AOL® Travel will salute travel and tourism in America during National Tourism Week and is inviting the travel industry to join the promotion with reciprocal links and editorial opportunities. There is no cost to be involved and your message and link can be seen by millions of AOL users over the course of the promotion.
Here’s how it will work:
STEP 1:
If you agree to participate, send an email to TourismWeek@AOL.com confirming that you will join AOL’s promotion by (1) posting a reciprocal link from your Web site and (2) submitting editorial ideas and photos for consideration in AOL’s themed galleries (see below).
Include your Web site’s URL address and the name of your destination as you wish it to appear on AOL (AOL will provide a reciprocal link back to your site).
PR Opportunity:
Take a look below at the nine themed galleries that AOL will create on its Tourism Week landing page. AOL editors want to focus on the “Did You Know…” aspect of American travel destinations. [For example, most users know that Philadelphia is famous for the cheesesteak, but most don't know one of the specialty ice cream flavors of Texas is fried ice cream. And, they may not know how that ties into the history/heritage of the area.]In about 100 words, tell AOL editors about a unique feature of your destination that corresponds to one of the galleries below. Include clear, compelling photos (300 x 400 pixels) that AOL can place in the gallery.* You may submit to multiple categories. Submit your editorial ideas and images to TourismWeek@AOL.com:
AOL’s THEMED GALLERIES:
- Food – Examples: blue corn tortilla chips in the Southwest; boardwalk fries in Ocean City, MD
- Natural Wonders – Examples: walking in the dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park in TX; hands-on gem mining in Arkansas and NC; Jefferson Rock in Harpers Ferry, WV
- American Heritage – Examples: mining; ghost towns; pueblo villages in NM; Lost Colony in NC; battlegrounds; military history; memorials and battleships that can be toured
- Weird and Wacky Local Landmarks – Examples: Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX
- Theme Parks – Examples: Dollywood, Hersheypark
- Zoos & Aquariums – Examples: pandas at the National Zoo; Ripley's Aquarium in SC
- Boardwalks – Examples: Old-fashioned wooden roller coaster in Wildwood, NJ
- Museums – Examples: Jello Museum; Spam Museum; Dr Pepper Museum; Jack Daniels Museum
- Arts & Culture – Examples: New Orleans architecture; Kansas City jazz; artists of Albuquerque
STEP 2:
By May 1, select an appropriate place on your Web site (home page or visitors landing page) to post the following language:
AOL® Travel Salutes National Tourism Week, May 10-18, 2008
Link the language to the AOL-Tourism Week landing page using the following URL: http://information.travel.aol.com/tourism-week. This is where your reciprocal link and AOL's editorial will appear.
(Please note: This page is under construction and does not reflect the copy and photos that will appear when it is finalized by May 1).
STEP 3:
Take the link to AOL Travel live on May 1. The completed AOL-Tourism Week landing page is not available before May 1.
STEP 4:
Keep the link on your site through at least May 18; however, the AOL-Tourism Week landing page will remain live after that date.
Check the AOL Travel page daily. Galleries and destination links will be rotated throughout the nine-day period of National Tourism Week.
QUESTIONS ON THE AOL PROMOTION?
Contact AOL Travel at TourismWeek@AOL.com.
Feel free to reach me with any additional questions on National Tourism Week.
Greg Staley
Manager, Communications
Travel Industry Association
Phone: 202-408-2128
gstaley@tia.org
* NOTE ON PHOTO LICENSING FROM AOL:
By sending AOL the photograph(s) you hereby represent and warrant that your organization either owns the copyright in the attached photograph(s) or is authorized to provide it to AOL for such use. You represent and warrant that, to the best of your knowledge and belief, such use of the photograph(s) by AOL or its affiliates will not violate the rights of any third party. You further represent and warrant that you have full and proper authority to acknowledge, agree to and fully comply with all the above. If you do not agree with all the above statements, please let AOL know by replying to TourismWeek@AOL.com, and AOL will not use the photograph(s) you provided.
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