The U.S. tourism industry’s marketing arm unveiled a new global campaign Monday, as political rhetoric, visa issuance delays, and travel bans have weighed on inbound U.S. tourism.
Brand USA unveiled its campaign, “America the Beautiful,” at the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW conference in Chicago. The ads, debuting in August, come as international visitor arrivals in May were only 86% of May 2019 levels.
The tourism industry argues that international visitors are crucial to the U.S. economy, typically spending more per trip than domestic travelers. Before the pandemic, international visitors contributed roughly $240 billion a year to the U.S. economy.
Fred Dixon, Brand USA’s top boss, said the campaign will send a message that the U.S. is “open for business and ready to welcome legitimate international travelers.”
The organization is exploring a unified “Welcome to America the Beautiful” greeting at major U.S. airports, timed with the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations. It has also partnered with the Transportation Department to promote road trips to international audiences.
SOURCE: BRAND USA
The campaign will be supported by AmericaTheBeautiful.com, which will will feature 250 U.S. destinations, from major cities to small towns, aimed at encouraging longer stays and wider travel within the country.
It will partner with Mindtrip, a trip planning and booking website powered by generative AI. Brand USA executives said they hope a more data-driven approach will help them better understand what inspires global audiences and deliver tailored content that motivates travel decisions.
Uncertainty Ahead
Brand USA, established in 2010, operates as a public-private partnership funded through fees paid by international visitors. A U.S. Senate committee has proposed cutting Brand USA’s annual federal funding from $100 million to just $20 million.
While Brand USA currently has funding for its campaign for this August, any budget reduction would affect future marketing efforts and staffing levels.
The organization is betting on a busy decade of major events to draw international visitors. The schedule includes the Ryder Cup in New York, Super Bowl LX in California, and the FIFA World Cup in summer 2026. President Trump has said he wants to ensure a successful FIFA World Cup, which will be broadcast by Fox Sports in the U.S.
The U.S. will also host the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033, marking the first time these tournaments are held in the country, with multiple cities serving as venues.
Yet U.S. Travel has highlighted the need to make process changes to cope with the inbound travel demand for these events. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month the administration is considering steps to alleviate problems, and this month floated the idea of charging higher fees for expedited visa service.
Rubio Explores ‘Double Shifts’ and AI to Clear World Cup Visa Backlog
Fans in some countries may already have run out of time to secure a visa, and a lot of tourism revenue is at stake.
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