The new boss of America’s destination marketing organisation tells Robin Searle why he is optimistic for future growth
Three months into his new role, Brand USA chief executive Fred Dixon strikes a confident tone about prospects for boosting inbound travel to the States.
The former head of NYC Tourism + Conventions took over from Chris Thompson in July this year and has already made a raft of new appointments, including new industry relations, communications and product development chiefs.
Another notable appointment is ex-NYC colleague Janette Roush, who joins as senior vice-president for innovation and will also be Brand USA’s chief AI officer – reflecting Dixon’s focus on technological developments.
Speaking ahead of Brand USA’s UK & Europe Travel Week in London, he says: “AI is an area that I’m really excited to explore and we’ll be expanding on that during Travel Week.
[The technology] is being embraced broadly, but we need to look at how we are using it to advance travel, to advance partnerships and to advance our work and messaging directly to consumers.”
Dixon describes his first quarter with the national marketing organisation as “incredibly exciting”, having held “exhilarating” individual meetings with around half his staff so far and engaging with key partners to get their input on its future direction.
He explains: “I’ve been partnering with Brand USA since the beginning, so it feels like very familiar territory for me. New York was one of the most active destinations when Brand USA got on its feet in 2010 and 2011, so we’ve been closely aligned from the get-go.”
One of the key items for Dixon will be the reauthorisation of Brand USA beyond 2027.
But in the short-term his priorities are on continuing to overcome potential barriers to inbound growth and ensure travellers explore beyond established gateway cities.
Asked whether noise around the forthcoming presidential election is having any impact on desire to visit, Dixon is relaxed, pointing instead to factors such as exchange rates and time pressures.
He also notes that visitor numbers have continued to rise in recent years – pandemic aside – regardless of who is in the White House.
“Looking at research into the levers that influence travel decisions, we see politics well down the scale,” he explains.
“The first question is ‘do I have the discretionary income to travel?’ and the second is ‘do I have the time?’. The politics of a particular nation or a particular party or leadership comes way further down the list.”
Strong demand
Dixon hails the response to this year’s Travel Week event as a reflection of strong demand from the UK and other European markets, with encouraging currency trends also giving reason for cheer.
The 2024 edition will see more than 70 destination chief executives and more than 220 exhibitors meet with more than 180 UK and European buyers as well as media, which Dixon says is a sign not just of momentum, but also the importance of the trade to US growth.
Looking at the UK market specifically, he is confident a projected full recovery to pre-pandemic numbers is on track for next year, with air capacity continuing to grow.
“We have forecast 2024 numbers to be at 4.3 million against 4.8 in 2019 and year-to-date arrivals are up over last year, so it is trending in the right direction,” he says.
“There are 122 air routes to the UK and Ireland and increasing numbers of regional hubs, so with the recent upturn in the pound also playing a role I think full recovery looks on track for next year.”
Key to marketing plans over the coming years will be a focus on major events being hosted in the US, with the next 10 years being dubbed “the decade of events”.
“We’re going to be focusing on product development, working with the trade and building out new itineraries, and we’re going to have some great hooks for that, whether it’s the 100th anniversary of Route 66 next year or sporting events including the Fifa World Cup and Olympic Games,” Dixon says.
As he approaches his first major overseas event since taking on his new role, he is also crystal clear about the need to ensure the US continues to remain front of mind for trade and consumers alike.
“We know we have the appeal in terms of the product, no matter what travellers are looking for,” he insists.
“The news can be heavy at times so we need to make sure we’re constantly pushing all the positive stories we’ve got to tell.”
Brand USA Travel Week UK & Europe takes place in London from October 21-24.