Pent-up Demand Shows Itself in NTTO Data
We can all breathe a sigh of relief. The first data sets recently released by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) to show what, if any, bump occurred in the totals of inbound travel to the United States from overseas as well as the neighboring markets of Canada and Mexico showed themselves in the first month of 2022. And they offer, at the very least, encouragement.
As a result, it looks as if the decision to open U.S. boundaries to the EU and other, selected markets beginning Nov. 10, 2021 paid off. No one was expecting record-breaking numbers—and there were none—for January, but the top source market markets from overseas were comforting, familiar names.
The UK, the top overseas source market for overseas travel to the USA for more than two decades, reclaimed its position as the number one, and other familiar names among the top 10 source markets were also evident—such as Brazil, France, South Korea and Germany.
New to this group was/is Colombia, which was the top overseas source market for 2021. (One should note in the OAG Stringency Index, which measures the restrictive measures that each country has put in since January 2020, Colombia and Mexico were at the bottom of the list for the Americas.)
So, the table on overseas source markets below is sure to change, especially when restrictions are lifted by China and Japan, which is currently No. 20, but is usually No. 2. The data follow.
Arrivals to U.S. from Top 20 Overseas Country Markets
January 2022
| Country Market & Rank | Arrivals | % Change from January 2021 |
| 1. United Kingdom | 96,769 | +989.6% |
| 2. Brazil | 70,214 | +1112.0% |
| 3. India | 65,103 | +59.8% |
| 4. Colombia | 58,923 | +78.2% |
| 5. France | 42,815 | +599.7% |
| 6. Germany | 41,922 | +508.3% |
| 7. Argentina | 34,523 | +83.1% |
| 8. Chile | 33,630 | +123.4% |
| 9. Spain | 33,116 | +392.4% |
| 10. South Korea | 31,315 | +203.4% |
| 11. Costa Rica | 25,132 | +88.2% |
| 12. Italy | 23,027 | +454.2% |
| 13. China, PRC | 20,848 | +506.4% |
| 14. Peru | 20,687 | +98.1% |
| 15. Dominican Republic | 20,308 | +25.1% |
| 16. Australia | 17,880 | +805.3% |
| 17. Venezuela | 15,498 | +68.8% |
| 18. Ecuador | 15,184 | +30.7% |
| 19. Guatemala | 15,075 | +85.1% |
| 20. Japan | 14,754 | +47.5% |
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
January 2022
| World Region | Number of Arrivals | 2022 Share of Market | % Change YTD vs. 2021 |
| Western Europe | 322,491 | 31.9% | +590.7% |
| Eastern Europe | 34,957 | 3.5% | +167.4% |
| Asia | 169,559 | 16.8% | +108.8% |
| Middle East | 46,658 | 4.6% | +107.2% |
| Africa | 17,428 | 1.7% | +57.4% |
| Oceania | 20,377 | 2.0% | +595.7% |
| South America | 260,275 | 25.8% | +136.6% |
| Central America | 79,970 | 7.9% | +87.4% |
| Caribbean | 58,620 | 5.8% | +48.1% |
| Total Overseas | 1,010,335 | 100% | +173.3% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
Overseas Visitors to the USA by World Region of Residence
Month of December 2021*
| Region | Number of Arrivals | 2021 Share | % Change from 2020 |
| Western Europe | 641,872 | 37.8% | 2062.1% |
| Eastern Europe | 46,932 | 2.8% | 265.8% |
| Asia | 217,013 | 12.8% | 306.3% |
| Middle East | 56,432 | 3.3% | 290.5% |
| Africa | 17,266 | 1.0% | 97.0% |
| Oceania | 24,467 | 1.4% | 928.0% |
| South America | 406,312 | 23.9% | 153.2% |
| Central America** | 150,829 | 8.9% | 142.5% |
| Caribbean | 138,525 | 8.2% | 95.6% |
| Total Overseas | 1,699,648 | 100.0% | 309.6% |
* Excludes Mexico, Canada ** Excludes Mexico
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
Overseas Visitors to the USA by World Region of Residence
Year-to-Date (i.e., Full Year for 2021)
| Region | Number of Arrivals | 2021 Share | % Change from 2020 |
| Western Europe | 1,697,633 | 18.5% | (23.5%) |
| Eastern Europe | 263,947 | 2.9% | 6.0% |
| Asia | 1,289,368 | 14.1% | (40.4%) |
| Middle East | 512,779 | 5.6% | 95.8% |
| Africa | 153,841 | 1.7% | 43.6% |
| Oceania | 67,396 | 0.7% | (73.7%) |
| South America | 3,018,855 | 32.9% | 110.7% |
| Central America** | 1,180,707 | 12.9% | 201.9% |
| Caribbean | 990,181 | 10.8% | 93.7% |
| Total Overseas | 9,174,707 | 100.0% | 20.8% |
* Excludes Mexico, Canada ** Excludes Mexico
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
All International Visitors to the USA
December 2021
| All Int’l Visitors to USA | Number of Arrivals | 2021 Share | % Change from 2020 |
| Total Overseas | 1,699,648 | 49.8% | 309/6% |
| Mexico | 1,113,447 | 32.6% | 83.6% |
| Canada | 600,326 | 17.6% | 606.9% |
| Grand Total | 3,413,421 | 100.0% | 208.5% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
All International Visitors to the USA
Full Year 2021
| All Int’l Visitors to USA | Number of Arrivals | 2021 Share | % Change from 2020 |
| Total Overseas | 9,174,707 | 41.5% | 20.8% |
| Mexico | 10,396,724 | 47.0% | 52.7% |
| Canada | 2,529,022 | 11.4% | (47.4%) |
| Grand Total | 22,100,453 | 100.0% | 15.0% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, I&A, National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) I-94 Program
ITB 2022—There Was a Good Spirit about …
For the second year in a row, the annual ITB trade show (March 8-10, with a digital business day scheduled for March 17)) that usually takes place in Berlin was a virtual event, due to the omnipresent fear of the global pandemic. But, by the time the program for the event began, much of the fear had diminished, as the number of new cases of the COVID-19 virus and its variants—though still a presence—had decreased over the past six months.
In addition, many of the countries that are the favorite short- and long-haul destinations of German travelers, had opened their borders. (The U.S. had lifted restrictions on visitors from the EU and other destinations last November 10.) So, in the months just prior to ITB, German tour operators and travel agencies were expanding their programs and trying to satisfy consumer demand while supervisors scrambled to hire sufficient staff.
As for the destinations that Germans wanted to visit, sunny Mediterranean countries were, as usual, the favorites, although long-haul overseas destinations have fared well. The U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) reported that, in January, overseas visitors to the USA numbered 41,922, representing a year-on-year increase for the month of more than 500 percent.
Clearly, the spirit of the time and place was a favorable one. And it could not have been better for Europe’s largest tour operator, TUI, which is headquartered in Hanover, Germany. As such, the setting—even a virtual one—is an ideal one for the company’s main country unit, TIA Germany, to hold forth on the issues of the day.
The occasion also afforded Stefan Baumert the opportunity to address the ITB forum as TUI Germany’s relatively new CEO. A veteran of more than two decades at the company, he took over the top job at the flagship last October, succeeding Marek Andryszak who has left the sector and has joined the Polish outdoor specialist 8a.pl, which is regarded as the market leader for outdoor and mountaineering equipment in Poland.
There had been friction between Andryszak and German travel agents, many of whom felt that he did not work with them during the pandemic. Joining Baumert at the ITB virtual exchange was Hubert Kluske, TUI Germany’s managing director of marketing and sales.
Basically, it was good news all the way around: TUI believes:
—The booking curve is on an upward path.
—It’s likely that turnover will exceed that of 2019.
—Because of the positive number of bookings, the company is accelerating the start of the peak season, with more than 120 additional flights to be launched next month.
—Mediterranean destinations are the favorites, with Mallorca leading the list.
—But long-distance destinations are also in demand, especially the USA
—Many Germans will begin their holiday seasons by driving.
—Some travelers might find it difficult to get accommodations at beach destinations.
—For the summer season, TUI has increased the number of tour guides in its destinations by 250 compared to 2019.
Data Note—Achieving 2019 levels of retail sales is a ways off: The invoiced total turnover of the travel agencies recorded in the “ta.ts* Reisebürospiegel (travel agency mirror)” was up was up 351.2 percent in February 2022 compared to February. Compared to February 2019, however, the total invoiced turnover was minus 55.2 percent.
* ta.ts, or Travel Agency Technologies & Services is, a Frankfurt-based company that specializes in data and technology management, as well as accounting services
Brazil: Jogo de Cintura, continued …
In their last Brazilian overview for the month just prior to the end of 2021, the Brazilian publishing giant PANROTAS and FECOMERCIOSP, the São Paulo-based business and economic research organization, served up a tentative but positive outlook for the travel and tourism sector of the country’s national economy. And, as it has turned out, they were right to do so.
“Although we continue to face obstacles daily, it seems that the worst part of the pandemic is gone. In Brazil, it’s clear that the consumers are cautious, but yet desire to travel and feel the relief of more than two years of enclosure,” José Guilherme Alcorta, CEO of PANROTAS, said in releasing the overview, adding, “More open frontiers and more vaccination around the globe. The majority of the most important destinations to Brazilians in Europe and Americas are open and flexible in their rules … We hope we can continue to help you during this difficult journey, with solutions, news, events, numbers, but also with partnership and friendship.”
And the data for the first month of 2022, recently released by the U.S. National Travel & Office (NTTO) affirm the above. Of the Top 20 overseas source market countries that send visitors to the United States, Brazilians placed behind only the perennial Number 1, the UK. Brazilian arrivals in the USA in January 2022 totaled 70,214—an increase over the same month a year ago of more than 1,000 percent! (See INBOUND’s lead article for more on NTTO’s data.)
Obviously, one might conclude, it is a good practice to heed what José Guilherme Alcorta has to say about the state of the industry in the PANROTAS/fecomercioSP report. Citing its own research, as well as that from other sources, the overview’s major points include, but are not limited to, the following:
● Despite the impact of the COVID-19 virus and the economy’s weakening in Brazil at the beginning of this year, a significant number of Brazilians are keeping the trips as one of the consumption priorities and intend taking some days off away from home at least once in 2022.
● Nearly half (43 percent) of Brazil’s people are saving money to travel within the next 6 months.
● International air offerings haven’t yet reached the pre-pandemic volume yet.
● The Brazilian currency, the real, is unfavorable viz-a-viz the U.S. dollar. It’s been going that way for a decade, as the following table attests:
Real vs. the U.S. Dollar:
A Ten-Year Record
| Year | Brazilian Real vs. U.S. Dollar |
| 2013 | $0.51 |
| 2014 | $0.42 |
| 2015 | $0.32 |
| 2016 | $0.30 |
| 2017 | $0.30 |
| 2018 | $0.31 |
| 2019 | $0.26 |
| 2020 | $0.26 |
| 2021 | $0.21 |
| 2022 | $0.20 |
Source: Prepared by INBOUND using Xe.com. Based on mid-market quotes of March 12 for each year.
● Overall consumers seem to feel safer in traveling within their own country.
● Leisure trips attract 83 percent of Brazilians who intend to travel, and seven out of ten (71 percent) of them are attracted by the prices as a major factor.
● One of the largest OTAs in Brazil, Viajanet, reported that the purchase of domestic flights increased more than 76 percent in 2021.
● Despite the hesitation by some over long-haul travel, is an upward trend regarding international flights in Brazil, as most of the consumers’ targeted countries have already opened their borders, such as the United States.
● The presented data resulted from the Brazilian Hotel Business Operators Forum (Fórum de Operadores Hoteleiros do Brasil – FOHB).
● Last year, CVC, the largest tourism company in the country, achieved half of the sales that it registered in 2019, and had 7.7 million clients flying in the same period.
● Another measure that points out an upturn in Brazilian tourism in 2021 is the employment rate. The sector was responsible for 5.76 percent of new positions registered in the country, which represents 162.6 thousand out of the 2.82 million registered positions as a positive balance in the year.
● Based on data by Monitora Turismo, it is expected that the TMCs will reach the pre-pandemic numbers in July of this year. The data is by Abracorp, the major Corporate Travel Agencies Association in the country,
● On the downside, the travel trade is still upset with the tax spent by travelers abroad—a tax paid by Brazilian international travelers.
From mid-2014 onward, Brazil experienced a severe economic crisis. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell by 3.5 percent in 2015 and 3.3 percent in 2016, after which a small economic recovery began. That recovery continued until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the economy again. More recently, the World Bank told us the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Brazil to an unprecedented health, social and economic challenge, leading to a 4.1 percent GDP decline in 2020—and a recession—followed, mercifully, by a rebound in 2021. An emerging recovery in demand, both domestic and external, and a pick-up in commodity prices are expected to push GDP growth to 5.3 percent in 2021. Another recovery.
Jogo de Cintura Redux: When one contemplates the above paragraph and tries to understand the sheer force of the negative economic winds that Brazilians have had to endure in the last decade, one wonders just how they continue to recover, to endure and to prosper. Again and again.
Sometime early in the aforementioned decade, a Brazilian colleague explained to INBOUND’s editor that the answer was in “jogo de cintura.” The most literal English translation of this expression is “game waist,” or what one does in a futbol game when a team needs something to happen and the odds are challenging. Jogo de cintura can mean resourcefulness, pluckiness, cleverness. My favorite translation of late comes from the Cambridge Oxford dictionary, which put it this way: “footwork [noun] clever or skilful/skillful actions to achieve something or deal with a problem.”
But the best way to understand the meaning of the expression is to listen and learn from your colleagues in the Brazilian travel and tourism industry. They won’t talk. They’ll just “do.”
TRADE TALK & Tourism Industry Buzz
● In the UK, the head of Kuoni has said the company has had to “shift” its salaries to attract more people to the company, after the Covid pandemic forced many workers to leave the sector. Managing director Derek Jones discussed the struggles facing recruitment in the industry in a Travel Weekly webcast. For more information, read the complete article here.
● British Airways parent IAG is aiming to increase the number of women in senior roles throughout the group to 40 percent over the next three years. Previously, the company set its sights on a goal of a one-third (33 percent) increase by 2025. It achieved that last year, however, and the goal was set for a higher figure. “We have made great progress increasing female representation in recent years as part of a robust approach to diversity and inclusion,” said IAG chief executive Luis Gallego. “Having achieved our previous target for 2025 in 2021, we are extending our ambition to 40 percent of senior management roles [being] held by women in the same timeframe.”
● Yankee Leisure Group rebrands. For its 50th Anniversary, the company has rebranded from Yankee Leisure Group to Railbookers Group to continue its growth and evolution as the largest FIT rail vacation provider worldwide. One factor that helps Railbookers stand out is its status as a 100 percent virtual company and has been for two years. It used the global pandemic to recreate itself and not be constrained by having physical offices and being able to add new staff members remotely to its team. Today it has staff in 5 countries and 26 different U.S. States, all remote and, as the company said in a news release, “We are stronger than ever.” For more information, visit railbookersgroup.com.
● OAG says there is enough seat capacity to serve as base for continued recovery: An OAG update last week had the following to say: “Global capacity continues to hold above 82 million seats this week and this is now the fourth consecutive week when the industry has supplied more than 80 million suggesting a solid platform for future airline capacity growth over the summer season. In the same week in 2019, there were some 106 million seats on sale, so capacity remains some 23 percent below what was once considered the normal level of airline capacity; things are of course improving and more country markets are open as travel restrictions ease in destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.” Read the complete item here.
● The Westjet Group has bought Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations from Stephen Hunter and TUI, who maintain their Blue Diamond hotel company and their receptive Nexus, sources from the group revealed to the trade publication REPORTUR.us. Westjet is based in Calgary and has been owned by Onex since 2009 after paying 3.5 billion Canadian dollars, while Sunwing, based in Toronto, was founded in 2002 by Colin Hunter, father of the current CEO. TUI owns 49 percent. The tour operator business will be based in Toronto, with the airlines in Calgary; Alexis von Hoensbroech will continue as CEO of WestJet, which employs 8,490 people and has 180 aircraft. Sunwing has 2,400 employees and a fleet that has reached 40 airplanes. Westjet is the second largest airline in its country after Air Canada, which has its own division for vacations, as well as Transat, based in Montreal and is well-known in in Europe. Click here for more on this story.
● The Travel Corporation (TTC) has reorganized its tour brands into one division, TTC Tour Brands, which will become a single source for sales, marketing and operating of the corporation’s individual tour operators, including Trafalgar and its other brands, The company has such well-known tour operators as Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Brendan Vacations and Adventure World Travel—all now all part of TTC Tour Brands. The new division was made to make it easier for travel advisors to work with the individual brands. TTC Tour Brands will be led by Gavin Tollman, who takes on the role as the new division’s CEO. The division will be split into five global sales and marketing regions. The United States and Canada will become the new North America sales and marketing region, no longer split into two different regions. Others include the Oceania, Asia and Africa regions. Click here for more information.
● The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association has announced that American Express Travel is its first global partner in the financial services sector. The collaboration aligns one of the world’s most recognizable travel brands with IGLTA. For the past 18 years, American Express has scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, a ranking that takes into account the company’s policies and practices that support LGBTQ+ inclusion. American Express is also a member of Open for Business, a coalition of global companies making the economic and business case for LGBTQ+ inclusion around the world. The company released its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report in 2021, which documents its progress on DE&I commitments and initiatives as part of its $1 Billion DE&I Action Plan. For more details, click here.
● NYC Landmark Theatre Named after Actor James Earl Jones. In addition to his many acting roles and credits, along with his voiceover work (the voice of Darth Vader no less) and a stage career of more than six decades, James Earl Jones is the name of a theatre in NYC and becomes, per force, a destination for travelers to the city to see and visit. The Shubert Organization, Inc., recently announced that the 110-year-old Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street) will become the James Earl Jones Theatre, in recognition of Mr. Jones’s “lifetime of immense contributions to Broadway and the entire artistic community.” Jones’s Broadway career began in 1957, and in 1958 he played his first role at the Cort Theatre in Sunrise at Campobello. “The Shubert Organization is so incredibly honored to put James—an icon in the theatre community, the Black community, and the American community—forever in Broadway’s lights,” said Robert E. Wankel, Shubert CEO and board chair. “That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question.” Click here for the complete news release.
RTO Summit Slideshow
Connect Travel’s RTO Summit East in New York City was a “thumbs-up” success for everyone who attended and took part in the sell-out event. New York City & Company made sure delegates were in an upbeat mood with their opening night reception. Enjoy the slide show of photos taken at the Summit.
HODGE PODGE: Appointments, Openings and Changes
Lynn Osmond has been named as the new president and CEO of Choose Chicago beginning May 9. Osmond, who was given a four-year contract to lead Choose Chicago, is well known in the Chicago business and tourism communities; she has served as president and CEO of the Chicago architecture Center for more than 25 years. Osmond succeeds David Whitaker, who left the organization last September to take over as president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Horacio Gutierrez has been named the new general counsel for Disney. Gutierrez replaces Alan Braverman as general counsel, who is retiring after serving as Disney’s top lawyer for nearly two decades. Fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, Gutierrez has worked in private practice in the U.S. and Venezuela, Gutierrez has also worked as an in-house lawyer at Microsoft and Spotify. Read here to learn more about this most important figure in the Disney leadership.
Karen Gruenberg has stepped down as senior vice president of marketing and strategic alliances for Brand USA after a decade of service. “It has been an honor and privilege to help create this important organization, with our talented team, and the support of the travel industry domestically and internationally,” she said in a social media posting. Gruenberg has launched a consultancy, focusing on developing strategy, value and deliverables for the global tourism spectrum. Prior to joining Brand USA, held senior management roles at several organizations. This included nearly 13 years with Meet Minneapolis, where she was vice president of marketing and project manager of more to life.
Ashleigh Osborne has joined Connect Travel (publisher of INBOUND) as director of sales for the eTourism Summit. She comes to the company from ConventionSouth magazine where she was director of sales and where she worked for more than nine years.
Renato Henrique Camargo has left CVC after seven years and the tourism industry as well. He has taken an executive position at MetLife Brasil. Before he worked for CVC, he held a senior position at Trend Operadora, which was later acquired by CVC. Previously, he held senior positions at XD Turismo and Tourlines Corporate Travel.
Mayte Kubicsko has joined the team at Unlimited Biking as tour manager. Before joining the company, she served in a managerial capacity for several well-known tour operator brands, including Abreu Tours and AlliedTPro.
With professional sports teams becoming more and more a part of a destination’s visitor experience, they are hiring sales professionals to accommodate this need. In Detroit, The Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team, is growing its ticket sales and service team with the hiring of Tom Hager as account executive, client services. Previously, he was the co-founder, writer and photographer for Seattle-based AthletesForGod.com
In the UK, Lisa Harkness, a well-known regional sales manager at Travelpack who lost her job with the company as a result of the global pandemic, has been has brought back to her post. A few months after she lost her job at Travelpack, she landed at Tesco. And since May last year, she’s been working as an assistant manager at Barrhead Travel, one of the largest travel companies in the UK. Harkness’ area covers Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Cumbria, Sunderland and Newcastle.
Andres “Andy” Fuentes has joined Scenic Group USA as its newest regional sales director, covering Florida. Fuentes has worked in the cruise industry since 2006, spending most of his time in sales and business development for luxury cruise lines. Said Ann Chamberlin, vice president of sales at Scenic Group USA, said “As a native South Floridian – and bilingual to boot – he knows so many of our great Florida travel partners and I have no doubt his strong passion for the industry and love of his many travel advisor friends will solidify our strong presence in one of the largest cruise markets in the USA.” Scenic Group includes Emerald Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Mayflower Cruises & Tours and Evergreen Tours.
Brittany Lynn has joined Break the Ice Media, a Finger Lakes/Rochester, New York-based public relations firm that specializes in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, as an associate consultant. She will provide client support through developing and writing content, implementing strategies, and executing on client project plans. She brings seven years of diverse marketing and communications experience to the company, previously serving in university and government settings in the state of Georgia. Brittany resides in the Atlanta Georgia area and is the agency’s first hire who lives outside of New York State.
An employee of Visit Omaha for the past seven years, Erin O’Brien, has been promoted to director of marketing and content, responsible for overseeing the execution of Omaha’s digital brand and presence. She joined the CVB in 2014 as social media manager, and prior to Visit Omaha, worked for the Omaha Public Library and the Tallahassee Democrat, a Florida newspaper.
American Express Global Business Travel has appointed AirPlus executive Yaël Klein to lead its team in Germany, the travel management company announced. Klein, who has been with AirPlus for 22 years, most recently as chief marketing officer and chief product officer, will join Amex GBT on July 1 as VP and general manager for Germany. She will be responsible growing products, services and customer relationships in the country and will report to Jason Geall, Amex GBT’s SVP and general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Hotelbeds, the world’s largest bedbank, has announced the appointment of Bertrand Sava as its new general manager for the retail arm of the business. French national Bertrand joins the bedbank from one of the payment industry leaders, Worldline Global, a well-known player in the payment industry sector. He has also held senior positions at the Ingenico Group and Visa. Hotelbeds now has a network of more than 60,000 travel trade buyers, as well as a portfolio of more than 300,000 beds.
Casper Urhammer has become co-CEO for the tour operator division FTI Group, which is the third largest tour operator in Europe. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the group employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. Before joining FTI, Urhammer owned STA Travel KK, Japan, the world’s largest travel company for student and youth travelers.
Travel and Tourism veteran Keith Douglas has re-launched his consulting business, KD&CO, an advisory company focused on business development, innovation, and strategy in commercial real estate, hospitality, travel and tourism. Douglas made the move following his departure from Chicago-based Sterling Bay. Previously, he was managing director at One World Observatory in New York City. He also served for nearly 10 years as managing director of Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock.
Arveena Ahluwalia has joined Travelzoo® as global director, premium membership. In this position, she will drive and manage the launch of Travelzoo’s paid subscription-based premium membership product.
Ms. Ahluwalia has both start-up and corporate experience with consumer brands and in finance. She joins Travelzoo from Evelyn & Bobbie where she was chief operating officer. Prior to that, she worked as general manager, digital, of Freshly Inc., vice president of global real estate at Citi, financial analyst at Google, and financial analyst at UBS Investment Bank.
Tiffany Russell has been appointed director of communications for the City of Virginia Beach. Russell had served as the interim director since November 2021. A native of Virginia Beach, Russell has spent time in various roles including event coordinator for the Virginia Beach Convention Center, director of public relations and vice president of marketing for the Virginia Beach CVB and most recently as the marketing and communications manager for the Communications Office. Overall, she has spent more than 20 years in the areas of marketing and promotion on behalf of the city, the CVB or activities in the area. It’s a little-known fact that Virginia Beach is the State of Virginia’s most populous city with some 450,000 residents.
The tour operator APT has announced appointment of Brad Bennetts as its new head of sales and business development. Bennetts, who will take on the job in June, joins the company from easyJet holidays, where he has been head of distribution for more than a year-and-a-half. Before easyJet, he had tenures at Kuoni and the Africa Collection. Among its experiences, APT sells product from Canada and the USA, including Alaska. Bennetts succeeds Jessica Shelton-Agar, who left APT to move to the Middle East in January, following ten years at easyJet.
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Job Postings
From SearchWide Global:
—There is an opening for the position of chief tourism development officer at OneSpartanburg Inc. More details here.
—The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, is looking for an executive director, PHL Diversity. More details here.
—The Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Area Chamber of Commerce, is looking for a director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. More details here.
—Visit Tucson is recruiting for an executive vice president. More details here.
—The Manistee County Visitors Bureau in Michigan, is searching for a new executive director. More details here.
—Visit Seattle is searching for a new president and CEO. More details here.
—Conference Direct, a provider of global meeting planning solutions, is searching for vice president of global sales. More details here.
—Meet Minneapolis has an opening for a vice president of equity, diversity and inclusion. More details here.
—The Tennessee Hospitality Association is looking for an executive director. More details here.
—The South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking a new CVB director. More details here.
—The Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking a new chief financial officer. More details here.
—Visit El Paso is searching for a director of marketing and communications. 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 sample of some of those jobs currently listed.
—The Space Coast Office of Tourism in Florida is seeking a deputy director. More details here.
—Tulsa Regional Tourism has an opening for a vice president of sales & experiences. More details here.
—VISIT DENVER, The Convention and Visitors Bureau, is seeking an associate director, public relations & communications. More details here.
—The C&O Canal Trust, based in Williamsport, Maryland, is looking for a director of public relations, marketing, communications. More details here.
—Visit Detroit has an opening for a sales coordinator (hotels, tourism). More details here.
—MMGY Global is searching for an account executive. More details here.
—Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is looking to hire a public relations director. More details here.
—The Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada, is recruiting for a new director of communications and marketing. 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
