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May 26, 2007
Tourism Cares for America Restores Glory of Gold Rush Days
Last week, I joined a team of my fellow Edelman colleagues in Nevada for several days of public relations services on behalf of our client Tourism Cares . This non-profit organization is dedicated to developing philanthropic programs for members of the tourism industry to proactively support the travel business. Tourism Cares offers grants to natural, cultural and historical sites worldwide and awards scholarships and educational courses to facilitate a sustainable future in the tourism workforce. Through its support of "voluntourism," a combination of travel and charity work, Tourism Cares for America creates volunteer opportunities for the travel industry to participate in its organized preservation projects at travel-related destination spots. The program has brought its volunteers to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon, New Orleans and Ellis Island. This year the organization chose the historic town of Virginia City, Nevada for the fifth annual Tourism Cares for America project - its largest effort to date, and its first venture into the western United States.
Tourism Cares partnered with the Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority and the Nevada Commission on Tourism to bring more than 200 tourism community volunteers from across the country to the 2007 restoration project. Virginia City was selected due to its historical ties to the Old West and Gold Rush days and its listing as a Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. In the 19th century, Virginia City was a mining town known as "The Richest Place on Earth," with more than $700 million in silver and gold excavated from in and around the town. Tourism Cares realized the urgency behind the maintenance needs of numerous Virginia City sites, and the reality of the city's less than ideal funds to complete the restoration requirements alone. Lending a helping hand to areas carrying footprints of history is important to Tourism Cares, and it hopes to aid in the preservation process of many places to come for the benefit of current and future generations.
Our team traveled to Virginia City from Edelman offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. Aside from our media relations work, we all enjoyed volunteering in the restoration efforts. A snapshot of the projects completed includes: building stairs at Piper's Opera House, painting walls and ceilings at St. Mary's Art Center, refurbishing a 1916 caboose, cataloging historic artifacts at The Fourth Ward School, and brushing up debris from the graveyards. The Virginia City locals were very gracious and hospitable, and excited to share their town's history. They made us feel right at home (thank you Mimi and Lisa), even though I had read stories about the ghost encounters at my assigned lodging facility, St. Mary's Art Center (it was once a hospital - enough said). I know I won't soon forget the delicious scones at the Delta Saloon, the nearly 300 person group photo and BBQ dinner outside of the Silverland Express, the amazing views of the Nevada landscape from the Wine Train or the music (and dancing!) at the Comstock Cowboy Concert performed at Piper's Opera House (complete with newly constructed stairs). One of my colleagues in particular will remember our late night shopping excursion through the Red Garter (thanks for opening up for us Jimmy!), where she purchased a pair of exclusive Virginia City cowboy boots. I only wish I had splurged as well! We had a great time in Virginia City, and we highly recommend the trip out west to those who have not yet visited, "The Richest Place on Earth." If nothing else, go for the cowboy boots!
Posted by tara.moore at 2:41 AM
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May 17, 2007
Airfare Watchdog
Instead of having a particular destination in mind, some leisure travelers choose their itineraries based on very loose criteria. I myself am determining the locale and timing for my next trip based solely on the price, with only one other prerequisite - a must-have beach.
For price-conscientious travelers - even those with loose trip criteria - planning an affordable trip can be a challenge. Today, the cost of airline tickets can be the biggest hurdle. When is the best time to purchase flights? Should you plan ahead or wait for last-minute deals?
Recently, Travelmole.com featured an article about a new service by Farecast.com that "provides consumers a usable and authentic approach to airfare deals". The service helps consumers determine what truly constitutes a "deal" and offers advice on the best time to buy tickets. Other websites use marketing to determine this, Farecast uses science. Interestingly, Farecast.com reports that "consumers would need to conduct up to 50,000 individual searches to find all of the deals we find each day from their city." A strong claim, but maybe it's the solution to finding the right prices, best "deal" while eliminating the hours of endless searches. According to Iconoculture research, "Tools that offer transparency and an easy way to understand a complex market give travelers a much-appreciated sense of control."
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