Washington, DC, hotels are gearing up for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, cruise ships are returning to Mobile, AL, and Travel Leaders is kicking off its 2016 National Meeting today in the travel industry.
Washington, DC, Preps for Travel to Presidential Inauguration
Destination DC has announced a lineup of free resources for travelers heading to Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, which is scheduled for Friday, January 20, 2017.
Available on washington.org/inauguration, travelers and travel agents can access a calendar of events, suggestions for attractions related to presidential history, restaurant lists, an FAQ and street closures. Hotel packages for families include options in the Marriott Metro Center downtown; Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Woodley Park; Embassy Suites at the Chevy Chase Pavilion in upper Northwest; The Dupont Circle, Beacon Hotel and Courtyard Washington, DC in Dupont Circle; Liaison Capitol Hill and Phoenix Park Hotel on Capitol Hill; Hamilton Crowne Plaza downtown; Hyatt Place Washington DC, Melrose Georgetown Hotel, Georgetown Suites and Washington Marriott Georgetown; Harborside Hotel at National Harbor, MD.
For group travelers, the JW Marriott is offering a $2.5 million buy-out that bundles 325 guest rooms, four presidential suites, a rooftop party for 300 overlooking the inaugural parade and $400,000 in food and beverage credit.
Luxury hotels, including Four Seasons Washington, DC in Georgetown; The Fairmont Hotel, Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC, Park Hyatt and Watergate Hotel in Foggy Bottom; The Churchill Hotel near Embassy Row; Sofitel Washington, DC Lafayette Square; Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel; the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC in Shaw; Willard InterContinental, W Washington, DC and Sofitel Washington, DC Lafayette Square near the White House are also offering packages. The “Inauguration’s Ball” package is also available at 10 DC-area Kimpton properties.
Cruise Ships Return to Mobile, AL
It’s official: Wednesday morning marked the official return of cruise ships to Mobile, AL, with the arrival of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Fantasy, AL.com reports. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson and Carnival President Christine Duffy cut a ceremonial ribbon to welcome the cruise terminal back into operation after a five-year hiatus and a $4 million renovation project. The Carnival Fantasy set sail later that day on its first cruise from the port.
The cruise terminal, which had opened in 2004 and hosted regular service from Carnival, ceased operations in Mobile in 2011. In 2015, Carnival announced plans to return to the port with a schedule of four- and five-day cruises to Mexico from the port on Carnival Fantasy. The ship is fresh off a refurbishment that added several elements from the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 program, including Guy’s Burger Joint, two poolside bars, the RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, and the BlueIguana Cantina Mexican-themed eatery. Itineraries will visit either the Costa Maya or Progreso, with calls including a day-long visit to Progreso and a visit to Cozumel.
Travel Leaders National Meeting Kicks Off
Finally, yesterday marked the kickoff of the Travel Leaders National Meeting, which has drawn over 750 attendees from across multiple Travel Leaders brands — a 25 percent increase over last year.
Built around the theme “Get Jazzed,” this year’s event will include a keynote speech from entrepreneur Troy Hazard, four destination workshops, chances to interact with supplier partners, sneak peeks at new travel agent tools and six workshop tracks for travel agents.
Travel Agent is on location at the event, where we got a special sneak peek at what’s ahead for the launch of the new Travel Leaders Network — read our firsthand report here.
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