US is 'not just New York or Orlando'

GTA-USA Inbound, one of the world’s largest tour global tour operators, is aiming to gain more market share in the US. President Ron Newman told TravelMole: “We’ve been very aggressive and very strong in Europe and Asia, but we’ve never really done much with the US market.” He added the company did 200% more business overall last year than the previous one. Trends he sees in inbound travel to the US: —More FIT. “The FIT market is growing much faster than the group market,” he said. —Shorter stays. Inbound travelers are coming to the US for weekend trips, for example. —Secondary destinations such as Boston, Chicago and Atlanta are emerging. “People in Boston might not view themselves as secondary, but they are when you consider that most inbound visitors think of New York City,” he said. Major markets for GTA in the past have been New York City, Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. “We’re now focusing on other destinations as well. We’re trying to tell our clients that the US is not just New York or Orlando” said Mr Newman. He predicted an upswing in the inbound US market in the coming year, in part because it is considered a “safe” destination.