UK Overseas Visits Reach One Million Plus
“It” just might have opened during the past month, then took off on a parallel path to normalcy. “It” is the path toward 5 million annual visits to the USA by Britons. “It” seems to be headed toward the land of record numbers—not this year, but possibly in 2023.
In 2019, the year that most international travel analysts use for the last “normal” year of activity, about 4.8 million Brits visited the United States.
It has been only in this year that the inbound industry has begun to shape up as the market it once was. Last month, there were nearly 328,00 British visitors to the United States. This is off by 26 percent from May 2019, when the UK generated 443 thousand visitors to the U.S. The figure for this year’s months is getting closer.
While the evidence is anecdotal—based on what travel buyers and U.S. sellers told us—it seems that Brits are ready to travel next year in numbers that we have not experienced since 2019.
If you take a look at the numbers below—prepared and released just after IPW in Orlando by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office—one will see that the UK has returned to a position midst the top of all the overseas country markets and is poised to have a strong (and possibly record-breaking) year in 2023).
Top 20 Overseas Tourist-Generating Countries
Month of May 2022
| Country of Residence & Rank | Number of Arrivals | % Change vs. 2021 |
| 1. United Kingdom | 327,526 | 4237.5% |
| 2. India | 148,547 | 1025.0% |
| 3. Germany | 129,536 | 1785.3% |
| 4. France | 110,127 | 2028.5% |
| 5. Brazil | 101,392 | 1086.1% |
| 6. Colombia | 81,140 | (39.6%) |
| 7. South Korea | 70,641 | 705.6% |
| 8. Spain | 55,524 | 595.1% |
| 9. Argentina | 48,941 | 93.1% |
| 10. Italy | 47,565 | 714.2% |
| 11. Australia | 47,310 | 2393.9% |
| 12. Netherlands | 44,001 | 1634.4% |
| 13. Chile | 37,861 | 1031.9% |
| 14. Ecuador | 34,560 | (25.0%) |
| 15. Dominican Republic | 33,747 | 12.4% |
| 16. Ireland | 32,065 | 5235.3% |
| 17. Japan | 31,498 | 382.4% |
| 18. Peru | 28,145 | (52.9%) |
| 19. Israel | 28,114 | 102.3% |
| 20. Switzerland | 26,267 | 1360.9% |
| Total Top 20 Overseas Countries | 1,464,507 | 275.4% |
Top 20 Overseas Tourist-Generating Countries
Year-to-Date Through Month of May 2022
| Country of Residence & Rank | Number of Arrivals | % Change vs. same period 2021 |
| 1. United Kingdom | 1,125,245 | 3263.8% |
| 2. Germany | 443,357 | 1502.8% |
| 3. India | 439,608 | 215.0% |
| 4. France | 433,894 | 1935.2% |
| 5. Brazil | 417,238 | 1345.7% |
| 6. Colombia | 352,692 | 15.9% |
| 7. Spain | 246,045 | 742.2% |
| 8. Argentina | 195,172 | 124.8% |
| 9. South Korea | 188,141 | 434.6% |
| 10. Italy | 179,876 | 760.2% |
| 11. Chile | 168,903 | 273.6% |
| 12. Australia | 152,976 | 1773.8% |
| 13. Netherlands | 147,759 | 1326.9% |
| 14. Dominican Republic | 144,699 | 25.4% |
| 15. Ecuador | 143,257 | 16.8% |
| 16. Ireland | 130,968 | 4757.9% |
| 17. Peru | 121,872 | (8.7%) |
| 18. Israel | 111,573 | 192.2% |
| 19. Japan | 101,567 | 208.8% |
| 20. Switzerland | 98,488 | 1467.5% |
| Total Top 20 Overseas Countries | 5,343,330 | 330.0% |
Overseas Visitors to the U.S. by
World Region of Residence
For Month of May 2022
| Region | Number of Arrivals | 2022 Share | % Change vs. Same period 2021 |
| Western Europe | 879,158 | 43.5% | 1829.5% |
| Eastern Europe | 57,040 | 2.8% | 238.6% |
| Asia | 356,996 | 17.7% | 625.7% |
| Middle East | 70,232 | 3.5% | 105.4% |
| Africa | 31,415 | 1.6% | 213.9% |
| Oceania | 56,844 | 2.8% | 1972.3% |
| South America | 368,023 | 18.2% | 17.2% |
| Central America (Excluding Mexico) | 99,309 | 4.9% | (24.5%) |
| Caribbean | 103,240 | 5.1% | 45.6% |
| Total Overseas | 2,022,257 | 100.0% | 199.6% |
Overseas Visitors to the U.S. by
World Region of Residence
Year-to-Date Through May 2022
| Region | Number of Arrivals | 2022 Share | % Change vs. Same Period 2021 |
| Western Europe | 3,249,414 | 43.3% | 1666.0% |
| Eastern Europe | 226,971 | 3.0% | 248.2% |
| Asia | 1,063,700 | 14.2% | 271.8% |
| Middle East | 272,317 | 3.6% | 157.4% |
| Africa | 102,076 | 1.4% | 157.5% |
| Oceania | 179,649 | 2.4% | 1400.7% |
| South America | 1,553,785 | 20.7% | 86.8% |
| Central America (Excluding Mexico) | 434,711 | 5.8% | 27.5% |
| Caribbean | 420,808 | 5.6% | 66.1% |
| Total Overseas | 7,503,431 | 100.0% | 254.2% |
INBOUND reminds the reader that, if you find that you want to dig deeper into your data collection and analysis program, you might want to contact David Huether at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). He is deputy director for research, and he can probably help you point your venture in the right direction. You can reach him here: David.Huether@trade.gov.
Some IPW Images
While those of us in the travel and tourism industry are always looking forward to the next event and adventure, we should always make an effort to preserve some memories for our eye’s mind to keep in case they’re needed. Here are a couple of dozen or so images designed to do just that.
Roger Dow (left), president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association; Rich Sun (center), GM for the Americas of Trip.com Group; and Christopher Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA. Sun accepts the Chairman’s Circle honor presented to the world’s highest volume tour operators and travel buyers of U.S travel and hospitality services. Honorees are nominated by members of the U.S. Travel Association’s Chairman’s Circle. which includes some of the largest U.S. Travel companies and top U.S. destinations.
New and/or Cool!
What’s New and Cool—INBOUND offers brief profiles draw from the current issue of TheTourOperator.com of New and/or Cool attractions and experiences as our way of introducing them to our readers.
Company Distilling—Townsend Tennessee: A former Jack Daniels master distiller will open the first Company Distilling location, a 4,000 square-foot tasting room and restaurant in Townsend. The 13-acre property also has running, biking and mountain trails. A mixed-use, family-friendly facility in Springbrook Farm in Alcoa is planned for 2023. (companydistilling.com)
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Hotel Tupelo—Tupelo, Mississippi: The first boutique hotel in Elvis Presley’s hometown embraces the rock and roll culture embraced by the King—has been amped up with a simple yet sophisticated design in the Fairpark District in the heart of downtown. Hotel Tupelo opened earlier this year with urban-inspired guest rooms, meeting space and lots of local charm. Bohemian restaurant and bar, Jobos, serves a modern coastal cuisine featuring Mississippi Gulf Coast’s fresh seafood. (hoteltupelo.com)
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Desolation Hotel—South Lake Tahoe California: Lake Tahoe’s premier micro-resort is brand new. Desolation Hotel is eco-conscious wilderness featuring premium comforts and simple luxuries, designed as a great fit for modern adventurers who seek a place to land, stay, relax, and play. Thoughtfully designed townhomes, studios, and suites complement the area’s abundant opportunities for recreation. (desolationhote.com)
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Maid of the Mist—Niagara Falls, New York: Navigating the waters below Niagara Falls since 1846, this iconic boat ride launched two new, all-electric, zero-emission vessels. First of their kind in the U.S., they provide guests with a smoother, quieter, and gentler ride. (maidofthemist.com)
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Freaky Foot Tours—Flagstaff, Arizona: True-crime tales of murder, suicide, arson and rivalry await you. Join the premier walking tour of historic downtown Flagstaff, where they will take you through the darker side of Flagstaff’s history and streets. Freaky Foot Tours—Flagstaff’s Premier Haunted Walking Tour. Adult and children’s tours available year-round. (FreakyFootTours.com)
TRADE TALK & Travel Industry Buzz
● Visa Backlog Problem is Real: “There are still very serious, ongoing visa appointment delays resulting from the pandemic,” a recent article in the National Law Review tells us. “Presently, at many US consulates, the wait to secure a US nonimmigrant visa stamping appointment is 100 days or more. In Paris, it’s 200 days; in Melbourne, it’s 220 days; and in Madrid, it’s 124 days.” Click here for the complete article.
● From the Nuremberg-Based Think Tank Travel Data + Analytics: When it comes to holidays, Germans have so far been booking their trips despite the war in Ukraine and rising costs due to increasing inflation: up until the beginning of April (week 14), the number of new bookings in travel sales has been consistently above the booking level of the comparable weeks of 2019 for two months. Read complete report on the subject here.
● Britons say cost of living concerns key barrier to foreign travel, reports Travel Weekly (UK). “New research carried out by Ipsos has found almost two-thirds of Brits are unlikely to visit a country outside Europe this year. Of the 1,024 people surveyed by the market research and consulting firm, 63 percent said they had no plans to travel outside of Europe in 2022, while nearly half (47 percent) said the same for travelling within the continent.” Click here for the complete article.
● Four out of five Germans are planning a summer vacation, according to a brief item from FVW/TravelTalk, which tells us: “The vast majority want to travel in the summer of 2022, according to a survey by the insurer Allianz Partners. The desire to travel could be even greater, but financial, geopolitical and pandemic concerns are holding back.”
● A Must-Have Reference Piece from PANROTAS is now available. The 2022-23 Brazilian Overview has more than 50 pages of valuable reference information—such as the membership roster of BRAZTOA (The Brazilian Tour Operators Association), various industry segment profiles, a listing of in-country offices of countries doing business in Brazil and much, much more. Click here to download/view a PDF version of the publication.
● In the UK,”A lot” of people’s budgets are “much higher” than they used to be. “They are very open to upgrades if we suggest them,” A UK travel agency recently told the UK travel trade publication TTG, “A customer came in and upgraded his accommodation from a balcony cabin to a junior suite …” Read the complete article here.
● From the German trade news publication tourisik-aktuell: The Medina Reisen brand of the tour operator News Medina Reisen GmbH is repositioning itself. The former Greece specialist, founded in 1976, had to file for bankruptcy in the corona pandemic.” To read the full news item, click here. (Don’t speak German? Then, you’ll need to use the translation function of your server.)
TheTourOperator.com Partner of the Week About Mall of America®
About Mall of America®
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The Basics:
Mall of America®
60 East Broadway
Bloomington, Minnesota 55425
Phone: 952.883.8800
Verified Contact
Samantha Sommers
Tourism Account Executive-Domestic
Tourism Account Executive – Domestic
Mall of America®
Phone: 952.883.8499
Email: Samantha.sommers@moa.net
Royalty-Free Hi-Res Photos—A Sampler
Want to see more? Then, click here for the Mall of America pages in TheTourOperator.com. For more information on how to partner with TheTourOperator.com, contact Betsy Cooper, Senior Director of TheTourOperator and Partner Engagement for Connect Travel.
bcooper@connecttravel.com
and/or 415.728.1085
HODGE PODGE: Appointments, Openings and Changes
Rich Sun has been appointed Trip.com Group‘s general manager for the Americas. He will lead the Group’s ambitious “Local Focus, Global Vision” business approach in the region. With a long career in the U.S. travel and tourism sector, Sun now takes on a broad scope of work spanning across key Trip.com Group business units in the Americas region. He will also lead the management and development of the vacations, hotel and international business lines, including the Trip.com platform, in key target markets in the region.
Prior to joining Trip.com Group, Sun was the founder and CEO of Universal Vision Corporation, one of the largest tour operators and wholesale travel agencies in North America in 2016, Universal Vision was acquired by Trip.com Group as a part of the travel group’s global expansion, securing a key player in the attractions supplier space with a vast network and strong resourcing in key target markets.
Visit Spokane recently added a new member of its sales team. Chuck Carter joins the organization as sales manager, bringing more than 20 years of experience in hospitality sales. He previously worked for West Coast Hospitality Corporation and as global director of sales at RLH Corporation.
Live Nation has promoted Jenifer Smith to head its urban tour marketing and strategy, thus heading up all marketing efforts for the live-entertainment’s roster of R&B and hip-hop tours within the concerts division. According to a statement that was issued with the announcement, Smith will be “developing and building out the urban tour marketing team as one of the fastest growing and most popular sectors in the industry.”
The global tour operator Collette recently promoted Sawyer Shoates to regional director of sales for the Central USA. He will report to David Cook, Collette’s vice president of U.S. sales. Shoates joined Collette in July 2011. Until recently, he was Collette’s senior business development manager for Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and southern Indiana.
The San Diego Tourism Authority has hired Michaelene Sullivan as its new vice president of sales and services, a position tasked with directing the sales team while representing the organization with clients and stakeholders on a local and national level. Sullivan, who currently serves as director of sales and marketing for the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego, brings a wide range of experience from her 18 years with Hyatt including in food and beverage, events and sales.
The Coconut Traveler in Hawaii has announced the appointment of Kim Abrahamson as senior travel designer. In this role, Abrahamson will create exceptional trip itineraries to the Hawaiian Islands for The Coconut Traveler’s discerning clientele. Abrahamson has over 35 years of experience working in travel and tourism, with a focus on the Hawaiian Islands. Her professional background spans senior roles in luxury leisure travel, destination management, and hotel sales. Prior to The Coconut Traveler, Abrahamson was an Experience Architect at HAWAI’I VIP LLC, where she curated authentic travel experiences to the Hawaiian Islands for clients.
Hertz has announced that Liz Bowyer has joined the company as executive vice president of corporate affairs, effective June 1. Bowyer will be responsible for Hertz’s strategic approach to communications, corporate reputation, and the company’s social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. Bowyer has spent her career working at the intersection of communications, politics and law. She’s been a television producer for NBC News, a speechwriter and researcher at the White House, and an attorney practicing complex civil litigation. She was also a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
UpStay, a provider of advanced ancillary upselling technology solutions for the hotel industry, has announced the appointment of Dave Crory as director of business development for the company’s North American market operations. Following UpStay’s official entry into the North American hospitality industry, Crory will be tasked with ensuring that the company continues to experience rapid and sustainable growth while ensuring that regional hotelier needs for advanced upselling technology are fully met. Crory brings more than 30 years of dedicated expertise in working for hospitality-based organizations to his new role at UpStay. Prior to taking on the position of director of business development, Crory served as president of Comeback Hospitality Consulting, LLC.
The Indiana County Tourist Bureau Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Laura Herrington as the new executive director for the Indiana County Tourist Bureau. Herrington began her employment with the tourist bureau in 2014 as financial assistant/marketing coordinator and then as office manager in 2017, according to a news release. In May 2021, she was named interim director after the retirement of the previous executive director. Herrington’s appointment as executive director comes as the tourist bureau implements a plan of strategic growth by bolstering their online presence with a refreshed website as well as through social media. Also included in the plan are special marketing campaigns highlighting the importance of travel and tourism to Indiana County.
In the UK, Newmarket Holidays has recruited former Saga cruise executive Mel Gambling and ex-Travelopia aviation head Rob Kinnersley to its executive product team. Kinnersley will serve as head of transport and aviation, while Gambling will be the company’s new head of cruise and events. Gambing worked at Saga Travel for 22 years, along with Jetline Cruise and Secret Escapes. Kinnersley, who has more than 20 years of experience in supplier negotiations and relations—14 of them were spent at Travelopia— said joining Newmarket was a “privilege.”
Zaxby’s, the quick-service restaurant brand with more than 900 units—mostly in the U.S. South—that is popular among groups attending sporting events, has announced that Patrick Schwing has been named chief marketing & strategy officer. He joins Zaxby’s from Inspire Brands, where he has served as Arby’s chief marketing officer and president of the Franchise Association for more than two years. Prior to Arby’s, Schwing held domestic and international marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, where he worked across the group’s portfolio on brands such as Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences and Oral-B.
In a move that was described by one trade press outlet as “a shake-up in the senior leadership of the corporate travel arm of Flight Centre Travel Group,” long-time company veteran Andy Hegley has taken on the post of managing director at the company’s UK and Ireland business. Also, Donna Joines has been promoted to succeed him as general manager for sister brand Corporate Traveller in the UK. The group’s managing director for EMEA, Steve Norris, said both Hegley and Joines bring unique skills and expertise to their respective roles that will ensure the company’s corporate businesses maintain a positive trajectory in the year ahead.
Janette Roush was recently promoted to the position of executive vice president, marketing & digital at New York City & Company. She had been serving as executive vice president, marketing at NYC & Company. Roush now leads the company’s marketing and digital divisions. She will continue to oversee the organization’s domestic and international promotional campaigns, B2B marketing for the travel trade and meeting planners, partnerships, and promotional strategy for the company’s tentpole campaigns. Prior to joining NYC & Company, Roush spent over two decades marketing Broadway at organizations such as Broadway.com and AKA, a global leader in entertainment advertising and strategy.
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Industry Jobs
From SearchWide Global:
—Visit Dallas has an opening for a director of the Film & Creative Industries Office. More details here.
—The Pacific County Tourism Bureau, which serves the Washington coast and Long Beach Peninsula and Pacific County, is looking for an executive director. More details here.
—Visit Vancouver WA is searching for a director of group sales. More details here.
—The Los Angeles Convention Center is recruiting for a new general manager. More details here.
—Visit Bath, in Virginia, is seeking a president and CEO. More details here.
—The Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau is searching for a president & CEO. More details here.
—Discover Santa Clara™ is searching for a chief executive officer. More details here.
—The Orange County Convention Center, site of the recent IPW 2022 in Orlando, has an opening for a deputy director. More details here.
—Longwoods International, a tourism industry leader in marketing, advertising and public opinion research, is searching for a senior vice president. More details here.
—The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is searching for a new vice president of marketing. More details here.
—Santa Monica Travel & Tourism has an opening for a new director of communications. More details here.
—Discover Santa Clara is looking for a new CEO. More details here.
—The National Comedy Center has an opening for a director of marketing and communications. More details here.
—The Muncie Visitors Bureau is looking for an executive director. More details here.
—Visit Greenville SC is searching for a president and CEO. More details here.
—Visit Tulsa is recruiting for an SVP-president, Tulsa Regional Tourism. More details here.
—The Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau has an opening for a vice president of marketing and communications. More details here.
—Visit Albuquerque is searching for a vice president of sales. More details here.
—Destinations International is looking for a senior vice president of marketing & communications. More details here.
—Visit Wichita is searching for a new vice president of sales. More details here.
—Conference Direct, a provider of global meeting planning solutions, is searching for vice president of global sales. More details here.
—The Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking a new chief financial officer. More details here.
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From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a sample of some of those jobs currently listed.
—Epsilon is looking for someone to lead selling activities for the LATM, Central America, and Canadian territories with the tourism vertical. Job is remote. More details here.
—City Experiences is seeking a National Tourism Account Manager for its sales operation in Chicago. More details here.
—The Fruit Company in Hood River, Oregon is recruiting for a tourism manager. More details here.
—CVS has an opening for an executive travel consultant. More details here.
—In Atlanta, Delta Vacations is recruiting for the position of copywriter, Atlanta/Hybrid. More details here.
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Other Openings:
—There is an opening for a senior manager of social media currently available at Visit Florida. More details here.
—The Wisconsin Department of Tourism is searching for an Industry Marketing and Partner Relations Manager. The position is headquartered at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s office in Madison, Wisconsin. More details here.
—Argonaut, a Noble House Hotel, has an opening for an area managing director in San Francisco. Click here for more details.
Travel Wisconsin has an opening for a visual production specialist. More details here.
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Have a job opening that you would like to post on INBOUND? Just mail it to us at tom@tomberrigan.com.
