GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – PBS viewers across the nation will soon follow four girlfriends as they explore the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area during a new realty television show. “Getting Away Together” is a new TV series airing on PBS member stations nationwide that showcases the increasingly popular trend of sharing vacation rentals with friends and family. From girlfriend getaways to family reunions and milestone celebrations, the series shows the benefits of vacationing together in spectacular rental properties across America.

Locally, the show highlights the journey of long-time girlfriends Michele, Nicole, Rachel and Aimee (all of San Diego) as they visit the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, enjoy the area’s nature attractions, dine at several restaurants and shop in addition to spending time on the local beaches.

“Our trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach was everything you could want in a vacation and more: powder soft beaches, spectacular natural beauty, warm and friendly people and delicious regional seafood,” said Michele Predko. “We really did experience some of the best Alabama had to offer. It was amazing to be able to share that experience with some of my best friends. It’s a trip I will never forget!”

“Being included in a television series of this caliber will enable our beach message to reach PBS viewers across the nation,” said Herb Malone, president/CEO of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, which collaborated with show producers throughout the episode’s development. “The vacation that these four girlfriends experienced is very similar to the countless other vacation getaways enjoyed by many women through the Southeast and Midwest. We are excited to expose more individuals to our sugar-white sand and numerous amenities.”

The “Getting Away Together” series began airing in October 2011 and consists of 13, 30-minute episodes featuring meaningful travel experiences in fun locales with vacation rentals as their home base. The series is being produced by the Emmy Award-winning PineRidge Film & Television Company, who has proven travel series success with Great Hotels, Great Vacation Homes, Passport to Europe and more. The Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) introduced the show as part of its Discover Vacation Homes awareness initiative, made possible in part through support from TripAdvisor®, CSA Travel Protection and 10 dynamic travel destinations.

This series is receiving media attention already as Valarie D'Elia of New York 1 named the show as a top travel trend in 2012.

“'Getting Away Together' explores the many ways real friends and families can grow closer through travel - especially by enjoying quality time together underneath the same roof,” explains Steve Trover, president of the VRMA and its Discover Vacation Homes awareness initiative. “This is a timely, compelling concept, and one of the many reasons the series is so inspiring to watch.”

According to Jerry Smith, CEO of PineRidge Film & Television, producer of the series:

“I’m pleased to announce that the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach episode was distributed to PBS member stations on February 4, and we fully expect to see it begin appearing on schedules of PBS member stations throughout the nation very soon. The series is already “cleared,” or accepted for airing in 60 percent of the nation’s PBS stations. PBS viewing overall accounts for 121.9 million viewers every month.” Just as important, the Gulf Shores episode will be streaming on the show website www.gettingawaytogether.com 24-7 along with a short 3 minute trailer about the destination. Each PBS station puts the show into its schedule at its earliest opportunity.” (*Source: Nielsen NTINPower October 2010 Total Day 6a-6a Reach US Persons 2+)

Visit www.GettingAwayTogether.com for a list of PBS stations airing this series. Viewers can then check their local listings for complete details. View the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach episode on this website after March 14, 2012.

For more information on this family beach destination, visit www.gulfshores.com or www.orangebeach.com.

(Pleasure Island)

1/4/2011

GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – According to early indicators, both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Welcome Centers are seeing an increase in snowbird traffic as the centers set a new one-day record on January 3 with a combined total of 894 guests. This figure surpasses the previous records of 752 guests on January 2, 2010, and 760 individuals on January 2, 2009.

“We typically track the number of guests visiting our welcome centers on the first few days of each New Year,” said Mike Foster, vice-president of marketing for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, which operates the two previously mentioned welcome centers. “Our snowbirds have just checked into their accommodations and stop by to see what’s new in the area, and we greatly value the opportunity to interact with this important group of visitors.”

Foster added that “these numbers will hopefully be a reflection of the upcoming snowbird season but we will have to wait for the official season totals to draw that conclusion. So far, these early numbers are encouraging, and we look forward to welcoming all of our northern friends back to the area.”

In appreciation of our northern guests, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism will be serving free coffee and cookies at its Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Welcome Centers from January 3 until February 28. The centers are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Saturday and Sunday when the centers open at 9 a.m.

For a complete list of upcoming events – including those of special interest to snowbirds, visit www.gulfshores.com or www.orangebeach.com, or call 251-968-7511.