Prince William-Manassas Promotes Tourism for 150th Commemoration of the American Civil War at American Bus Association Convention

MANASSAS, Va., Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives of the Prince William-Manassas Convention & Visitors Bureau attended the American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace earlier this month, working to increase tourism to the region in advance of this summer's 150th Commemoration of the American Civil War.

The July 21-24, 2011 commemoration of the Battle of First Manassas/Bull Run was recently named by ABA as the Top Event of 2011, a designation that is expected to attract more than 500 group tours to the area, the economic impact of which is $3.5 million. (Source: National Tour Association)

The 2011 ABA Marketplace, including more than 800 motorcoach and tour operators and over 2,600 suppliers (destination marketing organizations, hoteliers, restaurants and attractions) took place in Philadelphia, PA. The trip yielded 45 significant group tour leads for Prince William-Manassas.

One of the primary objectives of the CVB, which is the leading organization promoting visitation to the area among travelers from around the world, is to attract tour operators or packaged vacation planners to book trips to the region.

"Considering the significant economic impact the group tour industry can have on an area, it is important to market the unique and group friendly attributes of our destination. By attending trade shows such as the ABA Marketplace, Prince William-Manassas is able to do just that. The results are immediate and long lasting," says Mark Kowalewski, CVB Sales and Marketing Director and ABA Orientation Committee member.

Virginia Tourism Corporation research shows that niche tourists do much more than visit Civil War sites. They visit mountains, parks, wineries and museums, spending money on food, lodging and a variety of activities. On average they spend $374 per person per trip.  

For more information on tourism in Prince William – Manassas, go to www.visitpwc.com.

The Prince William-Manassas Convention & Visitors Bureau is a non-profit sales and marketing organization which aggressively promotes Prince William County and Manassas, Virginia as a meeting and leisure visitor destination by promoting patronage of area tourism-related businesses and services.

SOURCE Prince William County & Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau

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