Complete Issue June 08, 2022

IPW & Visit Orlando Enjoy Memorable Event

Here’s a brief collection of photos from Connect Travel’s INSIDE Report. We’ll have more in the next issue of the newsletter, along with coverage of Brand USA’s Global Trends review. (Watch for more photos in the next issue of Inbound.)

Orlando’s tourism industry has hosted more IPW shows than any other destination. Once again they showed delegates that they know what they’re doing as industry and government leaders wait for the opening of the ribbon for the event on Monday morning.

One of U.S. Travel’s longest-serving employees, **Shelley Conway**, director of meeting and event services who’s been with the organization for 25 years, has been a familiar face at the IPW front desk.

Also a familiar face at IPW is **Judith Harris**, vice president, member of services, who has been with US Travel for more than 30 years.

Cory O’Born, a public relations representative at Visit Orlando, has worked the registration desk that has greeted and helped international journalists attending IPW.

Delegates experienced an innovative use of otherwise floor space used for the Visit Florida “Orange Grove,” which became a popular spot to talking and networking.

Chatting about business no doubt, are Alice Norsworthy, president of Global Marketing, Universal Parks and Resorts, and chair of Brand USA; and Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO, Destination DC and member of the Brand USA board.

“We’re going to come back bigger and better,” said Chris Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA, to a news conference that spilled out the doors with journalists there to hear what he had to say.

A long-time presence at IPW, Cathy Reynolds came from another continent as lead manager, IPW Press Operations.

A surge of journalists surrounds Roger Day, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, as he makes remarks prior to the Brand USA Media Marketplace.

The Media Marketplace action was intense and non-stop all of Monday.

It’s Back—TheTourOperator Redux

TheTourOperator.com first launched after 9/11 to keep the industry connected, and has been a key resource for travel industry professionals for 21 years. After being rebranded as TourOperatorLand for a number of years, TheTourOperator is returning to its roots. Alongside Connect Travel’s biweekly industry newsletter, the Inbound Report, The Tour Operator continues to focus on the facilitating the growth of international travel. It’s packed with over 80 partner destination profiles including community highlights, itineraries, attractions, royalty-free images, destination contacts and the Receptive Finder which includes detailed information on over 105 verified and approved receptive tour operators.

What’s New and Cool In this issue and those ahead, INBOUND will include brief profiles of New and/or Cool attractions and experiences as our way of introducing them to our readers.

● Beautification projects are necessary for every destination and its environment to thrive and Atlantic City is home to over 50 murals through Atlantic City Arts Foundation‘s flagship program, the 48 Blocks AC Mural Tour. This experience can be tailored for groups and transported via the Atlantic City Jitney, powered by compressed natural gas which makes it a safe and ecological mode of transportation. Visit here for more information.

● Alabama’s All-In-One attraction ticket is a new offering which allows tour companies to package admission for a complete Alabama holiday. Each All-In-One ticket has a set price for admission to multiple attractions and downloads onto a visitor’s cell phone. Already, some 40 Arabama attractions have joined the program with more expected. All-in-One Tickets are available for Muscle Shoals/Florence, Huntsville, Birmingham and Montgomery/Selma. Tickets for the rest of Alabama, including Mobile and Gulf Shores’Orange Beach expected soon. More information here:

● In Birmingham, Alabama, The Fennec is located in the city’s burgeoning Parkside District. This entertainment is a live music venue with a restaurant, bar and event space. There is live music daily. For more information, click here.

● An impressive 18-mile-long stretch, Chicago’s Lakefront Trail is a paved path that extends from Ardmore Street on the North Side to 71st Street on the South Side. Run, walk, bike or rollerblade with the blue waters of Lake Michigan to one side and gorgeous, green parks to the other. There’s so much to soak in in addition to the skylines views — pass by peaceful boat harbors, serene nature sanctuaries, bustling boardwalks and more. Visit here for more information.

● In Flagstaff, Arizona, there is the Green Book Historic Self-Tour. One can walk, bike or drive from the Flagstaff Visitors Center and learn the history taken from the “Traveler’s Green Book” suggestions for safe places to eat and sleep for African-Americans while traveling during the dark days of the Jim Crow era in American history. Visit here for more details.

Good-bye Orlando, Hello San Antonio

The historic and diverse community that makes up San Antonio is ready and eager to welcome IPW 2023 next year. The city’s tourism industry leadership sums up its mission in its visitor planning information in six words: Real Stories, Real People, Real Exciting—adventurous things to do in San Antonio.

Make the most of your trip to San Antonio finding adventurous things to do: Explore, shop, drink, and dine like a local. San Antonio’s experts have curated insider tips to guide your trip from start to finish. A visitor won’t be disappointed with what’s been planned for them. But don’t just take Visit San Antonio’s word for it. Browse the local adventure pages in its guide, and visitors will see what they’ve been missing in the new school of old, San Antonio

The Team: Click here to get to know the nearly 70 staff at Visit San Antonio. You will find photos and contact information for each area of activity—including those who overseas its visitor information center operations; citizenship and advocacy; destination experiences; sales; marketing and communications and executive officers.

You’ll also meet Visit San Antonio’s board of directors and its executive committee.

To start you your exploration of the destination, first take a look at its official visitors guide right here. Over the course of the next year—between now and the next IPW in San Antonio, which takes place May 20-24, 2023—the INBOUND Report will be providing on what’s happening as we all prepare for delegates from more than 70 nations join travel suppliers, DMOs and journalists to be a part of the San Antonio experience.

IPW—Where It’s Been, and Where it’s Going in Future Years: No every major city in the United States is part of the small collection of those who know how to accommodate the professionals and leaders in the industry rests on the ability to prepare for, and host, IPW. The following table gives one an idea of the kind of company San Antonio is joining by hosting an IPW event.

Future IPW Sites

2023—San Antonio, May 20-24

2024—Los Angeles, May 4-8

2025—Chicago, June 27-July 1

Past IPW Sites

1969 New York City

1970 Miami

1971 Chicago

1972 San Diego

1973 Tucson

1974 Orlando

1975 Boston

1976 Salt Lake City

1977 St. Louis

1978 Albuquerque

1979 New Orleans

1980 Los Angeles

1981 Philadelphia

1982 Las Vegas

1983 Orlando

1984 Los Angeles

1985 Seattle

1986 Phoenix

1987 Atlanta

1988 Dallas

1989 Las Vegas

1990 Orlando

1991 Denver

1992 San Francisco

1993 New Orleans

1994 Miami

1995 New York

1996 Los Angeles

1997 Nashville

1998 Chicago

1999 Miami

2000 Dallas

2001 Orlando

2002 New Orleans

2003 St. Louis

2004 Los Angeles

2005 New York City

2006 Orlando

2007 Anaheim

2008 Las Vegas

2009 Miami

2010 Orlando

2011 San Francisco

2012 Los Angeles

2013 Las Vegas

2014 Chicago

2015 Orlando

2016 New Orleans

2017 Washington, D.C.

2018 Denver

2019 Anaheim

2021 Las Vegas

Cities Hosting More than One IPW

City	Number Times Hosted	Years Hosted
Orlando	8	1974, ’83, ’90, ’01, ’06, ’10, ’15, ‘22
Los Angeles	5	1980, ’84, ’96, ’04, ‘12
Las Vegas	5	1982, ’89, ’08, ’13, ‘21
Miami	4	1970, ’94, ’99, ‘09
New Orleans	4	1979, ’93, ’02, ‘16
New York City	3	1969, ’95, ‘05
Chicago	3	1971, ’98, ‘14
Dallas	2	1988, 2000
St. Louis	2	1977, 2003
San Francisco	2	1992, 2011
Denver	2	1991, 2018
Anaheim	2	2007, 2019

TRADE TALK & Travel Industry Buzz

● Half of U.S. Travelers Who Want to go to Canada Like BC, Ontario and Quebec: A recently released survey from Destination Canada (conducted by Destination Analysts) seeks to understand American’s travel demand for Canada and sentiment towards travel to Canada. Approximately 4,000 responses are collected on a monthly basis through an online survey methodology, with field dates noted throughout the report. The survey, of respondents, conducted by Destination Analysts, a market research provider, is demographically representative of adult American travelers in each of the four U.S. regions. Click here for more details that include graphs and tables.

● Pleasurebent Tours of Tucson, Arizona, which has provided group tours for travelers since 1978, has announced that it has acquired Sun Tours of Albuquerque, NM. The acquisition of Sun Tours, which was also established in 1978, brings together two market leaders with similar business models focused on providing meticulously planned, expertly guided group tours and cruises, and individual travel itineraries across the globe. Frank Fine and co-owner Leslee Richards will stay with the company for several months to aid in the transition. Sun Tours will continue to operate out of its Albuquerque offices at 1700 Louisiana NE. For more information, contact Eric Rosenberg, owner & general manager, Pleasurebent Tours & Sun Tours (520) 325-8839 eric@pleasurebenttours.com.

● Doctor Beach Names His Top 10 beaches for 2022. Courtesy of CNN, here is the list of the 10 beaches in the USA, per Dr. Beach. Click here for the complete article.

Top 10 beaches list for 2022

Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina
Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle
Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
Lighthouse Beach, Buxton, Outer Banks of North Carolina
Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

● From Dragon Trail International—passport snags have big impact on students. Among those Chinese whose outbound travel is deemed “essential” are students. Despite COVID-19, China remains by far the world’s largest source market for students pursuing education abroad, with more than one million Chinese studying for a degree overseas in 2021. These students are also likely to travel, and Dragon Trail has worked with numerous tourism boards in recent years to facilitate the promotion of study abroad. Make sure you sign up for their 28 June webinar with Venture Education to learn more about the complementary nature of the education and travel industries, key trends in Chinese overseas education, and how to reach Chinese students and education agents.

● Some Brazilians like USA so much that they’re becoming U.S. Citizens: The number of Brazilians who became U.S. citizens set a record in 2021: As reported by the PANROTAS news portal, the number of Brazilians who became a U.S. citizen in Fiscal 2021. There were 12,281 people receiving U.S. naturalization, which is the highest number in history and 47.5 percent higher than in the year 2020 when there were 8,323 naturalizations. For the complete article, click here.

● Weventure expands Into Seattle market with variety of day tours. This past winter, owners David Naczycz, Andy Maunder, Jason Fried, Bill Gehrman, and Michiel Stavast brought their combined 75 years of tourism experience to create WeVenture. The company has expanded into the Seattle market with the creation of four unique day-tours, immersing visitors into the city’s culture. Additional Seattle-based itineraries will roll out this summer. Currently, WeVenture offers tours in over 10 other major U.S. cities, including New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles, and employs over 100 local guides and staff. The newly-announced tours include the Coffee Culture Tour, Seattle Cocktail Tour, Pike Place Market Food Tour, and Preserving Pike Place Community Tour. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/WeVentureUsa.

● Have you ever dreamed of traveling in space? Now you can stay in a space station. Orbital Assembly announces the Pioneer Space Station. It features gravity enabled tourism and will be operational in 2025. Orbital Assembly Corporation is the only company developing the first commercially viable, space-based business park with gravity. The space station has been called the first free-flying, habitable, privately-operated facility in orbit. More details here.

TourOperator.com – Partner of the Week

Flagstaff—Arizona’s Destination for All Seasons

Flagstaff IS Arizona’s four-season destination, filled with scenic adventures and millions of years of archeological history at 7,000 feet. Enjoy clean air and endless wilderness experiences in the world’s first Dark Skies City. Hike and bike in the world’s largest Ponderosa Pine Forest. Evening brings clear skies and stargazing at the 127-year-old Lowell Observatory – home of Pluto and NASA astronaut training.

Some ideas for first-time visitors to the area include:

Lowell Observatory – Stargazing at 7200 feet!
Walking Tours – Route 66 to Historic Tours
Craft Beer – Flagstaff IS Arizona’s craft beer town
Grand Canyon National Park – 80 minutes away National Monuments – Minutes from Flagstaff
Museum of Northern Arizona
Pioneer Museum
Riordan Mansion

And here are some ideas for repeat visitors:

Custom Local Tours – get outta town!
Lunar Legacy Landmarks – walk where the astronauts trained
Music Scene – Arizona’s Festival Town!
Route 66 by Harley Davidson (Eagle Rider)
Arizona Snowbowl – Year-round adventure
Flagstaff Extreme – Adventure Courses & Zip-lining

Verified Destination Contact

Cherri Lamont

Manager | Global Travel Industry Sales

DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF

Phone: 928.213.2915

Email: clamont@flagstaffaz.gov

Following are some of the high res photos of the Flagstaff made available through TheTourOperator’s Royalty-Free Photo Finder feature.

Navajo Festival at Museum of Northern Arizona

Want to see more? Then, click here for the Flagstaff pages in TheTourOperator.com. For more information on how to partner with TheTourOperator.com, contact Betsy Cooper, Senior Director of TheTourOperator and Partner Engagement for Connect Travel.

bcooper@connecttravel.com
and/or 415.728.1085

HODGE PODGE: Appointments, Openings Changes

Salvatore Carusone has taken on the position as director of contracting atBonotel Exclusive Travel. He left his role with WebBeds where he worked for more than five years. Previously, he held managerial positions at Holiday Professionals and Kuoni Group Travel Experts.

Daniella De la Osa has been appointed director of global public relations for Celebrity Cruises, Inc. She joins the company from Diamond Public Relations, where she was account manager. Previously, she was president of her own business, Higher PR.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Line-1-e1598967645906.png

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Li-Watson.jpg

Watson Li has been named regional director, international MICE, APAC, Africa, and Middle East at NYC & Company. A hospitality and tourism industry veteran with more than 15 years of experience—he held senior sales positions with Starwood Hotels & Resorts—Li previously worked for NYC & Company from 2017-2020.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Milet-Bruna.jpg

Bruna Milet has left her position as global director of advertising and institutional affairs at Decolar, (it operates outside Brazil as Despegar). Milet had been with the company for nearly four years, starting out as head of marketing and communications. Previously, she had served with Endeavor Brasil and as chief marketing officer of Smiles, which had split from its parent airline company, GOL.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Peterson-Bart.jpg

Bart Peterson has been named as the new director of sales for the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau after serving for two years as its business development manager. Peterson has worked closely with regional partners through the North Lake Tahoe Marketing Cooperative and he will continue to support the Sierra region through group and leisure sales efforts. He will continue to represent the region with key partners including Brand USA, US Travel, Visit California, Travel Nevada and many others.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Hey-Richard.jpg

Richard Hey, a one-time senior official at the tour operator Abercrombie & Kent, has been rehired as agency sales manager for the brand and its affiliated program, Cox & Kings. Richard joined A&K first time round in January 2020 but left eight months later after the pandemic forced the company to reduce the size of its team. He then ran a freelance consulting business before joining Adriatic Holidays as trade development director.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Espinosa-Bertha.jpg

Lindblad Expeditions has appointed Bertha Espinosa as its vice president of expedition sales. She brings to Lindblad more than 25 years of call center/reservations leadership experience. Prior to joining Lindblad, she was the vice president of guest services for Crystal Cruise Lines, where she oversaw all facets of their customer support and service. In her leadership role at Lindblad, Espinosa will be charged with significant decision-making responsibility to develop and lead the expedition reservation sales team and optimize capabilities across multiple priorities.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Summerville-Kasey-L.jpg

The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau has promoted Kasey L. Summerville as vice president of marketing, communications and community engagement. In her new role, the CVB said Summerville will guide all activities and operations of the LRCVB’s marketing, communications and community engagement division in an effort to position the City of Little Rock as “the must-experience destination” for leisure tourism and convention business. Summerville joined the Little Rock bureau in Nov. 2017, and was the senior director of tax revenue. Previously, she served for nearly 15 years as an assessor in county government.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Hackett-Paul.jpg

Paul Hackett, managing director of the Irish agency Click&Go, was recently re-elected as president of the Irish Travel Agents Association at the association’s annual meeting in Dublin. Proportionately, Ireland sends more of its travelers to the USA than any other overseas source market. Hackett’s agency has been in business for more than 12 years. Previously, he was managing director of NST—a The Group Travel Specialists. The company sends students to some 100 destinations worldwide.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Gonzalez-Oz-1.jpg

Oz Gonzalez has been named to a new position—director of strategic sales partnerships—at City Experiences. Previously, he had served a brief tenure as national project sales manager. Gonzalez joined the company in November 2011 as national business development manager.

From SearchWide Global:

—The Los Angeles Convention Center is recruiting for a new general manager. More details here.

—Visit Bath, in Virginia, is seeking a president and CEO. More details here.

—The Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau is searching for a president & CEO. More details here.

—Discover Santa Clara™ is searching for a chief executive officer. More details here.

—The Orange County Convention Center, site of the recent IPW 2022 in Orlando, has an opening for a deputy director. More details here.

—Longwoods International, a tourism industry leader in marketing, advertising and public opinion research, is searching for a senior vice president. More details here.

—The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is searching for a new vice president of marketing. More details here.

—Santa Monica Travel & Tourism has an opening for a new director of communications. More details here.

—Discover Santa Clara is looking for a new CEO. More details here.

—Choose Chicago is searching for a senior vice president of sales. More details here.

—The National Comedy Center has an opening for a director of marketing and communications. More details here.

—The Muncie Visitors Bureau is looking for an executive director. More details here.

—Visit GreenvilleSC is searching for a president and CEO. More details here.

—Visit Tulsa is recruiting for an SVP-president, Tulsa Regional Tourism. More details here.

—The Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau has an opening for a vice president of marketing and communications. More details here.

—Visit Albuquerque is searching for a vice president of sales. More details here.

—Destinations International is looking for a senior vice president of marketing & communications. More details here.

—Visit Wichita is searching for a new vice president of sales. More details here.

—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 Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for a director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. More details here.

—The Manistee County Visitors Bureau in Michigan, is searching for a new executive director. More details here.

—Conference Direct, a provider of global meeting planning solutions, is searching for vice president of global sales. More details here.

—The Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking a new chief financial officer. More details here.

###

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.

—Visit Detroit has an opening for a sales manager. More details here.

—The Fruit Company in Hood River, Oregon is recruiting for a tourism manager. More details here.

—CVS has an opening for an executive travel consultant. More details here.

—In Atlanta, Delta Vacations is recruiting for the position of copywriter, Atlanta/Hybrid. More details here.

—The City of Scottsdale is looking for an executive director of planning, economic development and tourism, More details here.

###

Other Openings:

—There is an opening for a senior manager of social media currently available at Visit Florida. More details here.

###

Have a job opening that you would like to post on INBOUND. Just mail it to us at tom@tomberrigan.com.

Theme SEO Settings

Toggle panel: Theme SEO Settings

Scripts

Toggle panel: Scripts

Header Scripts	Output before the closing `head` tag, after sitewide header scripts.
Body Scripts
Body Scripts Position	Bottom: before closing body tag Top: after opening body tag

Post
Block

Status & visibility

VisibilityPublic

PublishImmediatelyStick to the top of the blogPending reviewAuthorBetsy Cooperhood.digitalJake SteinmanRob SchultzTom BerriganMove to trash