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On The Record Special Touches Enhance Itineraries FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERS from Leisure Group Travel readers who responded to this question about experiential travel: In light of the trend toward experiential travel, are your travelers asking for more unique experiences? If so, what kind of hands-on or behindthe-scenes elements have you used to make an ordinary trip a special one? We’ve seen a demand for experiential activities since the mid-2000s and have been working with our attractions ever since to continuously develop fun, hands-on and VIP activities. We currently have more than 60 experiences tailor-made for groups. One of our most popular experiences is Wax, Wicks and Wine. Groups can pour their own custom-scented candle at The Candle Lab, then, while it hardens, stroll next door to sample a variety of vintages at House Wine. We’ve also re-created life on the Underground Railroad. Groups can meet the special “resident� at the Kelton House, a restored Underground Railroad stop filled with original furnishings. Groups get the ultimate VIP access at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, named the No. 1 zoo in the nation by USA Travel Guide. Eat breakfast with the animals and even touch rare animals
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like snow leopards. Nordstrom at Easton Town Center also opens its doors early to groups, who can enjoy breakfast before the store opens and get advice on fashion trends. Groups can even be a professional baseball player for a day and experience what life’s like in the minors for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Alissa Preston Tourism Sales Manager Experience Columbus Columbus, Ohio Travelers are looking to experience a destination, not just see it. As travel professionals we need not only offer experiences, but offer ones they cannot easily find on their own. Therefore, I lean heavily on suppliers to come up with something special that will not easily be found on the Internet or at least is a
The Little Theatre On The Square in Sullivan, IL
Grease June 6-17
7 Brides June 20-July 1
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Pirates July 5-15
Music Man July 18-29
9-5 August 1-12
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group-only experience. At Blenheim Palace (Churchill’s birthplace) we have an author who has penned several books on Blenheim and Churchill conduct the tour and give a talk. In NYC we have an elegant tea room that few know of. It’s asking the Southern Folklore Museum in Memphis to open early for a breakfast, music and talk. Curators, architects, authors – we try to give our tours special touches that do not necessarily add much to the cost, but become invaluable memories and set us apart. Nicholas Calderazzo Twin Travel Concepts Kinderhook, NY I asked the catering director at McDonald’s Corp. in Oak Brook, Ill., with whom I work to stage our holiday party for the club, if she could assist me in having a special tour. She did a fantastic job! We had a private tour of Hamburger University and then a tour of the private art collection, which had not been included in their tours previously. The disappointing factor of this tour is that I have a waiting list of members wishing to participate, and it is not promising that I will be able to repeat the tour because it was scheduled special by the catering director. It is creating an idea, working with someone whom you respect, that you LeisureGroupTravel.com