U.S. Travel Association Invites the World to Discover America

The organization responsible for driving international tourism to the U.S has rebranded under a new name: Brand USA and it will soon launch the country's first international marketing campaign. Brand USA debuted at the World Travel Market in London this week as the new name of the Corporation for Travel Promotion, along with its logo and consumer website - DiscoverAmerica.com - the first official tourism website for the United States by the U.S. Travel Association. The new identity represents the first phase of a promotional campaign aimed at increasing visitor numbers to the country by 40 percent to 300 million by 2020. The website includes information on all 50 states, five U.S. territories, more than 125 destinations and more than 5,000 attractions, as well as shopping and dining information. The new logo features a collection of dots forming the letters "USA", each dot representing a facet of the country's diversity. According to Brand USA, the logo was created to be "fresh, welcoming and inclusive" to symbolize the diversity of the places and people of the country. Through the creation of Brand USA, the government is inviting the world's travelers to come to the U.S for leisure, business and experience the limitless possibilities for themselves. "The United States offers a range of destinations and experiences that are unparalleled in the world market", Brand USA Inc. chief executive Jim Evans said at the launch of the brand. The advertising and marketing initiative, which cost up to USD$200 million, will be officially launched at ITB Berlin in the spring of 2012 and will run in as many as 15 nations to reverse a slide in foreign visitors to the U.S. In addition to advertising, promotions and public relations, the campaign will use new elements like social media and mobile media. It is funded through a combination of private sector investment and funds collected by the Department of Homeland Security from international visitors who visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Through marketing and promotional efforts, the organization hopes to ultimately drive the country's economic growth and job creation with the campaign by increasing international tourists to the U.S. "In the last 10 years, we enjoyed an economic boom that didn't necessarily highlight or focus on travel to the U.S., because people just wanted to come to the U.S." Adding, "Over time, however, other countries have really ramped up their tourism spend, and like a lot of industries, we've had to wake up and realize we have to be more competitive." 14 Nov 2011 http://www.migrationexpert.com/visa/us_immigration_news/2011/Nov/0/442/u.s._travel_association_invites_the_world_to_discover_america