
DATE: Friday, May 23, 1997                  TAG: 9705230668

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  132 lines

AREA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS TAKE AIM AT MICKEY NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN TOUTS NEW PACKAGE OF REGIONAL SITES AS ALTERNATIVE TO DISNEY WORLD

Local tourist destinations are getting gutsy in both their advertising and approach to luring summer visitors.

They are taking on their biggest competitors - Disney World and Myrtle Beach - for the first time in sassy television spots aimed at cutting into their rivals' tourism dollars.

And they're teaming up to do it.

Another first: Virginia Beach and the historic sites around Williamsburg have collaborated on a new vacation package, ``Surf, Sun and Revolutionary Fun.'' This is in addition to three packages that proved popular last year.

``I can confidently say that Hampton Roads is leading the nation in this regard,'' said Pete Leddy, vice president of Barker Campbell Farley & Mansfield advertising and public relations. ``Nobody else is out there doing packaging like this.

``And the ads, well, they're extremely aggressive,'' he added.

The aggressive advertising, the new packaging, strong spring visitation and a pleasant Memorial Day weekend forecast have tourism officials looking eagerly to the summer tourist season.

From Williamsburg to Virginia Beach, bookings for the holiday weekend are brisk.

But because of the volatility of the weather-dependent tourist industry, tourism officials' mantra is: ``We're cautiously optimistic.''

There's nothing cautious, however, about the TV campaigns. Colonial Williamsburg's ads feature historic figures who are asked if they're going to celebrate their accomplishments at Disney World. Their response: ``I'm going to Williamsburg.''

For the new vacation package, a woman is featured with a beach ball depicting a globe. The message is that tourists can't find a combination of history, rides and the beach in Orlando or Myrtle Beach. But they can in Hampton Roads.

``We are positioning ourselves as an alternative to Disney,'' said Patrick Saylor, spokesman for Colonial Williamsburg. ``The ads seem to have really registered with people. They are fun. They get your attention when you don't expect it.

``The phone volume is up significantly from last year.''

Local tourism officials have traditionally placed television and print advertising mainly in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, where the bulk of visitors live. But now they're branching out to the national media.

The regional vacation packages are airing on national cable television outlets.

A cooperative effort between the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Norfolk's Virginia Waterfront regional tourism campaign has landed the state national exposure on the Weather Channel.

Wednesdays are Virginia Day on the Weather Channel, said Sam Rogers, Norfolk marketing director who oversees the Virginia Waterfront program. Spots plugging Virginia and the Virginia Waterfront air Wednesdays.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is also putting the region on the national radar with a coast-to-coast promotion of its newest ride Alpengeist, the world's tallest, fastest, most twisted inverted roller coaster.

``All of a sudden (the region is) breaking out of the I-95 corridor and starting acting like a national vacation destination,'' said Ed Dreistadt, Busch Gardens Williamsburg/Water Country USA marketing vice president.

``This region is now being recognized as a region that can become a major player in domestic and international tourism,'' said James B. Ricketts, Virginia Beach tourism director.

Ricketts attributes the emerging stature to a new cooperative spirit. That cooperation has resulted in vacation packaging that encourages tourists to experience everything the region has to offer.

``I see hard-core competitors in the past coming together and creating partnerships that will increase the bottom line for everybody,'' Ricketts said. ``The more we build the pie, the more everybody's going to make out.''

Tourism officials know that many visitors take in a variety of the region's attractions. But they do it on their own.

``We are taking traditionally individual experiences and doing all the work behind the scenes to make life easier for the visitor who comes here,'' Leddy said. ``Even though it sounds very simplistic, it's what makes this packaging so hot.''

It's basically taking Disney's all-in-one theory and applying it locally. ``Coming to Hampton Roads is much more like a Disney experience than what people were used to having to go through,'' Leddy added.

Packaging and one-stop shopping is part of what has made Disney, cruises and Club Meds so popular.

``Surf, Sun and Revolutionary Fun'' delivers what many families look for in a vacation, based on travel data, according to a study by the U.S. Travel Data Center and the 1997 National Leisure Travel Monitor. The beach, historical sites and theme parks consistently rate among the highest vacation activities, the study says.

The new package features two nights in Virginia Beach and two nights in Williamsburg with unlimited admission to local attractions, including Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Victory Center and Busch Gardens Williamsburg/Water Country USA. Prices start at $799 for a family of four.

Other packages include:

The Family Fun Package, which includes admission to Busch Gardens Williamsburg/Water Country USA, Virginia Marine Science Museum, Nauticus and the Virginia Air and Space Center.

In its second year, Family Fun has received 30,000 inquiries this spring, which is as many as it had all season last year.

Revolutionary Fun includes tickets to three historic sites in Williamsburg as well as the theme parks.

Sun Splash Fun Package is a variation of the Family Fun Package marketed to Canadians.

More than $1.5 million, collected from the cities, tourist destinations and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, has been budgeted for advertising these packages.

Based on local and national projections, they could have record sales.

The number of vacations Americans take this summer will increase about 2 percent, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. On average, they will spend $1,112, or 3 percent more than last year's all-time high, the association said.

Locally, hotel occupancy is up. From January to April, hotel occupancy in the Virginia Beach resort area increased from 46 percent last year to 51 percent this year.

``This could be a banner year if the spring is any indication,'' said James H. Capps, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel and Motel Association and owner of the Breakers Resort Inn.

``Barring the H-word, hurricanes, I think we'll do pretty good,'' Ricketts said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by ROBERT D. VOROS

GRAPHIC

SURF, SUN, REVOLUTIONARY FUN

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]

[Color Photos]

GETTING AROUND

Tourist shuttle: Williamsburg begins a transit bus service for

tourists today that will link the city's hotels, shops, restaurants

and attractions. Four buses will run daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for

a fare of $1 per day. The service will continue through Labor Day. KEYWORDS: TOURISM