Brand USA has participated in ITB Asia 2013 for the first time and is increasing stall space at the upcoming SATTE 2014 in India. This proves Brand USA’s growing interest in the Asian continent. The Asian economies, including India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, have been recording steady and consistent growth and USA has seen 7-10 per cent outbound from some of these markets.
Judging from past experiences the response from Asian markets, especially India, has been exceptional according to Christopher L. Thompson, President and CEO, Brand USA. “The travel trade have been very supportive and the turnout, be it at our road shows or trade events have been great. India ranks 12th among the top 20 countries in the number of visitors to the US with 7, 24,433 arrivals in 2012, an increase of 9.2 per cent over the previous year. In the first quarter of 2013, we witnessed a growth of 14.7 per cent. We are expecting a million Indian visitors in 2015.” In 2012 Indian visitors also ranked 10th in terms of money spent with a total spend of US$4.9 billion, Thompson added.
The Asian market is an emerging but rapidly growing one, and Jay Gray, Vice President, Global Partnership Development, Brand USA, has observed a consistent demand for travel to the US. Trade events such as SATTE and ITB Asia provide a key channel for Brand USA, enabling the marketing entity to reach out to the increasingly discerning consumer base. “We are confident that our participation at the events will make a constructive and long-term impression. We also develop a series of activities during the travel fair to further strengthen tourism marketing efforts in the region,” he added.
Apart from trade shows, Brand USA has been regularly conducting various campaigns and outreach programmes with the travel trade, consumers and media in India’s tier I and II cities. Commenting on participating at SATTE, Gray said, “Through SATTE, we look forward to showcase and educate the Indian travel trade about our products. Our participation last year helped us create and maintain relationships. At SATTE 2014, we want to gain good business through established contacts. Also, the interest has been very strong and we are very optimistic that SATTE will be a success for us.”
The major American presence at trade shows usually includes exhibitors such as Florida, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, Caesars Entertainment, Grand Canyon, Universal Orlando, Utah’s Canyon Country, Tour America, among many others. “We are pleased to participate in trade fairs as a part of the Brand USA pavilion. India is among the fastest growing travel markets for California with the projection of 208,000 visitors from India in 2012, up by 7 per cent over 2011. The city expects 38 per cent growth between 2012 and 2016,” a Visit California representative shared on the sidelines of the Brand USA press meet at ITB Asia, Singapore.
