Brand USA was created in 2010 to help address the post-9/11 decade of declining US share in the global travel market. The United States was one of the few developed countries in the world without a national destination marketing organization.
"We need to have a system that is both inviting and welcoming for bringing travelers,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association in a recent interview. "If we’re not going to ask them for their business, they’re not going to come. That’s where Brand USA comes in.”
The letter was signed by more than 300
travel businesses, associations and destination marketing organizations, and
sent to key Senate and House committees including the Senate Budget Committee;
Senate Appropriations Committee; Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee; House Budget Committee; House Appropriations Committee; and House
Energy and Commerce Committee.
"According to Oxford Economics, over the last four years Brand USA has attracted 4.3 million incremental visitors; US$ 13.6 billion in related spending; and US$ 29.5 billion in total economic impact, including nearly US$ 3.9 billion in federal, state and local taxes,” they wrote. "This has supported 50,900 incremental jobs annually and overall yielded an astonishing 27-to-1 return on investment.”
The broader U.S. travel industry supports 15 million Americans whose jobs depend on a vibrant travel sector, including 1.7 million jobs supported by the casino gaming industry.
Source: GMB
