Check out the latest group travel industry updates.


New Quad Cities pedestrian path complete

Oculus, pedestrian bridge, Quad Cities
Credit: Courtesy Visit Quad Cities

QUAD CITIES — The Iowa Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation, and the cities of Bettendorf and Moline recently announced that construction of the bike and pedestrian path on the new I-74 bridge is complete.

An exciting feature on the bike and pedestrian path is a scenic overlook with a glass oculus to provide the public with a unique view of the Mississippi River. The 10-foot diameter oculus is made of thick, tempered glass that is safe to stand on, and the surface is textured to provide better traction. Uplighting is also being installed on the scenic overlook, and the entire path will be lit at night.

Fully separated from traffic and ADA accessible, the new path provides a safe way to cross the Mississippi River. At 14-feet wide, there is ample room for bikes and pedestrians to travel in either direction. The path connects to existing trails on both sides of the river. For more information, visit visitquadcities.com.


Free Milwaukee Cheese Curd Pass offers great deals across Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — VISIT Milwaukee recently announced the launch of the free Milwaukee Cheese Curd Pass, which gives visitors and locals alike exclusive specials from over 20 area fried and fresh cheese curd purveyors.

In addition to discounted curds, anyone who downloads the pass before June will be entered to win free curds for a year. Additionally, anyone who checks in at every business on the Milwaukee Cheese Curd Pass by Dec. 31, 2022, will be eligible to win The Ultimate Cheese Giveaway.

The Milwaukee Cheese Curd pass is part of an ongoing series of passes launched by VISIT Milwaukee to increase tourism, grow visitor and local spending at partner businesses, and give the community something to celebrate.


Star Line Mackinac Island Hydro-Jet® Ferry announces new name

ST. IGNACE, Mich. — Star Line Mackinac Island Hydro-Jet® Ferry, the most affordable, longest-running ferry service to Mackinac Island, Michigan, recently announced its plans to change its name to Mackinac Island Ferry Company and introduced a new logo for the new brand, which will be fully rolled out by the end of 2023. During this transition, the company will be referred to as Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Company. The new name is designed to place all brand assets currently owned under the Mackinac Island Ferry Company umbrella of brands.

Mackinac Island Ferry Company owns the Star Line Mackinac Island Hydro-Jet® Ferry branded fleet of ferries, the former Arnold Line Ferry fleet and Mackinac Marine Services (MMS) shipyard. The company is best known for its high-speed hydro-jet rooster tail boats, family-friendly atmosphere, and most frequent number of trips to and from Mackinac Island and underneath the Mackinac Bridge.

The new Mackinac Island Ferry Company logo uses a font that harkens back to a simpler time, much like the feeling Mackinac Island visitors experience during their island excursions. As part of a natural transition of the brand name, the Star Line brand logo will continue to be used during this summer season and then will be phased out through 2023. Visitors will begin to see the new logo added onto the Star Line dock signage throughout summer 2022.


Amphitheater opens in downtown Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers has opened its much anticipated amphitheater. The new venue extends across the eastern side of Centennial Park, nestled between Luminary Hotel on Edwards Drive and the Caloosahatchee River. The $3.54 million project, including ongoing renovations to the park’s east side, will be used for entertainment as well as annual events. The venue capacity is 2,500–3,000 people, surpassing other mid-sized Southwest Florida venues.


Destinations in three neighboring states team up to create a baseball-centric road trip

A trio of baseball-oriented destinations in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland have organized the ultimate road trip for travelers who are ready to get out of their dugouts this year for a long-overdue “away game.”

The “Round-Tripper” is a baseball-themed triple play that encourages visitors to follow the path of the Susquehanna River as it winds its way along a 444-mile path, beginning, passing through and ending in three of the most baseball-centric places in America: Cooperstown, New York; the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania; and Harford County, Maryland.

This Is Cooperstown, the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau and Visit Harford have teamed up to cross-promote baseball-themed tourism experiences in all three regions. Each has created a list of baseball-centric attractions, sites and restaurants that visitors can find on all three organizations’ websites.Each destination is prepared to support its neighbors with the intention that everyone involved will score a hit.

For more information about the Round-Tripper, a baseball-themed road trip through three states, visit the websites of each of the collaborative destinations that assembled the tour. Here’s a link that takes you from Cooperstown south, and here’s the one that begins in Harford County, Maryland, and heads north.