Day One: The start of IPW in Washington, D.C. had Inbound’s photographer making stops at the registration areas for journalists, suppliers and buyers in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and at a Tourism Cares cleanup project on the National Mall. The photo log of IPW’s people, places and events starts in the convention center.

Day Two: The Newseum hosts the Press Brunch, Brand USA presents its updates for key markets, tours take delegates all over the Washington, D.C. area and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum hosts a big opening night party—both inside and outside.

In a special ceremony on Saturday night at IPW, the U.S. Travel Association and Brand USA recognized the top international buyers at the third annual inaugural chairman’s circle honors ceremony held this year at the Washington National Cathedral.

The awards event honored 53 of the world’s highest volume tour operators and buyers of the U.S. travel product from 16 different countries. Honorees were nominated by members of the US Travel’s Chairman’s Circle level, which includes some of the largest U.S. travel companies and top U.S. destinations. Following is the list of honorees.

• The final count: US Travel President and CEO Roger Dow told a Tuesday press conference at IPW the following: More than 6,300 people attended; of these 1,607 were international delegates. Top four countries for sending delegates (100 or more) were: UK, 189; China, 138; Canada, 105 and Brazil, 100.

• NTTO looks to more than double its survey research budget. Buried deep in the recesses of the Trump Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget is a half sentence which indicates that the International Trade Administration (ITA)—the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) is a part of it—is calling for the elimination of $7.4 million in activity, including the $2 million it uses for the Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT), which is the basis for NTT0’s numbers. However, ITA is also asking for a transfer of $5 million in Trade Promotion Act fee revenue from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection to administer SIAT. The procedure would allow for funding that would not be available in a year during which there will be no new appropriates for ITA.

• Muriel Samama, the president of New York City-based Harlem Spirituals for most of its 36-year history who has shepherded its growth from a single product—tours of Harlem with a visit to a church and some of its gospel music—to an expansive portfolio of many different activities in different parts of New York, has established Maven American Journeys & Events. The new company features product for the MICE market. For more information, visit: www.maven-dmc.com.

• “I can say honestly that I was not expecting that question,” said Brand USA President & CEO Christopher Thompson when asked by Spud Hilton of the San Francisco Chronicle what the agency was doing to promote “Pot” tourism to the USA. Thompson said it was “up to our destinations to tell their welcoming story.”

• Elizabeth, New Jersey (est. population of 128,000), which is about 20 miles south/southwest of Manhattan, has a new tourism promotion organization. The Elizabeth Destination Marketing Organization, created less than two years ago, made it to IPW this year. Lauren Ferrigno, marketing coordinator for the agency and half of its two-person operation (the other is its director, Jennifer M. Costa), told Inbound that it aims to promote the city’s proximity to NYC (a half-hour by commuter train), along with its less costly hotel product, and arts, shopping and foodie scene. Visit www.goelizabethnj.com.

• The Virginia Beach CVB’s Ron Kuhlman (vice president of tourism marketing & sales) and Kelli Norman (director of tourism marketing and sales international) said that the staging of IPW in Washington, D.C., which is just about 210 miles from Virginia Beach, helped to illustrate to operators just how close the resort destination is to our nation’s capital. The bureau gave every delegate who showed up at Wednesday night’s closing event at Nationals Park a free pair of flip-flops in a small, tie-on backpack. The backpacks were visible everywhere.

• Visitor traffic to the USA from Colombia, now the Number 11 overseas source market for the U.S., is on a steady path to exceed one million, and it could probably exceed that estimate, according to
• Rafael Torres, president of Boston-based Don Quijote Tours of New England, who specializes in the market. Increased lift capacity in the past three years received an even bigger boost with the launch this month of direct Bogota-to-Boston service by Avianca, using Airbus A-319 aircraft, which translates into 960 additional passenger seats weekly.
•  Svetlana Yazovskikh, executive director of tourism, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, is looking for a new tourism marketing professional for the bureau. For more information, click on this link: https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=1596990
• Any bytes or nibbles you want to pass along? Send them to tom@tomberrigan.com