Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix to market three cities

The marketing campaign will use the theme "Old West, New West, Wild West," and is designed to draw international tourists to all three markets.

The combined campaign will first target Europeans, then eventually Asians and Latin Americans.

Tourism officials say foreign visitors tend to take fly-drive trips that cover several destinations over a period of several days.

The tri-city marketing alliance is designed to capitalize on growing interest by the Europeans in the western United States.

Manny Cortez, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, says Europeans are discovering "there's a lot to see west of the Rockies."

Overseas visitors accounted for about 18 percent of the 29.6 million people who visited Las Vegas in 1996, according to the LVCVA annual visitor profile.

The alliance includes the LVCVA, the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Phoenix and Valley of Sun Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The three cities will highlight their attractions through an advertising campaign, sales presentations to foreign travel agents and tour operators, hosting tourism officials in the three cities and other promotions.

The campaign will kick off at the Travel Industry Association's annual trade show June 1-4 in Nashville, Tenn.

A budget for the campaign has not yet been established, Cortez said.

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