Declaring the pandemic now endemic, Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization, opened IPW 2023 last week showcasing the country as an unrivalled travel destination that is poised for a historic year in travel.
“I’ve been in the destination marketing space for more than 40 years and I can honestly say I don’t think there’s been a more impactful moment for us to be doing what we’re doing – particularly after what we’re coming off the last three years,” Brand USA president and CEO Chris Thompson told over 200 international media (including Travel Industry Today) at an opening day press conference.
“While much has changed in travel over the 40 years – especially technology’s impact on how we travel – what hasn’t changed, and has probably even strengthened over these challenging years, is travel’s ability to broaden our minds and our ability to connect people and cultures…
“I’m more optimistic about the travel industry than I’ve been in the entire 40 years,” he continued.
According to Thompson, the United States welcomed nearly 52 million international visitors in 2022, a 134% increase over 2021 with 2023 and 2024 numbers expected to continue to increase as air connectivity reaches new heights over the coming year.
He added, “The outlook for international visitation to the USA is promising, and with the recent expiration of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for inbound travellers (on May 12), the global pandemic is truly behind us… and puts us in the endemic stage.”
Indeed, he said that Brand USA research states that the US is the most aspirational destination in the world amongst travellers.
Coupled with Expedia research suggesting that 43% of global travellers are saving more money for travel than in the past, and 50% of those planning a long-haul trip, “it is further proof that travel has shifted from a nicety to a necessity,” he said.
Moreover, with airlines expecting a near 100 percent return of connectivity, Thompson said he was bullish on inbound travel to the US, and that Brand USA is intent on inspiring consumers to move more quickly from aspiration to action, particularly in the face of a highly competitive global market seeking to attract lucrative international visitors.
To that end, Brand USA recently launched the “USA Dreaming” marketing campaign across 10 key markets that showcases how the US delivers on the consumer promise that “whoever you want to be and whatever experience you long for, the United States is where you can find it.”
The campaign is paired with targeted social media marketing and more than 30 direct bookable itineraries, not least with a focus on “Roadtrips USA.” They also reflect growing trends in outdoor activities, culinary, and sports tourism.
“There’s no other destination like the United States,” Thompson said. “What sets the USA apart is the diversity of our geography, the diversity of our experiences, the diversity of our people, and our one-of-a-kind pop culture.”
The latter is often the way people around the world first get to know the US, Thompson observed, asking: “How did you first come to know the United States? Were you on the road with Jack Kerouac, walking the line with Johnny Cash, or maybe having breakfast with Audrey Hepburn at Tiffany’s? Regardless, I bet you were left with a dream, an idea, and an intangible excitement, and you knew you just had to experience it all for yourself.”
To keep up with the increasing demand – which Thompson predicts will fully reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, a year earlier than suggested by many forecasts – he reports that 154,000 new hotel rooms are under construction in the US, with another 240,000 expected in coming years.
As for air, Brand USA expected more than 80 new or re-established routes in 2023, including six from Montreal, and three from Toronto and Vancouver respectively.
The new product will be important as the US also gears up from the upcoming high-profile events: the country’s 250th anniversary, FIFA World Cup of Soccer (including 11 US cities), and 100th anniversary of Route 66, all in 2026; and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
In conclusion, Thompson said Brand USA remains “very committed to the travel trade, with whom we have an amazing relationship all these years.”
About IPW
IPW is the leading trade show for inbound travel to the United States, this year bringing more than 5,000 industry professionals from more than 60 countries to San Antonio, Texas. Brand USA is the premier sponsor of the annual event produced by the US Travel Association and taking place for the first time in San Antonio.