Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and it attracts more than 1.3 million visitors annually. This has become the biggest tourist attraction in
Nebraska. Arti
cial Rain forests are popular in other parts of the world, such as the rain forest in the
Melbourne Museum in Australia.
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Another powerful tourism magnet is
. Live performance is often the main
attraction for a vacation trip. It includes such things as theater, music concerts, and circuses. In
addition, live performers are often additional draws to other tourist attractions such as theme parks or
festivals.
The Deadheads who followed the Grateful Dead concert tour are a prime example of fans who base
their travel decisions on where the live entertainment will be. Another is people traveling to Nashville,
Tennessee, to hear country-and-western music at the Grand Ole Opry. Branson, Missouri, has put
itself on the map as a music entertainment center and is now challenging Nashville. One of the
centerpieces of the famous
live entertainment
advertising campaign was going to a Broadway play or
musical. A theater tour to London is a powerful vacation lure. Large numbers of performing arts tours
are offered.
Entertainment has risen to a new level in the vacation decision-making process. There is a growing
in
uence of entertainment on vacation travel choices. Today, the traveling public wants to have fun, to
be entertained, to enjoy fantasy, and to escape from the realities of everyday life. Think about these
facts: The top two North American vacation destinations
''
I Love New York
''
are
built around the appeal of entertainment. The growing cruise market features entertainment. Disney
features ''edutainment'' (combining education and entertainment). The growing in
uence of enter-
tainment and the marriage of gaming, live entertainment, themed resorts, and theme parks are
creating new careers in entertainment management.
The development of super-entertainment complexes is a trend in the tourism industry. It is
happening not only in Las Vegas and Atlantic City but also in other markets. Las Vegas mega-resorts
appeal to the family vacation market as well as to gamblers. It is interesting to note that Las Vegas
has most of the largest hotels in the world, and the majority are not only hotels but attractions and
entertainment centers as well. The Luxor, New York New York, Excalibur, Paris Las Vegas, Bellagio,
Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Treasure Island are all examples of themed resort hotels.
—
Walt Disney World and Las Vegas
—
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Among the fastest-growing segments of tourism in the world are festivals and events. Countries and
cities compete vigorously for mega-events such as the Olympics, World Cup, and World
'
s Fairs.
Festivals
are pervasive around the globe. Societies are always holding some kind of an
event, whether it is a fair, festival, market, parade, celebration, anniversary, sports event, or a
charitable endeavor.
Festivals and events are an important part of the tourism industry. They can serve as a powerful
tool to attract tourists during the off-season and to create an image and awareness for an area.
Sponsorships have become an essential ingredient in festivals and events. Most events, whether
local, national, or international, would have a dif
cult time existing without them. Sponsors provide
funds or
and
events
contributions to promoters of events. Sponsorships have become big business today
and involve the right to use logos and identify with the event.
Volunteers are one of the key factors in the success of events. The International Festivals and
Events Association (IFEA) reports that the average weekend attendance at an event is approximately
222,000. It takes hard work and support from community volunteers to ensure that a festival or event
''
in-kind
''
Search WWH ::
Custom Search