As the US prepares to celebrate 100 years of travellers getting their kicks on Route 66, Brand USA is encouraging visitors to embrace the thrill of an American road trip.
Last month it brought The Great USA Road Trip to the UK and Ireland, training agents on itineraries around the US. Nine partners helped to bring some of the highlights to life too. These included headline sponsor United Airlines and a range of destinations: Visit California; Discover Flagstaff; Grapevine Texas; Illinois Office of Tourism; Greater Miami Convention & Visitor Bureau; Visit Pasadena; Visit Salt Lake; Visit Springfield, MO and Travel Texas.
Gold Medal sales consultant, Josephine Lucht, was among the attendees. Having joined last year’s MegaFam on the Western Delights itinerary, she explored San Diego, Twentynine Palms and Scottsdale, Arizona with a finale in Chicago.
Lucht says: “My personal highlight was Scottsdale. You hear of Phoenix but not the surrounding area. Scottsdale felt very safe and the people were so friendly. There were lots of fun excursions too such as e-biking through the desert and our guide told us about the cholla cactuses that jump on you! Now it’s generating more and more interest and we are sending more customers there.”
New insights
As well as discovering new destinations, Lucht explains that going on the MegaFam has impacted the way she sells destinations.
“I was able to put things into proportion. In San Diego, for example, I got to grips with where everything is and how easily you can get around. The Sheraton hotel we stayed in was close to the airport and the marina. Now I know you can easily get to Downtown from there, it is a great location and it can help bring the price down as well,” she asserts.
Lucht also notes how she has been able to sell golfing holidays to Scottsdale – reassuring customers about the reliable weather and varied additional activities.
Since attending the trip she has made at least 20 bookings to the areas she visited – to San Diego in particular.
Off the beaten track
Lucht says her bestselling road trip is Route 66 but, more recently, she has seen an increase in people wanting to do the national parks and opting for Californian itineraries.
She says: “In California you can cover lots of different landscapes in a short time, take in versatile locations and visit great cities such as Los Angeles, but also spend time in nature.”
For those keen to get off the beaten track she highlights Texas, combining San Antonio, Houston and Dallas, possibly adding a ranch stay if budgets allow. Lucht adds that Texas can be a great option for those on tighter budgets as, with plenty of accommodation contracts in the big cities, pricing is usually keen.
Having lived in Louisiana for a stint, Lucht has a personal affinity with the South: “I really recommend Louisiana – the food is amazing. People tend to do a couple of nights in New Orleans and that’s it, but it’s such a great place. You can easily add it to a Texas road trip too.”
Use the tools
Having attended Brand USA’s The Great USA Road Trip, Lucht says she picked up some great insights into lesser-known destinations such as Springfield, Missouri.
She adds that the Brand USA trade website is a great resource for agents keen to grow their sales of US road trips and develop their knowledge.
“The website and the USA Discovery Program have lots of tools so you can learn about different areas. If you want to sell more road trips it is more beneficial to use those tools to find different areas and see what fits your client. Then build a road trip around it – you can really create a road trip itinerary anywhere in the US.”
Read more: With the centenary of Route 66 marked next year, Travel Counsellor Jodi Kerr shares her top tips for selling the iconic highway.
Want to sell more US road trips? Find these tips and tools at traveltrade.visittheusa.co.uk and explore ready-to-go road trip itineraries here.
