Over the next several weeks, Wheels Through Time Museum will be hosting several media groups from the United States and Europe who will be touring the area to visit some of Western North Carolina's best travel destinations. 

On Tuesday, May 11, the museum will host the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Anniversary Media Tour.  Coordinated by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority, the tour will include writers, editors, and publishers from a variety of publications and websites, including AAA's GO Magazine; World Travel Trade News; V magazine for Women; and Mantripping.com, a website dedicated to guys' weekends, men's travel, and vacations for men.  The media tour will focus on sharing many of the cultural and historic attractions surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway that make it one of America's favorite roads.

Wednesday, May 12, Wheels Through Time will host a German press group led by Wit Tuttell of the North Carolina Division of Tourism.  The group will include members of the German Associated Press, staff writers from several of Germany's largest newspapers, and German radio travel show hosts. The primary focus of the tour is to increase awareness of the Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th Anniversary and the unique attractions along its North Carolina route.

Internationally renowned for its preservation of American motorcycle history and its unique ambience and presentation, Wheels Through Time has hosted travel writers in years past from countless countries around the world, including Canada, France, Germany, Russia, and Australia, to name a few. Since its relocation to Maggie Valley in 2002, the museum has been featured in over 70 international travel articles in 8 different languages. 

Recently, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue recommended initiatives to increase tourism across the state through marketing and advertising.  The budget recommendation includes and additional $1 Million for the the Division of Tourism to support the state's small business tourism economy by increasing the investment in marketing and advertising of North Carolina as a tourism destination.

Governor Perdue's goal to increase the presence of North Carolina as a travel destination has been met with great enthusiasm from Wheels Through Time staff and administration.  "We're proud to be a part of North Carolina's new tourism marketing intiatives, and look forward to continuing our involvement in bringing visitors from around the United States and the world to see what our area has to offer," says museum curator and founder, Dale Walksler.

During the first week of June, the museum will host another German media group consisting of journalists from several of Germany's largest motorcycle publications.  The tour will be led by Bill Kniegge of Blue Strada Tours, and includes writers and photographers from Motorraad, Europe's largest motorcycle magazine, and writers from Germany's largest newspaper, the Die Welt News, which devotes a complete section of their publication to motorcycling.

"Its an honor to have the opportunity to share the museum and its collection with writers from around the world," says Walksler.  "It is our goal to provide the best experience possible for each and every museum visitor, and we are excited to host a multitude of groups that have the ability to share their museum experience with their readers.

For more information about Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, visit their website, located at www.WheelsThroughTime.com or call (828) 926-6266.