A budget of £500,000 will kick-start the first major UK support programme by the US travel industry since the loss of US government funding for overseas markets.
The Travel Industry Association of America opens its first London office in the next few weeks, with an initial team of two.
The non-profit-making national organisation, whose 2,300 members include all sectors of travel and tourism, aims to launch and support initiatives on education, co-operative promotion and product development. The London office will also eventually serve the mainland European market.
TIA’s first-year investment in the new international marketing programme, which includes similar regional offices in Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil, totals $3.5m. A large part of this will be spent on establishing a research centre in its Washington DC headquarters to cater for different market needs.
Already appointed to the London team are Brian Whiting, manager international marketing – Europe, and Cheryl Hargrove, manager international marketing – media relations.
Whiting was previously regional director international marketing for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, based in the US, and Hargrove spent more than three years in London representing marketing consortium Travel South USA.
TIA is placing a strong emphasis on media relations in order to promote greater consumer awareness of US destinations and product.
The third member of the UK team, with the role of manager international marketing – travel trade, is due to be appointed by March. Hargrove said: “We don’t get any government backing, unlike the former US Travel and Tourism Administration and we’re not going to take up the role of a national tourist office here in the UK. Our aim is to provide more exposure of the USA both to the trade and consumer. We want to build stronger relationships with the UK travel industry, as well as assist with educational programmes.”
She added: “One of the first things we will be looking at will be a series of themed concepts, such as US history and culture, that can form part of trade and consumer promotional activities.”
Whiting said another major part of the TIA effort will be to work closely with the Visit USA Committee, the voluntary body of UK-based operators and suppliers, on educational seminars and training programmes.
He said: “The committee has done a great job in developing agent educational projects and filled a void over the last few years with the demise of the USTTA. There will be opportunities to initiate some new ideas.”
With TIA also organising the annual US Pow Wow trade event, this year being held in Dallas in May, Whiting said he wants to ensure that the right UK buyers are attending.
“We also need to explain what we, as an association, can bring to the table and make people aware of the resources we have in Washington,” he added. “We have already had a good response from the UK trade and will now sit down with them and our US members and have a course of action outlined by May in time for Pow Wow.”