Tennis, Anyone?

Although the temperature is hovering below freezing in New York, it might be a good time to start selling your clients on some summer fun in the city—and the U.S. Open Tennis Championship is a great draw for sports fans, families and as an added attraction for travelers who want to experience New York City at its best.

Scheduled for August 30 through September 12, the Open is the fourth and final leg of the year’s Grand Slam tennis events. It’s also the biggest in terms of attendance, with more than 720,000 spectators at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center over the two-week period—with those numbers, the tournament ranks as the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world.

Demand for tickets is high, but there are a variety of packages available that include U.S. Open admission, ranging from "no  frills" to deluxe, from a quick, exciting weekend tennis trip to a week of tournament play.

As an Official Travel Partner of the United States Tennis Association and the U.S. Open, Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours  has a number of itineraries, as do Sports Travel Plus, which has been the Open’s hotel service partner since 1994, and Grand Slam Tennis Tours , which offers exclusive packages as well as an online trip builder   that allows more flexibility.

Hotel accommodations are at a premium in New York during the summer months (agents should note that the Open runs through Labor Day weekend), so it’s not too early to start thinking about booking your clients for this unique New York sports experience now.