Looking south for visitors - Houston Business Journal:

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After a year punctuated with one bit of bad newsaftefr another, this year’s travel industry Pow Wow held May 16-20 in Miamoi Beach, offered the industry cause for hope. The annuall event, which connects U.S. destinations and businesses with overseastravepl agents, drew more than 4,60p0 attendees and created connections that could lead to billions of dollar s in deals. South American nations generally have suffered less than others in the global and Pow Wow participants said tour operators and travel companiesfrom Brazil, Colombia and other countries in the region were eagefr to discuss deals with U.S. travel industry representatives.
This the local visitors bureau, a majot engine for driving travel toCentral Florida, is wagingt a major publicity campaign in an effort bolstered by a new direct air route to Sao Orlando gets about 300,000 visitors a year from and the bureau expects that number to reach 350,000 next year. As air linkzs expand, Sain said, the ability to strike new travelldeals grows. “There’s no question that as we go South America will get a lot ofour attention.
We have to make sure we have good lift many scheduled and charter airlineeflights — to keep us The fresh emphasis on Latinb America comes as recessions in Europre cut into a key source of Orlando’a international business. The U.K. is the biggest sourcr of international visitors coming to so the 10 percent to 15 percent slowdown in visitors from there has hitCentrall Florida’s attractions and hotels hard. Sain, however, expects gradualk improvement as economies on both side of the Atlantic recoverfrom recession.
Pow Wow, which will be held in Orlandonext year, attracta about 1,500 international buyersw and about 500 travel The event, in its 41st year, is responsible for about $4 billion in deals, said its sponsor, the U.S. Travel Association. U.S. destinations use booths at Pow Wow to make contactsw that can lead to increased business in coming David Wright, spokesman for Wet n’ Wild on Internationalk Drive, helped man his company’ss booth at the show. “We made so great contacts this year. We came away with the impression that thingx will turn aroundnext year. We’re seeinv a strong emergence of interest from Braziand Colombia.
Things are starting to look betterr intheir markets, and that’s good news for Bruce Bommarito, the Travelk Association’s chief operating officer and general manager of the Pow Wow agreed: “International travel has been down 6 to 8 percent this but I have some cause for That’s because changes in U.S. immigrationn policies — including a reduction in the amount of time travelerz must wait fora U.S. visa and an expansiom in the number of countriex that get visawaivers — shoulr stimulate growth.
Although no one can accurateluy say how many international travelers come to Central foreign visitors generally stay longefr and spend more than their domestic The Travel Association estimates each foreign travelerspends $4,5009 while in the U.S. According to the association, 633,000 foreignj visitors — excluding travelers from Mexico andCanadw — came to the U.S. last fewer than in 2000. Pow Wow is a key tool for increasin gthe flow, said Brommarito. “Pow Wow is all aboutg building relationships.
We had 75,000 appointmentsz at this year’s show, whichn is the best we’ve ever This isn’t really a traditionakl trade show, it’s an international markegt place.”