TIA Offers Top 10 American Treasure Spots, Sweeps
The Travel Industry Association is giving travel planners a big boost when it comes to top spots consumers have on their wish list to visit. The Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty are among the top frontrunners, according to a national survey by the Travel Industry Association, which asked consumers to name top American sites.
The list, released in April, shows an appreciation by consumers for the nation’s natural and historic sites, said Betsy O’Rourke, senior VP- marketing for the Travel Industry Association. The list is as follows:
1. The Grand Canyon
2. The Statue of Liberty
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. The White House and monuments of Washington, DC
5. Niagara Falls
6. The Hawaiian Islands
7. Mount Rushmore
8. The Redwood Forest
9. The Glaciers and the fjords of Alaska
10. The Rocky Mountains
“These are icons of America,” O’Rourke said. “These are the places that most represent the United States. What we thought was so interesting was that so many were outdoor icons.”
The survey, conducted March 28-31, was based on a sample of 2,681 U.S. adults 18 and older. The results have a margin of error or +/-3%.
The results support the TIA’s new See America’s Treasures campaign, which gives consumers a new way to find information about the country. The site at SeeAmerica.org offers maps for cities and states, driving directions, itineraries and a search engine that brings consumers to the destination of their choice via the Internet.
Consumers can also play the online See America’s Treasures Game to sharpen their trivia and learn more about the country. Categories include American cities, amusement parks, historical sites, scenic byways, famous places and national parks.
The TIA developed the SeeAmerica.org Web site in November 2000, but re-launched the site last month, adding links to state pages with a common navigation system. The goal of the site is to incent Americans and international travelers to “explore the breadth and depth” of travel products in the U.S., O’Rourke said.
To entice consumers to use the Web site, the TIA is sponsoring an online sweepstakes offering consumers a chance to win one of six vacations valued up to $10,000. The grand-prize trips include overnight stays in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, New York and Boston, the Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls, Hollywood and Orlando, FL, with tickets to theme parks and a cruise in Alaska.
Consumers can enter the SeeAmerica.org sweepstakes by registering on SeeAmerica.org. Once registered, players can select from one of 11 categories to play the online trivia game. After answering the three questions, consumers will be automatically entered in the sweepstakes.
“It’s Jeopardy meets Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” O’Rourke said. “It gives people an opportunity to learn about a lot of different places we think are of interest to travelers.”
“As you play the game you have opportunity to see America, to explore a lot of different places you might not have known about,” she added. “We hope to engage you and get you to consider going to [a destination].”
The sweepstakes is open to consumers 25 and older and runs through July 31. Six grand-prize winners will be drawn at random on Aug. 3. Don Jagoda Associates, Inc. of Melville, NY, administers. Print ads, p.r. and Internet materials support.
