Oregon leverages the hit movie “Wild” into niche product that may resonate with UK tour operators: Travel Oregon held a screening of the movie, based on the best-selling book, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed and, according to research, nearly 35 percent of visitors participate in some form of hiking activity. On a separate note, Author Cheryl Strayed will be one of the keynote speakers at U.S. Travel’s ESTO Summit Aug. 25-28 in Portland.
India: In 2013, arrivals to the U.S. from India grew by 18.6 percent due to expedited visa interviews and in 2014 the growth settled back at 11.9 percent reaching just under 1 million visitors. By 2019, according to Sheema Vohra, managing director of Sartha Global Marketing, Indian arrivals are expected to grow by 47 percent. Hottest destinations for Indian travelers to the USA are: NYC, California, Las Vegas, Orlando and Miami. Fastest growing segment is Custom FIT and honeymoons for upscale travelers.
Australia: More than 60 percent of U.S.-bound travelers are repeat visitors; they averages 20 days in the U.S. last year, and grew 6 percent year-over-year in 2014 to 1.27 million visitors. Trends: Growth in escorted tours by mature travelers, increased interest in individuals traveling alone, culinary experiences and adventure and outdoor. Hottest destinations: California, Hawaii, New York, Nevada and Florida.
UK: Among the top five activities in the US are fine dining, visiting national parks and visiting small towns and the countryside. Trends: Brand USA’s focus on national parks will resonate with UK visitors as well as a desire to have “authentic” American experiences. Hottest destinations: In addition to the usual top three—NYC, Orlando, and Las Vegas—there has been tremendous interest in the South, focused more on music culture, as well as bourbon, continues to generate interest.
Hotelbeds: Had it sister brands at Orlando—JBS, which serves as a receptive that works with the Chinese tour operators, and its newest brand, Travel and Activity Bank. Top Selling cities in the US: 1. Orlando 2. Las Vegas 3. NYC 4. Miami 5. Los Angeles
GTA Renews Focus on USA: Flavia Alzetta, senior vice president, global sales and marketing, GTA, told IPW Daily that the company, now owned by GTA, will make a significant investment in its business-to-business activities. Other snippets: UK, USA and Australia were GTA’s top source markets for North America … GTA had triple digit growth from Thailand to the USA (probably from a small base) … NYC, Orlando, Las Vegas and Honolulu are the most popular cities overall … The company predicts continued growth from the following emerging markets: Brazil, Russia, India, China, Indonesia, and Turkey
