DNE Summit Announcement 

While summer is short in New England, it’s here and it’s magnificent. 

International travel hasn’t opened up quite the way we wished it had, and after careful consideration, the board of directors and staff at Discover New England (DNE) have made the decision to cancel the Discover New England Summit planned for May 1-3, 2022 at Sunday River in Newry, Maine.

As most of you know, the Summit takes extensive planning and financial commitment months in advance of the event. With continued uncertainty regarding the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of overseas international travel in the near term, we felt it was in everyone’s best interest to cancel now.

DNE’s commitment to the international travel market remains strong. We are dedicated to working with our overseas vendors, Brand USA and US Travel as we continue to position New England as a must-visit destination with our target markets. We will keep you posted on those efforts, along with information on virtual events and webinars we will be offering until we are able to confidently plan an in-person event.

This past spring, we released a series of webinars on recent international research and on the UK and Irish markets. You can catch the details or watch the recordings below. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

Best regards, 
Chris Jennings, Executive Director 
Discover New England
Recent Webinars
This spring, Discover New England presented a series of free webinars about international travel research and markets updates. If you caught the webinars in real time, thank you for joining us, and if you haven’t had a chance, you can watch the recordings here.
 
Preparing for International Recovery – UK Market
Passcode: h*u+8wdh
 
Presented by Dominique Kotsias and David Venables of Travel and Tourism Marketing Ltd. (TTM), Discover New England’s trade and PR representation in the United Kingdom, this webinar will provide an overview of UK-specific travel trade, media and consumer trends, travel outlook and how to complement and enhance the Discover New England activity in-market.
 
Preparing for International Recovery – Ireland Market
Passcode: *%8Ae#GG
 
Presented by Tony Lane, Discover New England PR & Marketing Representative in Ireland in May of 2021, this webinar will help you prepare for an optimal return of international visitation to New England, with a specific focus on the key overseas market of Ireland. Topics covered include:
  • Overview of the Ireland travel market to New England
  • Forecast for 2021, 2022 and 2023 – Resilience in the Irish market
  • Roundup of recent DNE activity in Ireland – Preparing trade and media for re-entry
  • What the Irish traveler wants: Irish travel trends and the post-pandemic environment
  • Opportunities and challenges for New England
 
International Tourism Outlook for New England
Passcode: B#KC=5=+
 
Presented by Scott Johnson of Travel Market Insights in May of 2021, this webinar covers their latest research and information on international travel to the region including:
  • Canadian and overseas visitation to New England (2019 data)
  • The inevitability of international travel resuming
  • International travel forecasts
  • How to gain market share in core international markets

FY21 Year-in-Review Highlights
Despite COVID-19’s impact on the travel industry worldwide, DNE, along with partners within the region and overseas, made great strides to continue to position New England as a desirable travel destination moving forward. Below are some of the year’s highlights: 

  • Participated in Brand USA’s Global Marketplace (virtual platform) with 602 buyers from 23 countries and additional on-platform engagement including 989 travel agents and 127 media.
  • Attended USA Training Day for Irish and UK markets with 42 participants, sharing New England highlights and what’s new for 2021/22
  • Provided series of three webinars focusing on the latest international research and the Irish and UK markets in partnership with overseas representative offices, TTS and TTM.
  • Collaborated with Brand USA on a visitor-focused VisitTheUSA.com New England subsite with translation options, regional highlights and trip ideas.
  • Launched a new industry-focused website with industry information, research data, a media room and travel trade resources.

Additional details will be made available in the FY21 annual report currently being designed.
Upcoming Program
New England Travel Guidelines
With travel guidelines, please check below for the latest travel regulations for each state. 


Find more traveler information here. 
USTA Let's Go There
The final phase of U.S. Travel Association’s Let’s Go There campaign came to a close on June 20. The industrywide marketing campaign aimed to inspire Americans to plan, book and take their next trip. View the participation highlights from January of this year.
 
Next Phase: Let’s Meet There
The next phase of this campaign focuses on business travel, professional meetings, conventions and events. Learn more about this evolution of the overall plan to recover travel across the U.S. 
Current currency trading rates vs. US dollar 
(As of 8/17/2021)
Euro = .85
GBP = .73
Australian dollars = 1.38
Yen = 109.53
Norwegian Krone = 8.91