U.S. tour operators kick off sweepstakes with free trip to China

“Packaged tours” and “bucket list” usually aren’t used in the same sentence, but tour operators are out to change all that. The U.S. Tour Operators Assn. is giving away a free trip each week for the next four weeks to bucket list-worthy destinations.

“Gone are the days where such vacations simply meant motor coach transportation and a guide with a sign,” President Terry Dale says in a statement. “These are not your grandmother’s trips.”

The sweepstakes started Tuesday and will give away these trips including round-trip airfare:

--A 13-day Pacific Delight Tours package to China and the Yangtze River for two this week;

--A 12-day Go Ahead Tours package to Yellowstone, Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon and other national parks for four the week of June 5;

--A 15-day Collette Vacations tour to Australia and New Zealand the week of June 12;

--A 14-day Globus trip to Brazil, Argentina and Peru for two the week of June 19.

Here’s how it works: Start by “liking” the organization’s Facebook page and then hit the tab that says “USTOA Sweepstakes.” It will take you to an app where you fill in an entry form. It’s free to enter, but only once for each trip.