Press Releases
Editorial Contact: Karen Hoffman
Tel: (212) 447-0027
E-mail: bradfordmktg@aol.com
AMERICAN TOURISM SOCIETY TO CELEBRATE THE
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THE BERLIN
WALL AT THE ANNUAL FALL CONFERENCE IN
MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN, GERMANY ON THE
BALTIC SEA, OCTOBER 26-28, 2009
(June
19, 2009 -- New York, NY) The American Tourism Society (ATS) announced that its Fall 2009 Annual Conference will take place on October 26-28, in Heiligendamm, in the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in Eastern Germany. The Event will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, while at the same time mark the 20th Anniversary of the founding of ATS. The joint announcement was made by ATS President, Phil Otterson, who is also Executive VP, External Affairs, Tauck World Discovery, and Tobias Woitendorf, Deputy CEO of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association, a destination marketing organization. The ATS conference will take place at the luxurious five-star Grand Hotel Heiligendamm.
The 2009 Conference in Germany will follow one of ATS's most successful conferences ever, held in Cairo, Egypt, October 2008. ATS Chairman, David Parry, also Chairman Academic Travel Abroad, commented "In Egypt we had great feedback on the expanded ATS Tourism College program which involved over 200 tourism university students on one level and the private sector on another ; as well as on the new partnerships we launched with the National Tour Association (NTA) and Tourism Cares. All of these initiatives will be even further developed at our conference in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern."
In making the announcement, Otterson said "we felt it very appropriate for ATS, whose founding members did so much to pioneer tourism from the US to Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, to use the occasion of our Fall 2009 Conference to mark the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is also very symbolic that this historic occasion coincides with the 20th Anniversary of ATS. At the same time, by selecting Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, we are introducing ATS members to an area relatively unknown to many of us in North America. This of course is one of the ATS objectives: to educate members about the tourism potential for ‘Presenting Tomorrow's Destinations.'"
"Meck Pomm," as the region is often referred to by the locals, is located in the northeastern part of Germany on the Baltic Sea. Only two hours from Berlin, the same hotel and venue used for the G8 Summit in 2007 is being used for the ATS Fall Conference. Although most of its 10 million annual visitors come for the sea- side resorts and activities, it is also a region rich in history and culture. There are more than 2000 castles and manor houses. Its port city of Rostock is a major cruise ship hub.
"Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mixes a very modern infrastructure with a rich cultural heritage dating back to the medieval times," said Mr. Woitendorf. "There is a booming tourism industry here with more than 2000 businesses focused on hospitality alone. However, we are a best kept secret in the American market. Hosting the ATS conference will provide us with a rare opportunity to showcase our destination to the ATS members and press, as well as to educate our local private sector on marketing to the US."
NTA Post-ATS Conference Product Development Tour
The newly formed ATS-NTA partnership provides National Tour Association members an opportunity to join ATS for a week of networking, educational and product development opportunities as well as the NTA Post-ATS Conference Product Development Tour, departing Heiligendamm on Oct. 29 and ending in Berlin on Nov 1, 2009. Lisa Simon, NTA president, said "this trip, a three night tour from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to Berlin, will not only give the NTA and ATS participants an opportunity to further experience and learn about the rich culture the region, it will also focus on the events surrounding the 20 year Soviet occupation of eastern Germany, which culminated with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago. We are excited to celebrate this historic anniversary."
The elegant and historic five-star Grand Hotel Heiligendamm
on the shores of the Baltic Sea will be the venue for the 2009 ATS Fall Conference.
For more information about the ATS Fall Conference contact
don.reynolds@americantourismsociety.org.
About ATS — Presenting Tomorrow's Destinations
The American Tourism Society (ATS) was established in 1989 by a group of US tourism industry executives to provide exclusive access, business networking and promotion for transformational destinations. It is a nonprofit, nonpolitical travel industry organization whose membership includes experienced tour operators, destination tourist offices, hotels, airlines and other travel industry professionals. Collectively ATS members generate over four billion dollars in sales involving three million North American travelers. ATS holds an Annual Fall Conference and a Tourism College hosted by a different member destination each year; travel marts and seminars in the US for its members; has a website
www.americantourismsociety.org. For more information on The American Tourism Society: 149 Madison Avenue, Suite 602, New York, NY 10016; USA -Phone 212.893.8111, Fax 212.893.8153; email:
info@americantourismsociety.org.
|
