A National Travel and Tourism Week Adventure

National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) looked a little different this year. Instead of traditional in-person events and rallies, thousands joined online to place a nationwide spotlight on the #SpiritOfTravel.

On May 5, U.S. Travel hit the "highway" to host NTTW’s first-ever Virtual Road Trip, making 50 stops in 12 hours from Washington, D.C. to California, Alaska to Puerto Rico and every state in between.

How it Worked: Every 15 minutes the Virtual Road Trip entered a new state, providing an opportunity for travel businesses to show off the top activities, landmarks and unique offerings for visitors explore and experience when in their hometown.

In total, more than 4,000 attractions, destinations, businesses and bloggers joined together to share 10,000+ tweets on the epic 12-hour adventure across the U.S.

Here are just a few of the highlights:

The day kicked off bright and early in Washington, D.C. at 9:00 a.m. ET and continued north up to the scenic landscapes of Maine before looping south to catch some sun on the beaches of Puerto Rico. And of course, what is a road trip without fun pit stops like snacks, hikes and good eats along the way.

In the afternoon, the road trip stopped to see iconic gems like Olympic National Park, Red Rocks and Mount Rushmore before ending the day in California in time for a live-streamed sunset.

Thank you to everyone who joined in throughout the day. You reminded millions that the #SpiritOfTravel cannot be broken and once the time is right, destinations and travel businesses across the U.S. will be ready to welcome travelers back.