U.S. National Parks hit the big screen this month

In celebration of the centennial year of the National Park Service, MacGillivray Freeman, in partnership with Brand USA is releasing AMERICA WILD – NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE. Presented by Expedia, Inc, and Subaru of America, Inc., the 3D film is scheduled for global release from 12th February 2016, running for one year at the BFI ODEON, London.

Narrated by Academy Award® winner Robert Redford, AMERICA WILD - NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the nation's awe-inspiring great outdoors and untamed wilderness. Immersive IMAX® 3D cinematography takes viewers soaring over red rock canyons, up craggy mountain peaks and into other-worldly realms found within America's most legendary outdoor playgrounds, including Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite and Arches National Parks.

www.VisitTheUSA.com/outdoors  / www.nationalparksadventure.com

Park development continues as National Park Service (NPS) announces record annual figures

In 2015, a record of more than 305 million people visited national parks across the USA, an increase of 12 million in the previous year. The NPS has recorded more than 13 billion visits to the parks since park managers began counting in 1904, 12 years ahead of the NPS being created.

A number of parks across the USA are planning new events and openings:

-       Four of Oklahoma's best-loved State Parks now have self-drive itineraries for UK and Ireland self-drive travellers looking to explore the great outdoors, with a fifth, Lake Murray State Park, to come in 2017. Newly renovated lodges at Sequoyah, Roman Nose, Beavers Bend and Robbers Cave State Parks are now part of the growing fly-drive itineraries throughout Kansas and Oklahoma available through the two states' UK travel partners, weaving the urban hot spots with outdoor beauty.   

-       Denali National Park has introduced a number of trails and ranger-led hikes. A new section of the 3-mile Horseshoe Lake Trail creates a loop around the scenic Oxbow lake. The Savage Alpine Trail, a 4-mile path connecting the Savage River area with the nearby Savage River Campground typically takes half-a-day to complete with elevations of 1,500m. Finally, Gorge Creek Trail at Mile 65 of the park road has also been completed recently to overlook the Thorofare riverbed.

-       Maine's Acadia National Park (pictured above) will also reach its centennial on 27th August. The milestone birthday will be marked by events throughout the year, including photography workshops, a winter festival, educational talks about the park's history and growth and an experiential scavenger hunt, Acadia Quest, that encourages families to explore, learn and protect national parks and other conserved lands.

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.nps.gov / www.travelksok.co.uk / www.travelalaska.com / www.discovernewengland.com

Baltimore hosts USA's first international light festival

Light City – the first large-scale international light festival – will  take place in Baltimore, Maryland next month, featuring international artists from around the globe including UK art studio, Aether and Hemera. The multi-disciplinary art studio based in Newcastle upon Tyne will showcase their piece 'Voyage', which consists of 300 illuminated paper boats, an interactive experience for people to engage with through their mobile phones. The festival, following the success of Lumiere London in January, will run from 28th March – 3rd April, transforming Baltimore with light displays, sculptures and interactive technologies with uniquely curated live shows and musical performances.

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.lightcity.org / www.capitalregionusa.co.uk

Quicksilver creates largest ski area in USA

Utah is now home to the biggest lift connected single ski area in the USA with the addition of the Quicksilver gondola, linking Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort. The new high speed gondola takes guests from the base of the existing Silverlode Lift at Park City to the Flatiron Lift area at Canyons. A mid-station at the top of Pine Cone Ridge also allows riders to ski into Thaynes Canyon for off piste access or to the Iron Mountain area through new trails. The area, now 7,300 acres with 41 ski lifts and 300 runs has seen more than 470cms snow this season with a current base depth of almost 110cm. The opening of Quicksilver on 18th December, having carried more than 40,000 visitors so far, was a major part of $50 million (approx. £35 million) in developments by owner Vail Resorts, the largest such investment in U.S. ski resort history. The USA ski season runs longer than in Europe, enjoying snow until mid-April, timed well for UK Easter ski holidays.

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.VisitParkCity.com

Investment in U.S. sci-fi and space tourism continues

As our interest in sci-fi piques with a new Star Wars advent and return of The X Files – Spaceport America in New Mexico announces the opening of a $218.5 million (approx. £152.8 million) experience to attract space fans. Now open, the attraction includes a gallery of space-related video games, displays and a G-shock simulator (pictured) designed to let tourists experience rapid acceleration as astronauts feel in flight, at a time when Virgin Galactic readies its spaceship to take tourists to the edge of space. A 4-hour tour of Spaceport is available with 24-hour advance bookings.

Construction on Star Wars Land in Walt Disney World, Florida and Disneyland, California also begins. An exclusive update will be aired on ABC from Han Solo actor, Harrison Ford, on 21st February as part of Disneyland's anniversary special programme.

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.spaceportamerica.com / www.newmexico.org / http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/

Arkansas expands Johnny Cash mecca

Fans of Johnny Cash will be able to visit the Dyess Theatre once frequented by a young Cash every weekend from this spring as The Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home announces the expansion of the attraction centred around Cash's home town. First opened in August 2014, the tourist attraction allows fans to tour the childhood home of Cash which featured in 'Walk The Line', with a number of exhibits dedicated to the colony and impact that growing up in Dyess had on Johnny Cash and his music. The Dyess Theatre and Pop Shop will include exhibits, orientation films, classes and special events. In later years, Johnny Cash recalled that the Dyess Theatre was "where I went to the movies on Saturday night to see favorite pictures of Tex Ritter, Gene Autry, and all of them."  Cash reportedly sold popcorn at the theatre for a time, and later his brother Tommy served as a projectionist while in high school.

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.arkansas.com

Visitors can now 'Zyp' across Birmingham

Alabama's largest city, Birmingham, has just installed the first electric pedal bike share system in North America. 400 electric pedal assisted bikes are available to explore the culture-rich city and its beautiful monuments, parks and museums, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, McWane Science Center and the National Historic Landmark, 16th Street Baptist Church, known for the 1963 bombing in the midst of the American Civil Rights Movement. For a 24-hour rental, Zyp bikes cost $6 (approx. £4), with a 7-day option at $20 (approx. £14).

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.zypbikeshare.com / www.deep-south-usa/alabama 

-ENDS- 

Discover this land, like never before VisitTheUSA.com

Brand USA is the public-private partnership responsible for promoting the United States as a premier travel destination and communicating U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures. Established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010, the organisation's mission is to increase international visitation to the United States while working in partnership with the travel industry to maximise the economic and social benefits of travel. These benefits include creating jobs essential to the economy and fostering understanding between people and cultures. For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com.

For information about travel to and around the United States, please visit Brand USA's consumer website at VisitTheUSA.com.

For further Brand USA, UK/Ireland press information, contact:

Polly Beech / Sarah Barnett / Allie Williams

pbeech@thebrandusa.co.uk/ sbarnett@thebrandusa.co.uk / awilliams@thebrandusa.co.uk

020 7845 6359 / 020 7845 6378 / 020 7845 6384