Saturday, May 1, 2010

“Roanoke Valley tourism initiative on wheels - WSLS.com” plus 3 more

“Roanoke Valley tourism initiative on wheels - WSLS.com” plus 3 more

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Roanoke Valley tourism initiative on wheels - WSLS.com

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 07:35 PM PDT

A new way to reach visitors to the Roanoke Valley rolls into town.

The Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau kicked off its mobile visitor information program today.
   
The tourism ambassador will ride through downtown during peak weekends.
   
The goal is to improve the level of service offered to visitors, which will hopefully boost the economy.

"We'll be there to help them," said Landon Howard. "Give them information from maps, visitors guides and upcoming events."

This initiative is the first of its kind in the region.

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Strawberry Festival Marks Beginning of Season - WSET

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:53 PM PDT

Roanoke, VA - Friday marks the kickoff of Roanoke's very busy festival season with the Strawberry Festival in Elmwood Park.

The season, which runs through October, is not only a very important economic and image boost for the region, but also to the many non-profit groups that keep the fun coming year in and year out.

Drawing tens-of-thousands of visitors a year, Roanoke's festival schedule is one of the most popular activity offerings in southwestern Virginia. It's good for the economy, and it's good for the image of the city, and it's good for the non-profits that run many of the festivals as a way to raise money while giving something tangible back to the community.

Holly Hirst runs Community School which uses the Strawberry Festival as their main fundraiser and have been for 30-years.

"By keeping our tuition low, we're able to have more families come in to a school that offers smaller class sizes, arts integration in the classroom, Spanish education from 3-14. It's a fabulous program," she said.

But more so than that.

"It's just a great way to bring people together. We love doing it. It's a lot of work, but it's well worth it," Hirst said.

Larry Landolt heads up Event Zone, which organizes many of Roanoke's events. He admits that while many people want to turn the festival schedule into something to equate into dollars and cents, he agrees the real rewards run much deeper.

"It involves the community. This is the community's chance to showcase itself in so many different ways," he said. "This represents who we are as a community and I think that's what makes it so exciting."

It's a winning combination that has just about everyone in the Roanoke Valley licking their lips.

The Strawberry Festival continues Saturday morning and expects to draw 30,000 people.

For more fun in the Star City, check out the Virginia State Chili Cookoff, it starts Saturday. That festival raises money to support Greenvale School, which serves children in the Roanoke Valley from 6 weeks to 12 years of age.

As part of festival season, Roanoke's Convention and Visitor's Bureau is using a unique approach to get people's attention, while helping them on their way.

The city is turning to the two-wheeled "segway" as a "rolling concierge".

It was in action at the Roanoke Strawberry Festival, which kicked off Friday afternoon.

"The segway is a unique way to get people's attention and realizing that we're here to service their needs. And so we're going to be distributing visitor's guides, maps, event calendars and anything else we can to get people excited about getting out and enjoy this area," Landon Howard with the Convention & Visitors Bureau said.

The segway will be used at more than 50 events around the Roanoke Valley that began today and run through October.

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Visitor Centers Open At Fontana, Norris Dams - Chattanoogan

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 08:04 PM PDT

 Visitor Centers Open At Fontana, Norris Dams
posted April 30, 2010

The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday that its visitor centers will open for the season at Norris Dam on Saturday, and Fontana Dam on Sunday.

Norris Dam visitor center is located off Interstate 75, Exit 122 north of Knoxville. The center is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1 - 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Fontana visitor center is located off N.C. Highway 28 in North Carolina near the Tennessee border. The center is open from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily. The Fontana visitor center is also a stop on the Appalachian Trail with a shelter, showers and restrooms available for public use.


The season for both centers runs through Oct. 31.

TVA retirees who volunteer are available at the centers to answer visitors questions about TVA, the history of the facilities and the surrounding areas. Visitors can also watch a video about the construction of the dams at each center.

A third visitor center, at Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant near Chattanooga, is open year-round from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. The center is located off Raccoon Mountain Road, accessible from U.S. Highway 64/72. This center also features a video, maps and TVA retiree guides to answer questions.

Travelsupermarket.com launches ferries comparison - Travolution

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 05:31 AM PDT

Travelsupermarket.com has launched a new ferry comparison section on its site allowing visitors to search for ferry options in and out of the UK as well as within Europe.

The search site has partnered with aferry.com, part of the Travel Gateway Group, to provide the service.

The new ferry section on the site includes advice, guides, maps of various ports around the UK and Europe, as well as a tips and deals section.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert from travelsupermarket.com, said:  "Ferry comparison is a natural extension to the products available at travelsupermarket.com and we are really pleased to provide such a comprehensive offering to our visitors.
 
"Recent problems with air travel from volcanic ash disruption to strikes have seen travellers looking for ways to avoid airports and our new offering will not only give them choice, it will also save them time in finding those options and present them with the best available fares bookable 24 hours a day."

Kirsty Laifa from aferry.com, said:  "It is our goal to increase the awareness of ferries as a viable and convenient alternative to air travel and we are delighted with the    travelsupermarket partnership to promote this.''

To mark the launch, travelsupermarket.com is offering customers 10% off LD Lines and Transeuropa ferries on the Ramsgate – Ostend crossing. Bookings need to be made before the end of May 2010.

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