Leah Chandler named Brand USA CMO

US national DMO Brand USA has announced the appointment of Discover Puerto Rico CMO Leah Chandler (pictured, above) as its new CMO, effective 17 March 2025.

Previously, Ms. Chandler served as CMO of Explore Branson, and earned a Certified Destination Marketing Executive (CDME) credential from Destinations International.

At Brand USA, Ms. Chandler will oversee the organization’s brand, advertising, content, digital marketing, and research efforts.

Brand USA, which was established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2010 is the nation’s destination marketing organization, is dedicated to driving international inbound travel to the US.

ITB China 2025 to be held 27-29 May in Shanghai

From the organizers:

"ITB China is a 3-day travel trade fair focused on the Chinese travel industry, providing a platform for global travel suppliers to connect with the largest source market for international tourism and travel. The B2B travel show facilitates business opportunities through pre-scheduled appointments, various networking sessions, and an engaging conference program."

Organizers promise exhibitors opportunities to:

• Meet top-level buyers from Chinese travel agencies using a state-of-the art matchmaking system
• Present products to 1000s of trade visitors
• Maximize business opportunities
• Participate in ITB China Conference and hear about latest trends

50%+ of buyers are interested in:

• City sightseeing/walks
• Family holidays
• Tours
• Accommodation
• Transportation
• DMOs
• Luxury travel
• Business travel

Go here to download exhibitor brochure.

Go here for exhibitor registration.

2024 international tourism was +11% from 2023, reaching 99% of 2019

But regional results were mixed:

• Middle East 2024 visitation was +32% vs. 2019, +1% vs. 2023
• Africa: +7% vs. 2019, +12% vs. 2023
• Europe: +1% vs. 2019, +5% vs. 2023 (World's largest destination region with 747M international arrivals in 2024)
• Americas: -3% vs. 2019, +7% vs. 2023 (But Caribbean and Central America had positive growth vs. 2019.)
• Asia-Pacific: -13% vs. 2019, +33% vs. 2023

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said:

"In many places, tourist arrivals and specially earnings are already higher than in 2019. Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, driven by strong demand contributing to the socio-economic development of both mature and emerging destinations."

International tourism spend saw strong growth in 2024 after nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels in 2023 in real terms (adjusting for inflation and exchange rate fluctuations): $1.6 trillion, about 3% more than in 2023 and 4% more than in 2019.

International tourist arrivals are expected to grow 3% to 5% in 2025 vs. 2024, assuming a continued recovery of Asia-Pacific and solid growth in most other regions.

But ongoing conflicts, inflation, volatile oil prices, extreme weather events and staff shortages are among the issues that concern tourism experts about 2025.

Free Webinar: China's Outbound Travel Trade in 2025

China-based travel marketers Dragon Trail International will present its webinar China's Outbound Travel Trade in 2025 via Zoom on Wednesday 15 January at 5 PM China time | 9 AM UK time | 4 AM US Eastern time.

Dragon Trail speakers will be:

• Sienna Parulis-Cook, Director of Marketing & Communications
• Janice Meng, Market Research Analyst

Presentations will cover:

• 2025 forecasts of Chinese travel agents
• Destinations, source markets, products
• Beach and island travel
• Cruises
• Senior travel
• Hotel preferences
• New survey data

Register here free:

us06web.zoom.us/webinar/re...eu9f_I5UEyCA#/registration

Trends in outbound travel from China 2024

China marketers Dragon Trail International report on trends in post-pandemic outbound travel from China that have emerged in 2024:

• Destinations offering visa-free travel to Chinese visitors - including Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Georgia, Serbia - saw strong demand.
• Japan, because of its proximity to China and a very favorable exchange rate, became the #1 shopping destination for travelers from China.
• As concerns about COVID waned, consumer confidence and travel intention increased significantly.
• Chinese group tours to Europe lagged, while FITs surged, accounting for 52% of visitors to France.
• Chinese FITs are price-conscious but willing to spend big bucks for the travel experiences they want.
• Social media platform Xiaohongshu became increasingly influential as a source of inspiration of overseas travel; 57% of survey respondents said they used it.
• Because of airspace restrictions on Western airlines associated with the war in Ukraine, Chinese airlines dominate outbound routes, including 82% of flights between China and Europe.
• Overseas events like the Australian Open tennis tournament are an increasingly big draw for Chinese travelers.
• Growth in demand from lower-tier Chinese cities in exploding.

The US Travel Association reminds us that the USA received 2.8 million visitors from China in 2019 but only 368,000 in 2022, and continues to advocate for US government policies that will lower visa wait times.