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Travel South USA
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Bourbon, Blues and BBQ
Travel South USA 2017 Sales Mission
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Atlanta, GA – June 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / Travel South USA (TSUSA) will embark on its 2017 International Sales Mission in New Zealand and Australia from June 19–23. Twenty-seven delegates from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee are traveling down under to participate in workshops and B2B meetings in Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney. Partners from Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, New Orleans, Memphis, Tupelo, Graceland, Ryman Entertainment & Country Music Hall of Fame will also be on hand. This enthusiastic team will share the music, food, and culture of the South with high-value travel industry agents, tour operators, and media. We understand travel professionals are key to continuing to grow our market share.

“We are thrilled to be back in Australia and adding a stop in New Zealand,” said Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Tourism and current International Committee Chair for Travel South USA. “Overall visitation and spending to the South have far outpaced other regions of the USA from Oceania, and the length of stay of visitors allows time to drive and experience many of the small towns throughout the south. In 2015, the region hosted approximately 250,000 Oceania visitors, a 51% increase – and once 2016 numbers are finalized, we anticipate another double-digit increase. Three years ago, the Travel South USA Board of Directors saw tremendous opportunities for operators to create more self-drive and niche tour packages and we have invested in the market. This year we posted an 112% increase in southern itineraries and self-drive packages available in top 25 tour wholesalers and online travel companies, and with more airline flights, Australians & New Zealanders continue to discover our region. A delegation of this size just validates that opportunity for growth.”

The mission named Bourbon, Blues & BBQ will feature Kentucky’s Wild Turkey Bourbon, a concert-style program featuring a talented singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee and BBQ cooking demonstrations from a Memphis-based Pitmaster.

Damien Horne will be onstage in the three cities for a 45-minute concert tempting the audience with songs and stories of the South. “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to share the Southern story of the states with our Aussie / Kiwi friends through music! I have a strong feeling that we both speak the language of southern music fluently!”

Bringing Memphis style BBQ and ribs to the top wholesalers in Sydney is the award-winning Pitmaster of Memphis Corky’s BBQ, Amir Abdolhosseinzadeh and co-owner Barry Pelts. Twenty operators will watch, learn and participate in a hands-on cooking school experience. Corky’s BBQ sauces and rubs are world-renowned, and hickory and charcoal slow roasting style deliver melt in your mouth meals.

The New Zealand and Australia Sales Mission will visit Auckland on Monday, June 19; Brisbane Tuesday, June 20; followed by Sydney on Wednesday, June 21 and Thursday, June 22. Gate 7 Australia, the Brand USA agency of record is producing the mission for Travel South USA.

For more information about Travel South USA visit www.TravelSouthUSA.com or email Angelica@TravelSouthUSA.com.

About Travel South USA
Travel South USA is America’s oldest and largest regional travel promotion organization, formed in 1965. The long-standing regional collaboration of the state tourism offices of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia provides a foundation to positively position tourism as a vital and dynamic element in the region’s economic development. Tourism ranks throughout the region as one of the top three industries, behind manufacturing and agriculture, and is responsible for $133 billion in spending by visitors, generating 1.4 million direct jobs, $30 billion in worker paychecks, and almost $16 billion in state and local taxes. For more information, visit www.TravelSouthUSA.com for consumer information and travel industry information, www.TravelSouthUSA.org.
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Contact:
Angelica De Stefano
Coordinator, Event Marketing
& Communication
Travel South USA
404-231-1790
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Travel South USA: Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
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Travel South USA is the official regional marketing organization for the Southern United States and its mission is to promote, foster, and encourage travel to and within the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Travel South USA
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Publishing Dates: 06/13/17 – 08/13/17
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