Rule, Britannia! Britannia Rules the Skies!
Latest data—for November 2021—show that UK has returned to its No. 1 ranking as top Inbound Market. But 60 percent of year-to-date inbound traffic came from LATAM and Caribbean markets.
Essentially unnoticed when the U.S. National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO) made it available during the holidays just past, the monthly “quick release” of overseas travel to the United States showed industry leaders that their hope and promise of a return to visiting the U.S. by UK visitors who have long established the USA as their favorite long-haul holiday destination was fulfilled.
After some 20 months of pandemic-driven restraints during which the United States had closed its borders on land, overseas and in the skies, its government allowed travelers from most of the UK, EU and other nations to travel to once again visit the USA beginning last month—on November 8th.
Fired up because of pent-up demand, the Brits stormed the shores of Florida and the gates of its Central Florida theme parks, as well as other U.S. destinations, and returned home with their well-earned sunburns. U.S. travel suppliers were happy to welcome Brits, and the UK travel trade was, as the issue of INBOUND was preparing to publish, were busy as usual during the peaks month of January promoting Visit USA product.
Will the omicron variant of the COVID 19 dampen demand? It is difficult to make the determination on this matter, as the speed and fluidity with which the variant is a genuine concern. For the most part, travel sellers are making sure that security, safety and concerns about health figure in their packages, and consumers—opinion polls and surveys seem to suggest—still want to travel, but are proceeding with caution.
LATAM continues as strong regional source market. While no one that we know expects the popular destinations of South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, to maintain the share of long-haul travel to the United States from origin destinations of Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, it is probably safe to project that these country markets will be stronger than they were in the pre-pandemic era—especially since a new air service infrastructure has been built up in connecting them.
Lastly, Colombia could just break the million-visit threshold once the data for December and full-year 2021 are released next month.
Arrivals to U.S. from Top 15 Overseas
Country Source Markets for
November 2021
| Country Market & Rank | Arrivals | % Change vs November 2020 |
| 1. UNITED KINGDOM | 151,116 | +2857.8% |
| 2. COLOMBIA | 82,554 | +129.3% |
| 3. INDIA | 70,808 | +313.8% |
| 4. GERMANY | 67,375 | +1720.5% |
| 5. FRANCE | 56,446 | +1855.9% |
| 6. BRAZIL | 49,181 | +1677.4% |
| 7. ECUADOR | 39,575 | +59.6% |
| 8. SPAIN | 39,238 | +1130.4% |
| 9. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | 38,949 | +71.0% |
| 10. SOUTH KOREA | 33,707 | +639.8% |
| 11. ARGENTINA | 32,927 | +170.7% |
| 12. CHILE | 32,542 | +128.6% |
| 13. ITALY | 30,189 | +1137.3% |
| 14. PERU | 29,362 | +212.8% |
| 15. GUATEMALA | 28,278 | +119.6% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
* In 2019, 11 out of the Top 20 overseas inbound travel markets to the USA, had a record year.
Arrivals to U.S. from Top 15 Overseas Country Markets
Year-to-Date (through November) 2021
| Country Market & Rank | Arrivals | % Change vs YTD thru Nov. 2020 |
| 1. COLOMBIA | 933,904 | +344.5% |
| 2. ECUADOR | 375,406 | +157.4% |
| 3. PERU | 372,655 | +381.0% |
| 4. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | 349,916 | +138.2% |
| 5. INDIA | 343,995 | +10.5% |
| 6. ARGENTINA | 267,347 | +48.0% |
| 7. UNITED KINGDOM | 262,366 | -63.8% |
| 8. GUATEMALA | 248,892 | +270.7% |
| 9. COSTA RICA | 227,606 | +174.5% |
| 10. HONDURAS | 212,655 | +266.6% |
| 11. VENEZUELA | 190,966 | +171.3% |
| 12. ISRAEL | 189,372 | +136.0% |
| 13. EL SALVADOR | 173,512 | +246.3% |
| 14. CHINA, PRC | 172,029 | -54.2% |
| 15. CHILE | 171,585 | +48.3% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
Arrivals to U.S. from Overseas World Regions
November 2021
| World Region | Number of Arrivals | 2021 Share of Market | % Change vs. Nov. 2020 |
| TOTAL OVERSEAS | 1,253,043 | 100.0% | +318.0% |
| WESTERN EUROPE | 467,123 | 37.3% | +1834.5% |
| EASTERN EUROPE | 34,361 | 2.7% | +333.2% |
| ASIA | 162,969 | 13.0% | +350.9% |
| MIDDLE EAST | 53,028 | 4.2% | +316.9% |
| AFRICA | 14,621 | 1.2% | +173.9% |
| OCEANIA | 10,155 | 0.8% | +407.2% |
| SOUTH AMERICA | 299,938 | 23.9% | +158.8% |
| CENTRAL AMERICA | 114,432 | 9.1% | +148.3% |
| CARIBBEAN | 96,416 | 7.7% | +94.7% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
Arrivals to U.S. from Overseas World Regions
Year-to-Date (through Nov.) 2021
| World Region | Number of Arrivals | 2021 Share of Market | % Change YTD vs. 2020 |
| TOTAL OVERSEAS | 7,475,059 | 100.0 | 4.1% |
| WESTERN EUROPE | 1,055,761 | 14.1 | -51.8% |
| EASTERN EUROPE | 217,015 | 2.9 | -8.1% |
| ASIA | 1,072,355 | 14.3 | -49.2% |
| MIDDLE EAST | 456,347 | 6.1 | 84.4% |
| AFRICA | 136,575 | 1.8 | 38.8% |
| OCEANIA | 42,929 | 0.6 | -83.1% |
| SOUTH AMERICA | 2,612,543 | 35.0 | 105.3% |
| CENTRAL AMERICA | 1,029,878 | 13.8 | 213.1% |
| CARIBBEAN | 851,656 | 11.4 | 93.4% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
Top 15 Ports of Entry for Overseas Visitors
| Port of Entry | Number of entries January through November 2021 | Change vs. January through November 2021 |
| MIAMI, FL | 2,158,838 | 77.5% |
| NEW YORK, NY | 1,165,494 | 7.9% |
| FT. LAUDERDALE, FL | 624,855 | 97.6% |
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 505,238 | -33.0% |
| NEWARK, NJ | 402,426 | 16.3% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 379,537 | 80.2% |
| ORLANDO, FL | 290,407 | -4.5% |
| ATLANTA, GA | 287,964 | 32.5% |
| CHICAGO, IL | 283,152 | 19.6% |
| WASHINGTON, DC | 253,248 | 38.3% |
| DALLAS, TX | 249,432 | 59.4% |
| SAN FRANCISCO, CA | 243,584 | -35.5% |
| BOSTON, MA | 141,399 | -7.7% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 65,403 | -36.4% |
| DETROIT, MI | 59,552 | -35.4% |
There’s Still Life in Chinese Student Market
The uncertainty over the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has put a palpable “hold” on international travel throughout the world. And even though China’s government has been more aggressive than most in imposing measures aimed at containing COVID, and with the numbers and public policy that actually encourages domestic travel within the country, the news outlets and channels of distribution that cover tourism-related matters seem to be languishing on the back of a Pushmi-Pullyu: upbeat news about the industry during one news cycle gives way to a tug in the other direction the following week.
Prior to the unbelievable speed with which the omicron variant swept throughout major travel routes and points of connection, the general consensus of those who follow China’s outbound travel industry was this: travel of all types would continue to languish until after the Winter Olympics in February in Beijing or National Labor Day on May 1st, which normally lasts three days. Unfortunately, employees usually have to make up two of these three days on a later weekend. The situation doesn’t make clear just what kind of travel intentions and travel packages are gaining favor among the Chinese.
So, INBOUND had a conversation about the matter with Z.J. Tong, a Chicago-based top marketer, blogger and popular travel influencer in China. He told us, “It’s a million-dollar question regarding the reopening of Chinese inbound market”
“Currently, what stops Chinese from outbound travel is that when they go back to China, there is a minimum 14 + 7-day quarantine requirement,” he noted, explaining that “China has done significantly well in keeping the virus infection rate low due to tough quarantine measures.”
“Many of us thought or at least hoped that after the Winter Olympics, which take place Feb. 4-20, 2022 in Beijing, the Chinese government might loosen the quarantine requirement. But the spreading of the recent omicron variant has further complicated the situation,” he added.
On the positive side—the student market thrives: Tong pointed out that “one stable market is the Chinese student market that are already in the U.S., which despite the decrease, remains around 310,000,” and that “many of the U.S. destinations should have seen a surge of Chinese student travelers during this winter break because they could not go back to China as they normally would have done.”
He said, “The student market will also draw large number of FIT family members to visit or attend graduation when the travel resumes. I have done live-streaming campus tours at nearly 40 universities across the country since July, drawing as many as 167,000 viewers at a couple of schools, which is much higher than when I do live-streaming at any attractions. It demonstrated the top interests in the Chinese market at the moment. Many DMOs don’t consider universities as attractions, but to the Chinese market, they are.”
Since the pandemic started, Tong pointed out that his company, China Pro Marketing Partners “pivoted to develop travel influencer accounts for the Chinese market,” adding, “we now have over 120,000 followers across several platforms. I plan to continue doing campus live-streaming tours after the new year and I’m looking for DMO and university partners who are also looking to outreach to Chinese student market.”
Click here for an INBOUND article last month that has more detail on the international student market.
Pier 39 Tops in No. of Website Languages
Which of the world’s leading tourist attractions offer information on their websites in the most foreign languages? Preply, a Ukraine-based developer of a language app and e-learning platform headquartered in Kyiv—it also has offices in Barcelona, Spain—recently set out to find the answer to the question and came up with a list that has some major surprises.
Well known to the U.S. travel trade and by visitors to San Francisco, where it is located, Pier 39, a collection of attractions, restaurants, specialty shops and a takeoff for short-distance cruises and water-based tours, is the surprise Number One.
Preply took 50 of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, based on their visitor numbers, and investigated how many different languages are offered on their official websites. The study found that the websites for many leading attractions offer information only in English.
The list of the Top 10 attractions, based on annual visitor numbers, who offer the largest number of language options on their official websites.
| Attraction & Rank | City | Country | Annual Visitors (Millions) | No. of Languages on Website |
| 1. Pier 39 | San Francisco | USA | 8.5 | 109 |
| 2. Time Square | New York City | USA | 39.2 | 53 |
| 3. Sacre Coeur | Paris | France | 10.5 | 14 |
| 4. Disneyland Paris | Paris | France | 11.2 | 10 |
| 5. The Strip | Las Vegas | USA | 39.6 | 9 |
| 6. Disney Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 6.7 | 8 |
| 7. Eiffel Tower | Paris | France | 7 | 8 |
| 8. Grand Central Station | New York City | USA | 21.6 | 8 |
| 9. Pike Place Market | Seattle | USA | 10 | 6 |
| 10. Nagashima Spa Land | Kuwana | Japan | 5.8 | 5 |
Notes on the list, as reported by Travel Daily News, include the following:
● Pier 39 in San Francisco tops the list as it offers an impressive 109 different language options on its official website. The reason why it offers so many languages is thanks to a translator plug-in‚ which is a simple piece of technology that makes the website so much more inclusive for people who speak different languages.
● New York’s Times Square comes in second with 53 languages on its website to help its 39 million annual visitors. Two French attractions take third and fourth place; the Sacre Coeur provides 14 languages on its website, and Disneyland Paris offers 10 languages to its 11 million annual visitors.
● Despite the above, twenty of the top 50 attractions on the Preply list only offer English on their websites.
Said Kirill Bigai, CEO of Preply: “In difficult times like these, it becomes even more important for businesses, including tourist attractions, to attract customers. By offering information, especially corona rules, in a number of different languages on a company’s website shows the business’ eagerness to welcome visitors.” For more information, visit www.preply.com.
Trade Talk & Tourism Industry Buzz
● For Canada, will there be no recovery until Q3? Canada’s tourism minister says the nation’s tourism industry won’t be able to rely on revenue from international visitors for many more months. In a conversation with CBC news Randy Boissonnault, Canada’s minister of tourism, said there is unlikely to be any inbound tourists until the third quarter of 2022. A little more than three quarters of tourism spending comes from domestic travelers, but spend less than a quarter compared to international visitors. “Domestic travel is a crucial step but will not be able to fill the revenue gap from the halt of international travel,” said Beth Potter, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. Click here for the complete CBC article.
● In Germany, it’s going to be a strong summer but a long recovery. From FVW/TravelTalk: “The German Travel Association (DRV) expects strong summer business in 2022, as people willing to travel will catch up on their holidays postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic. But there is a long way to go before the travel industry fully recovers. “The new year remains challenging for the travel industry as the Corona pandemic continues,” says DRV President Norbert Fiebig after analyzing the latest DRV business survey of 550 respondents. The majority of respondents do not expect a sustained recovery for the travel business until 2023 (43 percent) or even 2024 (37 percent) – 16 percent even later. Click here for complete article.
● New leaders named during the past year for the tourism industry in Argentina. Here are the top five (from REPORTURcom.ar.)
● Gay Travel Award winners named. Delta Air Lines has received the award for best airline in the 2021 Gay Gravel Awards, which are presented annually by GayTravel.com. There were more than 30 awards given out in categories ranging from hotels and resorts to golf resorts and destinations. Said GayTravel Chief Visionary Officer Steve Rohrlick: “This year has been another challenging one for travelers. With the pandemic ebbing and flowing across the globe and the uncertainty related to the latest Omicron variant, many are restricted from traveling or waiting for a safer time. The Gay Travel Awards affords us all a moment to focus on the industry’s best as a prologue to getting back out there.” The Gay Travel Awards support and promote LGBTQ+ travel and tourism by identifying and rewarding select destinations, properties, events, influencers, and other organizations that exemplify a spirit of inclusiveness and hospitality excellence. The winners lead by example and inspire other inclusive companies and brands. Click here to see the complete list of winners.
● Tour Operator ATI signs partnership with Discover Long Island (New York): Going public with its unique way of partnering with a destination, AmericanTours International (ATI)—one of the largest tour operators in North America—has formed a strategic partnership with the destination in which the operator will be adding new hotel and excursion product throughout Long Island to further develop the destination for their domestic and international clients.
ATI’s clients will be able to tailor their very own Long Island-focused packages utilizing ATI’s ‘Drive America’ road trip building platform. The operator will be adding new hotel and excursion product throughout Long Island to further develop the destination for their domestic and international clients. “There has never been a better time to rekindle old relationships and create new ones, if we learnt something from the pandemic, is the importance of relationships,” said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Discover Long Island. Discover Long Island’s main mission is to represent Suffolk and Nassau Counties, which are east of Queens, NYC. The two counties have a combined population of 2.8 million people.
● Air & Space Museum’s National Mall Building to Close March 28 Through Fall 2022: The National Air and Space Museum’s flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. will temporarily close to the public March 28, 2022, until fall 2022 to complete work on the first new galleries in the west wing of the building. The museum has been undergoing a major renovation since late 2018.
Officials said that this closure is needed to ensure the continued safety of visitors. To provide the best visitor experience, the museum’s west-end galleries will open all at one time; their opening date will be announced next year. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the museum’s companion facility in Chantilly, Virginia, will operate as usual with regular visiting hours and events. The museum will also continue doing virtual events and has robust online materials about the collection.
The second half of the project will begin at the end of March 2022 with the deinstallation of the east wing of the building. The completion of that wing, the culmination of the project and the opening of the remaining exhibitions are currently scheduled for 2025. For more information, call 202.633.2214.
● A reminder: National Parks need help to prep for the peak travel season in 2022. Perhaps no other element of the leisure tourism infrastructure is as important to international travel to the United States than is its system of 400 U.S. national parks, 560 national wildlife refuges and nearly 250 million acres of other public lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and its National Park Service. From the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, the U.S. Travel Association notes, America’s national parks and monuments are a major draw for visitors from across the U.S. and around the world. Beyond their natural beauty and historic significance, these sites also contribute heavily to America’s local and national economies.
“Unfortunately, many of these sites are suffering from a severe maintenance backlog,” says US Travel, “leaving national parks facilities like campgrounds, roads, restrooms and information centers in dire need of improvements.” The situation becomes even more of a challenge as many parks are expected to impose limits on the number of visitors and cut back on services—actions that seem certain to seriously impact the business of international tour operators and U.S.-based receptive tour operators who sell Visit USA product—especially national parks. Learn more about this issue at https://www.ustravel.org/issues/national-parks.
TourOperatorLand.com Partner of The Month
Mall of America, Celebrating its 30th Anniversary
Since opening its doors in 1992, the Mall of America® in Bloomington, Minnesota has revolutionized the shopping experience of tens of millions of visitors a year. A leader in retail, entertainment and attractions, Mall of America is one of the top tourist destinations in the country and is known around the world.
As the largest shopping and entertainment center in the USA, Mall of America features over 520 stores, 50 dining options and many family attractions. With no sales tax on clothing and shoes, and a location just five minutes from Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport, it’s no surprise that over 40 million guests visit each year from around the world.
Want to provide your clients with a customized package revolving about the Mall of America? Then, click here to learn more about product features, arranging a “meet-and-greet,” learning about operator incentives and more.
You will also meet verified contacts who will help you plan your shopping package.
Samantha Somers
Verified Contact
Tourism Account Executive-Domestic
Mall of America®
Phone: 952.883.8499
Email: Samantha.sommers@moa.net
Maya Hua
Verified Contact
Tourism Senior Manager
Mall of America®
Phone: 952.883.8843
Email: Maya.hua@moa.net
Following is a sampler from the many royalty-free images of the shopping, attractions and experiences that you will find here at the Mall of America’s TourOperatorLand pages.
Want to see more? Click here to go to Mall of America’s TourOperatorLand pages. For more information on how to partner with Connect Travel’s TourOperatorLand.com, contact Betsy Cooper, Director of TourOperatorLand.com and Partner Engagement.
Betsy Cooper
bcooper@connecttravel.com and/or 415.728.1085.
HODGE PODGE: Appointments, Openings & Changes
IN MEMORIAM
Jeff Guaracino, the much beloved and widely respected president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, passed away from cancer last week at the age of 48. A native of Philadelphia—he was born in the downtown Jefferson University Hospital—and attended local schools. He served as an intern at KYW Radio and worked at the Franklin Institute for five years. In 2001, he joined Visit Philadelphia (then known as the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation). He gained notice for the programs and campaigns he developed that built LGBTQ tourism in the area.
In 2012, Guaracino became the CEO and executive director of the Atlantic City Alliance, where he worked for four years. He returned to Philadelphia in 2016 to serve as president and CEO of Wawa Welcome America, and in October 2018 he became President and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, leading the organization until his passing. Among the many public tributes paid to Guaracino was that of Philadelphia’s mayor, Jim Kenney, who said: “A fierce champion and promoter of his hometown, Jeff was also a proud advocate for the LGBTQ community. With his trademark energy, charismatic charm, and never-ending wit, he helped make Philadelphia the welcoming city and destination that it proudly is today.”
Shortly before he was scheduled to be sworn in as New York City’s mayor at the Times Square ball drop, Mayor Eric Adams named the heads of several city agencies, including tourism, announcing that he was keeping incumbent Fred Dixon on the job. Dixon, who joined New York City & Company in 2005 as executive vice president, market development was named as president & CEO in March 2014 by then-Mayor Bill de Blazio. Before joining NYC & Co., Dixon held senior sales positions with Group Sales Box Office, Planet Hollywood and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Joel Brennan is leaving his post as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, to serve as president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. The group has almost 200 of the top CEOs and leaders of business, industry, law firms and financial and educational institutions in the Milwaukee metro that are dedicated to improving the life and economy of southeastern Wisconsin. Brennan’s last day as secretary of the Department of Administration is Monday, Jan. 17. He was appointed to the position in December 2018. Brennan has a strong background in travel and tourism. His CV includes a tenure as vice president of the Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau and more than 11 years as CEO of Discovery World, a popular Milwaukee science and technology attraction.
Kimber Foster has taken over as director of Palm Springs Tourism. In her new role, will lead the development and implementation of the City of Palm Springs strategic marketing plan and work together with the Visit Greater Palm Springs marketing and destination teams and stakeholders to promote visitation. Foster brings 20 years of non-profit, agency and destination marketing/communications experience to the position. She joins from Grapevine, Texas, where she served as director of marketing and communications for the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau for the past five years. Prior to that, Foster worked Destination El Paso as marketing & communications manager.
Jeff LeMaster has been named as chief of communications for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. A former editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, he took over communications, marketing, public relations and media relations at the department starting Jan. 3. Most recently, the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s director of enterprise services who joined the state government in 2018, LeMaster spent five years as communications director for the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain. The nonprofit educational center and conference venue celebrates the legacy of former Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller is affiliated with the University of Arkansas. LeMaster worked for the Democrat-Gazette from 2005 to 2011 and previously wrote for the Jacksonville Patriot.
Kristi Olsen-Hayes, formerly York County’s tourism development manager, has been named new deputy director for York County, Virginia’s combined Economic Development and Tourism Development departments as the York County government’s Economic Development Authority and Tourism Development department merge into one department in the upcoming months. Olsen-Hayes has been working in tourism for York County since 2002 and, before that, held positions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg.
Due to the growth that American Airlines has had in Latin America and the Caribbean with seven new flights and more than 40 new routes, in addition to strategic alliances in South America, the airline has appointed José María Giraldo managing director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Giraldo joined American more than 30 years ago working in different areas of the company in the flight service, sales, cargo and operations departments. American Airlines operates approximately 2,200 weekly flights to nearly 90 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, and maintains flights from its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to 26 destinations in Mexico.
GigNet has announced the appointment of Fabian Cortes as vice president of carrier and commercial sales for GigNet Mexico. Cortes has over two decades experience in building client relationships in Mexico and Latin America. He has senior executive experience leading customer relationships with carriers and major corporate customers at a global level, and has been involved in creating solutions from project planning to implementation and sale. In his role, Cortes will lead a sales team dedicated to expanding GigNet’s product offerings serving major customers such as mobile network operators, large-scale enterprises, international carriers, social media and streaming content providers, and more. Previously, Cortes was previously senior sales manager for Phoenix Tower International in Mexico City, where he was responsible for new business development with national and international telecom companies,
UK boating holidays provider Le Boat has name Julia Thornhill as head of partnerships and business development. She will be working across Le Boat’s global business, specifically focusing on supporting agents and the company’s tour operator partners. Le Boat operates mostly in Europe, but does sell some product in Canada. Thornhill was previously a national account manager for four years at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and has also worked at TUI, Irish Ferries, Cresta Holidays and Jetsave.
Explore has announced the appointment of Jae Hopkins, who started in her new job at the beginning of the new year. Hopkins joins Explore—it is part of the Hotelplan group and is a leading adventure travel specialist— following a long career in marketing, including marketing director roles at Exodus Travels and Eurotunnel.
José Bach has joined Qtech Software as global sales manager. He will be leading the strategic sales initiatives for Qtech from UAE. His primary responsibilities include market development for travel ERP platform – OTRAMS and booking re-verification platform – rePUSHTI. He will be working closely with the Product Development and Marketing teams to drive the company’s vision of making technology easily accessible to travel companies globally. Bach joins Qtech with an experience of over nine years in the travel and hospitality industry, especially in strategic sales, partnerships, and global business development. Prior to Qtech, he has worked with Hotelbeds in acquisitions and strategic partnerships for Middle East, Africa and South Asia. He has also worked with Tourico Holidays.
Former U.S. Marine Chenelle McGee has left her position as president and CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism to start in a new role as director of international and group sales for the Kentucky Department of Tourism. McGee had been with ShelbyKY Tourism for five-and-a-half years. She began at the organization as a marketing director and was later named president and CEO in early 2021 after her predecessor, Katie Fussenegger, left ShelbyKY Tourism to serve as vice president of the Kentucky Derby Museum. McGee has also served for four years in the U.S Marines.
Chris Finazzo has joined SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. as chief commercial officer. He will be responsible for all commercial aspects of the business including revenue and marketing. SeaWorld’s board of directors unanimously approved the appointment. Prior to SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., Chris served in a variety of roles with Burger King from 2014 – 2021, most recently as president (2017-2021) where he oversaw marketing, operations, franchising, field operations, finance, and development for nearly 10,000 restaurants across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
Job Postings
From SearchWide Global:
—Visit Seattle is searching for a new president and CEO. More details here.
—The Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking a new chief financial officer. More details here.
—Destinations International is looking for a manager of meetings and events. More details here.
—Visit El Paso is searching for a director of marketing and communications. More details here.
—The Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau has an opening for the position of vice president. More details here.
—An international hotel corporation with a diverse and distinctive portfolio is seeking a dual director of sales & marketing to develop and implement the total sales and marketing strategy for two or more hotels located in the same market—Silicon Valley, California. More details here.
—A world-wide hospitality group is looking for an executive director of hotel sales & marketing a position that would be based in San Francisco, Toronto or remotely. More details here:
—Visit Greater Palm Springs has an opening for a vice president of sales. More details here.
—Experience Grand Rapids is searching for a vice president of engagement and inclusion. More details here.
—Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County is looking for a director of marketing & communications. More details here.
—Visit Denver is seeking to hire a new vice president of tourism. More details here.
—Visit Santa Cruz is searching for a new CEO/Executive Vice President. More details here.
—The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau has an opening for a director of marketing. More details here.
—There is an opening for the position of president & CEO at Visit Fort Wayne. More details here.
—The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association is looking for a CEO. More details here.
—Destinations International is searching for a vice president of equity, diversity & inclusion. More details here.
—The City of Tacoma has an opening for a director of venue & events. More details here.
—Visit Dana Point is looking for an executive director. More details here.
—Discover The Palm Beaches is searching for a director of events, tradeshow & strategic sales partnerships. More details here.
—Freeman is searching for a vice president, national graphics. More details here.
—In the Charlotte/Concord area of North Carolina, Great Wolf Resorts has an opening for a director of sales and catering. For details, click here
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From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a brief sample of some of those jobs currently listed.
—Delta Vacations (Delta Air Lines brand) is seeking a program manager, More details here.
—At SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment near Philadelphia, there is an opening for a public relations specialist. More details here.
—Travel Oregon is looking for a destination development program manager. Salary $75,400 to $86,707 a year. More details here.
—Amazon Web Services is searching for a head of travel & hospitality industry marketing. Located in Seattle. More details here.
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From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has hundreds of new jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.
—The City of Virginia Beach has an opening for a convention and tourism representative. More details here.
—The City of Winder, Georgia is looking for an events and tourism manager. More details here.
—Las Vegas Outdoor Adventures is looking for an outdoor tour guide; salary is $100,000-$120,000. More details here.
—There is an opening for a sports tourism assistant at the City of Myrtle Beach. More details here.
—The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is looking for a vice president of guest experience. The salary range is $130,000 – $157,000 a year: More details here.
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Have a job to offer in the travel and tourism industry? Let us know and we’ll post your notice—no cost to you. Email tom@tomberrigan.com
