Images from left to right: @motoxdms, @berniecophoto, @jyakscoe
2023 has started with a bang for CRUSA!

A sales mission to Germany and Switzerland; a media mission to England and Scotland; our return to Iceland after many years; and preparations for three more sales and media missions (UK, France, and Germany) before IPW in May.

Add to that a long-term planning retreat for our board of directors, plans for the GTE from September 18-20, a host of media fam tours in the works, and a return to active marketing with tour operators and Brand USA, and it’s clear that we’re putting much of the pandemic behind us.

I also want to extend a warm welcome to Visit Harford, our newest Affiliate Member. As Maryland’s first Affiliate Member, we’re glad to have this important destination between Baltimore and Philadelphia added to the program.

With the weather warming and the new fiscal year just a few months away for many of you, remember to budget for your international marketing and PR activities. Want to learn more? Let’s chat!

Thanks for your support of the CRUSA programming and have a great March!

Sincerely,
Scott
Scott Balyo
Executive Director
Capital Region USA
Mission Recaps
Sales Mission to Germany & Switzerland
CRUSA’s Sales Mission to Germany and Switzerland took place January 16-20. Representatives from CRUSA as well as Visit Baltimore and Visit Fairfax met with operators in Frankfurt, Munich, and Zurich.

The Capital Region was a featured destination partner at Visit USA’s Island-Hopping event on January 19 in Zurich. CRUSA’s mission delegates attended the event where a raffle was hosted for a trade fam to the region for up to eight participants with airfare sponsored by United Airlines. Two articles were published in Swiss travel trade media, About Travel and Travel News, after the VUSA event.

Leads from the mission are now available. Contact Kimberly Petersen to receive your copy.
UK Media Mission
CRUSA recently returned from the UK after a week-long media mission to England and Scotland.

Representatives from Visit Baltimore, Visit Fairfax (VA), and the Virginia Beach CVB met with nearly 40 journalists representing consumer, trade, online, and niche titles.

Interest in the region was strong, especially around sustainable travel, off-the-beaten-path destinations, luxury, culinary, outdoor adventure, historic ties between the UK and the region, the arts, and urban neighborhoods among others.

We look forward to sharing the coverage generated in the coming months and welcoming some of these writers to the region on future fam tours.
Marketplaces & Consumer Shows
Brand USA Global Marketplace
CRUSA participated in Brand USA’s One-to-One Business Meetings: UK and Europe hosted on Brand USA’s Global Marketplace February 7-8. CRUSA’s 16 scheduled appointments included operators from the UK, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy. Leads will be shared in our April newsletter. 
Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show
Hosted in association with The Times & The Sunday Times, Destinations is the UK's largest and longest-running travel event. The show brings together more than 600 of the leading and best independent travel brands, including tour operators and over 70 tourist boards from around the world. CRUSA UK participated in both the Manchester (January 12-15) and London (February 1-4) shows this year, sharing CRUSA and partner brochures and travel information with consumers and the travel trade. 

IITA Summit
Kimberly Petersen attended the IITA Summit in San Diego with nearly 200 IITA members and other inbound travel professionals. The theme of the Summit was USA: United. Sustainable. Action. Speakers included Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association; Mark Keam, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism in the International Trade Administration; and Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The marketplace power hours resulted in 25 one-on-one appointments with inbound operators. Leads will be shared in CRUSA’s April newsletter. 

Overseas Visitation
Key takeaways from overseas visitation in December 2022:

  • UK is the top overseas visitor market for both leisure (14.9% of all overseas) and business (16.3% of all overseas)
  • In addition, the UK was the top market for travel with children (16% of all overseas)
  • India and China dominated student visits (23.1% and 12.6% respectively)
  • Western Europe represents 43% of all overseas visits
  • Central America is only -12% below their 2019 visits
  • Chile visits are slightly above their 2019 visits.
Insights courtesy Travel Market Insight's (TMI) Destination Control Panel
Allied Members