Stay up-to-date with this travel news roundup from Group Tour Media.
Viking River Cruises launches six new ships
[/media-credit] Viking River Cruises Christening 2016
Viking River Cruises welcomed additions to its fleet with the christening of six new Viking Longships® during a waterfront celebration in Amsterdam.
Of the six new Longships, four will be deployed on Viking’s most popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The remaining two will sail the Seine River on Viking’s Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary.
“River cruising remains one of the fastest-growing segments of travel, and we would not be the leading river cruise line without the help of travel agents,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises.
Viking plans to debut a seventh river ship for 2016, Viking Osfrid, which is inspired by the Longships design and specifically built for the Douro River, bringing the company’s total number of ships in Portugal to three.
‘Human Landscape’ opens in Toledo
“Human Landscape,” a major exhibition of works by artist Jaume Plensa, is at the Toledo Museum of Art this summer in Toledo, Ohio.
Seven large outdoor sculptures, plus indoor installations that include a stainless steel curtain through which visitors can walk, will be on view from June 17 to Nov. 6. They are in the main museum and on the grounds of the museum’s Glass Pavilion. Some of the artist’s lesser-known works on paper, 22 drawings and 10 etchings covering a wide chronology, also will be on display.
“One of the unusual, compelling aspects of this exhibition is that the artist’s work will be shown both indoors and outdoors,” said Amy Gilman, associate director of the museum and curator of contemporary art. “The addition of Plensa’s sculptures to surroundings that are familiar will give our visitors an opportunity to experience the campus in a new way. And, given the immediate popularity of Plensa’s Speigel when it was added to our collection, we believe the works themselves will really resonate with visitors.”
Born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1955, Plensa is internationally recognized for his large figurative sculptures and installations that produce enchanting and mystifying visions of the human form as landscape.
Docent-led group tours of the museum can be arranged.
Escape the Diefenbunker
The Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum, and Ottawa’s premier escape room company, Escape Manor, have partnered to launch the World’s Largest Escape Room, Escape the Diefenbunker.
The espionage experience runs Thursday through Sunday evenings within the 100,000-square-foot facility in Carp, Ontario, outside of Ottawa. In the 60-minute escape, 12 people on the final guided tour of the day duck into a room and hide to spend a night at the museum. They quickly discover what they thought was a museum is a cover for an enemy spy organization. Then they overhear talk of an attack scheduled for that night. The group must escape. But first it must find the communications room, stop the launch sequence and phone in the red alert transmission to the outside world before it is too late.
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises say ‘Hello Brooklyn’
[/media-credit] Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, New York City
A new Brooklyn tour from Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, “Hello Brooklyn,” launched in May.
The narrated tour is designed to appeal to those wishing to learn about the borough’s rich history, pop culture, local lore and to sample a curated selection of Brooklyn-made foodstuffs from vendors on board.
Selections include Brooklyn Brewery’s signature Brooklyn Lager and other seasonal beers; a special Coney Island Brewery + New York Pretzel “Pretzel and Pilsner” combo; iconic Junior’s Cheesecake “Little Fellas”; a grab-and-go selection of Blue Marble Ice Cream flavors; a rotating roster of treats from the award-winning Brooklyn Cupcake; hot dogs and sausages from Brooklyn Cured; specialty cocktails featuring Brooklyn Gin; hot and iced coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company; and pickles from McClure’s Specialty Foods.
The “Hello Brooklyn” tour will depart daily from Hudson River Park’s Pier 83 in Manhattan.
Tickets for the two-hour cruise are available through the Circle Line website and box office. Group rates are available upon request.
Destination Gettysburg announces new tagline
Destination Gettysburg has unveiled a new tagline for tourism in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The tagline, “Make Your Own History,” reflects the Gettysburg destination’s rich heritage as well as the town and countryside’s abundance of great restaurants, shopping, outdoor recreation and agritourism.
“This is a tagline that brings attention to our history, but goes much further and suggests that no matter how you enjoy Adams County, you’ll leave with great memories,” said Norris Flowers, president of Destination Gettysburg.
In recent years, Destination Gettysburg, the official destination management organization of Adams County, Pennsylvania, has shifted its marketing to focus on new and younger visitors. It’s broadening the appeal of the region to include historical attractions, such as Gettysburg National Military Park, and other museums and tours. It also highlights some lesser-known experiences, like the many orchards and farm markets of the region, as well as wineries and cideries, shopping, hiking, biking, golf and winter getaways.
“More than ever, travelers are looking for genuine experiences, something that is going to leave lasting memories,” Flowers said. “This tagline, ‘Make Your Own History,’ is something Destination Gettysburg believes will resonate strongly with visitors as they create these memorable experiences in our destination.”
Plymouth 400 anniversary set
America is poised for an anniversary of national and international significance, the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts.
Plymouth 400, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization formed to lead the planning and execution of programs and events commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony in 2020. The tagline for the anniversary is “An American Story — A National Legacy.”
According to Plymouth 400, Inc., the Plymouth 400 anniversary will highlight the cultural contributions and American traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag and English peoples, a story that significantly shaped the building of America.
Plymouth 400, Inc. is planning signature events and programs that will include historical and cultural exhibitions, live televised and web events, multiday festivals, original arts and entertainment collaborations, and educational programming and resources. Signature events and programs will take place between now and 2020.
Beatles festival coming to Jeffersonville
Abbey Road on the River and the city of Jeffersonville, Indiana, have announced the world-famous annual event will move across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, to Jeffersonville beginning Memorial Day weekend, May 25-29, 2017.
The Beatles-inspired music festival will take place on the popular RiverStage, a floating performance venue anchored on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Jeffersonville, near the new adjacent marina and the scenic Big Four Station Park areas. This provides an improved and modern location while allowing peace, love and rock ‘n’ roll to remain in the Louisville region.
“The good news is we’re not moving across the universe, just across the river,” said festival producer Gary Jacob. “The long and winding road to find a new home for Abbey Road on the River led us to this brand new spectacular venue right at our back door, which means we don’t have to say goodbye to our many local fans who have made Abbey Road on the River the best-known and most-loved Beatles music festival in the United States.”
“We first reached out to Gary in cooperation with Jeffersonville Parks and Recreation last June, when we learned that 2016 would be the festival’s last year in Louisville,” said Jim Epperson, executive director of the Southern Indiana Convention-Tourism Bureau. “We’ve been working hard to bring it across the river ever since. We knew we were competing with several other major cities — Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dallas — so landing this renowned event is huge.”
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