Photo credits left to right: @bmorechristmas, @netforceone, @lewisginter
Two steps forward and one step back. Or is it the other way around?

As we approach the end of 2021, there's a lot to be thankful for and a lot of work left to do as travel slowly tries to return to normal.

What awaits us in the New Year? As someone who's been consistently wrong in his predictions, I'll leave those to people smarter than me. What I will say, is that we are ready to resume much of our paused promotion of the region, including our new Travel Rally, which will be held in October. 

Until then, the entire CRUSA team wishes you all the best this holiday season. May you have some time to refresh, reflect, and remember how far we've come since those early days in March 2020. 

I look forward to working with each of you to move international travel to the region forward. 

Enjoy the holidays!
Scott 
Scott Balyo
Executive Director
Capital Region USA
Global Marketing Update 2021 Recap
Thank you to all who were able to attend this year's CRUSA's Global Marketing Update! More than 70 attendees from the regional tourism industry attended the in-person event hosted at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. This year's presenters shared valuable updates and insights on international travel to the US and the Capital Region including:

  • With travel resuming, CRUSA’s first-tier market priorities will be UK, France, and Germany; China and India are second-tier markets. 

  • Missions, fams, co-op marketing campaigns, and Brand USA programs are resuming in 2022. 

  • CRUSA’s inaugural Travel Rally marketplace will be held October 2022. Final dates, location, and registration will be announced soon.

  • The Capital Region has gained market share in our first-tier markets since 2019; a very favorable forecast for growth as travel resumes. 

  • Travel booking windows have shrunk for overseas travelers. In Q3, nearly 70% of global searches fell within the 0- to 30–day search window, a 15% increase quarter-over-quarter.

  • There is a huge pent-up demand for travel with VFR, bucket list destinations, and return trips to familiar places ranking as top motivators.

  • Experiencing the outdoors, multigenerational travel, sustainable travel, and wellness all lead the way in travel trends from our top markets.

  • Travelers have become more likely to work with travel agents due to the assistance needed in navigating travel requirements and to protect their trips. Almost half of Millennials who do not currently book holidays via a travel agent would use one in the future - 62% of 25-34-year-olds surveyed don’t currently use an agent, but that 44% of them would now consider it.
Sales Update
Brand USA Travel Week Leads Available
Brand USA welcomed back US exhibitors and European buyers to London for Brand USA Travel Week Europe 2021. The event was hosted in London October 25-28. CRUSA had 35 pre-arranged appointments scheduled over the three-day event. To receive a copy of the leads report, please contact Kimberly Petersen.
Allied Members