May 2016 - Welcome to Brand USA's monthly media newsletter with all the top stateside news spanning the next few months. Please include the URL www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.VisitTheUSA.co.uk to entice your readers with more USA adventures.

Indianapolis gears up for Indy 500 as event reaches 100

The world's largest single-day sporting event is back for its 100th running on 29th May 2016. Known as the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the best open-wheel drivers from around the world as they battle through 500 miles to get to the finish line in hopes of winning the famous Borg-Warner trophy. Tickets for the 2016 race start at $50 (approx. £32). To celebrate the anniversary of this iconic event, guests can expect a number of surprises and celebrations in addition to 500 Festival traditions including the nation's largest half marathon, the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon (7th May) and culminating in the Indy 500  Snake Pit dance festival with Skrillex heading the line up.

www.VisitTheUSA.com / www.visitindy.com / www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500

Mako hypercoaster set to be Orlando's tallest and fastest

Opening on 10th June 2016, SeaWorld Orlando's Mako coaster will be the tallest, fastest and longest in Orlando. As Orlando's only hypercoaster, Mako is designed for speed and relentless air time, giving riders tight turns, stomach steep drops and shark-attack speeds of up to 73mph. The new attraction will be the centrepiece of the new two-acre shark-themed park with preview live presentation in the park, Mako Rising educating visitors about sharks in the wild alongside a preview of the ride design and construction. 

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Orlando / www.SeaWorld.com/Mako  

Next stop, Denver…

The Mile High City is now better connected for visitors than ever before, with a new rail line connecting Denver International Airport to down town Union Station, the city's historic transportation hub. The new A line launched on 22 April 2016, with ticket prices at $9 (approx. £6), can transport visitors at 79mph from the sixth busiest airport in the world to one of the most walkable urban areas in the U.S. The train to the plane takes 37 minutes with a frequency of every 15 minutes and the last service of the day into Denver at 1.26am.  

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Colorado / www.VisitDenver.com

Alaska welcomes 2016 summer tours

From admiring grizzlies in the national parks to observing puffins, sea lions and otters from the deck of an expedition cruise ship, a number of tours from the UK have launched with UK operators. The new Alaskan Wilderness Trail by Road & Rail tour from Artisan Travel combines the scenic Alaskan Railroad with some of the most stunning drives in the world, including a loop beginning and ending in Anchorage, with three national parks and a national forest along the 13-day journey of exploration. Princess Cruises has launched Cook My Catch – a unique cruise dining in which guests can enjoy their very own wild Alaskan catch of the day – available on Princess Cruise vacations during port calls in Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Princess Land and Sea vacations with stays at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge and Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge as well as a number of the company's excursions. Wexas Travel has also launched a 14-day self-drive taking in the highlights of Denali and Kenai Fjords, including the volcanic landscapes known as the Ring of Fire, with a bear viewing tour into the Hallo Bay Wilderness and helicopter ride to the base camp in the Chugach Mountains – training ground for the Iditarod sled dogs.

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Alaska / www.travelalaska.com  

Oklahoma's new Boathouse District set to make a splash

On 7th May 2016, Oklahoma City's Boathouse District, a $45million (approx. £31million) development, will open to deliver a plethora of adventures – Including Riversport Rapids aquatic centre, providing visitors with a 1,000ft channel for whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing; a 700ft SandRidge Sky Zip across the Oklahoma River; and 80ft Rumble Drop free fall, America's fastest spiral slide. The aquatic centre was designed by the same team that developed the 2012 London Olympics, which will be launched with a weekend of celebration on 7 – 8 May featuring Team USA's Road to Rio Tour, 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Canoe and Kayak Slalom, live music and of course, white water rafting. Riversport Adventure Day Passes are available from $39 (approx. £27).

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Oklahoma / www.boathousedistrict.org / www.travelksok.co.uk

Missouri sings the Blues with new dedicated museum

Few forms of American music capture the culture and history of a region as the Blues. A bedrock for the majority of American popular culture over the past century, the genre welcomes it's own museum in St. Louis, Missouri. Unlike other blues museums with a regional or specific artist focus, the National Blues Museum is dedicated to the history of the blues and it's influences across the globe. With its doors now open, visitors can learn and pay homage to the rhythms of BB King, John Lee Hooker, Charley Patton and Muddy Waters throughout its 15,000 square feet of interactive and artefact-driven exhibits. Tickets are available from the box office at $15 for adults (approx. £10). St. Louis itself has been a hub for expansion of Blues music since the early 20th century as early blues musicians migrated north from the Mississippi Delta, having served as home to W.C. Handy, Chuck Berry and Tina Turner among others, with a thriving live music scene to enjoy after a visit to the new museum.

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Missouri / www.nationalbluesmuseum.org

Raise a glass at Nantucket's 20th Wine Festival this May

An island tradition since 1996, the Nantucket Wine Festival is known as the nation's most celebrated wine and food events, taking place 18 – 22 May 2016. Transforming the historic whaling capital into Massachusetts' wine capital, the festival embraces the unique island style with a spring fete feel despite its 3,000 person attendance. Events throughout the five day celebration include  Breakfast on the Harbor with live music and celebrity chef demonstrations, Champagne Brunches, winetasting seminars from a number of local and international vineyards and official closing event, Get Your Grill On – inviting visitors to taste barbecued pork from America's top pig farmers while enjoying craft beer and live music.

www.VisitTheUSA.com/nantucket / www.nantucketwinefestival.com

Madame Tussauds opens first music themed attraction

Simon Shopping destination, Opry Mills, has announced it will welcome the first music-themed attraction from world famous Madame Tussauds. With 'Music City' being the birthplace of Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder, the city provides the perfect backdrop for the new music-centric waxwork attraction which will provide guests with an interactive experience, where they will be able to touch, see, feel and photograph themselves with their favourite musical figures. With vivid scenes and a colourful cast of figures to the “Soundtrack of America” theme, much of which will be exclusive to Madame Tussauds Nashville, the attraction is set to open its doors in Spring 2017.

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Nashville / www.simon.com

Alabama apps leads visitors on iconic trails across the state

Visitors to 'Sweet Home Alabama' can now have the best of the state at their fingertips with the launch of the Alabama Road Trips App, Alabama Civil Rights App and Alabama BBQ Trail App. All free to download, the content allows visitors to discover the best of Alabama's BBQ restaurants, plan visits to Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Tuskegee and other cities pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement (the famous Rosa Parks bus pictured) and live like a local with tips on the most authentic experiences.

www.VisitTheUSA.com/Alabama / www.alabama.travel

-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 / VisitTheUSA.co.uk 

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