Discover America Mart/Seminar Emphasises Destination Diversity

A smorgasbord of 37 travel industry professionals from the USA and representatives of American travel interests in Australia were on hand to provide one-on-one updates about new developments to hundreds of travel industry and media during a Discover America Mart/Seminar in Sydney.

In total the delegation met with more than 1200 travel industry personnel as the annual Discover America promotion covered Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

More than 600,000 Australians visited the USA in 2007 making Australia the 6^th largest overseas market, said Mark Sheehan, Media Chair, Visit USA Committee, as he addressed the standing room only gathering in Sydney recently.

Australians stay longer – an average of 24 days – spend more money, are motivated to see more destinations and are more inclined to make a repeat visit than visitors from other countries, he said.

We expect a 20 per cent growth in arrivals in 2008.  Capacity will be the only constraint although the anticipated launch of V Australia flights to Australia and the introduction of Airbus A380s by QANTAS on its American services this year should greatly assist in carrying Australian passengers to the USA, he said.

Stephanie Nakasone, Business Development Manager, Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau, was on her first fact finding mission to Australia.

[Pictured right: Stephanie Nakasone is looking to target the Australian market with dedicated promotions.]

Forty per cent of our visitors are international and we will be more active in the Australia in the future, she said.

Three travel industry professionals from western states also made their first promotional visits to Australia for the series of destination seminars.

Marlee Iverson, Group Travel Manager, Montana Department of Commerce, said that the wide open spaces of Montana along with the ghost towns, ancient Indian cliff dwellings, buffalo herds and glaciers lured Australians.

Fred Walker, International Marketing Director, Division of Tourism, North Dakota, Department of Commerce, also recognised the growing number of Australians visiting North Dakota.  He cited visitor interest in seeing the mighty Missouri, Bismark and the old fort where General Custer was stationed in 1876 before riding off to his ‘Last Stand’.

[Pictured left: Marlee Iverson, Montana, James Scoon, Wyoming and Fred Walker, North Dakota introduced their state’s myriad attractions at the Discover America Mart in Sydney.]

James Scoon, Travel Trade Programme Manager, Wyoming Travel & Tourism, said that wildlife, beautiful scenery and geothermal activity of Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park, are major attractions.

The trio were confident that Australia would receive more focussed promotional attention in the future.

Nina Ramos, Director, International Market & Tourism Development, San Mateo County Convention and Visitors Bureau, highlighted the many attractions of the “road less travelled”.

The 80 km long peninsula immediately south of San Francisco has a number of natural and manmade attractions that are day-trip accessible from San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland.

Leeanne Dyer who represents the Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau through Sydney-based Integra Tourism Marketing, said that Anaheim’s newest visitor attraction has sparked wide spread visitor interest.

The massive “Anaheim Garden Walk” dining, shopping and entertainment complex located next to Disneyland provides a new dimension to this exciting destination, she said.

Set over 19.3 acres, the complex which opened in early 2008 includes an 866 room hotel.

Integra Tourism Marketing also represents the Alaska Travel Industry Association.  Commenting on travel trends in the state, Dyer said that diving in Alaska “is the new thing”.  She added that itineraries that include glaciers and wildlife are also very popular.

Las Vegas is booming with nearly 39 million people visiting the desert city in 2007, said Kelly Sawyer, Sales Executive, International Sales, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

By 2010 there will be an additional 40,000 rooms adding to the existing 130,000 room itinerary.

The biggest project is the US$7.8 billion CityCentre which is being built on the Las Vegas Strip, said Sawyer.

Scheduled to open in 2009, the ‘city within a city’ will include a 61 story 4000 room resort casino with a Cirque de Soleil show inspired by the life and music of Elvis Presley, she added.

Meanwhile the 2034 room Encore Suites is set to open in December.  The US$1.8 billion all-suite hotel tower will feature resort suites and VIP Suites measuring up to 5,800 sq. ft.

Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel and Lifestyle Editor