National Travel & Tourism Week
May 3 - 9, 2020
For us here at the Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau, tourism is our work and our passion. Each year in May, we team up with the U.S. Travel Association to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week. National Travel and Tourism Week takes is a collective effort to promote the power of travel through customized events in communities nationwide. The goal is to enhance the country's economy, security and perception, and recognize the cultural and social benefits created by travel and tourism. Click here to learn more
This year, the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency is having an unprecedented impact on the travel industry and the entire economy. Now more than ever, the travel and tourism community must come together, support each other and remind our country that even through the most difficult times, the Spirit of Travel cannot be broken.
Picture the Good Times Ahead
One of the hardest things about this crisis is missing loved ones, which is why we created these free postcards you can use to stay in touch with friends and family.
To show that no matter where you are or how many miles apart, we are still here for each other. To temporarily turn off the screens and apps and stay connected through a good old-fashioned hand-written note. Even if it is just to say a quick “hey,” we care and we are thinking of you. Because how nice is it to get anything in the mail other than bills these days?
We hope these postcards will serve as an invitation and inspire you to explore when the time is right. We have chosen images that highlight the beauty of what is in our own backyard. Things you can do right here, right now. Or, in the future, making memories with loved ones.
You can hold a gator at Gator Country or kayak the Neches River. Grab lunch from your favorite restaurant or take a meal to the park. You can stretch your legs at Cattail Marsh or hike The Big Thicket. Enjoy free art at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas or get educated on local history and culture at any of the other area museums and attractions. Alone or together, we are here for you and we can’t wait for the good times ahead.
To Our Community,
A love letter by the Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau
Did you know that triangles are the strongest shape? The name the Golden Triangle isn’t a fluke. It may have come from oil, but we’re rich in resources far beyond money. We’re rich in history. Nature. Culture. Community. People. You.
You are our greatest resource. We don’t ask for much, but right now, we need your help. Whether you live in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Nederland, or Port Neches, it’s time for the Golden Triangle to stand strong, come together and rise up.
It’s time to shed our burdens and worries and be proud. Be proud of where we live, where we come from, and what we’ve accomplished. Not just now, but the countless times we’ve been tested and overcome. It’s time to dig deep and remember that restless, relentless spirit that bonds us.
It's time for us to Stand Strong
Despite the hardships, we’ve seen countless examples of people stepping up and supporting one another. Local restaurants like Madison’s, Dylan’s, Rao’s and many others fed the first responders and provided a safe haven during the natural disasters we have gone through. Satchel Smith, a college student at Lamar Univeristy, manned a 32-hour shift at Homewood Suites by himself during Imelda. John Wilson, owner of J. Wilson's, opened his restaurant early so a local girl fighting leukemia could eat her favorite meal. The first Beaumont Restaurant Week launched on the one-year anniversary of Harvey intentionally changing the dialogue from disaster to delight.
Most recently, Tokyo, Outback Steakhouse, Willy Burger, Tacos La Bamba and several other restaurants, have been feeding medical personnel who are on the front-line of dealing with COVID-19. The Beaumont CVB delivered pizzas to all area hotels. H-E-B and Favor ensured seniors and at-risk individuals can get free same-day grocery deliveries.
It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture to continue to support local during this time. Visit the webcams and virtual tours of your favorite museum or attraction until we get a chance to explore them again. Take home your favorite meals from the restaurants you love, to help keep their doors open. Host a virtual happy hour with some of your to-go drinks and cheers to a time when we can do it all together in person.
Celebrate those experiences – however big or small. Shout them from the rooftops. Share them with friends and family. And tell us your story.
What memory resonates with you? What makes you proud to be part of this community?
It’s Time for Us to Come Together.
When we get past this, as a community, state, country and world – we urge you to reemerge with fresh eyes. Many things will have changed, and one of those should be your perspective.
Tourism brings people together through food, traditions and family. It grows networks, expands horizons and instills a sense of pride for where we live and work.
Become a local expert. Explore our backyard. Be grateful for what’s here right now. Take advantage of the programs and resources you didn’t know were available to you.
Be Boastful:
• We have over 50 museums and attractions from historic homes to entertainment venues. Seven are completely free, and even more are less than $5.
• There are over 200 area restaurants, most of which are locally owned. You could literally eat your way around the world from Asia to Italy.
• We have a Nature Trail, Crawfish Trail, Beer Trail, Black Gold Trail, and Faith Trail full of sights and bites to enjoy.
• Birding is becoming one of the area’s fastest-growing hobbies. Thanks to our location on two major flyways, you can see over 250 species annually. We’re part of 28 Great Texas Coastal Birding Trails.
• Cattail Marsh, the converted wastewater treatment facility turned wildlife refuge, has free yoga every other Saturday along with a host of other workshops and activities.
• The Birdie Passport is a fun, free program that provides stuffed birdies to anyone who collects 10+ stamps from area attractions.
• The city supports local artists and regularly invests in area beautification projects. There are currently eight murals and over 70 painted electrical boxes.
• We’re constantly adding new events and entertainment like the Museum Pub Crawl and Restaurant Week. We have a flagship festival almost every month of the year from Mardi Gras to Main Street Market.
• We’ve launched an entirely new website, GoBeau.co, providing limitless ideas and inspiration for things to do around the area.
It's time for us to Rise Up
Visitor spending impacts you in ways you don’t even know — it keeps your property taxes low. It employs thousands of people. It generates millions of dollars in revenue for the city. It keeps your favorite restaurant’s doors open. And most of all, it keeps us connected.
When this is all said and done – we’ll need you more than ever. We need you to be our advocates, our cheerleaders, and our ambassadors. A welcoming voice and an emphatic greeter. Every interaction matters. Whether it’s with a local or a visitor, a tourist or a meeting attendee, make them remember you for the right reasons. Make them want to stay and more importantly, want to come back.
By advocating for your city, you’re advocating for all of us.
Ways you can help right now:
• Brainstorm. We’ve set up a virtual idea box for you to offer constructive suggestions.
• Share photos, videos, stories about our area.
• Support your local restaurant, bar, or boutique with an online order.
• Be an ambassador.
• Be Beaumont proud. Not just now, but always.
Beaumont Birdies
The Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) introduced the Beaumont Birdies, a new initiative designed to inform and capture the interest of a broader audience in the birding community! The Beaumont Birdies help showcase and increase awareness of both area attractions and birding hotspots. Each Beaumont Birdie is named after its favorite local landmark and will serve as spokesbirds to highlight each respected attraction. Visit each location, get a stamp and take home your own Beaumont Birdie by the end of the week.
Birding
Birding is in full swing and we want you to take advantage of it! Visit Cattail Marsh, the Big Thicket National Preserve, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and more! Get outdoors and see the hundreds of migratory birds that make Beaumont their home for the season.
#EATBMT
Beaumont, Texas is known for its Cajun-influenced cuisine but not count out the many other delectable eateries in the area. From Asian-inspired crawfish to barbecue and everything in between, Beaumont is a melting pot of flavors waiting for you to enjoy! When you go out to eat in Beaumont and sampling your favorite meals, we encourage you to use #eatbmt at your local restaurants to share with us!
Museums and Attractions
Beaumont's oil boom in 1901, changed the city dramatically. Going from a town of under 10,000 people to 40,000 overnight, Spindletop put Beaumont and the United States on the map and a world leader as a petroleum-producing nation. With that, brought a multitude of people with all different backgrounds, influencing the architecture and history we have today. Explore the downtown architecture and visit the numerous museums and attractions that Beaumont has to offer.