Travel Insider
December 5, 2008 – Issue 24
1) New to Kentucky Department of Travel
2) Group Travel Leads
3) Kentucky Gets Great Exposure Through Tourism Cares
4) Speaking of Tourism Cares
5) Discounts for “Discover Your Own Backyard” Website Promotion
6) Video Needed
7) Media Request – Ghosts Are Good for Business!
8) Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo
9) Kentucky Department of Travel Extranet
10) Scenic Byways & Highways Applications
11) Congratulations to Katie Frassinelli
1) New to Kentucky Department of Travel: KDT Commissioner Mike Cooper would like you to join him in welcoming two recent additions to the department’s team.
Shirley Dexter, an Owensboro native, has been named deputy commissioner and began her responsibilities the beginning of November. Shirley has a 25-year history in regional tourism as communications and tourism coordinator for the Green River Area Development District. There she coordinated the matching funds program and managed the Big River Arts and Craft Festival held at Audubon State Park. She lives in Lexington.
Liz Chewning, director of marketing and administration for the department, comes to KDT from the West Virginia Division of Tourism, where she was the state travel director for five years. During her tenure in West Virginia, the division won four national tourism and marketing awards from TIA and three from the Hospitality, Sales and Marketing Association International. Chewning also brings her experience as an account manager for an advertising agency and as an advertising director for Choice Hotels International to Kentucky. A Connecticut native, Liz lives in Lexington as well.
2) Group Travel Leads: Leads from the department's recent attendance at the Ontario Motor Coach Association and the National Tour Association Annual Marketplaces are available on the department’s industry site. Go to www.kentuckytourism.com/industry, click on Group Travel in the menu on the right and then click on the Ontario Motor Coach Association 2004-2008 excel sheet. If you have questions contact Wayne Cusick at wayne.cusick@ky.gov or 502-564-4930, ext. 117.
3) Kentucky Gets Great Exposure Through Tourism Cares: A special Kentucky Derby Weekend package was one of the featured items in the Tourism Cares Live Auction held at the National Tour Association's annual marketplace. The winning bid belonged to Darren Berg with MTR Western, a luxury motorcoach sales company on the west coast. Tourism Cares is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the travel experience for future generations. To learn more about this great organization, go to www.tourismcares.com
4) Speaking of Tourism Cares: While attending NTA, Wayne Cusick had the pleasure of meeting Julie Stevens from Prospect, Kentucky. A senior Hospitality Management & Tourism major at UK, Julie was awarded a Tourism Cares scholarship to attend this year's NTA Marketplace. Julie said the scholarship, named for Pat and Jim Host, enabled her to attend NTA. “This scholarship is for a Kentucky resident studying travel and tourism. I had a wonderful time and learned so much. It was a great experience I will never forget,” she said. Julie is in her last semester of class work at UK and in the spring she will intern with the Louisville CVB, where she worked last summer. When she graduates in May, Julie will be job hunting and wants to promote tourism in Kentucky. Please keep Julie in mind for any openings you may have.
5) Discounts for “Discover Your Own Backyard” Website Promotion: As the Kentucky Department of Travel updates its website for 2009, we are looking for discounts Kentucky attractions may offer for Jan/Feb/Mar of ’09 and for Apr/May/June. Examples are discounts for admittance, overnight stay or activities. To view the DYOB site, click on: www.mykentuckybackyard.com/. Send to Mark Hendricksen at mark.hendricksen@ky.gov.
6) Video Needed: The KDT is also requesting video footage of any TV exposure you may have received in the last year, to be streamed on our website to promote the many areas and attractions of the state. Send your DVD or links to your Utube or Google video to Mark Hendricksen at mark.hendricksen@ky.gov or mail to KDT, 500 Mero Street, 22nd FL., Frankfort, KY 40601.
7) Media Request – Ghosts Are Good for Business! Freelance writer Kathy Witt is working on a long-term project about Kentucky's haunted B&Bs. She is looking for seriously haunted B&Bs; resident ghosts: benign, not so friendly, quirky--in other words, ghosts with a good story! Verifiable--or at least anecdotally fascinating stories/encounters of ghosts/haunts/specters, otherworldly presences and the more mysterious, historic, intriguing--the better! She would like: 1) historic images of the B&Bs when the ghosts first took up residence; 2) orbs or other spectral sightings caught on film; 3) present-day images of the B&B. If the particular B&B has had a paranormal "expert" visit and confirm the presence of the ghost/s; who were they and what did they determine? Anything else relevant to bonafide hauntings.
People love to stay in haunted houses. Contact Kathy at wittk@fuse.net.
8) Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo: KDT’s Pat Stipes recently attended the Toronto Wine and Gourmet Expo and wants to pass on that he visited with many snowbirds and many folks interested in Keeneland and the Kentucky Derby and others who have begun the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and experienced the Mint Julep Tour. Pat shared Kentucky’s booth with Canada’s Maker’s Mark representative. Pat said that several former LexMark employees, who transferred to Toronto years ago, had lots of nice things to say about Kentucky State Parks.
9) Kentucky Department of Travel Extranet: Many of you are new to the tourism industry and may not be familiar with the KDT Extranet program. This program on our industry website enables you to enter your attraction, festival or event and update information as needed. To access the Extranet, go to www.kentuckytourism.com/industry and click on the Extranet in the menu on the right. You will be asked to register. The Extranet Training Manual link is in the center of the page. Michael Crabtree will be able to assist you if you have questions. Email him at michaelw.Crabtree@ky.gov or call him at 502-564-4930 ext. 103. Information on the extranet creates the database for what’s included in the KDT Official Visitor’s Guide. Make sure your information gets included!
10) Scenic Byways & Highways Applications: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is accepting applications for funding under the federal Scenic Byways and Highways program. The program focuses on designating and preserving roads that are significant for archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and/or scenic qualities. The application cycle for national scenic designation will be posted at www.tea21.ky.gov. The state contact is Chuck Wolfe at chuck.wolfe@ky.gov or 502-564-3419.
11) Congratulations to Katie Frassinelli: Katie was named 2008 Marketer of the Year by Bowling Green’s Professional Marketing Association. She has served as the CVB’s marketing director for over three years, currently is chair of the Kentucky Cave Region marketing committee and VP of Programs for the Professional Marketing Association. Katie is on the advisory board for the Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University and is a board member for the Bowling Green Area Lodging Association and Bowling Green Western Symphony Orchestra. She also volunteers her time as a freelance graphic and web designer to organizations such as the Medical Center 10k Classic, Aviation Heritage Park, Riverview at Hobson Grove, the Historic Railpark and Train Museum and Duncan Hines Festival.
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The Kentucky Department of Travel, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, exists to promote the Commonwealth as a travel destination, to generate revenue and create jobs for Kentucky's economy.
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(The Travel Insider is a bi-weekly publication of the Kentucky Department of Travel.)
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If you would like to receive the Travel Insider, contact Marge Bateman, marge.bateman@ky.gov.