ALL ABOUT YOU — COMMENT
JONATHAN SLOAN chairman, Visit USA Association
The third-most-visited overseas destination by the British market last year, behind France and Spain, was the US. Not bad for a country that is anything from a six-hour flight to more than 10 hours, depending which coast you visit, versus two European destinations you could visit in a day if you wanted to. British travellers have had a long
love affair with the US, and more than 3.9 million visited in 2014 – up 3.6% on the previous year. But what makes us Brits so appealing to the US tourism industry, and UK agents selling the destination, is that we certainly aren’t day-trippers – the average length of stay is 14 nights. That’s great business if you can get it. What’s more, only 14% of British visitors to the US last year were first-timers, so there is also great repeat business to be had.
Out in force The importance of the market was highlighted last month, when more than 200 UK travel trade partners
and members of the media attended IPW [formerly Pow Wow] in Orlando. This was not only the largest international delegation at IPW but also the largest-ever UK representation to attend the annual trade show. There has been a huge amount
of talk over the past few years about the US’s emerging tourism markets, such as China and Brazil, but the UK remains the largest market and continues to grow. External factors have continued
to drive UK tourism numbers to the US. The government finally bowed to intense pressure from tourism bodies and scrapped APD on flights for children under 12.
This was a bonus for long-haul destinations around the world, but it had a particularly significant impact on the US, as a family of four now pay £142 less on return flights to favourite destinations such as Orlando. Later this year, there is a possibility that pre-clearance will be introduced at one or two UK airports, saving time and the jet lag-fuelled frustration of queuing at immigration on arrival in the US. So, one problem solved, but
there always seems to be another on the horizon. Resort fees is an issue that seems to be growing all the time, and the US is becoming the worst culprit of this trend.
Average length of stay is 14
nights, and with only 14% of British visitors last year first-timers, there is great repeat business
Agents and operators either have to build in the cost of the fees to the price of the holiday or let the customer pay on check-out – which can’t be a pleasant surprise, with resort fees averaging about $30 a night. This needs to be stopped or regulated before it gets out of hand.
Undying love The one thing we do know is that our love of the US will never die and neither will our passion to visit, sell and promote the destination. Visit USA Association was
formed all those years ago to harness these very things and the body’s 200 members work hard to bring everything that is great about the US tourism industry together in one place. Having been involved with the association for more than a decade, I have never been as proud to be associated and work for such a great, diverse, friendly and ever- changing destination as the US. ❯ The US, pages 45-63
30 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 2 July 2015
JONATHAN SLOAN
Our American dream shows no sign of ending
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