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INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
 As a 42 year old marketing alliance, the Travel South USA Board of Directors remains steadfast in our mission to foster, encourage and promote travel to and within the 12 southern states. Travel South also generates a highly successful campaign that has steadily increased the number of Canadian visitors in destinations throughout the South since 2005.
Travel South USA's Board of Directors and committee members have approved a Marketing Plan for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. We are positioned to continue our success in the Canadian market with consumer targeted marketing, sales, and public relations inititives focused on Southern food and flavors. Download a copy of the plan here which is to be supported by a year-round advertising campaign . For more information or to join our partner activities, contact Travel South USA
TRAVEL SOUTH USA BRINGS THE SOUTH TO TORONTO THIS SPRING!
Travel South has partnered with 16 state agricultural agencies of the Southeastern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) and Longo's Grocery stores to bring the best of Southern cooking and fresh produce to the Greater Toronto Area. This campaign, which will be held May 7-10,   2008 will showcase the best of southern tourism and agricultural products that can be found within the Toronto area. Armed with 3 ultimate southern culinary ambassadors, Travel South USA and SUSTA will be hosting in-store cooking demonstrations, a retail display contest for Longo's employees, an exclusive consumer giveaway to Charleston, South Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia donate by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) as well as a unique Southern cooking class at the brand new Burloak location.
To kick off the Spring Discover the Flavours of the South campaign, Travel South will host a reception at the Consul General's residence in Toronto
where the United States Ambassador, David Wilkins, is scheduled to attend. The reception will feature samplings of southern fruits, vegetables and seafood delights such as Sautéed Peaches, Shrimp & Grits and Appalachian Egg Rolls. These delicacies will be created by renowned Southern Chefs from Alabama, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Fine wines from Virginia and North Carolina vineyards will be on hand, as well as tasty samples of produce exported from the southern USA into Canada. Visit us online at www.TravelSouthFlavours.com for more information.
LINK TO TRAVEL SOUTH USA
You can help spread the word about traveling in the south and the great things available here by placing a link to www.TravelSouthUSA.com on your web site. Linking to TravelSouthUSA.com is just good business. Travel South encourages all tourism websites affiliated with the 12 southern states to assist in promoting Travel & Tourism in Canada. Click here for more information about linking with Travel South.
These efforts are designed to drive traffic to our consumer website designed specifically for Canadian travelers; the site offers regional trip ideas, informative narrative about the region and bookable packages in the Travel South USA states.
 TRAVEL SOUTH EXHIBITS AT CAA NIAGARA CONSUMER SHOW
Close to 60% of Canadians drive to the southern USA while 37% travel by air, using one of the 30 international airports available in the 12 states. While travel patterns vary based on the seasonality of the region, 29% of Canadians travel to the south between January and March, 25% April thru June, 19% July thru September and 26% October thru December.
Last year, the Southern Ontario CAA issued almost 54,000 trip ticks and booked millions of dollars in vacation packages to destinations such as Busch Gardens Virginia and Florida, Disney World and the 1,900 miles of beach and golf destinations along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. We believe strengthening a strategic partnership with CAA would be advantageous for all southern states and attractive to CAA in support of their membership.
A key objective of the Travel South USA 2007-2008 marketing plan is to provide more trip planning tools to prospective visitors. Trip planning itineraries serve two important purposes. First, itineraries provide an easy solution to travelers looking for a quick way to plan a fun trip. Second, for travelers who prefer a more hands-on approach to planning custom trips for themselves, itineraries serve as a valuable “idea generator.”
 TSUSA has partnered with three clubs of the Canadian Automobile Association in collaboration with ATI-South to provide established city break packages, fly-drive, special events, getaway packages and FIT style dynamic packaging. These CAA Exclusive Getaways – are titled the Travel South Collection. Read more on this innovative partnership in the marketing plan and call us to get involved in future programs.
SERVIN’ UP SHRIMP N’ GRITS SOUTHERN STYLE IN TORONTO WITH CAA
 On Sunday, March 25, 2007, Travel South USA hosted a luncheon at Toronto’s Westin Harbor Castle for the Canadian Automobile Association’s annual Product Day Conference. Accompanying Travel South was celebrity Chef Clayton Sherrod, from Birmingham, Alabama. While entertaining the crowd of over 350 travel counselors and agents with his stories and jokes, he taught all attending how to cook up his famous Shrimp N’ Grits recipe-complete with a taste test. Afterwards, the audience was given the chance to ask questions about everything from how to cook collards to the difference between vinegar and mustard based Southern barbeque. On each of the guests’ tables was a “taste of the South” including food items sent from all 12 states such as cheese straws, ham slices, cookies and much more. Also distributed was the new Travel South recipe book with recipes and facts about each of the member states. These books were a huge hit-we brought 400 with us and still had the group asking for more!
Overall, the program was a great outreach opportunity to the CAA group, allowing us to share southern hospitality and focus on the 54,000 trip ticks to our 12 states and the millions of dollars of revenue they brought to Southern destinations and attractions over the past year. Since the luncheon we’ve received a lot of positive feedback as well as a note from the COO of CAA complementing the program.
TSUSA HOSTS RECEPTION AT INTERNATIONAL POW WOW CONFERENCE IN ANAHEIM, CA
 The 39th annual TIA POW WOW was held April 21-25, 2007 in Anaheim, California. For the second year in a row, Travel South USA was chosen to host a reception for the Canadian SeeAmerica delegation during the show. This year’s focus was on the deep south blues and soul food, showcasing tasty treats, delicious drinks and plenty of Southern music and culture. Canadian buyers and media that attended were given the chance to win a FREE iPod chocked full of Southern music. With attendance of just over 100, the reception gave us a chance to talk with many Canadian buyers and media interested in southern destinations and invite them to join us for next year’s Showcase in Biloxi. Several people said that it was “one of the best networking functions they’ve attended,” as well as “a great experience to learn more about the South.”
SUGGEST YOUR SITE
Travel South USA recently launched its new consumer oriented website at www.travelsouthusa.com. Each of the 12 southern states have provided detailed trip ideas on the site accompanied by extensive photo galleries. There is also a variety of bookable packages available on the site for those who want to book a weekend at the beach, a round of golf, or or a wine tour
Travel South USA encourages all tourism websites affiliated with the 12 southern states that we represent to link to Travel South USA and assist in promoting Travel/Tourism in Canada "To Discover the Southern Way."
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