After a year in which nearly half a million Australians travelled to the States, US tourism has reason to be optimistic for 2023. Karryon caught up with Visit USA President Caroline Davidson to find out exactly why.
In fact, the organisation says that by the end of next year, US-bound travel could return to pre-pandemic levels, or even above that.
“We’re currently looking at just under 430,000 Australians who have travelled to the US [in 2022], which puts us on track at this point to end up with about 50 per cent of pre-pandemic travel levels,” said Davidson in an interview with Karryon.
Indeed, while current limitations on flights are hampering arrival numbers to the country right now, Davidson believes that with more flights by the end of 2023, “we’ll be back to pre-pandemic levels both for air capacity and visitation, if not surpassing that … as a general overview”.
Davidson thinks major American cities could benefit most “because that’s where the entry points are”.
“LA is showing Australia as its number one market still in terms of entry into the airport.”
Beyond that, “I think ski destinations; it’s going to be a ski-lead recovery with Northern winter hitting off so strongly”.
“Australians have a big affinity for ski and those destinations are going to do well.”
Awakening a sleeping giant
Davidson also believes there has been a “huge resurgence in interest in the Australian market by companies – American destinations having representation or resuming representation here”.
“They’re now back, they’re geared up, they’re restaffed, they’re looking at their product, and they’re adjusting their product,” she explained.
“And that might be away from say, the bigger coach trips to small group travel … sustainable travel, cultural travel, Native American, western history – things like that becoming more important.”
Some of the “smaller regions” could also benefit from surging Aussie interest in the US.
“I think the wide open spaces, places like Montana, for instance, benefiting from the Yellowstone series. That whole film location travel is of huge interest and that particular series has had a huge pickup in Australia.”
For other trends, Davidson refers to “Brand USA’s pillars of concentration that kind of mirror reflection of the market.”
“They’re going to look at luxury, they’re going to look at sports tourism, and … the great outdoors as the three, big pillars for 2023.”
“But again, with the luxury, I think that’s a smart thing that they’re doing because all that pent-up demand from the past few years is going towards that one big trip that maybe they put off … we’re going to do that special trip or that luxury trip that we had planned, because who knows what’s coming down the pipe in the future.
“So I think Australians are going to spend more, do that one big luxury trip as well.”
Visit USA Expo Series is back!
With all of this in mind, Visit USA has some big plans for 2023, including its Visit USA Expo Series, which returns just over six months after the conclusion of its 2022 run.
When asked about the return of the series in February, Davidson said Visit USA approached the events with a little bit of caution but has been pleasantly surprised.
“We just couldn’t be happier with it. And that’s just such a lovely position to be in and it validates the organisation,” she said, adding that general membership levels in Visit USA had grown.
“It validates interest in it and members’ interest in it. And yes, so we’re looking at a very, very strong 2023.”
Davidson added that they would be doing “a few things differently” at next year’s expos.
“There’s going to be some more sponsorship opportunities; there’s going to be some groupings of destinations.”
Visit USA is also interested in “incentivising agents … and members”.
“We want to raise the bar on what members are presenting to the agents to make it more engaging, more interesting, more entertaining, and reward our members for going a little bit … above and beyond the standard PowerPoint,” she added.
“Visit USA is about inclusion for the members, inclusion for the suppliers, and our kind of unstated official motto: ‘Together we’re stronger.’ And that’s really, really shown to be the case this year.”
Indeed, Together in Travel, we are stronger.
To register to attend the February 2023 Expo Series, head to visitusa.org.au/events.
