In a year of anniversaries -- including the moon landing and Woodstock -- the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) has launched an intensified public relations campaign, highlighting the thirtieth anniversary of the film "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium." The Hollywood film followed the adventures of a group of Americans on a whirlwind, 18-day, nine-country European tour, and became synonymous with the tour experience. USTOA's PR campaign, which targets a wide variety of media, seeks to underscore the changes and new options in tours and vacation packages since the film's debut in 1969.
In launching the campaign, USTOA President Bob Whitley remarked, "We have outgrown the old conceptions of touring, and are trying to use the film as a hook to show that today's tour operators offer consumers a multitude of options. These include not only the standard, multi-destination tour, but also adventure, special interest, independent packages, and more."
The PR campaign includes both major market and suburban television, radio and print media:
USTOA's PR agency, Herman Associates Public Relations, kicked off the campaign with a themed series of radio interviews designed to coincide with the beginning of the Memorial Day holiday. Ushering in the start of the summer travel season, the agency scheduled a series of personal interviews for Whitley on 20 radio stations, along with a pre-recorded interview that generated over 500 broadcasts on more than 470 stations. Markets included were Illinois, Florida, Texas, and more.
A comprehensive press release and fact sheet comparing travel data and trends in 1969 and 1999 was mailed to more than 400 major newspapers, magazines, and freelance travel journalists. The agency is working with major print media to develop stories incorporating the theme.
Using clips from the movie, Whitley is spreading the USTOA word through a series of TV interviews via satellite on local morning news shows from Los Angeles to Baltimore. The first wave of interviews was August 18, with a second wave planned for the fall. Supplementing the television coverage was a public service announcement also featuring clips from the film, "If It's Tuesday...," distributed to TV stations across the country in July.
To reach suburban markets, a feature article entitled "How America's Vacation Styles Are Changing," is being sent to over 10,000 newspapers nationwide. Complementing the print effort is a one-minute video featuring scenes from the film, and highlighting today's touring experience. The video, for use in daytime talk shows, will be distributed to 1,000 television stations. Rounding out the suburban market campaign will be a one-minute script, sent to 6,500 radio stations.
Internet Fraud, Trend, and Consumer Information Also On PR Agenda
Other USTOA 1999 PR efforts to date include a campaign on Internet fraud, which has reached a total of over 3.3 million readers in major newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, Long Island Newsday, and magazines like Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Results from an agency-conducted survey of USTOA members regarding projected top destinations and travel trends has generated over 125 articles, with a total circulation of over 21 million readers to date. USTOA also produced a radio public service announcement providing consumer advice on planning a vacation, which to date has resulted in 16,000 broadcasts on more than 335 stations nationwide.
For more information contact USTOA at 212-599-6599, or e-mail USTOA@aol.com.
Public Relations Contact:
Linda Kundell Communications
(212) 877-2798, (212) 877-3387 fax
(For all other inquiries about USTOA, please contact USTOA.)
