Bonjour to Belinis...

I went to a Quebec press luncheon today to learn all about their tourism industry. Since I was officially there to represent a family travel site I write for, I stayed clear of the casino press table and made nice with the Jazz festival and Just for Laughs table. While parents are getting down listening to jazz or the comedy show, there's apparently plenty of stuff to keep kids busy. I like the sort of events that keep in min that most of the population has off-spring and doesn't want to just stop traveling until their tykes turn 18.

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I'm always surprised (and at the same time embarrassed) when the French speaking Quebecians speak to me in flawless, Midwestern style English. I'm always tempted to ask if they're American, but somehow I know better -- and that they would surely be mortified to think that I thought they were American. It's also hard not to accept the endless amount of Bellini's, puff pastries, food, chocolate covered strawberries, wine, etc, etc, that are put into your hand at these sort of events. It's my opinion press trips and press events are designed to put its attendees in the best mood (and preferably intoxicated) mood as possible.

I'm also surprised more of my colleagues and friends don't utilize the proximity of New York to Canada as a viable vacation destination. True, those Canucks just recently passed our measly dollar (gone are the days when you could delight in a $.40 dollar over there), but the currency rate is close. Certainly a lot closer than the annoyingly all-mighty Pound. But when you live in New York, prices in most other cities like San Francisco, LA, Chicago, Atlanta and Montreal seem the same if not somewhat of a bargain. I can usually judge a destination on if it has "Manhattan" prices or "Brooklyn" prices. As a guide, Manhattan prices are $2 for a bottle of water and Brooklyn is $1.50 or under.

But this innovative post isn't so much about all the glory that is Canada and Montreal (which I absolutely adore and will not be able to stop posting about anytime soon), but about being part of the press. I'm not going to lie and say throw up a blog and insist that you're press and get invited to stuff and free trips. You need to be a part of some kind of publication that people read regularly and has some kind of reputation and stats. But the site I freelance for isn't exactly Parents Magazine or The New York Times. We're sizable, sure, but even small publications get noticed.

I knew a kid in college who worked for our student paper (the Yale Daily News we certainly were not) and got into all sorts of sold-out concerts and sporting events. And he didn't lie about it, he told them exactly where he was from. But the thing about entertainment, media, tourism and the likes is that they need small publications to cover their bases and earn unique street cred. While it's worthwhile for Columbus, OH to get written up in the LA Times as a family destination, at the end of the day a small press from Indiana that writes a feature on it is going to get read by people who will actually get in their cars and check it out.

So the trick is to develop some kind of angle. Start with your local newspaper. Instead of demanding that they send you to New York, Montreal and beyond, tell them where you're already going. Got a trip planned to London? Write your paper and pitch them an angle. Pay attention to what they like to publish. Art, family, community, education, avant-garde? Then pitch all the surrounding publications, websites, etc within your reach. Google "travel pitch letters" to get an idea of what they should say and work hard to perfect it. Once they agree to give you a shot, casually ask if they're able to provide any press passes in the area you'll be visiting. Some people may look at you blankly, roll their eyes, or tell you that you're on your own. That's okay. But others might get on the horn and call up the tourism board of where you're going and negotiate a city pass or discounted hotel room. You have to start thinking like a journalist to feel like one. And once you start feeling like one, then you're more apt to seek out more than just the cookie-cutter fare listed on (insert airline carrier here).