Atlanta,
GA – November 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / In less than 20 days, a record
number of international tour operator buyers and select journalists from
17 countries around the globe will connect with southern destinations,
hotels, attractions and shopping venues in The Big Easy for the 3rd Annual
Travel
South USA International Showcase. Registration has exceeded previous
years with a 35% increase in attendance over 2013. Set for December 1-4,
2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the show will host tour operators and
travel trade journalists from Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, Denmark,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa,
Switzerland, UAE, and the United Kingdom, as well as prominent US based
receptive operators. More than 275 southern suppliers have partnered in
smart marketing strategies to present itineraries with new themes to grow
leisure and MICE travel to the Travel
South USA region of 12 states.
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According
to Louisiana Office of Tourism Assistant Secretary Kyle Edmiston, the state
is thrilled to host the largest ever Travel South USA International Showcase
delegation. “The passion of Louisiana will shine as our state tourism office
and statewide partners roll out the red carpet to show off the vibrant
state of Louisiana, and the South as a whole, to a record number of international
buyers,” he said. One of the nation’s most supportive state tourism proponents,
Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne, is scheduled to speak at breakfast
on Tuesday morning, December 2nd.
This
three day program is focused exclusively on selling southern destinations
and offers educational workshops, global partner meetings and over 7,000+
pre-scheduled business appointments combined with outstanding entertainment,
city tours, and evening events. Meal functions are considered the premier
marketing opportunity to “showcase” the rich music, food, culture, history
and hospitality of the South. This year’s line of talented entertainment
offerings includes Smitty Dee’s Louisiana Brass Band, Al “Lil Fats” Jackson
sharing the Rhythms of the South, and the Blues Alley Revue with Raphael
Semmes and the Mississippi Blues Orchestra. A special Kentucky Bourbon
Reception will feature Maker’s Mark.
Advance
planning is already underway for Travel South USA’s 2015 International
Showcase to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, November 30 – December
3, 2015.
About
Travel South USA
Travel
South USA is America’s oldest and largest regional travel promotion organization,
formed in 1965 by resolution presented at the Southern Governor’s Conference.
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 for travel industry information, www.TravelSouthUSA.org.
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Contact:
Sam
Lacy
Digital
Marketing Manager
Travel
South USA
404-231-1790
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Travel
South USA: Facebook
/ Twitter / YouTube
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