Page 36 - 364655 LP243790A Travel Matters Magazine 52pp A4 (July 2022)

USA
ESCORTED TOURS WITH TITAN
Now travellers no longer need to provide a negative COVID test before flying to North America, Titan are hoping to see a spike in bookings for holidays across the pond.
Launched back in 􏰂􏰄􏰅􏰄, Titan’s ‘California and the Golden West’ tour remains its flagship USA tour and most popular choice for first-time Titan travellers. This 􏰂􏰆-day itinerary includes plenty of attractions, from the natural wonders of Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Big Sur, to San Francisco, LA and Las Vegas. The tour includes 14 nights’ hotel accommodation and 12 excursions.
Clients can explore the ‘Southern Sights and Sounds of North America’ on Titan’s 2-week escorted tour. Focusing on the region’s rich heritage, highlights include learning about the Deep South’s Civil Rights history and the musical roots of Jazz, blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll in Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans. Visits to the historic RCA Studio B and an evening at the Grand Ole Opry are also included.
The operator also features Route 66, a 17-day tour which travels from Chicago to LA through America’s heartland. Stopping at Oklahoma, St Louis, Amarillo and Albuquerque, as well as the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest, is perfect for fans of retro Americana.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC TOUCHES DOWN IN THE LONESTAR STATE OF TEXAS
Virgin Atlantic has celebrated the launch of its new direct service to Austin, Texas and the airline’s first new route to the US since 2017.
Flights will operate from London Heathrow four times weekly on its 787-9 aircraft.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic commented: “Seeing our aircraft touch down in Austin fills me with great pride and is a momentous occasion as it represents Virgin Atlantic’s new phase of growth.
“Austin is our first new US route since 􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃 and we know its impressive food, arts and music scene has already caught the eye of our customers.
“We’ve seen a huge demand for bookings and as a result, we’re happy to confirm that the route will increase to a daily service from Spring 2023.”
CHICAGO SEES STRONG
Courtesy of Adam Alexander Photography
RECOVERY IN TOURISM
Despite international travel bans and Covid-19 surges, Chicago’s tourism industry has seen a strong recovery, hosting 30.7 million domestic and international visitors in 2021, an 86% increase over 2020.
Domestic leisure travellers drove the recovery in 2021, with total tourism spending estimated at $9.8 billion, about half of 2019.
Business travel continues to improve in 2022. In May, occupancy at hotels in the central business district averaged 66% and room rates averaged more than $242 per night, surpassing May 2019 levels. Hotel expansion is also on track, with an additional 1,338 daily rooms expected to be added to the city’s inventory by the end of 2023.
International visitation to Chicago is expected to return to pre-COVID levels of 2.1 million by 2024.
36 travelmatters.biz