Handing over the reins of marketing the world’s most aspirational destination after 12 years, Brand USA President & CEO Chris Thompson opened IPW 2024, the organisation’s largest inbound trade show in Los Angeles, by sharing the destination’s strong position, which is leading long-haul arrivals globally.
The US welcomed nearly 67 million visitors in 2023 with many countries set to surpass 2019 levels in 2025, including Australia. In 2023, 960,000 Aussies travelled to the US.
International visitors spent USD$213 billion (around AUD$322 billion) on travel and tourism-related activities within the USA, representing a 28 per cent increase on 2023.
“The state of our industry is strong and the state of brand USA is strong. And that’s what gave me the confidence to know that I can step away,” Thompson said.