Marketing the American West

Website: http://www.trailfinders.com/holidays/usa/western-usa

I chose this website because in its marketing of holidays in west America in the classical sense it also talks about other parts of the west that are not classically 'western' for example the snow capped mountains of Washington hardly compare to the burning heat often portrayed in the western valley in the media, similarly the cities of California can't compare to the 1800's aesthetic and yet these things are still marketed as the west and are still very popular tourist destinations.
Among the destinations found on the front page none are classically western; the closest I saw was to visit the grand canyon or the unspecified activities in Arizona or New Mexico, that promise 'something for everyone'.
When I followed that link through I soon found that indeed the traditional wild west is presented there but I cant help but notice how marginalized it is by comparison to what it once might have been judging by the sheer amount of western TV shows once on the air western holidays where you could experience the magnificent cowboy lifestyle would have been nearly all on offer and I doubt complaints due to a lack of option would have been a problem if any were ever raised.

I feel that what this website shows is that american attitudes to the west have not weakened rather changed focus, the other holidays in the American West that are on offer via this website are commonly written about and portrayed in the media today as wondrous places (i.e. Las Vegas, California, the grand canyon) like the wild west once was. It is a simple conclusion that american infatuation with the wild west imply is not what it once was however it is certainly not dead.