Foreign Students Now Comprise 10th Largest Overseas Source Market for Visit USA Travel
, the number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities surpassed reached 1,044,000 during the 2015-16 academic year—a number that, were foreign students a market unto themselves, would make them the 10th largest overseas source market for inbound travel to the USA. The student market would rank just ahead of Italy (1,039,000, according to arrivals data for 2015 prepared by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office) and behind the UK, Japan, China, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, France, Australia and India.
The Open Doors report, which is prepared by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State‘s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, also noted that China sends more students to the U.S. than any other country—328,547—which would make this block of students alone the No. 23 overseas source market. This would place the Chinese student market just behind the country market of Ecuador and just ahead of the country market of Denmark. Other highlights from the Open Doors report include the following:
—While students from China and India remained the leading countries of origin and accounted for 84 percent of the growth in international students in 2015-16, Saudi Arabia’s government-sponsored international scholarship program helped drive that country to surpass South Korea to become the third largest sender of international students to the United States.
—Meanwhile, the number of students coming to the United States from Brazil declined by 18 percent in 2015-16, the largest decline recorded and one that is likely due to the freeze in the Brazilian government’s Scientific Mobility Program, which previously sponsored many Brazilian students’ U.S. studies.
—California is the most popular state for international students in the USA. It hosted nearly 150,000 international students in 2015-16. Four of the top 20 U.S. host institutions for international students were located in California, with the University of Southern California ranking second, just behind New York University. New York is the second leading host state, and New York City is the leading host metropolitan area.
The tables below illustrate the growing size and reach of the population of students from other countries in the United States.
International Students Share of U.S. Higher Education
Source: 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Number of International Students in U.S. by Top 25 Countries
Source: 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Top U.S. States Hosting International Students
Source: 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Top U.S. Institutions Hosting International Students
Source: 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
For French, Germans & Brits, Most Important Reason for Choosing a Destination is …
Delegates to NAJ’s recent RTO Summit in Orlando received a school semester’s worth of information during the first day of the Summit, which was named International Digital Day because of the latter’s emphasis on program content designed to equip international sales professionals with more digital tools and techniques for selling their product.
Carol Johnson, TripAdvisor’s destination marketing manager, Latin America, head of destination marketing and Latin America discussed “Key Travel Trends from UK, Germany and France,” based on findings from the company’s 2016 Trip Barometer, a work that was conducted using 34,026 participants worldwide.
The five main overall findings from the Barometer were:
—The path to purchase journeys differ by demographic. Most travelers start by deciding on their destination. Research and booking take place rapidly once travelers have committed to a trop, but female travelers tend to spend longer researching before booking.
—Culture is the most important reason for selecting a destination. However, motivations for choosing destinations differ markedly among different groups.
—While TripAdvisor is predominantly used for researching accommodation and destination information, other information sources tend to be heavily used by travelers to research either accommodation or destination information.
—Needs-based typologies demonstrate a diverse set of traveler characteristics—understanding travelers’ emotions and hoe they influence travel patterns reveals a diverse set of behaviors.
—Different types of trips lead to a different emphasis on booking behavior. On shorter breaks, accommodation is more important and tends to be researched and booked first, but on longer trips, transport is prioritized.
Johnson led delegates through various country-specific charts, graphs and tables, which used Barometer findings and other source materials. A selection of some of the illustrated material follows:
Most trips are destination led.
What Lures French Travelers? They visit a destination because …
(
For French Travelers, the Top Ten Influences are …
When French Travelers do Their Booking
What Lures German Travelers? They visit a destination because …
For UK Travelers, the Top Ten Influences are …
Some quick takeaways from the TripAdvisor information on France, Germany and the UK markets.
For a complete PDF version of the TripAdvisor presentation, e-mail your request to the Inbound Report.
Day Two at NAJ’s RTO Summit Orlando—a Photo Log
Active America China Launches Bi-lingual B2B WeChat Channel
Inform, Engage, Connect our tourism community around Active America China Summit 2017
Effective Dec. 7, 2016, NAJ will launch a bi-lingual b2b WeChat channel designed to bind tour operators, travel planners, U.S.-based Chinese Receptive operators together with North American destinations and suppliers into a community network around Active America China Summit and TourOperatorland.com.
“We have assembled a great team to help us build the network and communicate in a way that will be uniquely entertaining, informative and engaging to our Chinese trade partners,” commented Jake Steinman, founder of NAJ and Active America China, “our goals is to grow our community of 300-500 trade buyers by March of 2017.”
—Daniel Shen’s team at East/West Marketing, (our agents in China) will be promoting the channel to our network of over 300 Chinese-based operators who have attended Active America China since 2009 as well as to their database in the travel industry.
—Z.J.Tong’s team at China Pro Partners, will be in charge of design, production, translation and promotions to generating trade followers.
—Gayle Morris, a long-time veteran of our tourism industry whose experience includes tenures as senior sales and marketing leader at Tourism Richmond, the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre and Gaylord Hotels ResortQuest division, will serve as Creative Content Strategist.
Weekly messaging will include the following on a rotational basis…
- What’s new at Active America China Summit; Host City updates, who’s attending, Pre&Post FAM opportunities and more
- TourOperatorland.com “Destination of the Week” links
- “I Love to Win” with Active America; weekly travel incentives and giveaways, provided by Active America China supplier partners
- “Farm to Chop Stick,” group friendly restaurants that Chinese travelers love to experience
- “The Dumpling Trail,” favorite Chinese restaurants for groups and FIT visitors
- “Shopping is the Best Outlet,” and therapy too! Links to shopping vouchers from TourOperatorland
- “Dancing Destinations,” Links to US-dance videos sponsored by an AA China destination
- “Did You Know?” Relevant and fun facts and research sourced from The Inbound Report
About Active America China Summit (April 23-25, 2017, Portland, OR). Now entering its ninth year, the NAJ Active America China trade show is the only US-based show that brings qualified Chinese tour operators to the event’s U.S. host city for to build new U.S. and Canadian product.
For more information about Active America China Summit go here: http://www.activeamericachina.net
Why a Shift in the Timing of UK Family Holidays is Possible, Maybe Probable
What began earlier this year in the UK when a court ruling nullified a fine on a parent who took his child out of school in term (while schools are in session) in order to take a holiday became a highly visible issue when the subject was featured last month in the annual World Travel Market 2016 Industry Report. And now it has the travel trade in the UK scratching its collective head as to what it will do should more families with school-age children and begin taking their holidays in-term, rather than during the once-sacrosanct term breaks for schools. The situation also affects U.S. suppliers and receptive tour operators in the U.S.—particularly in Florida, for whom UK families make the country Florida’s largest overseas source market—as the certainty of term break travel becomes less certain and predictable.
Background—The Importance of School Terms and Breaks: In England, schools nationwide pretty much have the same school year schedules, although each of the 150 Local Education Authorities (LGAs) in England set their own term dates, and some schools—including academies—do deviate from this calendar. With this in mind, the below dates can be used as a guideline. INSET (teacher training) days, five per year, may appear on either side of breaks or mid-way through the term. For most schools, the school term schedule then looks something like this:
School term dates 2016-2017
Autumn term 2016:
School starts: Monday 5 September 2016
Half term break: Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October 2016
Christmas holidays (last day of term): Friday 16 December 2016
Spring term 2017:
School starts: Thursday 5 January 2017
Half term break: Monday 13 February 2017 to Friday 17 February 2017
Easter holidays: (last day of term) Friday 31 March 2017 (Easter falls on Sunday April 16th 2017)
Summer term 2017
Easter Monday bank holiday: Monday 17 April 2017
School starts: Tuesday 18 April 2017
Early May bank holiday: Monday 1 May 2017
Half term break: Monday 29 May 2017 to Friday 2 June 2017
Summer holidays: (last day of term) Friday 21 July 2017
For the most part, the schedule above encourages most families who are going to take a holiday to do so during the breaks. If you review the schedule above, you can understand why so many British families crowd Orlando’s theme parks and Florida’s beaches at roughly the same times of the year—during term breaks. Individual schools have always been able to allow parents whose children have good attendance records and are otherwise good students to waive required attendance—but only in rare instances. For a parent to take a child out of school otherwise was to face a stiff fine. As UK travel abroad began to pick up after the Global Economic Recession of 2009-10, some Britons began to ignore term dates and started taking their families on holidays in term. The authorities did not like this and took measures to stop the practice. Consider this passage from Gov.UK on the matter of non-term holidays:
“You can be fined for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission. If your request for leave is unauthorised and you still choose to take your child out of school for a holiday or another reason, you may be fined £60 ($76) per child per parent, rising to £120 ($152) per child per parent if not paid within 21 days. If the fine is unpaid after 28 days, court proceedings can be initiated.”
According to published reports last month that cited the most recent figures available, 50,414 fines were issued to parents in the academic year 2014/15, generating £3 million ($3.818 million).”
The Court Ruling that Changed Things: Last year, Mr. Jon Platt, refused to pay a fine issued by the Isle of Wight education authority and was taken to court. After the judge found in Platt’s favor, the Isle of Wight council then took the case to the High Court, which earlier this year upheld the original ruling, saying a parent could take a child out of school for a holiday if they had a good attendance record. Immediately after, there was a surge in bookings and searches for term-time family holidays. In the meantime, the High Court ruling is being appealed, leading to an atmosphere of uncertainty.
Into this setting, the World Travel Market 2016 Industry Report released last month had this to say:
“The majority of parents have no qualms about taking their children on holiday during term time, as confusion reigns about the legality of term-time fines. When asked how likely respondents were to take children on holiday during school time following a High Court ruling that a father should not have been fined for doing so, 56 percent of respondents (with children of school age) said they would take their child away during term time. The rest were split equally between being ‘not at all likely’ and ‘not very likely’ to take their kids out of school for a family holiday.”
The High Court has recently ruled in favor against fining parents for taking their children out of school during term time. How likely are you to take your children on holiday during school time? (UK holidaymakers survey)
The Final Word—a Difference, Yes … a Surge, No: Well into this mess with no definitive answer, the Inbound Report turned to Greg Evans, a long-time veteran of the UK tour and travel industry who publishes an insiders intelligence newsletter on the industry and asked him what he thought about the matter.
Evans told us: “This issue has always been high on the agenda of UK families due to the increases in holiday pricing over peak travel periods. Some parents have always taken their children out of school to avoid these higher prices and it wasn’t until around 4 or 5 years ago that the UK government implemented these mandatory fines for parents doing so.
“Whilst the isle of Wight case has set a precedent for this, when it comes to family travel to the USA this is mainly based around the central Florida market which tends to be considered a once in a lifetime trip due to the overall cost. So whilst we may see an increase in family bookings outside of school holiday periods I wouldn’t say it would be a surge.”
Back to the Basics: What is a profile sheet and how will it help me get more group tours? by Sally Berry*
A profile sheet is one of the basic means of communicating information in the group tour industry. It is a one page document that contains information, photos, contact information and any other details that tour operators might need to know. At the major group tour tradeshows such as those of the American Bus Association and NTA (as well as international shows—see below), the profile sheet is the only document that suppliers (which includes attractions, hotels and destinations) can give to the operator. This is so the operators are not inundated with thousands of brochures and other handouts. The standard profile sheet is 8.5” x 11” and should have three-hole punches. This allows the tour operator to place the profile sheet directly into a large binder at their booth and keep your information on file after the show.
What should be on your profile sheet? Here are the basics:
– The name of your attraction should be across the top and easy to read.
– Photos sell your product. You need hi- res photos that are large enough to show off your property. The tour operator can get a sense of what your facility looks like, and you can use the photo as a talking point.
-limit text to bullet points. People rarely read blocks of text, so use short phrases to convey what makes your attraction a must see.
– Amenities. List items such as gift shops, cafes, parking for buses, proximity to major roads or other attractions. Are you handicapped accessible?
—Map
—Distance from other locations
—Website
—Contact name
—Your photo so tour operators can remember you
Also nice to have:
—Professional affiliations such as ABA, NTA, etc.
—Social media links
Here are some examples: House of Seven Gables (www.7gables.org); Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard (www.flycreekcidermill.com); Corning Museum of Glass (www.cmog.org); and Fenimore Art Museum (www.FenimoreArtMuseum.org).
The Essentials: Let’s expand on the basics a bit to make sure you get the best use out of this one document that you can.
First, the type of paper. Don’t print on paper that can’t be written on. Shiny paper might look nice, but it keeps a tour operator from being able to write notes on the profile sheet while you are speaking. Some have told me that is the best way for them to remember information so don’t deny them the opportunity. Use a heavier stock of paper so it can withstand the wear and tear of use back in the office.
Second, make sure to use both the back and the front of your profile sheet. I am always amazed when I see a blank back side of these handouts. You are losing a huge opportunity to share more information.
Can it be more than one piece of paper? Technically no. But I e-mailed Peter Pantuso, president and CEO of the American Bus Association, and his savvy staff confirmed that is OK to have a bi-fold profile sheet, so you basically have an outside front, two inside pages and a back. I have seen variations on that with a stylish half page on the front as well; so, as long as it is just one piece of paper, it is ok.
Third, keep it timely. If you are going to feature exhibits and shows with specific end dates, be aware that your document will need to be updated each year. Some companies choose to work with an evergreen product that needs be updated only every few years. Others want fresh profile sheets with new programming featured. Either way works, and it’s just a matter of your budget. And if you know your offerings far enough in advance to be able to promote them!
I have seen QR codes being used more frequently and I do have a suggestion there. I took an educational session at the NTA Exchange one year where a speaker suggested having the QR code go to a video, instead of just a website. It delivers more impact—I have used that tactic before to take a quick snapshot of the QR code on my own profile sheet and show an operator our group tour video. Much easier than dragging a tablet around!
Some Notes on International Meetings: I find profile sheets to be very helpful at international shows as well. However, you should have a different profile sheet with information that international receptive operators will need to know, that might not be pertinent to domestic group operators.
Some examples include
—Do you have FIT rates available?
—Do you have information in multiple languages? Many attractions will print visitor maps or have audio guides in multiple languages
—Can you translate the profile sheet into the languages of your clients? Although most of our European tour company contacts speak English, we have found it is very helpful to have our international profile sheet translated into Mandarin for our Chinese contacts. Perhaps, if a majority of your international clients speak another language, it is worth the investment to translate your profile sheet. It is an easy way to show that you understand the market and its needs
Handing out one sheet of paper with your contact information on it is always a benefit over multiple documents. Everyone has to go home after the show and sometimes bigger visitor guides and excess information get left behind. A profile sheet is a small document that will make it back to the tour company office and continue to work for you.
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* Sally Berry is tourism sales and marketing manager at Corning Museum of Glass. A long time veteran of the tour and travel industry, she is credited with increasing the profile of the museum on both the U,S. domestic and international travel marketplace and in developing itineraries with other attractions and destinations in New York State and Pennsylvania that are “beyond the gateways.” Among her many industry roles, Berry is a member of the NAJ Group’s Strategic Advisory Committee. This article just recently appeared in her blog, TheAttractionsCoach.com.
Department of Delusion? Where Does the Optimism Come from in Germany?
U.S. travel and tourism industry professionals who sell to the German market must be confused. Despite statistical as well as anecdotal references over the past month that might cause some receptive tour operators and travel sellers to cut back on their available offerings, in Germany itself, the country’s largest tour operator has increased Visit USA capacity for 2017, and air service between Germany is on track to increase.
While the Inbound Report has no special insight to suggest which of the views on the outlook for Germany is correct, we can present this brief summary of the gloomy and rosy views of what to expect next year for the fourth largest overseas country source market for visitors to the United States.
The Gloomy View
—In its current, posted long-term forecast for international arrivals to the USA, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office has projected that 2016 will end with a three percent decline in arrivals from Germany compared to 2015. Its outlook then calls for mere one percent annual increases through 2019.
—Germany’s travel trade news media have been consistent in their reporting of accounts on the part of tour and travel industry leaders that are—while not dire—are less than sanguine about prospects for an increase in Visit USA business.
—There seems to be a consensus opinion among market experts that, because of the antipathy toward President-elect Donald Trump expressed by many Germans, a number of German travelers will simply cancel bookings to travel to the USA and/or change their travel plans for 2017 to take their holidays elsewhere.
—Overall, the retail travel trade in Germany is coming off a 12-month window that the market research organization GfK has described as a “lost year” for business. And its report that early bookings for summer travel for 2017 were up by one percent are little solace when one notes that a one percent increase over a terrible year is still below the pace for a normal year.
The Rosy View
Airlines must believe that the traffic will be there. In recent months, there have been the following announcements:
-Lufthansa‘s budget airline Eurowings will launch flights with its fourth A330 from Cologne/Bonn to Orlando and Seattle starting next July. There will be twice-weekly services to Orlando and three flights a week to Seattle.
–Other Eurowings USA destinations for next summer will include Boston, Las Vegas and Miami.
–Condor will add another Pittsburgh to its U.S. destinations next June with twice-weekly flights from Frankfurt. This news followed announcements earlier in the year in which the airline said it would begin service to San Diego and New Orleans.
-Delta Air Lines will expand its Germany flights to eight daily next summer with the start of seasonal summer flights from Detroit to Munich next May 2017.
In addition to increased air service between German and the USA, Tui—the Europe’s largest tour operator and largest purveyor of USA product to German travel agents and consumers—has added to its Visit USA inventory. For its summer program 2017 Tui has added some 200 new hotels and 30 round trips. In New York, there is now a dedicated service center right on Times Square, where guests are cared for two days a week.
And then there is the view among some travel trade professionals that schadenfreude might bring to the USA some visitors from Germany who are skittish about traveling to the once popular destinations of Turkey, northern Africa or elsewhere in Europe because of fears triggered by terrorist attacks in those areas. For, despite the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States is still regarded as a safe destination.
More Later
In the tour and travel industry, no one really has the final word on whether the outlook for Visit USA business from Germany is truly rosy or truly gloomy until travel arrangements have been booked. But we will have a better idea of what the travel trade in Germany believes it will be this month as the major and mid-sized tour operators have their year-end financial reviews with reporters and business analysts.
HODGE PODGE: Shifts, Shakeups and Occasional Shaftings in the Tour and Travel Industry
Allison Raskansky has abruptly left her job as vice president, SPEEDVEGAS, the Las Vegas attraction that puts customers into ultra-fast autos on a custom-designed racetrack. “Resigned on Friday” she posted to friends on a social media site earlier this week, following up quickly with “Resigned from SPEEDVEGAS Friday, December 2” just to make sure, in case anyone didn’t get the message. Raskansky, a veteran of nearly three decades in the travel and tourism industry, was on the job for nearly two years. Earlier stops in her career included tenures in senior sales and marketing positions at Hualapai Tourism and Sundance Helicopters.
In the UK, Colin O’Neill, the long-time business development director of Advantage Travel is leaving his position early next year. He has been with the company for 16 years. Managing director Julia Lo Bue-Said said that she will be recruiting a replacement for Colin, “however in a slightly different role.” O’Neill was appointed to his current role in 2013, looking after member business development, PR, events and central staff training and development.
From France, HRS Hotel Global Solutions—the hotel reservation services with offices in New York City, London, Paris and elsewhere, has announced the appointment of John Baird Smith as head of management in France, replacing Emmanuel Ebray, who will now be in charge of the company’s Singapore office. His appointment will be effective Jan. 1, 2017. Prior to joining HRS, Smith held the position of director, France at Airplus International; He also worked as a senior account executive within the Carlson Wagonlit Travel business network.
At Explore Minnesota Tourism, Beth Helle has been appointed senior manager, partner relations. She joins the state agency from her post as director of brand strategy at Meet Minneapolis. Halle began her career in travel and tourism more than 20 years ago as tourism account executive at Mall of America.
In Germany, the travel agency chain LCC (Lufthansa City Center) has announced that managing director Klaus Henschel (left) will be retiring from the company in mid-2017. He will be replaced by Andi-Julia Leta (right), currently sales director of the company, which has more than 600 travel agencies worldwide, with 300 in Germany alone. Henschel spent 18 years at the top of LCC and for four years he was also responsible for the international franchise chain.
Following the surprising departure of Jaan Albrecht who was named CEO at Saudia. Jens Bischof has been appointed CEO of Sun Express. Bischof leaves his post as head of sales for the Lufthansa Group and chief operating officer for its Frankfurt hub.
In Brazil, Dyrana Oliveira has taken over as manager of the Rio branch of the tour operator MMTGapnet, replacing Julio Sousa. Oliveira a former executive of the now-defunct tour operator Nascimento, was most recently with Hello Brazil, a marketing and representation company. She will respond to Deco Borges, regional manager of MMTGapnet.
Grupo Trend (the Brazilian operator’s U.S. brand is Trend Travel USA) has announced the hiring of Tiago Mucsi as sales manager, São Paulo. Musci, who has more than a decade of experience in the travel and tourism industry, was most recently commercial manager for Visual Turismo. He was also a supervisor for the tour operator Nascimento.
