Following the success of two promotional bus tours on the U.S. mainland and Japan in 2009, Marriott Resorts Hawaii is hitting the road again, this time across the U.S. southwest and midwest.
Marriott’s 2010 Spirit of Aloha Tour launches on Jan. 19 in Phoenix and travels across Texas to Atlanta, then back through Charlotte, Nashville, St. Louis, Omaha, Denver and Salt Lake City, with a final stop in Los Angeles on February 11-12.
During the 12-city four-week tour, Marriott Resorts Hawaii leaders -- including general managers and directors of sales and marketing from each of its five resort hotels -- are visiting with travel partners, groups and media members. As they did in 2009, performers from the Polynesian Cultural Center are joining the tour to provide Hawaiian entertainment at each stop.
“This campaign aims to encourage mainland groups and residents to travel to the Aloha State in the coming year and stay at one of our beautiful Marriott Resorts in Hawaii,” said Chris Tatum, vice president of Marriott International – North Asia, Hawaii and South Pacific. “We found great success with our original mainland tour, and we look forward to highlighting the destination of Hawaii once again to new markets.”
The tour is also visiting a local Children’s Miracle Network hospital in select cities to entertain and share the aloha spirit with the children and staff.
“Marriott has a longstanding partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network throughout the country, and we want to show our support as we travel to these cities,” said Tatum. Along with hula performances, Marriott Resorts Hawaii is provide each Children’s Miracle Network hospital they visit with a Hawaiian vacation package for fund-raising use.
As it takes the Spirit of Aloha tour to the mainland, Marriott is partnering with the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and Hawaiian Airlines. Marriott is also utilizing its social media networks to provide continuous tour updates. Travel agents and their clients can follow @MarriottHawaii on Twitter, become a fan of Marriott Resorts Hawaii on Facebook, or check out the Spirit of Aloha blog at marriotthawaii.com/spiritofaloha
