USA EXPECTS PRE-PANDEMIC INBOUND TRAVEL BY THE END OF THE YEAR

By: Sorin Dutoiu

Inbound travel to United States of America is about to reach the pre-pandemic level at the end of this year, as overall airlines expect a near 100 percent return of connectivity and tourists are no longer required to have a COVID-19 vaccination to enter the United States, we were informed during the Brand USA’s press conference at IPW 2023, in San Antonio.

During the press conference held in San Antonio, Texas, Chris Thompson, the President and CEO of Brand USA, described the United States as an unique and unmatched travel destination, distinguished by its diversity of geography, experiences, people, and one-of-a-kind pop culture.

As Thompson asked the audience, “How did you first come to know the United States?”,  he explained how the USA’s pop culture is often the way people around the world first get to know the country. He gave examples of iconic American pop culture figures, like Jack Kerouac, Johnny Cash, and Audrey Hepburn, that have inspired travellers from around the world to visit the USA.

Thompson expressed his confidence in the continued growth of inbound travel to the USA, citing examples of how pent-up demand continues to drive economic recovery in communities throughout the country. He also highlighted two recent barriers to travel that have been alleviated: airlines expect a near 100 percent return of connectivity by the end of the year, and effective May 12, international travellers are no longer required to have a COVID-19 vaccination to enter the United States.

Brand USA’s Latest Marketing Campaign

Brand USA recently launched a marketing campaign across 10 key markets to inspire travellers to choose the USA as their next destination. The campaign showcases how the USA 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. Thompson shared two of the latest campaign assets that speak to travellers seeking adventure or family fun.

The worldwide travel restart has created a highly competitive global market for the lucrative international visitor, but Brand USA is taking the lead in inspiring travellers to choose the USA as their next destination.

It will be all about USA in the next years

United States of America will be in the center of everybody’s attention in the next years, as some of the world’s most famous events are hosted there: The Olympic Games (Los Angeles, 2028), FIFA World Cup 2026, Formula 1 Las Vegas (2023), not to mention the 250th anniversary of United States (2026), the 100th anniversary of the famous Hollywood sign and the 100th anniversary of the iconic Route 66 (2026).

These are just some of the main reasons millions of people will travel to the States in the near future.

USA, shown as unrivalled travel destination  

Brand USA’s IPW 2023 press conference showcased the USA as an unrivalled travel destination. The conference highlighted the organisation’s latest consumer marketing campaign, provided international travel forecast, and consumer sentiment insights. IPW is the leading trade show for inbound travel to the United States, bringing together more than 5,000 industry professionals from more than 60 countries to San Antonio, Texas for the first time. Brand USA is the premier sponsor of the annual event produced by the U.S. Travel Association.

About BRAND USA

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation’s first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. travel policies and procedures to worldwide travelers.

The organization’s mission is to increase international visitation to the United States in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA.

According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past 10 years Brand USA’s marketing initiatives have helped welcome 8 million incremental visitors to the United States, benefiting the U.S. economy with more than $58 billion in total economic impact and supporting, on average, more than 37,000 incremental jobs a year.

IPW 2023 brought together more than 5,000 industry professionals from over 60 countries to San Antonio, Texas for the first time.