IRISH TRAVEL & CULTURE GUIDE
FALL - WINTER 2012
November 2012
DISCOVER USA
Mass Teams with Brand USA
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism recently became a charter member of Brand USA’s new initiative to increase international visitors coming to America’s shores. The other destinations include Florida, Orlando, Las Vegas and California.
The public-private partnership initiated by the Obama Administration is matching 30% of MOTT’s international marketing budget, allowing the state to expand its marketing in Canada, Great Britain, Germany and Japan, while testing emerging markets China, India and Brazil.
Last year foreign visitors spent $2.3B accounting for 17,900 jobs and generating $138M in state and local taxes in Massachusetts last year. Overall, the state’s tourism industry is vibrant. In FY 2012, Massport reports that 29.3 million passengers went though Logan International Airport, while 380,151 cruise passengers came into Boston Harbor. And Massachusetts Convention Center Authority estimates conventions will generate 600,000 hotel room nights and $625 million in revenues in 2012.
“Massachusetts’ tourism industry has recognized incredible growth in 2012. Visitation, visitor spending, tax revenue, and tourism related jobs have increased over 2011,” said Betsy Wall, MOTT’s Executive Director. “We’ll leverage this growth and expand programming both domestically and in key international markets.”
Brand USA was established by the Travel Promotion Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010 to spearhead the nation’s first global marketing effort to promote the United States as a premier travel destination.
thebrandusa.com | massvacation.com