Brand USA’s most senior communications executive has moved to quell concerns about U.S. entry policy, telling Karryon there has been “no material change” and that the destination is open for business as a bumper trade week wraps up in Australia.
Flying in from Los Angeles, Chris Heywood, Senior Vice President, Public Relations and Chief Communications Officer at Brand USA, was in Sydney for several days, taking in the Visit USA Expo and a number of other trade events, including Brand USA’s own Australia B2B Day, which paired 57 buyers from 37 organisations with 46 U.S. partners.
The Visit USA Expo Series also stopped in Brisbane and Melbourne this week, with almost 600 agents connecting with more than 60 U.S. exhibitors across the three cities.
Brand USA is forecasting a 5 per cent lift in Australian visitation this year, pushing arrivals past the one-million mark. But that would be a recovery, not new ground. U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) data shows 958,574 Australians visited the U.S. in 2025, down 6.5 per cent from 1,025,011 in 2024, with seven consecutive months of year-on-year declines heading into 2026.
Brand USA is banking on the FIFA World Cup (June-July), America’s 250th anniversary celebrations centred on July 4 (America250), the year-long Route 66 Centennial, new airlift and a favourable exchange rate to reverse that slide.
What’s the message on U.S. entry?
“There’s been a lot of noise out there, but when you peel back the layers, there’s been no material change in the entry policy,” Heywood told Karryon. “When you look at the actual policy changes, there’s been no material changes, whether that’s social media accounts or what you need coming into the US paperwork wise.”
He pointed to the Global Entry trusted traveller program and the mobile passport control option as tools designed to ease entry. In a sign of the commitment Heywood described, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ran a week-long mobile Global Entry enrollment event at the Hyatt Regency Sydney from February 23 to 27, the first time in-person interviews have been conducted outside North America. Conditionally approved Australians could finalise their membership without flying to the U.S.
That said, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suspended the Global Entry program on 22 February due to a funding impasse in Congress. This affects all Global Entry members, not only Australians. Until the funding issue is resolved, Global Entry won’t be operating, meaning Australians and other nationalities alike won’t be able to use its expedited customs/immigration benefits at U.S. ports of entry right now.
Regardless, Heywood said Brand USA is working closely with CBP and the administration, noting a new deputy assistant secretary of tourism has recently begun in the role. “They are supportive of tourism. They look at it as a vital economic engine. They understand its importance,” he said.
His advice to travellers was practical: “Take a common-sense approach. When you’re coming, have all of your paperwork ready, proof of accommodation, proof of your return ticket, and if you’re prepared, you’re going to be fine.”
How is airlift to the U.S. from Australia shaping up?
Heywood cited 1.6 million non-stop seats from Australia to the U.S. last year, flat year-on-year compared with 2024, across services from four Australian gateways into six U.S. destinations.
But already, the first half of 2026 looks stronger: seat capacity is up four per cent compared with the same period last year, he said, driven by Qantas reintroducing the Airbus A380 on daily Sydney to Dallas-Fort Worth services, Delta’s new Melbourne to Los Angeles route (currently three times weekly, ramping to daily over the southern summer peak), and United’s seasonal Adelaide to San Francisco service.
The airlift picture grew even stronger the day after the final Visit USA roadshow in Sydney, with Qantas announcing the launch of a first non-stop Sydney to Las Vegas service from December 29, 2026. The seasonal route will operate three times weekly on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner through to March 2027, with economy return fares from a very sharp $1,099.
The Vegas service will add a seventh U.S. destination from Australian gateways and comes off the back of surging demand tied to the NRL’s Las Vegas season opener. Qantas will also ramp its existing Sydney to New York service via Auckland from five times weekly to daily from June to October.
The exchange rate is also working in the market’s favour. The Australian dollar has strengthened by around 13 to 14 per cent against the greenback over the past 12 months, sitting near US$0.71 in late February, up from roughly US$0.63 a year ago. Heywood described the shift as “a huge driver of interest” for Australian travellers weighing up a U.S. trip.
How is Brand USA marketing to Australians?
Heywood said Australia is one of nine priority markets globally for Brand USA’s consumer advertising. The “America the Beautiful” campaign has been running in the Australian market since Christmas, with spots targeting four key pillars: luxury, family travel, outdoor adventure and live events.
“This market is important to Brand USA,” he said, adding that the campaign will continue as an ongoing platform with a content series and further evolution to be announced at IPW later this year.
Live events emerged as a major topic of discussion. Heywood pointed to music residencies, festivals like Coachella and BottleRock Napa, sports and screen tourism as powerful drivers of travel intent. “Live events, sports, pop culture, screen tourism, these are opportunities,” he said.
Brand USA has also launched “America the Beautiful Game”, an AI-powered trip planning tool built around the 11 FIFA World Cup host cities, which Heywood said doubles as a useful resource for agents.
What’s the pitch beyond the gateways?
Heywood framed the U.S. as a repeat destination rather than a one-off bucket list trip. “This is the perfect destination for repeat travel. It’s not one and done,” he said. “It’s really a lifelong journey to be able to return to the US for new experiences.”
With 63 national parks and growing interest in destinations like Nashville, Seattle and Denver, Brand USA’s pitch to the trade is to steer clients beyond the gateways they already know.
Brand USA has also more than doubled its Ambassador Panel in the Australian and New Zealand market, expanding from 12 to 30 positions as part of a global push to 250 ambassadors.
Asked for his message to Australian travel advisors, Heywood was direct: “We are all in on Australia. We love Australians. We welcome them to the US. We need and value their business in 2026 and beyond, so don’t overlook us.”
