American Bus Association names Rail Fest one of North America’s 100 Best Events for 2013
NORTH PLATTE, NEB, 2012-10-5 — /travelprnews.com/ — North Platte’s Rail Fest logged visitors from 33 states and 11 foreign countries, and has been rewarded by an honor touting the 2013 celebration.
The American Bus Association (ABA) announced in September that the North Platte Rail Fest, to be held on Sept. 19, 20 and 21 in 2013, has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2013 by an experienced expert tourism industry selection committee. Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that the North Platte Rail Fest offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to ABA.
“North Platte’s Rail Fest focuses international attention on North Platte,” said Lisa Burke, Executive Director of the North Platte/Lincoln County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “In only its sixth year, it has been named an ABA Top 100 event twice. This says a lot about the quality of the experience visitors have at Rail Fest.”
“The attractiveness of Rail Fest as a don’t-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for North Platte,” said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO. “The real news here is that Rail Fest has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives North Platte an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”
According to studies completed by researchers at The George Washington University and Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave from US $5,000 to more than US $11,000 in a local destination’s economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.
“Motorcoach groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said. “That’s why Rail Fest is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”
The Top 100 Events list is available online at http://www.buses.org/News-Publications/Top-100
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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lisa Burke
North Platte Convention and Visitors Bureau
(308) 532-4729