CITY BREAKS SPECIAL FEATURE 27 ADVERTORIAL Austin – Adding Shine to the Lone Star Liberal & laid back… “flip-flops” are the order of the day Julie Chase Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer – Austin Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, talks to us about “what’s new” in this fast growing southern US tourist destination. Non-stop air services into Austin are on the rise. Condor Airlines new seasonal direct service from Frankfurt starts in June 2016. The direct British Airways route from London is celebrating its second anniversary in March 2016, introducing the new 787 with its legendary first class section. We will be the first US destination to have that plane. How is the hotel offer evolving? We now have the largest JW Marriott in America, opening in Austin in 2015. A new Westin opened in 2015, and a new Fairmont opens in 2017. A year ago, there were 6,000 rooms in the downtown area and in the next couple of years, we will add around 2,000 extra rooms. Everyone in the industry probably knows Austin as the live music capital of the world – with festivals, and everything from Jazz through Blues and Country to Rock in downtown venues... But what else is new? There’s the racing – the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Formula One Grand Prix. In addition, in June we have the X Games – that used to be held in Los Angeles, also at the Circuit of the Americas. Austin is known as being “Silicon Hills” as the technology capital of the south. How is that impacting what you do? IBM has a huge presence here and one of the companies that have spun-off, WayBlazer, is working with us on a very exciting Beta project. They are providing us with a tool giving consumers and travel professionals the possibility to do cognitive searches on our website. In other words, you can ask a question, AS a question (the way you talk), and the search engine will find the answers. It’s quite amazing and we’re happy to be the first to leverage this technology that will doubtless go on to be broadly used in the industry in future. Julie Chase President and Chief Marketing Officer – Austin Convention and Visitors’ Bureau Driskill Undergoes 8m Restoration McKinney Falls State Park Austin’s landmark downtown hotel, the Driskill, bought in 2013 by the Hyatt group, has undergone a spectacular million “restoration” project – making it more than ever a “must see” attraction. Hotel management insists on the word “restoration” rather than “renovation”; those visiting will understand why. Built in 1886, the Driskill has a rich history that includes hosting The Driskill Hotel American presidents, Texas governors and Hollywood celebrities in its well-appointed guest rooms, and was designated a national historic landmark in 1969. Dining options include the 1886 Café and Bakery and the Driskill Grill, which has been serving diners since 1929. Its bar has been a favourite gathering place for visitors and locals alike. Hall 2.1 / Stand 480 McKinney Falls – A State Park INSIDE the city limits Listen to Onion Creek flowing over limestone ledges and splashing into pools. Follow trails winding through the Hill Country woods. Explore the remains of an early Texas homestead and a very old rock shelter. All of this lies within Austin’s city limits at McKinney Falls State Park. Here, visitors can camp, hike, mountain or road bike, geocache, go bouldering, and picnic. One can also fish and swim in Onion Creek. Visitors can stay at one of no less than 81 campsites (all with water and electric hook-ups), or rent a newly remodelled cabin. The 2.8-mile Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail has a hard surface, good for strollers and road bikes. Then there’s the Rock Shelter Trail (only for hikers) to see where early visitors camped. Hall 2.1 / Stand 480 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 9 th March 2016
