Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Korea, emerging market in US tourism
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The United States is making harder-than-ever efforts to boost tourism and Jim Evans, new CEO of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP) has pledged to market “Brand America,” making the U.S. one of the most sough-after tourist destinations in the world.
"It is an exciting time for the travel and tourism industry, for our country and for me personally as the challenge of promoting the United States will require great skill, creativity and dedication to build a program that brings billions in new spending and millions of jobs to the U.S. economy," said Evans at a press conference during the 2011 International Pow Wow (the travel industry's premier international marketplace and the largest generator of “Visit USA” travel) in May.
Before becoming CTP CEO, Evans mostly served in the hospitality industry, including positions at Jenny Craig International, Best Western International and most recently Ardent Hotel Advisors.
Evans listed three priorities for CTP ㅡ building a world-class organization by hiring top talent in marketing, sales, partnerships and operations; developing a marketing strategy that will achieve high return on investment for the industry; and creating a program for securing financial participation that contributes real and measurable value to supporters.
The new travel promotion entity plans to get down to business this fall. Evans said that the marketing plan is not yet in place and the organization is researching opportunities.
Tourism is the largest services sector export in the U.S., accounting for 25 percent of service exports and 7 percent of all exports as of 2010. However, due to the financial crisis that swept the globe in 2008, the industry slowed down. As the economy picks up, the U.S. travel industry also seeks to take off.
This is the first time for the United States to promote tourism at a federal level. The CTP is going to put up a $200 million budget for overseas marketing. The budget of CTP comes from the $14 fee when international visitors apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and matching funding from the private sector.
Korea is a main target of the CTP, as the country has become one of the emerging markets for U.S. tourism, along with Brazil, China and India. After the launch of the Visa Waiver Program in 2008, the number of Korean visitors to the U.S. has jumped. Last year, some 1.1 million Koreans visited the U.S, about a 50 percent jump from the previous year.
According to the 2011 International Travel and Tourism Forecast released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Korea was listed second among the countries with the largest growth expected from 2010 through 2016 with 200 percent. The list was topped by China (232 percent) and Korea was followed by Brazil (150 percent), Russian Federation (139 percent) and India (94 percent).
Caroline Beteta, president of the California Travel and Tourism Commission and vice-chairman of the CTP, emphasized the importance of marketing the U.S. as travel destination.
"The number one benefit is bringing in marketing that will drive business," she said.