|
"CALIFORNIA COUNTRYSIDE" OFFERS NEW
PERSPECTIVE ON TOURISM IN RURAL CALIFORNIA
Website Content Includes Destination
and Special Interest Features,
Travel Discounts, Events Calendar and Other Visitor
Resources
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2003 - California Countryside™
has launched its official website at www.californiacountryside.com.
The not-for-profit tourism marketing program seeks to
expand awareness of the many places and visitor attractions
that can be found beyond and between California's great
cities.
The new website provides information about participating
destinations and other members, and then direct users
to the destination travel planning resources of each
member. Its two searchable databases allow users to
research coming events (Calendar)
by location, date or type of event, and to find special
travel offers (Choices)
that represent savings of at least 20%.
Participation in this grass roots program is open to
all rural California destinations,
museums, associations
and other nonprofit groups with an interest in rural
tourism and recreation. Organized earlier this year,
California Countryside has rapidly become a rich and
growing resource for anyone planning a trip to or around
the region.
Founding destinations include Humboldt
County, Petaluma,
Pismo
Beach, Mendocino
County, San
Luis Obispo County, Siskiyou
County/Mt. Shasta Country, Plumas
County, Tulare
and Visalia.
The
National Steinbeck Center was the founding museum
member; the California
Lodging Industry Association was the founding association
member. Launch sponsors for the California Countryside
program are VIA
and Westways
magazines, the respective publications of the California
State Automobile Association and the Automobile Club
of Southern California.
The website's content will be continually expanded
and already includes features on dozens of destinations,
member museums and associations, and on special interest
topics such as railroading
and county fairs.
Other sections include Cinema
(with streaming video, links to old movie theatres,
film locations and commissions), Cams
(links to countryside web cams), Climate
(weather forecasts for each destination), Cards
(free online postcards and a gallery of vintage views),
Contacts (a
printable directory of all members) and Communiqués
(press materials).
Upcoming features include Crossroads (classic routes
in CA as described in the pages of VIA and Westways),
Canines (dog-friendly places and services), Camera (consumer
photo tips), Crops (farmer's markets and farm stands),
Critters (wildlife viewing), Collectibles (flea markets
and antiques) and… Chocolate.
The program and website were developed and are managed
by The
Fontayne Group, a California-based marketing communications
firm specializing in tourism. The firm has served many
California travel clients in the past 21 years, including
the state's Division of Tourism, from 1994 through 2002.
###
<< Back
to Communiqués
| 
