From kicks on Route 66 to finger-lickin’ barbecue, Travel South International Showcase 2025 hosted almost 350 attendees in Kansas City, Missouri, from 30 November to 4 December. With more than 100 international buyers from 16 countries, including eight from Australia and New Zealand, Karryon was on the ground to capture all the reasons why the US South bucks travel trends with its distinctly Southern flavour.
Travel South International Showcase always ignites the spark between suppliers and buyers selling the US South, but this year’s event brought an extra electricity to trade interactions in Kansas City as the FIFA World Cup 2026 host city awaited the Final Draw.
It was the perfect buzzy backdrop for the Travel South International Showcase 2025 host city, highlighting its appeal as a sporting, cultural and culinary hub for all kinds of travellers and capitalising on the global popularity of the US South as a destination.
State(s) of the US South
Travel South USA Chair Mark Ezell highlighted the resilience of the American South’s tourism industry, despite a six per cent year-on-year national decline in inbound travel.
“Let’s acknowledge the truth. We recognise that we are working to grow international travel spending amid a year that’s had a lot of historic challenges,” he said.
“With visa delays, our inflationary pressures, our inconsistent airlift, our geopolitical headwinds, and our shifting traveller sentiment, long-haul travel has not had what you would call an easy runway.”
Ezell shared that the US South only saw a three per cent decline, thanks to strategic partnerships and product development.
“Your partnership, product development, itineraries and storytelling are helping us keep demand for the South not just steady but also rising,” he told international delegates.
“We’re really excited for 2026 – it’s emerging as a year of renewed momentum for international travel to the American South with the region projected to welcome over six million visitors, a three per cent increase, aligning us with the national growth patterns.
“Visitor spending is expected to increase even more, rising six per cent to reach 8.4 per cent because travellers are staying longer, they’re spending more, and they’re seeking those deeper, high-value experiences in our regions,” Ezell said.
International delegates were able to experience the authenticity of the US South on post-fams in Missouri, including the state’s portion of Route 66 ahead of the centennial of the “Mother Road” in 2026, plus Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Virginia.
All y’all are welcome
Travel South USA President & CEO Liz Bittner shared the brand’s new-look logo, paired together with the tagline: “All ya’ll are welcome” for the first time to invite all travellers to visit.
“There is no phrase more Southern, more genuine or reflective of our spirit. The South stands for something different. We stand for openness, for warmth, for community and for hospitality,” she said.
“‘All y’all are welcome’ is more than just a greeting; it’s really an invitation. It signals that no matter where you’re from, what language you speak, what brings you here, that you belong, you’re included, you are part of our family and that you have a seat at our table.”
Travel South International Showcase 2025
Delegates met with 193 suppliers from the 12 states that make up Travel South USA during the South’s premier annual travel trade marketplace event, while Kansas City and Missouri (home state of the previous year’s Travel South USA Chair) demonstrated why it’s known as the “Show Me State”.
The five-day Travel South International Showcase 2025 event featured a curated lineup of in-depth city tours, intensive meetings, musical showcases, networking opportunities, food and beverage tastings and gala events designed to show off the South.
Travel South USA commemorated its 60th year with a 1920s-themed Diamond Jubilee: Jazz, Glamour & Honours evening at Kansas City’s stunning Midland Theatre, which included an Ambassador Award for Australia’s Chris Watson Travel.
Sweet Home Alabama soundtracked the next day’s breakfast with Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section session musicians, followed by the first of two days of 40 scheduled marketplace meetings.
Live music was also on the menu at lunches hosted by Rhythms of the South: Atlanta, Nashville & New Orleans, spotlighting the diverse genres that originated in the South, including jazz singer Robin Barnes, dubbed “The Songbird of New Orleans”, and Tennessee’s DEK of Hearts (currently on The Voice USA).
Travel South International Showcase 2025 culminated in the Y’all Ball final night party at No Other Pub, a multi-use sporting venue and bar – a fitting send-off for yet another successful conference.
Infinite possibilities
Bittner also shared Travel South USA’s new platform and refreshed brand identity: ‘One Region. Infinite Possibilities’ that will carry the 12-state collective into the next 60 years.
“It’s how we want to show the world what makes the South unlike any other place on the planet because we are one region,” she said.
“But within the region, there are infinite possibilities, infinite experiences, infinite stories, infinite reasons to visit.
“We are defined by the richness as a whole, this rich tapestry of food, music, history, landscapes and road trips that create an unforgettable journey,” she said.
Taking the US South to market Down Under
The Aussie and Kiwi contingent, representing Adventure World, Chris Watson Travel, Helloworld Travel, House of Travel and Travel USA Limited, reported having productive meetings at this year’s event with new itineraries and product development already in the works for 2026.
Chris Watson, who has visited all 12 states within the collective, said the company’s previous Travel South USA campaign achieved its largest-ever growth of 62 per cent, which he hopes to replicate with a new intiative.
“The campaign sales figures were so large we had to employ another team member to assist with our USA tours and itineraries. We hope to do it all again next year with a new campaign,” Watson said.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but we are excited to launch a new brand specialising in Southern USA experiences in 2026.
“Attending this event not only forges new relationships, new products and contracts, but it also grows our knowledge and keeps us up to date with the latest happenings, statistics and trends,” he said.
Helloworld Travel currently has US South holiday packages on offer through Viva Holidays, Travel South USA and Delta, designed to inspire travel beyond city stays, including touring and multi-city options.
Helloworld Travel Product Development Manager – Wholesale Alysha Hughes said Travel South International Showcase 2025 is invaluable for reviewing destinations and developing packages.
“In this industry, firsthand information is essential, and making strong connections with contacts at Travel South will benefit Helloworld through new marketing collaborations for future activity,” she said.
“I identified ways we can support destination marketing and worked on securing new touring and accommodation options to expand our package offerings.
“Additionally, there is strong potential to feature new destinations, showcasing what the US South has to offer and growing our USA range,” she said.
“In short, the South isn’t just recovering, it’s gaining ground,” Ezell added.
“Shaking hands, building relationships, planning itineraries, writing stories that bring people to the American South – it means more than you know.”
For more info, head to travelsouthusa.com
The writer travelled for Karryon as a guest of Travel South USA.
