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Lena Ross COO America 4 You
"Your opinion matters…"
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Members should have received a quick survey recently and I urge you to take a minute to complete it. All members are being asked about your opinion on the timing of Summit. For the past decade we’ve opened the Summit on Super Bowl Sunday, which was a deliberate act to have consistent dates that attendees could count on and other conferences would know when planning their own events.
Starting on the first Sunday of February has served us well to secure a stable position in the industry calendar that other events dare not touch.
However, in 2021, the Super Bowl shifted back a week, moving our Summit to the second week of February, which is now over or close to Valentine’s Day. We’ve heard a few comments from attendees that they would prefer to spend Super Bowl with family and friends – and we’ve heard even louder voices about NOT scheduling over Valentine’s Day! We want your opinion on what suits you best – so please complete the survey! (Please note that 2025 and 2026 dates are already set in Salt Lake City and Niagara, respectively.)
The operators had additional questions about how they would like to engage with the Steps to Success training program (see related story). Each time we deliver the program in a destination we have an operator panelist who shares first-hand experiences on how their business works to buy and sell travel products. It’s not only important to have that perspective directly from the source for the participants, but also a great opportunity for operators to expose their companies to potential destination and supplier partners.
We need your expertise, operators – so please take a minute (or five) to tell us if and how you would like to participate in the program. Growing demand for the training requires a larger pool of inbound operators to draw on, not to mention the added benefit of involving various business models to provide a comprehensive understanding of our businesses.
As we navigate this busy year, let’s stay in conversation about what works and what doesn’t for our evolving industry. We’ll periodically send out a few quick questions for your input, and always feel free to send them anytime to me or our management team. |
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Welcome New Members!
Groups America, LLC
Wine, Water and Wonders of New York State |
If you haven't renewed your member dues yet - please do by the end of the month to avoid any lapse in your membership.
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REMINDER to complete the recent member survey.
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Worth Mentioning... Although there was a brief closure of Highway 140 last week, the fire is over and all roads into Yosemite are open! |
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IITA Trains Industry on the Vital Role of the Travel Trade
IITA's Inbound Insider Steps to Success™ training program is making its way around the country educating suppliers and DMOs on the international travel industry and how to work effectively with inbound operators. |
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"IITA, in partnership with Alon Tourism Solutions, created this nationwide training program to help DMOs and tourism stakeholders fast-track to long-term, profitable relationships with international inbound operators," said Jennifer Ackerson, president of Alon Tourism Solutions. "Steps to Success offers DMOs the opportunity to engage with their tourism partners and help them understand the value of the international market and develop travel trade-ready products in order to capitalize on inbound travel's growth."
The program includes a series of workshops with each one getting deeper into the how to and practical exercises that lead to the destination's / supplier's readiness. |
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IITA members understand the crucial role inbound operators play in attracting visitors to the U.S. and that the travel trade remains highly effective in reaching a wider audience across multiple markets through various channels.
However, there are a lot of new faces in the international travel space who need education, training and support on how to build international visitation. IITA's Steps to Success™ program, powered by Alon Tourism Solutions, provides just that. DMOs from New England to Kentucky to Galveston, Texas are providing the training to their tourism stakeholders to ensure their destinations are international ready. |
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Those 'inbound insiders' who complete the program earn IITA's Stamp of Approval complete with a certificate of achievement for having sellable product ready for inbound operators to take to market. Inbound Insider Specialistsare easily accessible to inbound operators on IITA's website. (Note, members must log in to access the list.)
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NTTO Celebrates Progress in National Strategy to Reenergize U.S. Travel and Tourism
Two years after the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the National Travel and Tourism Strategy and set an ambitious five-year goal to welcome 90 million international visitors annually by 2027, the Department announced today that it expects the U.S. to reach that goal ahead of schedule.
According to the latest estimates from the International Trade Administration, the United States expects to welcome 91 million annual visitors by 2026, surpassing the Strategy’s goal one year in advance of the anticipated timeline. In celebration of all the progress made since the launch of the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo issued the following statement: |
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“Thanks to the steadfast leadership and efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration, travel and tourism continue to be critical drivers of economic growth and employment across the United States, supporting 9.5 million American jobs and $2.3 trillion of economic output per year. But our work is far from over. The Commerce Department is taking decisive actions to support the travel and tourism industry’s recovery from the economic challenges of a global pandemic, and we will continue working with state and local governments and private sector partners to welcome more international visitors to the U.S. so they can experience the diversity, beauty, and hospitality that make our country the premier travel and tourism destination in the world.” |
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U.S. Commercial Service OffersTrade Mission to India, Singapore and Hong Kong March 2-8, 2025
U.S. Commercial Service in India, Singapore, and Hong Kong are working together to bring a U.S. business delegation, focusing on companies that are owned, operated, or led by women and minorities in industries with growing potential in Asia. |
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The Trade Mission, scheduled for March 2-8, 2025, will accept companies in industries identified as best prospects in the 3 mission stops: ICT; Finance and FinTech; Healthcare; Clean Energy, Critical and Emerging Technologies and Tourism and destinations interested in these markets. |
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Recruitment and consideration will be extended to all export-ready U.S. companies, including small businesses, trade associations, and other exporting organizations that meet the established criteria for participation in the mission. This mission is focused on expanding export opportunities to U.S. small and medium-sized businesses with owners and/or leaders from underserved communities from industries with growing potential in Asia. There is no obligation to commit until after the free vetting on whether the trade mission will be a good fit for your business.
The delegation will commence in Bengaluru, India for the "Export Markets Providing Opportunities for Women’s Economic Rise (EMPOWER) Asia Business Conference" featuring Commercial Service representatives from 10 regional Asian markets. Participating companies will then have the option for up to three trade mission stops in India (Bengaluru), Singapore, and/or Hong Kong. |
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U.S. Commercial Service Offers Free Webinar on the Indian Market in Advance of Trade Mission
Learn about the Indian market during the upcoming free webinar - “Discover Business Opportunities in India” presented by U.S. Commercial Service - to inspire participation in its Trade Mission to India, Singapore and Hong Kong in March 2025. |
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Wednesday, August 7th 11am ET/8am PT Location: Virtual |
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Inbound Travel Trends Generate Optimism
by Steve Richer, DC Correspondent
With very positive numbers being reported by the National Travel and Tourism Office and the visitation statistics all trending upward, there are good reasons for inbound operators and their business partners to be very optimistic about the remainder of 2024 and beyond. In its most recent report (www.trade.gov), the NTTO reported that 2022 inbound visitation increased from every region globally with Western Europe generating 10.3 million visitors, South America 4.2 million, and Asia 4.1 million. In percentage growth for 2022, the leaders were Oceania up 1085%, Western Europe up 509%, and Asia up 220%. With announced plans by prior economic impact leader China to stimulate aggressive travel to the US to exceed 2019 numbers in 2025, these trends will certainly continue. Among the key elements supporting the growth of inbound tourism to the United States are pent-up demand, more efficient visa processing in key markets, increased air service with some improvements in costs, and aggressive marketing by Brand USA, which will be kicking off enhanced efforts this month under the leadership of its new CEO Fred Dixon, formerly of New York Tourism and Conventions and a great friend of IITA. It is good to know that travel and tourism continues to be one of the rare issues on which there is a general consensus on Capitol Hill, thanks to the leadership of both the House and Senate Tourism Caucuses and the dynamic support of the chairs and ranking members of all committees of jurisdiction impacting tourism in both chambers. Further gains in inbound tourism will follow policy initiatives in the new Congress addressing visa processing, ease of access, public lands funding, airport and transportation improvements, and continued support for strategic marketing efforts. IITA operators and their business partners should be ready to tell the story of how our international visitors are impacting the balance of trade, national economy, and job creation, all of which are excellent stories to tell. As we approach our quadrennial national elections, it is imperative that IITA and our industry partners be ready for both the new Administration and Congress armed with all this good news to make sure it continues! |
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REMINDER: CUA Public Comment Open |
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The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments on its proposal to standardize commercial use authorization (CUA) requirements for road-based commercial tour operators (RBCT), including moving the CUA application and reporting process to an online system for a CUA to operate in 2025 in parks that have historically issued RBCT CUAs. |
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PUBLIC COMMENT The 45-day public comment period will run through August 10, 2024.
Watch this video on the new online system. |
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The comment period is only for changes proposed for 2025, i.e. use of an online application process for parks currently requiring CUAs for road-based commercial tour operators and no changes to CUA fees.
For information on what to expect in 2026 and beyond - review the full NPS plan here. |
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AIANTA Members Welcome Visitors to Experience Traditional Farming Practices
Several AIANTA (American Indian Alaska Native Travel Association) members offer their agriculture-based operations as unique activities for visitors in response to the growing interest in agritourism. |
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AIANTA notes that, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the United States is home to nearly 80,000 Native American or Alaska Native farm producers. Although that number represents just 2.3 percent of the country’s 3.4 million producers, Native-owned farm acreage makes up more than 6 percent of total U.S. farmland—59 million acres to be exact.
With more than 80 percent of Native farmers living on their farm or ranch and/or reporting farming/ranching as their primary occupation, an increasing number of producers are looking to grow their revenue by diversifying their product offerings. |
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Finding Success in Agritourism
Brick-and-mortar cultural center or museum isn’t necessarily the only path to attracting travelers. Many tribes are diving deeper into agritourism, placing a welcome mat in front of their food sovereignty initiatives and traditional farming practices. Below are six tribes finding success in creating a welcoming place for visitors in their agriculture infrastructure. |
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