Brand USA using visual displays to welcome global visitors to U.S. gateway airports
Going through customs in any country can be a dreary, uninspiring experience.
Brand USA is changing that for international visitors to the United States with its “Market the Welcome” program launched this month at three U.S. airports in Miami, New Orleans and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
During May’s National Travel and Tourism Week, Brand USA unveiled the program at the Miami International Airport. It featured customized graphics, welcome messaging and powerful photography spotlighting Miami’s vibrant culture – its attractions, history and cuisine.
“Brand USA and our partners can provide the most inspirational and compelling storytelling about our country around the world,” said Chris Thompson, Brand USA president and CEO. “That story begins the moment international travelers arrive in the United States – where we have the opportunity to extend the spirit of hospitality and thank our guests for choosing the USA for their travel experience.”
Thompson said the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Miami International Airport, are leaders in recognizing the clear value of such an important welcoming program “and will provide a model as we roll out the program around the country.”
The welcome signs are located in the federal inspection service area and international baggage claim area of the Miami airport, where international visitors must pass through for clearing customs. “Thanks for Visiting the USA” signs and striking images of Miami’s skyline and South Beach are intended to offer welcoming visuals to visitors as they make their way through the lengthy processing lines.
“The highest priority is security but we can do that in a hospitable way; we can find ways to make the experience as seamless as possible,” Thompson said.
In 2015, the Miami airport welcomed 21.2 million international travelers, becoming the second-largest gateway airport for foreign passengers. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is the largest.
Half of the travelers who come through Miami’s airport are international visitors, Thompson said, noting that of the 22.5 million arrivals at Miami in 2015, 11 million were from outside of the United States. “What better place to make these visitors feel welcome than through creating a hospitable environment at the airport and doing so through storytelling.”
Kelly Craighead, executive director of the National Travel and Tourism Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, said: “Knowing that a first impression is a lasting impression, we have set our sights on providing the best arrivals experience in the world to all of our international visitors, while simultaneously maintaining the highest standards of national security.”
Craighead said the program is a perfect example of “how we are working in public-private partnership with Brand USA and others to attract and welcome international visitors.”
The Brand USA program is expected to extend to Los Angeles International Airport next, and then Orlando International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, JFK International Airport and eventually other airports.