2004 fans on 'Hogwarts' staircase
HP Fan Trips returns to UK in 2005
November 4, 2004 at 11:41 PM ET
Cheeser
HPANA (via HP Fan Trips)
harry potter tour, british tours, scotland tours, oxford tour, london tour
Over 100 Harry Potter fans came together this June to join HP Fan Trips on the group's first tour to the United Kingdom and celebrate the release of Prisoner of Azkaban there (see the evidence). Well, next year is just around the corner and they're going back... and this time they mean business!
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***
*** WEBMASTERS AND ORGANIZATIONS: See bottom for important information ***
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'HP Fan Trips announces 2005 British tours for international Harry Potter superfans'
November 5, 2004 -- Planes, trains and automobiles. All will be in use by Harry Potter aficionados attending HP Fan Trips' 2005 UK tours, the group unveiled today.
Building on the success of its premiere trip in 2004, the group has partnered with organizers of the first British-based Harry Potter fan conference, Accio 2005. The academic symposium will be held in the days leading up to HP Fan Trips' tours, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in the real-world roots of the blockbuster series.
Colorado company Beyond Boundaries Travel will once again operate the tour, which includes an exclusive ride on steam locomotive #5972 Olton Hall, the train used in the films as the official "Hogwarts Express."
"I think the word 'surreal' only just begins to describe the feeling we had riding that train last year," said Jeff Guillaume, one of HP Fan Trips' organizers and webmaster of Harry Potter fan site HPANA.com. "It was definitely the highlight for many trip-goers."
New for 2005 is a variety of tour packages that offer adult fans, families and those on a budget different options, plus an all-new itinerary that features Oxford, Alnwick and Edinburgh. The tour is open to all Harry Potter fans worldwide.
"Naturally, we'll be going to locations in London, Oxford and Scotland that appear in the Warner Bros. movies," said Guillaume. "But we also want fans to experience the very real connection to British culture that influences JK Rowling's stories, by exploring even more of the United Kingdom."
Top international Harry Potter fan sites have offered their support for this unique experience, including the Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator (HPANA), FictionAlley, MuggleNet, DanRadcliffe.com and others. The web sites for these organizations have loyal readers in more than 83 countries with over 35,000,000 hits per month.
About HP Fan Trips
HP Fan Trips debuted in June 2004 after a year of planning from organizers Jeannie Barresi and Amber Wilson of Beyond Boundaries Travel; Jeff Guillaume, a 24-year-old programmer and creator of Harry Potter news site HPANA.com; and Heidi Tandy, an intellectual property lawyer and co-founder of fan site FictionAlley.org. HP Fan Trips has since been featured in the New York Times, New Zealand Herald, Malaysian Star and other international media. Visit www.hpfantrips.com for more information.About Beyond Boundaries Travel
Since 1991, Beyond Boundaries Travel has designed special interest group travel. It is an international tour company working with fandom web sites, The History Channel, the World Bank, the United Nations, the National Institutes of Health and other organizations. Beyond Boundaries works with a wide variety of suppliers to create uniquely themed experiences for their exceptional clients. Visit their web site at www.beyondboundariestravel.com.MEDIA INQUIRIES: Jeannie Barresi
TEL: +1 800-487-1136 (U.S.)
TRIP INQUIRIES: Contact online
http://www.hpfantrips.com/contact/
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WEBMASTERS:
By supporting and promoting this year's tours (absolutely free), we will happily link back to your site as a way of saying thanks. Plus, by referring 25 people, you get a free trip valued at up to $2,000! Go to http://www.hpfantrips.com/about/support.cfm for instructions.
Be sure to check out the totally revamped HP Fan Trips web site!