Family Travel Forum to Follow Model of Romance Travel Forum: Highlighting a segment of the U.S. travel market that continues to grow, the people who operate the Specialty Travel Forums portfolio have announced the Family Travel Forum. The inaugural program will be held Nov. 2-4 at the Royalton Rivera in Cancun, Mexico. Like its sister event, the Romance Travel Forum, explained Jennifer Fernandez, vice president, events and content for Specialty Travel Forums, it will aim to “bring supplier partners face-to-face with vetted travel sellers who have a strong performance record, and dedication to their business.”
The event will bring in 130 hand-selected travel agents, she added, who will take part in a stringent qualification process. The group plans to welcome as many as 70 supplier companies “who focus on family travel, including multi-generation, family reunions and other group travel opportunities.”
The Family Travel Forum’s model, the Romance Travel Forum, is one that seemingly targets those consumers who have marriage—as well as romance—in mind. The next Romance Travel Forum takes place May 9-13, 2016 at the Moon Palace Jamaica Grande in Jamaica. For more information, visit: www.familytravelsmg.com, www.romancetravelforum, or call 718.979.1952.
New Señor Frog’s New York Features New Packages with Partners: Señor Frog’s, the combination restaurant and entertainment venue that features a mixture of Mexican food during the day and early evening, shifting to a dance club atmosphere for nighttime hours, recently opened a New York City venue on 42nd Street near Times Square. What differentiates this location from others—it operates a dozen locations, mostly in Mexico and the Caribbean—is the way in which the attraction/restaurant has been able to partner with other industry attractions in developing packages designed for motorcoach traffic.
Jodi Bergin, director of sales for the Manhattan location, told us that Señor Frog’s has a combos package with The Ride/The Tour in New York City; Ripley’s in New York City, and partnerships with Blue Man Group and Gazillion Bubble Show. For more information, visit http://senorfrogs.com/newyork/, or call 212.221.3833.
Philadelphia’s Observation Deck is Open: Just opened last month is the new One Liberty Observation Deck on the 57th floor (883 feet above street level) of One Liberty Place in Center City Philadelphia, just a block-and-a-half from City Hall. Reaction to the new attraction with its expansive view of the city has been largely positive. Here’s an excerpt from one Yelp review: “Great 360 degree views of Philly 57 stories up. Touch screens let you know what you’re looking at in case you get confused and they have lots of extremely friendly staff members around to help you out.” For more information, visit: www.phillyfromthetop.com, or call 215.561.3325.
Papillon Spreads Wings, Launches Two New Air Products: Both new tours are available via Papillon’s Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines just south of Las Vegas. They are:
—The Native Explorer Tour with Legacy departs from the Grand Canyon West air terminal. Once airborne, guests experience views above Eagle Point, home of the famous Skywalk glass bridge, Guano Point and other areas of interest within Grand Canyon West. In-flight narration in 16 languages provide interesting facts and the history of the Hualapai tribe and their land. After returning to the terminal, the West Rim tour continues aboard an air-conditioned motor coach for a self-guided ground tour of Grand Canyon West that includes a cowboy show at Hualapai Ranch, and a stop at Eagle Point, with its enormous eagle-like rock formation.
—There is also the Bar 10 Ranch experience at the Grand Canyon’s northern rim. Known as the Grand Canyon North Air/Ground Tour, guests are picked up in Las Vegas. They then board an airplane, from which they enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River—the heart of the Grand Canyon. The airplane lands at the landing strip of Bar 10 Ranch where guests experience a guided ground tour on a Polaris Ranger.
—Self-guided ATV upgrades are also available for an additional cost. The tour is available in the spring through November. For more information, visit www.Papillon.com.
Collection of Food Stations and Specialty Vendors Highlight 
new Boston Attraction: Some 40 vendors are part of the new Boston Public Market—a permanent, year-round indoor market featuring fresh local food at 100 Hanover Street. Open Wednesday through Sunday 8:00 am–8:00 pm, it is located just north of Faneuil Hall Market Place, above the Haymarket subway station and a short walking distance from the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Boston Public Market offers everything from coffee and doughnuts to artisan cheeses, specialty cuts of meat and smoked fish. It’s proved to be popular with locals and visitors—both individual travelers and groups. The market’s website has instructions on how to reach the attraction by walking, biking, taking the MBTA or by vehicle. For more information, visit www.bostonpublicmarket.org, or call 617.973.4909.
