Brand USA, the United States public-private partnership dedicated to increasing international visitation to the nation through marketing and promotional efforts, has announced an agreement to serve as official tourism partner for this year’s World Routes Development Forum, the world’s largest airline conference, which is due to take place in Las Vegas from October 5, 2013 to October 8, 2013.
Under the arrangement Brand USA’s Air Team USA initiative will develop cooperative opportunities to engage tour operators, travel agents and consumers with programs that will increase seat sales and ultimately visitation to the US. Air Team USA will work directly with domestic and international airport as well as their local tourism authorities to maximise airline efficiency for flights to and from the USA.
“With the exception of our border countries - Mexico and Canada - all international travellers to the US fly. Routes provides Brand USA a platform for Air Team USA to engage with key influencers and stakeholders in the aviation industry,” noted Chris Thompson, President and CEO for Brand USA. “Brand USA’s new initiative, Air Team USA, was created to give US suppliers the ability to reach the airline industry through cooperative partnerships. As a result of these collective efforts, U.S. suppliers have the opportunity to participate in international aviation events like World Routes Development Forum, which may have otherwise been cost prohibitive.”
Brand USA is responsible for promoting the United States as a premier travel destination and communicating US entry/exit policies and procedures. Established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010, the organisation’s mission is to increase international visitation to the United States while working in partnership with the travel industry to maximise the economic and social benefits of travel. These benefits include creating jobs essential to the economy and fostering understanding between people and cultures.
“I’ve participated in Routes since 2002 and I found it to be the best opportunity to engage with airlines,” added Alfredo Gonzalez, vice president, global partnership development for Brand USA. “It is one of the few platforms today where you have the chance to sit one-on-one with carriers all over the world and discuss route development.”
UBM Routes are especially delighted to welcome Brand USA as the Official Tourism Partner of this year's event in Las Vegas. “It is especially fitting as this is the first World Routes to be held in the United States,” said Gerard Brown, International Tourism Development Director for UBM Routes. “The airports, airlines, tourism authorities and CVB's of the United States have used Routes events to drive new air services for many years and this new partnership with Brand USA will only serve to increase the positioning of the US globally within the air service development community."
Related Content
