FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   JANUARY 8, 2003

Contact Patrick Tremblay, ptremblay@asomf.org (910) 483-3003 ext. 229

ASOM RECEIVES AAA's HIGHEST RANKING

FAYETTEVILLE, NC. The 2003 AAA TourBook is out, and this year Fayetteville is more visible than ever thanks to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum (ASOM). For the first time a Fayetteville attraction has achieved GEM status, a ranking reserved for only the finest quality attractions and a designation coveted in the travel and tourism industry. GEM, or "Great Experience for Members," status is reached through anonymous inspection of a location by the AAA, and is rarely given - of all that North Carolina has to offer, only 38 places make the grade.

The TourBook is the primary annual publication of the AAA (American Automobile Association) and traces its roots back to the Association's first Travel Book of 1917. Since becoming the TourBook in 1937, the publication has grown to include 24 separate regional books with a total distribution of over 30 million copies annually. GEM attractions receive top billing in the TourBook, with the first pages of a state's listing dedicated to these top points of interest. Most visibly, cities with GEM attractions receive a diamond shaped icon next to their location on AAA member maps. Before the ASOM, the closest icon to Fayetteville represented the museums of Raleigh. Other NC GEM attractions include the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Biltmore Estate, Old Salem and the Tryon Palace.

Fayetteville area attractions and businesses, including hotels and restaurants that thrive on increased visitation, will benefit from the museum's recognition. John Meroski, President and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), is excited by the recognition. The CVB works closely with local attractions in marketing Fayetteville as a destination. "It's an incredible advantage and opportunity to have an attraction of this magnitude in our community," says Meroski.

Earning the GEM rating isn't the museum's first experience with maps. The ASOM was featured on the cover of the official 2001 North Carolina map. Almost three million of these maps were printed for distribution at state Welcome Centers and to anyone who inquired about traveling in the "Good Roads State."

For More Information
ASOM - Patrick Tremblay at (910) 483-3003 ext. 229 or ptremblay@asomf.org, website www.asomf.org.
AAA - Janie Graziani at (407) 444-8000, website www.aaanewsroom.net.

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