Brand USA Newsletter - August 2016

Brand USA has made a significant impact on encouraging international travel to visit the United States with a record three million incremental international visitors choosing the USA as their travel destination and pumping $21 billion into the country’s economy in the past three years.

That was only one of Brand USA’s exciting announcements at the U.S. Travel Associations 2016 IPW, the U.S. travel industry’s leading international marketplace and largest generator of travel to the U.S.  IPW, held in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 18-22, registered an impressive showing of 1,600 buyers and suppliers and over 500 international media in attendance as well as 70 countries represented.

One of the biggest announcements for Brand USA was the release of the Oxford Economics study, which showed the nation’s destination marketing organization’s overall efforts in the past three years to bring the additional visitors to the U.S. This accounted for $9.5 billion in incremental spending, injected over $21 billion into the U.S. economy, produced nearly $900 million in federal, state, and local taxes, and supported an average of 50,000 incremental jobs each year.

“Everything we have accomplished has hinged on the steady support of our ever-expanding partner network and a globally-coordinated marketing program that brings together our collective efforts,” said Brand USA President & CEO Chris Thompson. “In the face of a strong dollar combined with lukewarm economic recovery in our mature source markets and slowing growth in our biggest emerging markets, impactful destination marketing is more important than ever.”

In Fiscal Year 2015 alone, Brand USA helped generate one million incremental visitors to the U.S.  Those travelers spent $3 billion on fares with U.S. carriers and other purchases during their trips. That resulted in $6.6 billion in total sales and nearly 45,000 incremental jobs.

Thompson said Brand USA’s goal is to welcome 100 million international visitors to the United States in a single year by 2021.

Other Brand USA announcements included:

Revised Corporate Website

Brand USA launched a newly rebuilt and revitalized version of its corporate website, TheBrandUSA.com with enriched content, better highlights of industry activities and signature events, and a more intuitive navigation pathway.  Brand USA also is rebuilding its consumer website, VisitTheUSA.com.  “Our new site allows us to provide better resources and reporting to our partners, share results of our overall marketing efforts, and keep the industry and others apprised of our efforts and ongoing plans to continue to increase international visitation to the United States,” Thompson said. “By rebuilding our corporate website, we are better able to be responsive to our steadily growing partner network.”

Market the Welcome

Coinciding with IPW in New Orleans, Brand USA launched its “Market the Welcome” campaign at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).  It is the fourth major airport to implement the campaign – Chicago O’Hare (ORD,) Miami International (MIA), and Minneapolis (MSP).  The goal of the program is to provide a welcoming and seamless arrival for travelers going through international baggage claim.  “Brand USA and our partners can provide the most inspirational and compelling storytelling about our country around the world,” Thompson said. “That story begins the moment international travelers arrive in the United States where we have the opportunity to extend the spirit of hospitality to and thank our guests for choosing the USA for their travel experience.”

MegaFam Tours

The MegaFam tours – which allow international travel agents to experience travel in the U.S. so they will promote it to their clients – will be expanded in fiscal year 2017. Brand USA will continue the MegaFams from the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and Germany.  It also will launch new “fly and drive” initiatives with Air Canada, AeroMexico, Germany, and China.  “Our MegaFam program – a first for the U.S. travel industry – is one of the most effective ways to promote travel across the USA,” Thompson explained. “Each tour itinerary features a combination of travel experiences showcasing how everything from urban excitement to the great outdoors is all within your reach.”