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  With seven regions and some 250,000 miles of diverse landscapes to explore, it’s no secret why Texas is a go-to destination for unforgettable road trip excursions. Whether trekking through West Texas deserts or setting off across the rolling terrain of the spectacular Hill Country, there is a customizable Lone Star State road trip itinerary for every traveler, and now Travel Texas and ATI have partnered to curate two bookable itineraries to create the ultimate road trip.   Highlights include:  

• Central Texas: A Central Texas road trip can include stops at historical sites and renowned eateries along the way. Start in the state capital, Austin, to explore its urban buzz and surrounding natural wonders. Two hours west sits Fredericksburg, where road trippers can enjoy hikes at Enchanted Rock and delicious wine tastings at the community’s vineyards. Head southeast to round off the trip in San Antonio, a city rich in history, bursting with culture and booming with modern attractions.

 

• North Texas: North Texas offers myriad opportunities to experience some of the finest museums, festivals, and attractions in the state. Indulge in a glass of wine or two on Grapevine’s Urban Wine Trail and discover how the town got its name, witness true Western heritage by watching The Fort Worth Herd, the world's only twice-daily cattle drive, walk through a timeline of John F. Kennedy’s life at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza or brave the thrilling lineup of 14 roller coasters at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.

     

• Gulf Coast: The Texas Coast is an oasis of adventure, teeming with quaint seaside towns, colorful experiences, and rich ecosystems you won’t find anywhere else. Travelers can explore the natural wonders of uninhabited San Jose Island accessible via jetty from Port Aransas or visit Galveston’s waterside theme park Pleasure Pier. Those lucky enough to be on Padre Island National Seashore mid-June through August won’t want to miss hundreds of hatched sea turtles scurrying into the surf during a sea turtle hatchling release.

 

• West Texas: From Dallas, Houston, Austin or San Antonio, the drive to West Texas offers views of green rolling hills and flatter desert plains all leading up to arrival in one of the most geographically diverse and untouched corners of the American West. Stop in Marfa, the walkable Texas art destination where life slows down. Stay the night in scenic Alpine to view the beautiful historic murals, followed by a drive through the actual ghost town of Terlingua, proud home of the Chisos Mining Company and the original Chili Cook Off. Make a stop at Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas’ largest state park known as the “other side of nowhere.” Enjoy stargazing at night, as the dark skies of West Texas are some of the best in the United States.

  Travel Texas and AmericanTours International (ATI) announced a new collaboration featuring two bookable Texas road trip experiences to see the stunning beauty and geographic diversity of the state. The two in-depth, multi-city itineraries curate a well-rounded mix of bustling cities, outdoor adventure and culinary treasures.   The 15-Day Texas Two Step itinerary explores both the vibrant cities and vast expanse of the Old West through stunning Texas landscapes. Starting in Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth and Grapevine, these north Texas cities offer dynamic culinary scenes, wine trails, world-class museums and attractions including Meow Wolf’s fourth permanent immersive art exhibition - The Real Unreal.   Next, enjoy the natural wonders of the state including desert, plains and grasslands as you make your way through Amarillo, Lubbock, El Paso and Alpine. From there, head to the Hill Country for shopping and wineries galore in Fredericksburg and a show in the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin. Finally, travel north to Waco to visit the famed Magnolia Silos, the Dr Pepper Museum and the Waco Mammoth National Monument as well as unexpected activities like catching waves at Waco Surf.   The 14-Day South Texas Spur itinerary is a tour through the state’s southern region to experience cowboys, coast and culture. The journey starts in Houston, Texas’ largest city with one of the most diverse culinary scenes in the world.   The trip then traverses the Hill Country with stops in Austin, San Marcos and south to San Antonio. For a true cowboy experience, head to Bandera, the "Cowboy Capital of the World,” for dude ranches and specialty Western shops. From there, head to the Gulf Coast with a stop in Laredo for authentic, local boutiques and restaurants. The United States’ “Third Coast” is teeming with unique towns and cities such as Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Galveston and Beaumont just waiting to be discovered.   Travelers can book their own road trip to Texas by visiting www.americantours.com

  Three of California’s premier tourism destinations, San Francisco, Monterey, and Sonoma County have partnered with leading tour operator, AmericanTours International (ATI) to develop a new unique holiday package to motivate travelers to see and experience Northern California Gems, each worthy of a standalone holiday by itself. The package was born out of the increased customer demand and flight capacity for 2024, as well as great availability and attractive rates in San Francisco, Monterey, and Sonoma.   Featured on ATI’s industry leading DriveAmerica platform, the “Northern California Gems” drive tour combines three destinations that encapsulate the diversity of the Golden State. The tour is easily bookable for travel advisors and tour operators from around the world at discounted packaged rates. It’s the perfect combination of California cosmopolitan, coastal charm, and country chic.   The tour starts in San Francisco which is not only one of the best gateway cities but a unique destination by itself as well. San Francisco offers iconic sights, a stunning scenery, one-of-a-kind events, and world-class food, but is also known for its diversity as a bastion of cultural and technological innovation. On any day, from any angle, you’ll notice something different - and something special - in the City by the Bay.   No matter what path you take to Monterey, it’s sure to lead to inspiration. From the dramatic panoramas of Big Sur to the fairytale cottages of Carmel-by-the-Sea, these paths tie all of Monterey together, creating one big, epic journey. A visit to the iconic Monterey Bay Aquarium and a trip through time on historic Cannery Row merely scratch the surface of things to do in Monterey.   Life Opens Up in Sonoma County, just 30 miles north of San Francisco. Acclaimed food and wine, relaxing spas and stunning beauty create a Wine Country experience like no other.  Taste a diverse terroir at more than 425 wineries, hike among towering redwoods, marvel at the stunning Pacific Coast and get to know inviting small towns. Or just sit back and take it all in. Every pause has an effect.   One of North America’s leading tour operators, ATI partners with destinations to develop packaged tour products, combining an array of accommodations with attractive experiences to create the perfect holiday for visitors from all over the world for over forty years. Travel Agents can now capture the opportunity of 2024 luxury destinations availability at affordable rates in San Francisco, Monterey, and Sonoma.

  AmericanTours Inernational (ATI) proudly partners with three world-class Northern California destinations, San Francisco, Monterey, and Sonoma to create our new DriveAmerica tour the “Northern California Gems”.  The Golden State continues to attract travelers every season of the year with its diverse landscapes, rich history, and exquisite wine regions. The Northern California Gems tour takes you on a journey to three distinct destinations within California - San Francisco, Monterey, and Sonoma, each offering unique experiences that capture the essence of the state's allure.   The Northern California Gems itinerary is bookable on ATI’s Drive America trusted booking tool with great live availability at attractive pricing for 2024. This package tour can be booked as a 9 nights / 10 days itinerary, or it can be customized to any travel needs in a few easy booking steps.   Start your journey in San Francisco the beautiful “City by the Bay”. San Francisco boasts an array of landmarks, but none is more famous than the Golden Gate Bridge, a symbol of the city. For a panoramic view, head to Twin Peaks, a hilltop that offers a stunning vantage point over the entire city. Explore the beautiful, bike-friendly streets and waterfront paths of San Francisco all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge with an all-day bike rental and ferry ticket. It's a popular activity to ride your bike across the Golden Gate Bridge down to Sausalito and take the ferry back to San Francisco. The charming town of Sausalito is just four miles (6.4 km) from San Francisco, offering gorgeous views of San Francisco Bay. The waterfront town, nestled in the steep Marin Headlands, is home to fabulous restaurants.   Visit one of Monterey's most famous highlights, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which offers a mesmerizing view of the region's diverse marine life. Witness sea otters, sharks, and vibrant underwater ecosystems up close. Nearby, you can also embark on a whale-watching tour from Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf, where you may spot humpback whales, orcas, and dolphins. During the summer/fall season (Mid-March through early December) the tour focuses on feeding whales that come to the bay to feast on small fish and krill. During the winter season (December-Mid March) the tour’s focus is on migrating whales. One of the largest movements of mammals on earth happens just off the coast of Pacific Grove, CA – the south end of Monterey Bay.   The final leg of your journey brings you to Sonoma County, nestled in the heart of California's wine country, a paradise for wine enthusiasts. With its rolling vineyards, world-class wineries, and a laid-back atmosphere. Sonoma County is home to over 400 wineries, producing a wide array of varietals. The Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Sonoma Valley are some of the renowned wine regions in the area. From intimate family-owned wineries to grand estates, you'll find a wine tasting experience to suit your preferences.   California's charm lies in its diversity, offering a spectrum of experiences from the vibrant metropolis of San Francisco to the serene coastal beauty of Monterey and the wine-lover's haven in Sonoma. Whether the travelers seek urban adventures, coastal serenity, or a wine-tasting extravaganza, California has it all.   ATI partners with destinations to develop packaged tour products, combining an array of accommodations with attractive experiences to create the perfect holiday for visitors from all over the world for over forty years. Travel Agents can now capture the opportunity of 2024 luxury destinations availability at affordable rates in San Francisco, Monterey, and Sonoma.

American Tours International (ATI), the largest and oldest US domestic wholesale tour operator, has made it easy for travel agents to plan, customize, and book their clients domestic vacations, through their unique Drive America platform and Concierge planning services from 2 people up to 20 or more. https://signup.americantours.com/ Learn all about the latest happenings with travel in US this summer and fall from Nick Hentschel, COO and Jenny Tecklenburg, VP of Sales at ATI, who meets up with TRO TravelMole's co-publishers, Charlie Kao and Richard Earls .

  Nick Hentschel, COO of American Tours International, updates us on the latest international tourism trends, offers perspective about how new variants may or may not affect travel, and speaks about which markets are recovering faster in terms of bookings and length of stay in the USA.  

Discover Long Island has entered a strategic partnership with American Tours International (ATI). ATI's domestic and international experience makes it an ideal partner for Discover Long Island. "There has never been a better time to rekindle old relationships and create new ones, if we learnt something from the pandemic, is the importance of relationships," said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Discover Long Island. "ATI and DLI are the perfect partners to present a strong and resilient destination that is sure to fulfil travelers' needs. ATI's reach into some of our key markets will be instrumental as we continue to return to normal." Discover Long Island has a history of attracting visitors looking for an extended New York City experience. People that have heard of the beautiful mansions, the playground of the rich and famous in The Hamptons or simply want to get away to a boutique hotel in the North Fork and sample world-famous Long Island wines. "We simply have it all: a walk on the beach, an afternoon of shopping, a round of golf or just relaxing in one of our many downtown villages," says Alfredo Gonzalez, International Sales Representative for Discover Long Island. As part of the strategic partnership, ATI will be adding new hotel and excursion product throughout Long Island to further develop the destination for their domestic and international clients. ATI's clients will be able to tailor their very own Long Island focused packages utilizing ATI's state of the art 'Drive America' road trip building platform. AmericanTours International has a client base in over 70 international markets and has 40 plus years of experience in operating tours across America. ATI's proprietary Drive America platform was built to help travel advisors design their customer's great American road trip.  

Join Best Western® Hotels & Resorts and AmericanTours International (ATI) to learn how to easily plan and book your next great American road trip on americantours.com. Best Western will explain the benefits of its industry-leading We Care Clean? program, provide an update on its expansive brand portfolio, and explain why its hotel offerings are a perfect fit for your customer's next road trip. ATI will then showcase two new Best Western-themed drive tours and demonstrate how you can easily book them, along with 100+ curated road trip packages. You can also learn how to customize your client's very own road trip using ATI's Drive America platform.

ATI’s recently released 2020 version of our In-Tour magazine “Where Next?” is now available! Partnering with destinations across North America, “Where Next?” inspires visitors to plan their next North American journey while enjoying an ATI tour.

The magazine is distributed to all ATI touring passengers, who have chosen to experience North America for their holiday.

In 2020, we partnered with the four provinces of Atlantic Canada to showcase the natural beauty and unique culture of the region.

In addition to our features across America, ATI has also partnered with Brand USA to promote 15 exciting and immersive road trip itineraries across various regions of the United States.

Sometimes your next big adventure is only a short drive away. Hit the open road to explore America’s natural wonders and wide-open spaces, along with the local shops and restaurants that form the fabric of the community. Best Western® Hotels & Resorts and American Tours International (ATI) are partnering to promote the American road trip holiday to travel professionals across the United States. Building road trip packages that feature some of Best Western’s most popular properties in iconic locations, ATI empowers travel professionals to capitalize on the current road trip travel trend that will continue into this fall and through 2021. ATI’s Drive America platform has been developed to allow travel professionals to easily book one of 120+ road trip packages or to design their customers own road trip from scratch. By utilizing ATI’s Drive America platform, travel professionals will be able to access Best Western’s lowest available rates for their customers while receiving stellar commissions. Best Western is perfectly positioned as a brand to inspire travel professionals to seize the road trip trend, and not only due to its own storied history of establishing roadside accommodations. Recognizing that many of today’s travelers are opting for short-haul getaways and road trips, Best Western launched its Hit The Road campaign. As part of this campaign, travelers will rediscover their love for travel and enjoy a safe stay at Best Western-branded hotels. This time of year, many of us are looking to reconnect with our families, visit areas with beautiful fall foliage, or just take some time away for ourselves. Best Western is proud to make traveling this autumn easy as well as clean and safe. As part of Best Western’s ongoing commitment to keeping travelers safe and healthy during these challenging times, we have expanded on our industry-leading cleaning standards with the launch of the new We Care Clean^SM program. This Autumn, Best Western and ATI want to inspire and empower travel professionals to help their customers discover nearby hotels ready to welcome them with updated breakfast offerings, enhanced cleaning practices, flexible cancellation policies, and other special offers that are all available on ATI’s Drive America platform. Travel professionals can book one of Best Western’s recommended road trips or put together their customer’s very own road trip staying at Best Western properties along the way! Sign up and learn more today on  www.americantours.com.

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About Best Western^® Hotels & Resorts: Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand within the BWH Hotel Group^SM global network. With 18 brands and approximately 4,700 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*, BWH Hotel Group suits the needs of developers and guests in every market. Brands include Best Western^®, Best Western Plus^®, Best Western Premier^®, Executive Residency by Best Western^®, V-«b^®, GL-^®, Aiden^®, Sadie^®, BW Premier Collection^® and BW Signature Collection^®. Through acquisition, WorldHotels^TM Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted collections are also offered. Completing the portfolio is SureStay^®, SureStay Plus^®, SureStay Collection^® and SureStay Studio^SM franchises**. For more information visit bestwestern.com, bestwesterndevelopers.com, worldhotels.com and surestay.com. * Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline. **All Best Western, WorldHotels and SureStay branded hotels are independently owned and operated. About American Tours International (ATI) American Tours International (ATI) has 40 plus years of experience in operating tours across America. ATI has been a preferred supplier for the American and Canadian Automobile Associations (AAA and CAA) for over 15 years. In 2019, ATI serviced over 500,000 travelers across North America.  Visit Americantours.com

AmericanTours International’s (ATI) Drive America customizable road trip packages make it easy for travel agents to set up, save clients money (compared to booking it on their own online), and generate commissions on a $3,000 couple booking and up to $10,000 or more for a small or multi-generation family. ATI support team knows about the ins and outs of traveling within your destinations and is always available to help you. More and more travelers are starting to desire outside help to plan their vacations. At the same time, they want instant access to information, authentic local experiences, and combined online and offline communication. That is where ATI’s user-friendly Drive America platform, with dozens of itinerary templates come in to help travel agents. As America’s largest wholesale destination management company, handling over half a million travelers from travel agencies in the US and abroad, including hundreds of AAA offices, ATI save travel agents time by offering the most competitive price options (compared to other online options), the largest choice of destinations, and most suitable solutions for any problem you and your clients encounter. This includes room upgrades, airport transfers, special dining experiences, customized tours, and so much more. The goal of ATI’s Drive America program and agent support services is to solve any and every problem that can arise during the planning and touring portions of your client’s dream vacations. Visit ATI at https://americantours.com/ati/. For agents wishing to schedule a meeting with an ATI representative, please click here.

AmericanTours International (ATI) has joined with the U.S. Travel Association and 22 leading industry associations urging the Biden administration to take swift action and restart international travel. U.S. Travel released the proposed framework to safely lift entry restrictions focusing on reserving restrictions for only the highest risk-countries and replacing all blanket travel restrictions with risk-based entry protocols. At the same time, 75 bipartisan Members of Congress wrote to President Biden asking for updated international travel rules. ATI was asked to provide insight to develop the framework. To acheive this it worked alongside leading trade associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Airlines for America, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the American Society of Travel Advisors, and the International Air Transport Association. "The lifting of outdated and illogical international travel restrictions is critical not only for our industry, but for America's overall economy" said Noel Irwin Hentschel, ATI's CEO and board member of Brand USA. "The restrictions put in place by the Trump Administration were ill-conceived from the start. President Biden has an opportunity with this blueprint to update them to make sense. Putting in place a risk-based framework is both good policy and will create thousands of good paying union jobs in top destinations for international travelers like New York and San Francisco." According to U.S. Travel, each week that travel restrictions remain in place, the U.S. economy is losing $1.5 billion in spending just from Canada, the European Union, and the U.K. This is sufficient alone to support 10,000 American jobs weekly. U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said: "We have the knowledge and the tools we need to restart international travel safely, and it is past time that we use them." Travel restrictions implemented last March by President Trump have not been updated despite the pace of vaccinations in top overseas markets like the UK completely changing their risk profile. ATI along with the travel industry as a whole is urging the U.S. Government to put in place an updated framework for international travel by 15 July.