Netherlands Office Update
Fam Educates Dutch Tour Operators about the United States
Five key tour operators from the Netherlands enjoyed a tour of unique destinations in Pennsylvania and New England on a recent Brand USA Product Manager Fam, as part of the destination marketing organization's efforts to create awareness of the diverse travel experiences throughout the United States.
In Pennsylvania, the group enjoyed the One Liberation Deck offering stunning views of the Philadelphia skyline; took a walking tour through historic Philadelphia and savored an original Philly Steak in Reading Terminal Market. They also visited the Longwood Gardens, a gorgeous botanical garden with over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands and meadows, and the historic Valley Forge, the site of the six-month encampment of the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington.
In New England, they made stops in Cape Cod, Hartford, and Newport. They visited the majestic shoreline and the Breakers, a historic mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. They learned about Missouri-born Samuel Clemson, a writer best known by his pen name, Mark Twain. He lived in Connecticut.
The aim of the Fam is to give the tour operators firsthand knowledge of the destinations so they can share that with their clients and encourage them to visit the United States. The experiences of the tour operators will encourage them to generate future travel to U.S. destinations.
In September, Brand USA was the main sponsor of the Visit USA Roadshows, which took place on September 16-18 at three different locations in the Netherlands - Zwolle, Den Bosch and Rotterdam.
Twenty-three members of Visit USA, along with Brand USA, participated in the Visit USA Roadshows. Participants included many destinations in the USA as well as airlines, tour operators, and car rental companies. The Visit USA Roadshows attracted more than 135 Dutch travel agents and members of the media.
The main focus during the Roadshows was meetings between participants and the Dutch travel agents. The visitors were divided into small groups, from two to four participants. After a 10-minute opportunity to give a presentation and answer questions, they moved to the next group. All participants had banners at their desks and distributed brochures. In addition, a typical American buffet was served for dinner and the locations were decorated to depict the United States patriotic colors. Each day ended with a grand prize drawing and an informal get-together.
In addition, Brand USA launched a landing page on TravEcademy, a leading e-learning platform in the Netherlands travel trade market. The platform will feature all Brand USA tools, including links to the USA Discovery Program and the Brand USA Insiders Guides.
Check out the platform here: https://www.travecademy.nl/ecademys/brand-usa
For the link to the USA Insiders Guides, see: https://www.travecademy.nl/ecademys/brand-usa/routesuggesties-en-inspiratie
