael Martelon, CHME, is the new Chief Executive Officer & Vice President at Visit Santa Cruz County in California. His DMO experience includes nearly 11 years as President & CEO of Colorado’s Telluride Tourism Board.

Timothy P. Bush departs his position as Chief Tourism Development Officer at OneSpartanburg, Inc. in South Carolina where he has served since October 2020. He joins Visit Lake Charles as Chief Marketing Officer, returning to the state where he had previously been President & CEO at Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. A press release from OneSpartanburg indicates that a national search for the next Chief Tourism Development Officer will begin soon.

Also at Visit Lake Charles, Anna Strider is named as Director of Digital Strategies/Online Marketing. She joins from St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission / Louisiana Northshore where she was Manager of Marketing and Public Relations.

Joe Holody has been appointed as the Vice President of Sales at Destination Niagara USA. A Niagara Falls native, he has been serving as Director of Convention Marketing, Sales & Services with VisitErie for the past 19 years.

Jon Mamela re-joins Travel Alberta as Senior Vice President/Chief Commercial Officer. He joins from Destination Toronto as Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, prior to which he was CMO & Senior Vice President-Marketing & Sales at Destination Canada.

Also at Travel Alberta, two internal promotions: Kara Claypool is now Senior Vice President & CFO and Tannis Gaffney steps into the role of Senior Vice President & CMO.

William Adams has been appointed Director of Convention Sales at Destination DC. He brings 20+ years’ experience, most recently as National Sales Manager for Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Previously, Adams’ DMO roles have included Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau, Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau and Annapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Evan Bauerle has been hired by Visit Salt Lake to oversee sports, tourism and event sales for the west region of Salt Lake County as part of a collaborative new partnership with ChamberWest. He most recently worked in various sales positions, including with Encore AV at the Hilton City Center.

Coastal Mississippi has announced the appointments of Kris Abbott (l.) to the position of Director of Sales and Patricia Meagher (r.) to the position of Director of Communications and Engagement. Abbott most recently served as Senior Sales Manager at Hilton Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center for seven years. Meagher served as Director of Communications for the Georgia Historical Society for the past eight years.

In related news, Judy Young is the new Executive Director at Coastal Mississippi as reported in The Travel Vertical on 2/26/2022.

Amanda Johannemann (l.) joins MeetNKY as Director, Destination Marketing and Communications. She joins from her prior role as Director, Talent Strategies for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Gina Christ-Kohler (r.) has joined the organization in a partnership role with the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau to focus on the entire Cincy region as a destination of choice. She brings a strong local hotel sales background.

Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has appointed Lorine Charles-St. Jules to the position of CEO where she’d previously been Director of Marketing for nearly a decade. She joins as USA Account Manager for the Anguilla Tourist Board and is also Adjunct Lecturer at Monroe College in New York and University of New Haven, Connecticut.

Katie Cook has been promoted to Director, Strategic Advisors at Zartico. She joined the company in 2021 following a strategy role at Simpleview in addition to 18 years at Visit Austin. Katie is also a valued member of the eTourism Summit Advisory Board.

Joining the Zartico team, Steven Clenney takes on the role of Strategic Advisor. He had been Director at Lake County Board of County Commissioners in Florida.

Miles Partnership has announced Najauna White, CMP, CDE® as Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She currently serves as Co-chair for Workforce Development with Destinations International and as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with MPI Carolinas Chapter. Prior to joining Miles, White served as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at The Diversity Movement, prior to which she was National Sales Manager at Discover Durham.

Jennifer Roy Wincey takes up a new position as Vice President, People & Culture at CrowdRiff. She joins from Miovision, where she led organizational strategy and development for six years.

Jennifer Griswold has been named Client Success Lead at Rove, joining from her role at Wyoming Office of Tourism as Research & Analytics Manager. Previous DMO roles were at Travel Nevada and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Griswold also serves on the board of directors of the Travel and Tourism Research Association and was the previous chair of the marketing and communications committee.

Stephanie Auslander has joined Destinations International as Advocacy and Data Coordinator. She has a varied background in the travel industry, including as a business travel consultant.

Jacqueline Barney is the new Vice President-Global Marketing for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. She has previously served in executive marketing roles with The Walt Disney Company, National Geographic, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line.

Rudy Webb has been named Chief Strategy Officer at Paradise Advertising & Marketing, Inc. as the company he joined in 2008 marks their 20th anniversary.

Nicole Brownell is the new Senior Vice President of Client Services, heading up a new division. She joined in 2021 following five years at Miles Partnership.

Brittany Lynn has joined Break the Ice Media as an Associate Consultant. She brings seven years of marketing and communications experience to BTI, previously serving in university and government roles. Based in Atlanta, she’s the agency’s first hire outside New York State.

R F P s

Visit SLO CAL, the destination marketing & management organization for San Luis Obispo, California, has issued a request for proposals for a qualified full-service public relations agency with tourism experience. The scope of work will be for a three year period beginning on or about July 1, 2022. Questions are due by 12 p.m. PT on Feb. 9, 2022. Proposals are due by March 4, 2022.

Visit-SLO-CAL-Request-for-Proposal-PR-final-1.22 Download

Wyoming Office of Tourism (closing March 1, 2022) — Seeking proposals for advertising agency of record for the Wyoming state marketing program. RFP is available on Public Purchase where the WY Advertising account is RFP #0148-G – Advertising (Public Purchase requires a free log-in/registration to access the RFP.)

Public Purchase link: Public Purchase: Bid Notification, Government bids, Reverse Auctions and Procurement Tools for Government Agencies

Alaska Travel Industry Association (closing 2/11/22 and 2/25/22)— Seeking proposals for three elements (Advertising, PR & Media Relations, Visitor Research) supporting the Alaska Tourism Marketing Program.

Hawaii Tourism Authority — Hawaii Tourism Brand Marketing & Management Services in the US Major Market Area (hawaiitourismauthority.org/rfps)

State of Hawaii Economic Development, & Tourism (closing 2/25/22) — A Research Project Related to Visitor and Resident Geolocation Tracking for July 2022 – June 2024.

J O B S

President & CEO — Visit Seattle, WA

President — Visit Overland Park, KS (new)

President & CEO — South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, Hammond, IN

Director AND Manager Sports Tourism AND Manager Tourism Marketing — Lake County Board of Commissioners, FL

Director — South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, TX

Executive Director — Discover New England, Portsmouth, NH

Executive Director — Visit Dana Point, CA

Chief Financial Officer AND National Sales Manager — Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH

Vice President Global Marketing — Destination Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Vice President of Tourism — Visit Denver, CO

Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion AND Sales Administrative Assistant — Meet Minneapolis, MN

Vice President Meeting Sales & Services — Visit Fort Worth, TX

Vice President — Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, TX

Vice President of Sales — Visit Greater Palm Springs, CA

Vice President Convention Sales AND Convention Sales Manager AND Social Media Manager — Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, FL

Vice President Convention Sales (new) AND Senior Manager of Marketing AND Social Media Manager — Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Lauderdale), FL

Associate Vice President Global Brand Marketing AND Brand Marketing Manager Global Media AND Manager International Marketing AND Brand Marketing Manager Partnerships AND Client Relations Director Central Coast AND Brand Marketing Coordinator AND Marketing Assistant AND IT Solutions Architect — Visit California

Senior Copy Director AND Senior Director of Product Management AND UX Design Lead AND Coordinator Member Programs & Services AND Convention Development Coordinator — NYC & Company

Director of Marketing AND Social Media Marketing Specialist — Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, MA

Director of Marketing AND Sales Manager — Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, AR

Director of Marketing AND Director of Sales — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA

Director of Marketing & Communications — Visit El Paso, TX

Senior Director of Convention Services — Destination Cleveland, OH

Senior Data Analyst — Destination BC, Canada

Business Insights Specialist — Destination Vancouver, Canada

Market Intelligence Officer — Lee County Convention & Visitors Bureau, FL

Director of Conventions & Entertainment — City of Kansas City, MO

Director Sales Citywide Conventions — Visit Houston, TX

Director of National Accounts — Visit Spokane, WA

National Sales Manager-Washington DC — Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Wash DC Metro

Director of National Accounts (mid-Atlantic office) — Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Wash DC

Destination Services Manager AND Content Marketing Manager — VisitLEX, KY (new)

CRM & Research Analyst AND Marketing Manager AND Marketing Project Manager AND Communications Manager AND Sales Coordinator — Visit Dallas, TX (new)

Social Media & Content Manager — Visit Savannah (new)

Social Media & Digital Content Specialist — Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, NC

Public Relations & Social Media Manager — Alpharetta CVB, GA

PR Manager — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, CA (new)

Public Relations Manager — Sonoma County Tourism, CA

Content Manager — Visit Santa Barbara, CA

Destination Events & Services Manager AND Sales & Tourism Coordinator — Visit Anaheim, CA

Events & Sales Manager — Visit Carson City, NV

Sales & Event Developer — Discover Monroe-West Monroe, LA

Sales Manager — Destin-Fort Walton Beach Florida, FL

Sales Manager — Greater Ontario Convention Center & Visitors Bureau, Canada

Sales Manager — Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau, GA

Sales Manager — Discover Dunwoody, GA (new)

Convention Sales Manager — Visit Visalia, CA

Content Marketing Strategist AND Sports Sales Manager AND Event Services Specialist — Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, MO

Manager of Marketing & Communications — Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, GA

Tourism Manager — City of College Station, TX (new)

Director of Sales — Silicon Valley DMO, CA (new)

Director Sales & Marketing — Weber County, Ogden, UT

Director of Tourism Strategy & Information AND Marketing Coordinator — Cobb Travel & Tourism, Inc., GA

Tourism Marketing Manager — Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, WI

Marketing Manager — Wisconsin Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, WI

Marketing Manager — Visit Allen, TX

Digital Marketing Manager — Colorado Tourism Office, CO

Digital Content Manager — Visit Wichita, KS

Tourism Marketing Manager — Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (new)

Marketing Manager — Destination Gettysburg, PA

Marketing Manager— Destination Panama City, FL

Marketing Manager — Visit Natchez, MS

Business Development Manager — Visit Carlsbad, CA

Business Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO

Market Intelligence Analyst — Fort Myers Islands Beaches & Neighborhoods, FL

Marketing Communications Manager — Explore Gwinnett, GA

Marketing Communications Specialist — Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Bureau, UT

Marketing & Communications Manager — City of Woodstock, IL

Content Manager AND Diversity & Life Sciences Coordinator — Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, PA

Digital Tourism Marketing Coordinator — Visit Big Sky, MT

Content and Public Relations Specialist — Visit South Walton, FL

Digital Content Creator — Visit Galveston, TX

Marketing & Communications Specialist — Washington County, IA

Digital Content Coordinator — Visit Mobile, AL

Social Media & Content Manager — Visit Savannah, GA

Social Media Coordinator — Experience Columbus, OH (new)

Destination Content Coordinator — Rowan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, NC (new)

Website Manager — Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, LA

Network & Systems Engineer — San Diego Tourism Authority, CA

Sales Manager — Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, IL (new)

Executive Meetings Manager AND Advertising Coordinator — Visit Denver, CO

Convention Sales Manager — Visit Visalia, CA

Sales Manager — Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau, GA

Executive Meetings Manager — Visit Denver, CO

Visitor Experience & Public Relations Coordinator – Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., TN (new)

Sports / Reunion Coordinator — Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB, NY

Sports Development Manager — Visit Sacramento Sports Commission, CA

Sports Marketing Coordinator — Savannah Sports Council/Visit Savannah, GA (new)

Events & Marketing Coordinator — Long Island City Partnership, NY

Visitor Information Specialist/Receptionist — Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH

Visitor Planner / Marketplace Coordinator — Explore Charleston, SC

Visitor Services Associate — Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Williamsburg, VA

Administrative Assistant — Visit Pensacola, FL

Director Member Engagement — U.S. Travel Association

Manager of Meetings & Events — Destinations International

Trade Relations Sales Manager West Coast AND Trade Relations Sales Manager East Coast AND Finance & Admin Manager USA AND Administrative Coordinator USA — South African Tourism, NYC

Digital Marketing Manager — German National Tourist Board, NYC

Account Executive Trade Sales (German National Tourist Office) — MMGY Global, Culver City, CA

Vice President of Global Sales — ConferenceDirect, remote (new)

President & CEO — HospitalityTN, Nashville

Director of Sales — Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV (new)

Sales Manager — SeaGate Convention Centre, Toledo, OH

VP of Marketing — CrowdRiff, Toronto

Director, DEI and Corporate Communications — MMGY Global, Kansas City, MO (hybrid)

Creative Copywriter AND Senior UI Web Designer AND Account Coordinator AND PR/Content Coordinator AND Social Media Coordinator AND more — Relic Advertising + EKR, Provo UT

Senior Data Advisor AND Data Analyst AND Dev/Ops Manager AND Product Manager AND Product Designer AND Data Scientist AND Data Engineer — Zartico, remote

Content Manager AND Account Coordinator AND Account Coordinator AND Advertising & Data Manager AND Media Coordinator AND Senior Developer-Drupal, Classic & Decoupled AND Account Manager (new) — Miles Partnership (remote and/or on-site)

Designer Social Media & Creative Agency (x2 in Atlanta & Miami) AND Senior Marketing Manager AND Senior Social Media Planner/Buyer (Portland, OR) AND Senior Social Media Planner / Buyer (Atlanta) AND Senior Social Media Strategist/Creative Agency — Sparkloft Media

Consumer Insights Manager — Merlin Entertainments, Orlando, FL

Senior eMail Marketing Manager — Hornblower Group, NYC

Associate Vice President of Marketing — The Philadelphia Orchestra, PA

Account Manager — Pineapple PR, Atlanta, GA

Marketing Coordinator — Advance Travel & Tourism, Birmingham, AL

Project Manager — Bellweather Agency, NYC

Social Media Coordinator — Paradise Advertising & Marketing, remote

People Operations Partner — Streetsense (new)

Industry Events Marketing Manager — Twilio, remote (new)

Business Development Associate — Travel Age West/Northstar Travel Group, Los Angeles (new)

Marketing and Social Media Specialist — Minnesota State Fair

Associate Director of Marketing & Promotions — New England Aquarium, Boston, MA

People, Podcast, RFPs and Jobs

January 24, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

PEOPLE

Visit Philadelphia has announced the launch of a search for a new president & CEO, working with Diversified Search Group.

Jeff Guaracino, 48, died last month (The Travel Vertical, 1/4/22) after a battle with cancer. In tribute, the flags at Philadelphia’s City Hall were lowered in his honor on the day of his memorial service.

Jill Boggs has been appointed President & CEO of Visit Fort Wayne (IN) effective Feb. 14. She had been CEO of Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which she joined in 2015.

Judy Young is the new Executive Director for Coastal Mississippi. She joins from the New Braunfels (TX) Chamber of Commerce where she has been serving as Vice President at the organization she joined in 2010.

Oleg Nakonechny joins Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau as Director, Client Services based in Honolulu. He was with San Francisco Travel Association for 12 years through 2020, most recently as Director Convention Services.

North Lake Tahoe Resort Association has announced Tony Karwowski as its new CEO. A 20-year resident of the North Lake Tahoe region, for the past five years he has been on the leadership team at Northstar California Resort, serving as director of base area operations.

Chris Jennings has resigned his post as executive director of Discover New England. The board of directors is conducting a nationwide search for a new director while Maine-based Marshall Communications, a contractor for the organization since 2013, ”will keep the lights on.”

Jennings was selected for the position in March 2020. Previously, he was with Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau for more than a decade and served as president of Connecticut’s Mystic Coast & Country Travel Industry Association, as well as having had previous roles as the state tourism director of Missouri and New Hampshire.

Emily Scheiderer has joined Destinations International in a newly created role as Director of Education, Convention Sales and Services. She departs Visit Indy where she had been employed since 2013, most recently as Senior Sales Manager of Business Development and Customer Engagement.

Shannon Lowery departs her role as Content & Social Media Manager after 4.5 years with Visit Savannah. She is joining Hermann Global to work in content management.

Nika Jalali starts off the new year as Director of Business Strategy at Datafy. She joins from an executive role at Merlin Entertainments and had previously been with Santa Monica Travel & Tourism as Senior Manager Global Business Development. Jalali recently served as a board member at Visit Carlsbad.

Ben Garcia has been named as the Executive Director of the new L.B.G.T.Q.+ Museum in New York City, opening in 2024. It will share space with the New York Historical Society on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Bermuda Tourism Authority has appointed Amy Moynihan as Director of Global Communications & Partnerships based out of the NYC office. A brand communications executive with 25 years of experience managing and promoting world-class brands such as Disney Cruise Lines and Universal Studios.

PODCAST

There’s so much to talk about!

Episode #20 of The Travel Vertical Podcast with is out on Wed., Jan. 26 at 7 a.m. ET. Click here to listen and hear about our upcoming guests, too.

RFPs

(new) State of Hawaii Economic Development, & Tourism (closing 2/25/22) — A Research Project Related to Visitor and Resident Geolocation Tracking for July 2022 – June 2024

JOBS

Here’s the drill:
1) See new job listings below and find hundreds more in last week’s listings here.
2) Send us your job openings, closings, and people news updates.
3) This is a free service from eTourism Summit and Connect Travel, so please share widely.

President & CEO — South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, Hammond, IN

Vice President Global Marketing — Discover Vancouver, BC

Vice President of Business Administration-Regional Tourism — Tulsa Regional Chamber, OK

Senior Director of Product Management — NYC & Company

Senior Manager of Marketing — Broward County / Visit Lauderdale, FL

Marketing Director AND Sales Director AND Human Resources Director — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA

Digital Marketing Manager — Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

Marketing Manager — Visit Dallas, TX

Marketing Manager — Visit Natchez, MS

Marketing Manager — Destination Gettysburg, PA

Content Manager AND Diversity & Life Sciences Coordinator — Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, PA

Tourism & Partnership Marketing Manager — Visit Anaheim, CA

Business Development Manager — Visit Carlsbad, CA

Market Intelligence Analyst — Fort Myers Islands Beaches & Neighborhoods, FL

Research Analyst — Georgia Department of Economic Development

National Sales Manager — Cincinnati USA CVB, OH

Director of Sales — Meet Chicago Northwest, IL

Sports Development Manager — Visit Sacramento Sports Commission, CA

Sports Sales Manager AND Event Services Specialist — Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, MO

Communications Coordinator — New Orleans & Company, LA

Sports Marketing Coordinator — Savannah Sports Council, GA

Digital Content Creator — Visit Mobile, AL

Digital Content Creator — Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, OK

Advertising Coordinator — Visit Denver, CO

Social Media & Digital Content Specialist — Jackson County Tourism Development, NC

Website Manager — Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, LA

Sales and Event Developer — Discover Monroe-West Monroe, LA

Senior Director of Tourism Strategy & Information AND Marketing Coordinator — Cobb Travel & Tourism, GA

Public Relations & Social Media Manager— Alpharetta CVB, Alpharetta, GA

Communications & Marketing Coordinator — Hopewell/Prince George Chamber of Commerce, VA

Executive Director— FestivALL, Charleston, WV (deadline: 1/31/2022)

Director of Marketing & Communications — Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, MD

Accounting Manager — Visit Norfolk, VA

Trade Relations Sales Manager West Coast AND Trade Relations Sales Manager East Coast AND Finance & Admin Manager USA AND Administrative Coordinator USA — South African Tourism, NYC

Director Paid Social Marketing — Expedia Group, San Francisco, CA

Dev/Ops Manager — Zartico, remote

Client Success Specialist — Bandwango, UT

Account Coordinators AND Administrative Assistants AND Social Media Coordinators AND Copywriters — Relic Advertising + EKR, Provo, UT

Consumer Insights Manager — Merlin Entertainments, Orlando, FL

Senior eMail Marketing Manager — Hornblower Group, NYC

Associate Vice President of Marketing — The Philadelphia Orchestra, PA

Account Manager — Pineapple PR, Atlanta, GA

Public Relations Senior Account Executive — The Brandman Agency, Los Angeles, CA

Supply Project Manager — GetYourGuide, San Francisco, CA

Mardi Gras Mystery, Montgomery Black History & More DMO Content

January 18, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

NEW ORLEANS, LA — New Orleans & Company answers the question you’ve always wanted to ask: How do I know when Mardi Gras is?

“Nothing about Mardi Gras is predictable. The only thing you can count on for sure with Carnival is that Fat Tuesday will fall on, well, a Tuesday. That’s because the date of Easter is tied to the moon (it’s always the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the spring equinox) and Mardi Gras is tied to Easter. Because Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 23 and April 25, and Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter, Zulu and Rex can roll on any Tuesday between February 3 through March 9.

While Carnival season officially begins on Jan. 6 or Twelfth Night, most parades don’t start until a few weeks before Mardi Gras Day.”

This year, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

For the upcoming parade schedule, click here.

The weather? Equally unpredictable. New Orleans & Company says it can be shorts and T-shirt weather in early February or cold enough to call for a coat in March.

Montgomery Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama — (photo via Experience Montgomery)

MONTGOMERY, AL — Experience Montgomery has launched “The Journey Starts Here,” its new campaign ahead of Black History Month with the aim of promoting the city as the birthplace of the civil rights movement.

To draw visitors through self-guided digital storytelling, there are place markers across the city featuring quotes from famous civil rights activists along with QR codes linking to a website about the location and suggestions of what to visit next. Subject-specific trails, both digital and physical, will create paths of interest on sidewalks.

The newly relocated Montgomery Visitor Center is now at One Court Square, a base for the new City Ambassador Program, through which locals provide insights into the area’s historical landmarks, such as the Freedom Rides Museum and the Rosa Parks Bus Stop.

“Montgomery’s story as the birthplace of the civil rights movement resonates with the world,” said Executive Director Ashley Jernigan. “As people continue to seek purposeful and meaningful travel experiences, Montgomery continues to deliver thought-provoking cultural and civil rights experiences that remind us of how far we have come and inspire us to continue fighting for change. With this campaign, education and inspiration have never been more accessible to Montgomery visitors, as they can now interact with the sites of some of our country’s most profound events.”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A new system will allow travelers to purchase “all-in-one” mobile tickets for admission into attractions in different areas of Alabama.

“The message to consumers is that they can spend less and do more in Alabama with the ‘All-in-One Ticket,’” Grey Brennan, deputy director of the Alabama Tourism Department, said in a statement.

Six packages will be available, one each for Huntsville and north Alabama; the Shoals area of northwest Alabama; the Birmingham attraction ticket; the Birmingham family fun ticket; the Montgomery attraction ticket; and the Montgomery, Selma and Tuskegee attraction ticket.

Ticket packages range from one to three days, and the most expensive option is $90 for visiting multiple attractions in Huntsville and north Alabama over five days, the ticket website shows.

SEATTLE, WA– State of Washington Tourism (SWT), previously known as the Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA), has launched a refreshed brand and tourism marketing program this month.

“The State of Washington” will replace Experience WA as the consumer facing brand, and a complementary industry identity, State of Washington Tourism, will align public and industry facing programs. The rebrand includes new logos, colors and fonts along with a modernized inspirational travel website, seen here.

Along with the brand comes a new consumer campaign, “#TrueToNature,” now running in select markets throughout Washington and multiple states across the western US. The primary goal of the “#TrueToNature” campaign is to drive travel to Washington by increasing awareness of the state’s visitor offerings and moving travelers to consider booking.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit OKC) has introduced The Modern Frontier Attraction Pass, a new, free digital passport aimed at guiding visitors to top attractions while earning prizes and taking advantage of discounts.

“From museums to street art to urban parks, this free mobile passport will guide you to the best attractions in OKC,” said Zac Craig, president of Visit OKC. “We’ve made it easier than ever to find things to do around the city, take advantage of special offers and even earn exclusive Modern Frontier prizes.”

Participants can sign up at visitokc.com/attractionspass, providing their name, email and mobile phone number. A link sent to their mobile phone opens the passport; no download is necessary.

At 20+ attractions, visitors present the phone to redeem discounts and check in to start earning prizes.Three check-ins earns a free sticker; eight gets a Modern Frontier illustrated print; and 20 attractions wins an exclusive OKC tote. Prizes are mailed to visitors after each goal is unlocked.

NAPA VALLEY, CA — Look what they’re selling at the downtown Napa Valley Welcome Center operated by Visit Napa Valley.

It’s a colorful Napa jigsaw puzzle painted and produced by local artists and educators Sandra Cassayre and Susie Locarnini that retails at around $35 for 500 pieces (and is selling out).

Napa Valley Register reports, “The puzzle features a number of popular Napa destinations and landmarks such as Robert Mondavi Winery, the Napa Valley Wine Train and Silverado Resort. But it also features some of Cassayre’s and Locarnini’s favorite local spots such as Butter Cream Bakery, Genova Deli, and local taco trucks.

Steal This Idea? Tip: The creators asked each business for permission to be included in the puzzle.

Destination Spotlights: NYC, Visit Florida, Visit Seattle, Boston Meetings, and North Dakota Tourism

January 11, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Broadway, NYC — Following 18 months closed due to the pandemic, some Broadway shows are now suffering Omicron-related illnesses among cast members, prompting cancellations and even dark houses as a result.

But, wow…talk about clever digital promotion that’s fully organic. In show after show, this idea turns every member of the audience into a social media influencer. During a curtain call, the cast of “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” appeal to audiences during to spread the word that #BroadwayIsOpen.

“Get your phones out,” booms Michael James Scott, who plays the Genie.

ABC-TV reports, “Few industries were hit harder than live entertainment and particularly Broadway…and the new push is part of an effort to spread the word on social media with the hashtag #BroadwayIsOpen.”

“It was really for us to make sure that the word about Broadway still being open was loud and clear,” Scott said.

Watch the ABC-TV news report here.

You’ve heard of Restaurant Week taking place in low season in many destinations, right?

NYC & Company has launched the first-ever NYC Hotel Week and it’s actually longer than one week. The branding fits right in with longstanding “weeks” during January and February for restaurants, theaters, and must-see things to do. From Jan. 4 through Feb. 13, some 110 hotels across all five boroughs offer 22% discounts off regular room rates.

Visit Florida is sending invitations out to millions of people across the USA in the form of new TV ads. Because international visits still lag, the focus is on domestic travelers.

Local news WESH-TV reports, “The opening scene is New Smyrna Beach. It’s the first image people across the country are seeing in one of four ads airing this week from Visit Florida. They target families, couples and most of all, Florida’s great outdoors. It’s part of a new campaign to lure people up north to plan vacations to the sunshine state this year.”

Visit Florida CEO Dana Young said, ““We don’t make projections but things are looking really strong,” Through mid-December, hotel bookings were up 14% over 2019 and out-of-state road trips primarily aimed at theme parks and beaches were up 10%.

“Based on what we’ve seen, and the pent-up demand and the tremendous consumer enthusiasm for Florida, I think that 2022 is going to be a great year, particularly if we can get our international visitors back,” Young said.

Will the Miami Beach Convention Center be renamed Norwegian Cruise Line Center at Miami Beach? The world’s third-largest cruise company is looking at gaining naming rights for 10 years at a reported price tag of $11.75 million. A vote by the city commission and approval by the mayor are the next steps, expected in this Q1 of 2022.

North Dakota Department of Commerce Division of Tourism and Marketing and Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman announced the launch of a newly enhanced website, NDtourism.com.

A key enhancement is an improved partner access portal updated with new features and better integration for industry partners. The state tourism department held a training session for partners earlier this month , including information for how attraction and recreation providers, event planners, and accommodation providers can get their experiences listed for free on NDtourism.com.

NDtourism.com hosted 2,155,110 visits and provided 281,712 referrals to partner sites in 2021. The site traffic grew 26% in 2021 on top of a 52% increase in 2020.

*Martha Sheridan, president & CEO, Greater Boston CVB*

Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched the #MeetSafeinBoston campaign.

“As a destination that hosts a multitude of medical and health care events, where world-class research hospitals interact with renowned universities and an unparalleled life sciences ecosystem, it is only fitting Boston would pioneer innovative methods to create and communicate safety protocols around meetings. Surveys find that the vast majority of business travelers are vaccinated, adding an effective layer of safety to professional meetings and events.”

Visit Seattle and Airbnb announced the launch of a new collaborative marketing campaign that highlights a curated list of local businesses, unique stays and outdoor Experiences to promote local travel. “Rediscover Seattle” uses social media and an email campaign to target potential travelers across Washington State.

For example, travelers will be encouraged to taste their way through the flavors of Kent Food Trails, take a drive to Woodinville’s wineries and four distinct districts, and explore the natural beauty of Snoqualmie’s waterfalls and scenic hiking trails.

Last week’s press release quotes Ali Daniels, CMO at Visit Seattle (left) and Ayisha Irfan, Airbnb Public Policy Manager – West Coast (right).

Wait Wait…Tell Me! 32 Quick, Current Things.

November 23, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Have we got news for you! Roundup: Places; industry news; search, social media, traditional media updates; Europe happenings; plus recovery and jobs. Does your news belong here? Drop a note to laurie@thetravelvertical.com.

PLACES

1. New York City — One climate change idea is to build a wall of oyster shells to fend off floods. So far, the nonprofit Billon Oyster Project has collected 1.8 million pounds of discarded oyster shells from restaurants around New York City. The goal is to establish a wall in New York Harbor to aid in rebuilding massive undersea reefs that protected the city’s coastline before the region’s oyster population was decimated at the turn of the 20th century.

2. Verde Valley, Ariz. — After six years of study, The US Treasury Department has named Arizona’s Verde Valley an American Viticultural Area (AVA), elevating the Valley’s $56 million wine industry into the official status that’s granted to geographical areas within Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and other well-known wine-producing regions.

3. Monterey Bay — Western Monarch butterflies have returned to their winter home in the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges State Park near Santa Cruz. And in Pacific Grove near Monterey, known as “Butterfly Town USA” because the fluttering population used to reach one million-plus, the Monarch count reached 50,000 this month following a count of zero last year.

4. Tampa — Hillsborough County, Florida closed its fiscal year by collecting $36.9 million in tourist taxes, beating the pre-pandemic 2019 record year of $35.4 million. Santiago C. Corrada, president & CEO of Visit Tampa, noted nearly 2,500 additional hotel rooms have opened in the county since 2019.

5. Nashville — Dealing with noise issues related to party buses, local news indicates that Nashville may be next on a brand refresh. “The stage appears to be set for the city’s tourism leaders to embark on a long-term strategic plan,” reports Axios. President & CEO of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation Butch Spyridon told the media outlet that music should remain the foundation of Nashville’s tourism strategy from a marketing perspective, as well as the growing culinary, fashion, and arts scene.

6. Kissimmee — Peppa Pig theme park, inspired by the children’s TV show, opens Feb 24, 2022, located roughly one hour from Disney World. The park will be registered as a Certified Autism Center and feature wheelchair accessible attractions.

7. Orlando — Alexa, launch Visit Orlando! Tripadvisor and Visit Orlando have partnered to create a fully immersive audio tourism experience using Amazon’s Alexa voice technology.

8. Los Angeles — So long, Staples Center. Welcome, Crypto.com Arena. It’s a naming rights deal for the downtown LA venue that’s said to be worth more than $700 million over 20 years. The deal follows the rebranding of American Airlines Arena to FTX Arena, named after another cryptocurrency exchange.

9. Silicon Valley — At their giant spaceship-inspired Cupertino, California headquarters, Apple has pushed back their return-to-office date to February 1, 2022. Some medical experts say the decision around a mid-winter date is baffling, and suggest a spring return would be safer.

INDUSTRY NEWS

10. Victoria, BC — Destination Greater Victoria is moving the office to realize a savings of $1.2 million in overhead for the lease term and rightsizing into a leaner, carbon efficient, purpose-built for hybrid work environment.

11. Mississippi —Lou Hammond Group has been selected by the State of Mississippi as public relations agency of record for tourism. Founded in 1984, LHG represents premium travel and hospitality brands, headquartered in New York with offices in Charleston, Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and Tampa.

12. Las Vegas — The Wedding Capital of the World has a new wedding campaign, “Forever Happens Here.” The city will mark the five-millionth wedding license next year, to include giveaways and activations. The campaign is a partnership between the Clark County Clerk, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority and the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber of Commerce. VisitLasVegas.com/weddings.

13. Carlsbad — The Southern California destination has chosen 62ABOVE, a creative digital branding agency out of San Diego, as their new agency for the Visit Carlsbad spring campaign.

14. American Airlines + JetBlue — The two carriers have a partnership called Northeast Alliance to better compete against Delta and United, two of the dominant airlines in this hotly contested region. Passengers get reciprocal elite perks: check-in, boarding, and baggage benefits plus an inter-terminal bus service at JFK. Note: In September, the Department of Justice filed an anti-trust challenge.

15. Marriott International — In response to a Pennsylvania Consumer Protection law suit, the world’s largest hotel group has moved to include resort fees in the room rate, providing transparency by displaying all additional fees on the first page of its booking site. Marriott has nine months to implement the agreed-upon changes, which will be effective nationwide.

16. MGM Resorts — If these walls could talk…With an assist from auctioneers at Sotheby’s, the hotel group raised $109 million by selling off 11 works of art by Pablo Picasso in 45 minutes. The paintings had been on display at Bellagio’s Picasso restaurant where they were acquired in 2000 as part of the Mirage purchase from Steve Wynn.

EUROPE

As a new Coronavirus wave sweeps across Europe, rises in infections are prompting governments to cut off tourism and tighten restrictions.

17. Austria — On Nov. 22, 2021, Austria re-entered a full 20-day lockdown closing closing hotels, restaurants, sights, and attractions for all visitors and residents regardless of vaccination status. Around 65% of the country’s population is vaccinated; from Feb. 1, 2022, vaccines become mandatory. Slovakia has just followed in lockdown.

18. Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium — These countries have enacted partial lockdowns and other safety measures in response to rapidly rising Covid infections. Germany has indicated it may follow Austria’s lead.

19. Portugal — As more people work from home, an emphasis on work-life balance bans bosses from texting staff after hours, facing fines for doing so in companies of more than 10 employees. Also, parents will be allowed to work at home indefinitely without seeking prior approval from their employers up until their child turns eight.

MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, SEARCH

20. Meredith — Dotdash, a New York media company, is buying Meredith, the publisher that owns magazine titles including People, Martha Stewart, Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, for $2.7 billion. The new company will be known as Dotdash Meredith.

21. “Industry Insider” — A newly revamped weekly newsletter from U.S. Travel Association will cover legislative matters, forecasts, relief resources, Coronavirus updates.

22. Instagram — Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, explains that you can ‘rage shake’ your phone to report an Instagram problem. a new feature (copied from Snapchat) that lets users shake their phones while the app is open to prompt a pop-up screen that asks, “Did something go wrong?”

More Instagram — The platform is shutting down Threads, its standalone DM service, at year-end. The move is aimed at consolidating Meta’s messaging platforms, including Messenger and WhatsApp. Instagram is launching a new subscription to support creators. “Exclusive Stories,” will be available only to those who pay for them.

23. Twitter — This year, Twitter announced a similar feature called Super Follow, which lets creators offer exclusive content to subscribers. Other platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, and YouTube have been working on subscriptions.

24. Snapchat — New products: Layers allows Snapchat users to add data to their maps. Explore lets them see public photos and videos at locations, submitted by other Snapchat users. Snap Map shows people where their connections are located. With Memories, users can view their past Snapchats posted from particular locations.

25. Google — John Mueller, Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst, has confirmed that using bold fonts for important pieces of text in a paragraph can add value to content by improving the SEO and make the webpage content easier for Google to understand. Tip: It’s worthless to bold the whole page.

26. YouTube — The platform is removing thumbs down “dislike” counts from public view which it says will diminish the button’s negative impact on content creators. The number of “dislikes” on a video will only be visible to its creator, in this move that’s drawing mixed reactions.

27. Facebook — Oops, Meta. Anyway, this is their first ad. Anyone who gets it should please, please explain.

https://youtu.be/G2W9YVkkn9U

RECOVERY & JOBS

28. Survey — The 50th wave of Longwood International’s pandemic-era surveys indicates a new travel consideration for families. “The battle between the coronavirus and vaccinations is constantly evolving, with the latest wrinkle being the vaccination status of children,” said Amir Eylon, president & CEO. Visit longwoods-intl.com/covid-19.

29. Restaurants — “Eating out” has taken on a new meaning. The National Restaurant Association is urging The U.S. Conference of Mayors to support outdoor dining and to speed up the permit process for restaurant owners. Recent studies show that indoor dining has dropped 78% due to the Delta variant.

30. Canada — The Canadian government moves to no longer require proof of a negative COVID-19 test for its residents before crossing back into Canada after short stays of 72 hours or less. Although the U.S. opened its border to Canadian travelers on Nov. 8, the requirement of a negative test to return was a roadblock to fully open borders.

31. Forecasts — U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics released a biannual forecast showing uneven recovery. It projects that domestic leisure travel will drive recovery in the near term, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Domestic business travel spending is expected to reach 76% of 2019 levels in 2022 with full recovery not before 2024. International inbound travel spending is forecast to reach 72% of 2019 levels in 2022 with full recovery by 2025. For the press release, click here and to view U.S. Travel’s forecast table, click here.

32. Jobs — While the leisure & hospitality industry has added 2.4 million jobs through the first 10 months of 2021, this continues to be the worst performing major sector since the onset of the pandemic.

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