I N   T H I S   I S S U E

PowWowDailyP u b l i s h e D b y t r a v e l W e e k l y i n c o o P e r a t i o n W i t h t h e u . s . t r a v e l a s s o c i a t i o n

international

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

Dancing earth, an award-winning indigenous dance ensemble, inspired delegates during Monday’s lunch sponsored by america’s national Parks and amtrak.

Parks’ Performance Wowscontinued on page 21

Evans: “We Will Be Good Partners”Today’S EvENTS

8:30 – 8:55 amOpen Appointment

Session

9:00 am – 12:15 pmBusiness Appointments:

Session III

12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch:

Texas Tourism

2:10 – 5:50 pmBusiness Appointments:

Session IV

7:00 – 11 pmEvening Event:

Culture Club

2 Jonathan Tisch of Loews Hotels4 Marketplace Hall opens8 The New discoveramerica.com14 GTa Sets U.S. Success Goals20 Record Ridership for amtrak

Today is Texas TuesdayBy Harvey Chipkin

It’s only fitting that Texas

will be making a BIG splash at

International Pow Wow this

year, hosting its final Texas

Tuesday lunch today. This year’s

lunch, according to Julie Chase,

Tourism Director for Texas

Tourism, will spotlight some of

the events currently happening

in the state, such as the 175th

anniversary celebration of

Texas independence, and will

showcase more of the musical

heritage for which the state is so

well-known.

Texas, says Chase, will again

be well represented at the trade

show, with a large contingency

including first-timers like the

Wildcatter Ranch, an upscale

guest ranch near Fort Worth,

as well as representatives from

one end of the state to the other.

Among others, the Texas aisle

boasts partners from Dallas,

Fort Worth, Amarillo, Houston,

Austin, San Antonio, South

Padre Island, El Paso, McAllen

and Plano. Of course, with

continued on page 14

Miles Media, a Pow Wow sponsor, is giving away an iPad2 in a drawing for attendees who stop by its Miles Media Café to register. The café, which has free WiFi, is serving smoothies, bottled water, energy drinks, coffee, and on Wednesday, ice cream.

The Sarasota, Fla.-based company partners with state divisions of tourism, convention and visitors bureaus and other organizations in the travel industry to create custom online, mobile, tablet, data and print marketing materials designed to promote destinations to visitors and travel professionals.

Miles Media also offers services for hotels and resorts through its Miles 360 division.

NEWS BRIEFS

By Mark Chesnut

The travel industry will

play a key role in the success

of the new Corporation for

Travel Promotion (CTP),

said Jim Evans, the recently

appointed chief executive of the

organization.

“Here is a promise I’ll make

to you,” he told the audience

during Monday’s International

Pow Wow lunch, which was

sponsored by America’s National

Parks and Amtrak.

“We will be good partners.

We understand how important

you are to the success of this

mission. And, we know that

you are the experts. You’ve been

doing this for a long, long time.

So, we’ll be great listeners and

we’ll ask you for your ideas.”

The CTP is a non-profit,

public-private partnership

formed to promote increased

international travel to the

United States.

The new organization is a

“game changer,” said Stephen

J. Cloobeck, CTP chairman

and chairman and CEO of

Diamond Resorts International,

who introduced Evans.

“For the first time in the

history of the United States,

we’re actually going to market

and brand ‘Team USA.’”

He added: “The United States

has arrived, folks. The sleeping

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

2 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

each day of Pow Wow Daily, on this page, leaders from the u.s. government and travel industry will share their perspectives on the state of the industry and their expectations for the future.

International Pow Wow and the value of  Business Meetings

Northstar travel Media/travel Weekly in cooperation with the U.s. travel association.

sENIor VICE prEsIdENt, CoMMUNICatIoNs dennis petroskey sENIor dIrECtor, INdUstrY CoMMUNICatIoNsGreg staley

EdItorMary pat sullivanMaNaGING EdItorLaura del rossooNsItE rEportErMark ChesnutoNsItE photoGraphErralf-Finn hestoftprodUCtIoN MaNaGErMichele Garthart dIrECtordavid MacfarlaneELECtroNIC prE-prEsspatrick FoxGroUp dIrECtor, CUstoM CoNtENtElizabeth WestCrEatIVE CoNsULtaNtJ.C. suarès

to inquire about advertising in travel Weekly products please contact Bruce shulman, associate publisher: 561-799-1788 bshulman@travelweekly.com

Northstar travel Media/travel Weekly headquarters, 100 Lighting Way, 2nd Floor, secaucus, NJ 07094; (201) 902-2000; www.travelweekly.comMaterial in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Copyright 2011 by Northstar travel Media LLC. all rights reserved. printed in Usa.

chairman and chief executive officer

thomas l. kemp

chief Financial officer

linda li Davachi

executive vice President/Group Publisher

robert G. sullivan

executive vice President, Digital Media

thomas cintorino

vice President/Group Publisher

bernard schraer

vice President/editorial Director

lori cioffi

vice President/editor-in-chief

arnie Weissmann

vice President, human resources

Janine l. bavoso

vice President, Marketing solutions

Michelle rosenberg

Director, internet Production

roberta bianchi-Muller

vice President, content licensing

sheila rice

Director, it infrastructure and operations

rich Mastropietro

We gather during this year’s International

Pow Wow at a time when the world economy

still faces tremendous challenges. While

we have come a long way since the crisis in

late 2008 and early 2009, there continue to

be numerous threats that undermine the

confidence necessary to unleash a robust

recovery for the travel community.

Still, it is heartening to see the enthusiasm

for this year’s Pow Wow in San Francisco.

Buyers and exhibitor registrations are up

significantly, and for the first time in a

decade, a wait list had to be established for

suppliers wanting a booth. This interest

affirms not only the value of Pow Wow, but

also of face-to-face meetings of all kinds.

Over the three-day event, more

than 70,000 pre-scheduled business

appointments will be held. In addition,

productive encounters will be made

during the luncheons, evening events and

other activities as part of the show. These

meetings will generate $3.5 to $4 billion in

future travel to the United States.

In addition, there will be more than 400

travel writers present who will generate

hundreds of stories about San Francisco and

other parts of America. Imagine what the

cost of doing business and gaining exposure

would be for the Pow Wow participants if

they had to separately go to all of the more

than 70 countries represented to conduct

business or attract attention from the media.

A groundbreaking study in 2009 by the

respected research firm Oxford Economics

for the first time examined the return

on investment of business travel in a

comprehensive way. The study found that

for every dollar invested in business travel,

businesses benefit from an average $12.50

in increased revenue and nearly $4 in new

profits. Likewise, the data shows that a 10

percent increase in business travel spending

will increase U.S. Gross Domestic Product by

between 1.5 and 2.8 percent.

According to the study, the surest way

to limit business growth potential is to

indiscriminately cut the corporate travel

budget. For instance, corporate executives

who were surveyed estimated that 28 percent

of their business is lost without in-person

meetings.

And claims that virtual meetings and

teleconferences are a good substitute for

in-person meetings turned out to be off

the mark. Eighty-five percent of corporate

executives in the survey perceive web

meetings and teleconferences to be less

effective than in-person meetings with

prospective customers, and nearly two-thirds

believe virtual meetings to be less effective

than in-person meetings with current

customers.

Among the other key findings related to

attending trade shows like Pow Wow:

•MBoth executives and business travelers

estimate that roughly 40 percent of their

prospective customers are converted to

new customers with an in-person meeting

compared to 16 percent without such a

meeting;

•MMore than half of business travelers

stated that 5 to 20 percent of their company’s

new customers were the result of trade show

participation; and

•MProspects are more than twice as likely

to become new customers with an in-person

meeting.

More broadly, the study found that

more than 75 percent of customers either

require or prefer in-person meetings,

according to business travelers surveyed.

And an overwhelming majority of corporate

executives (81 percent) believe a slow

economy calls for more contact with clients,

not less.

This year’s interest in Pow Wow is a clear

indication that many of the companies and

organizations attending already understand

the importance of face-to-face meetings. It

also suggests why Pow Wow is the premier

marketplace for generating travel to the U.S.

When attendees return each year to their

workplace or tell their family and friends

about their trip, they undoubtedly share

the wonderful, compelling experiences they

enjoyed as part of their journey. But as the

Oxford Economics study confirms, even

amid all the fun and good times, it really is

important business taking place. And it’s the

kind of business that is critical to improving

the bottom line.

Jonathan Tisch

Chairman Emeritus, U.S. Travel Association

Chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels

o P I N I o N

universal aPPeal: the harry Potter attrac-tion was a topic of discussion when Grant Da-ley (right), universal studios, london, chatted with renaud Defosse, let’s Go travel, brussels.

it’s oFFicial: Discover america Marketplace hall opened its doors on Monday morning. Present were (left to right) the honorable Francisco sánchez, u.s. Department of commerce; George Fertitta, nyc & company; Jim evans, cor-poration for travel Promotion; stephen cloobeck, Diamond resorts international and corporation for travel Promo-tion chairman; Joe D’alessandro, san Francisco travel association; roger Dow, u.s. travel association; steve Joyce, choice hotels international and u.s. travel association national chair; caroline beteta, california travel and tourism commission; shane berry, american express company; and Malcolm smith, u.s. travel association.

all aboarD: the amtrak booth was busy at Monday’s Discover america Mar-ketplace. Pictured are (upper row, left to right) craig White, Don Wong and Mike Deangelo and (bottom row, left to right) terri Gallello, richard De sousa and Gail reisman.

lanD oF lincoln: Discussing the allure of the Quad cities were (left to right) angela ingerson, champaign (ill.) county convention and visitors bureau; Dan Gleason, Quad cities convention and visitors bureau; and roger carmack, Western illinois tourism.

natural WonDer: ruby steele (left) of Grand canyon resort corporation and Ziva Werber of hualapai tourism chat about the beauty of the Grand canyon with stefano Gnerucci, universal turismo, Florence, italy.

Wine anD Dine: among the delegates representing california’s sonoma county were (upper row, left to right) Dan brown, Flamingo conference resort and spa; anthony chavarria, sheraton sonoma county-Petaluma; kip Zook, hilton Garden inn sonoma county airport; and (lower row, left to right) chyrl collins, sonoma county tourism bureau; carlo Galazzo, the inn at the tides and the tides Wharf; and Mark crabb, sonoma county tourism bureau.

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

4 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y

Discover America Marketplace Hall Opens

T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y a   d   v   E   R   T   I   S   E   M   E   N   T

May 24, 2011 tuesday

40 years young…and Still Rockin’!Anniversary highlights staying power of Hard Rock brand

In advance of the company’s 40th

anniversary celebration, Pow Wow Daily

caught up with Kevin Kirby, Hard Rock

International’s senior director of sales -

worldwide, to share how the ubiquitous

brand keeps relevant in more than 52

countries across the globe.

This year you are letting the online

communities decide who will play

Hard Rock Calling in London’s Hyde

Park near the original Hard Rock Cafe

London. Hundreds of bands entered

the “Battle of the Bands”. Can you let

us know where the voting stands at this

point?

To put it in perspective, these local

bands have had to pass a regional

competition, wowed music industry

experts including veteran rockers Little

Steven Van Zandt and Pete Wentz, and

now the top 40 acts have faced the

opinion of online consumer voting.

At stake for each winner is a chance

to make it to the big stage and perform

live at Hard Rock Calling 2011 in

front of thousands of fans and top

headliners, including

The Killers, Bon Jovi,

Rod Stewart and Stevie

Nicks. While I am

sworn to secrecy, results

can be viewed at www.

hardrock.com!

Suffice it to say, the

winners are getting the

chance of a lifetime and

helping us celebrate our

birthday!

And how about that…40 years! Excuse

the reference, but like so many rock ‘n

roll bands, why do you think the brand

has the staying power to keep the fans

coming back for more?

The great story behind this brand

is that the original cafe wasn’t born

of in-depth marketplace research. It

was organic. It flourished because of

exceptional service, quality food and

a unique sense of music as a guest

unifier. And those elements continue

to appeal today across all generations

and cultures! We’ve also selected key

strategic cities to place our cafes, hotels

and casinos to help us perpetuate the

brand ideologies and act as THE local

ambassadors of Rock.

We’ll cut to the chase…so where’s the

party?

Well… we’re inviting fans around the

globe to help celebrate! As part of the

milestone, Hard Rock will host 40 Days

That Rock, where Hard Rock Cafes

around the world will host local-market

events, concerts and promotions for

rockers of all ages! Just visit www.

hardrock.com for events and updates.

Obviously, our guests in cafes are front

row to the action every day. We’ll see

you there!

Speaking of brand ideologies,

philanthropy is integral to Hard

Rock’s mission. What are your recent

endeavors in this area and is there a

specific effort you would

like Pow Wow delegates

to help support?

Glad you asked! Our

motto of ALL IS ONE

resonates clearly when

you witness the impact of

the historic earthquake

and tsunami in Japan.

We’ve engaged our fellow

rockers across the globe

to help in supporting

American Red Cross efforts. Our

donations grow daily, but obviously

more can be done. Please visit our

website to help show support for the

people of Japan who, by the way, love

to travel and experience the best of the

United States!

Last month, during Earth Day, Hard

Rock initiated an expansive program

with the Association of Zoos and

Aquariums (AZA) here in the United

States. Can you share the details on

this initiative with our delegates

and explain the details of this broad

initiative?

Beginning on Earth Day, Friday,

April 22, 2011, select Hard Rock Cafes,

in partnership with the Association

of Zoos and Aquariums, launched

a special pin with a portion of the

proceeds benefiting the AZA and a local

zoo or aquarium. Twenty-six Hard

Rock locations nationwide are offering

city-specific, endangered species guitar

pins in honor of Earth Day. We’re

so pleased to be partnering with the

Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco

for this initiative, too! Save The Planet

has taken a new twist for Hard Rock!

Throughout the travel industry,

creative efforts are underway to

embrace social media and engage

consumers in discussion. Can you

share some of your efforts in this

area and where you anticipate that

discussion will go in the future?

To be sure, we have very vocal

fans! I think Hard Rock has mirrored

global efforts of consumer “e-touch

points” to ensure advocacy, experience

satisfaction and enable transactional

capabilities. Beyond that, we have been

deliberately engaged within the social

media platforms as a means to keep

our community conversation timely

and pertinent. We recognize the guest

is the one who drives this conversation;

about experiences, about social causes

and about why they care. Remember,

guests today immediately archive their

experience at a concert, while they’re

dining or where they rest their head.

…AND where does that go?

That’s the best part! To be relevant

for another 40 years, Hard Rock needs

our portfolio to reflect the growth

and diversity of music as a reflection

of the integration of cultures and

desires. Each cafe has different floor

plans, applications of technology, art,

memorabilia, design and even local

culinary additions to our made-from-

scratch menu. If you visit the San

Francisco cafe, our Times Square cafe,

our new Hollywood Boulevard cafe

in Los Angeles, or our new Honolulu

cafe on the Waikiki Strip, the vibe and

attitude is Hard Rock, and the visual

experience is like no where else.

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

8 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

DiscoverAmerica.com Website RedesignedBy Laura Del Rosso

Discover America, the official

travel and tourism website of the

United States, was re-launched

last month with a new look and

feel, expanded content, and rich

media and better navigation.

At the same time, the Travel

Specialist Program was also

enhanced.

Three years ago, U.S. Travel

launched DiscoverAmerica.

com through a cooperative

agreement with the U.S.

Department of Commerce to

welcome international travelers

to the U.S. and to help them

with travel planning.

“We’ve been evaluating how

users interact with the site and

have made enhancements to

improve the user experience,”

said Jay Gray, Discover America

vice president. “For example, we

made navigation easier so users

can pull travel information

from the interactive maps. If

they want to go to Miami, for

instance, they can now click on

the interactive map and find

detailed information about

attractions and things to do in

the Miami area.”

Itineraries are another

enhanced feature, allowing users

to browse through different trip

options to plan their vacations,

“must-see” lists and “top 10

sights to see” at destinations.

The website’s focus is to serve

the five biggest inbound markets

for the U.S.: Canada, Mexico,

the United Kingdom, Japan

and Germany. Information

and content was translated into

French, Spanish, German and

Japanese, and the content was

“localized” so that when users

view the website, it is in their

language and content is relevant

for their needs.

Each year since its

launch in 2008, content on

DiscoverAmerica.com has been

expanded, with information on

all 50 states and U.S. territories

plus detailed travel information

on more than 120 major U.S.

cities. Top travel bloggers

also provide an interesting

perspective on unique U.S.

destinations and activities.

“We started with base

content and added much more

in the last two years,” said Gray.

“We now have nearly 5,000

attractions listed and hundreds

of itineraries and trip ideas.”

Discover America has also

worked to improve its Travel

Specialist Program, which allows

in-country tour operators and

travel agents to participate on

the site, offering users special

deals and promotions.

“Qualified agents and

operators from the top five

inbound countries can contact

us for a user password and

then post their offers and deals

on the website. If they are

participating in Pow Wow, they

are automatically listed in the

supplier directory and can log

in. But it is open to any qualified

agent and tour operator who

sells the U.S. ”

Recently, the program was

enhanced. Deals and offers are

now integrated in web pages so

that users can search for deals as

they browse the site. About 400

travel agents and tour operators

are currently participating.

The site is receiving about

20 percent more international

traffic this year over last year.

Gray attributes the increase to

a recent partnership with the

U.S. Department of Homeland

Security, which provides a

link to DiscoverAmerica.com

to travelers who apply for

automated authorization to

travel to the U.S. under the Visa

Waiver Program.

“With this link, international

travelers who are getting their

ESTA (Electronic System

for Travel Authorization)

number are also finding great

information to help plan their

trip. These are very qualified

users of the site as indicated by

the increased number of page

views and time spent browsing

the site,” Gray said.

Content continues to

be provided by the most

authoritative sources of U.S.

travel information, including

state tourism offices, convention

and visitors bureaus, the

Department of Homeland

Security (official U.S. entry

information), American Express

and Fodor’s.

Inquiries regarding Discover

America.com and its Travel

Specialist Program may be

directed to discoveramerica@

ustravel.org.

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redesigned Discoveramerica.com enhances the user experience.

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

12 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U .   S .   T R a v E L

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tuesdayMay 24, 2011

14 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

International Market is Critical for TexasTexas’ sales tax rebate programs

for international shoppers,

attendees such as Tax-Free

Shopping Texas, NorthPark

Center and San Marcos, as well

as delegates from the Dallas

and Houston Gallerias, can be

found in the Texas aisle.

In fact, says Chase, Forbes

recently listed three cities in

Texas on its Top 10 Shopping

Destinations; they were Dallas,

Houston and San Antonio.

As an ideal destination for

international, tax-free shopping,

it seems even the shopping is

bigger in Texas.

Chase says that the

international market is critically

important to Texas with a full 10

percent of all visitor spending

credited to the international

markets. The Americas are

home to many of Texas’ largest

markets, including Mexico,

Canada and Brazil. Europe

remains the largest overseas

inbound regional market with

the U.K. the largest source of

visitors, followed by Germany

and France. Asia has become

another fantastic feeder market

for Texas: it is the second-largest

overseas inbound regional

market, with Japan and China

serving as the primary markets,

but with India and South Korea

emerging as important target

markets.

On the air front, Qantas

recently announced that it

will offer four nonstop flights

weekly from Australia to the

Dallas/Fort Worth International

Airport. As Qantas’ partnership

with American Airlines allows

travelers to connect easily to

any one of the 26 destinations

American serves in the state,

this offers Australian and New

Zealand travelers the chance to

explore Texas at their leisure.

NEW FoRMULa 1 TRaCK

Texas has big news on the

destination front, according to

Chase. Very big news is that the

first new permanent Formula 1

track in the U.S. since the 1970s

will open in July 2012 in Austin.

Grand Prix races will be held

annually at the track, named

last month The Circuit of the

Americas, and are projected to

bring more than 300,000 fans to

Texas for each event.

Westtexastrip.com, a co-

operative program among

several West Texas cities

including Abilene, San Angelo

and El Paso, continues to add

destinations, itineraries and

information. This site allows

you the tools to research the

diverse landscape that provided

a homeland to Native Americans

and presented a challenge to the

pioneer settlers.

TExaS BEaCHES

“We have the largest barrier

island in the world – Padre

Island. Many people do not

associate Texas with beaches,

but we have almost 1,000

kilometers of Gulf of Mexico

coastline,” says Chase. “We’re

seeing major growth in our

cruise product offerings from

Galveston and are working with

the cruise lines, shore excursion

companies and media to get the

word out about this growing

port.”

As a result of the multiple

layers of growth, Texas continues

to utilize its international sales

force as much as possible. The

state has full-time representa-

tion in Canada, Mexico, the

United Kingdom, Germany,

Japan and China, with varying

levels of representation in many

other markets.

All of these are reasons why,

says Chase, “Texas is truly a

stand-alone destination because

you can do almost anything

here. You can experience a

slow, Southern holiday in the

Piney Woods region; or a non-

stop, ultra-active vacation in

the Hill Country. There is

soft adventure aplenty in the

mountains of the Big Bend

region; or on the sandy beaches

of our Gulf Coast.

The South Texas Plains

region is renowned for its rich

history and exceptional birding.

The Panhandle Plains and

Lakes and Prairies regions offer

visitors a chance to experience

both sides of the Texas coin:

modern cosmopolitan and

modern cowboy cultures blend

perfectly throughout the area.

We know travelers love Texas,

and we work hard to share our

beautiful state with as many

people as possible.”

the alamo, an iconic image of texas, is a perfect visual to help celebrate this year’s 175th anniversary of texas’ independence. attendees will join in the celebration during today’s lunch.

While Gullivers Travel

Associates (GTA) has been

serving the global travel

industry for more than 30 years,

collecting a vast inventory

of hotels and unique ground

travel products and services

for its partners and clients,

the company has set its sights

on two new goals to help grow

sales for the North America

market: 1) make North America

its No. 1 selling destination; 2)

establish GTA North America

and Travel Bound as a leading

distributor of luxury properties

and services, according to

Richie Karaburun, president of

GTA North America and Travel

Bound.

“We supply travel wholesalers,

tour operators, travel agents,

group travel specialists and

public websites the content to

create truly exceptional travel

experiences. With products

sourced from

more than

30,000 travel

s u p p l i e r s ,

we provide

more than

35,000 hotels

and 135,000

destination

services in more than 130

countries worldwide,” he said.

Karaburun was most recently

president of GTA Americas

inbound division, and it was in his

role at GTA Americas Inbound,

that he helped grow the number

of North American properties in

the company’s portfolio to more

than 13,000.

But GTA did more than simply

expand its offering – it promoted

its North American hotel offering

successfully, resulting in North

America becoming the No. 2

destination for the company in

2010, nudging aside European

best sellers such as France, U.K.

and Spain. GTA also offers

dynamic inventory from a

growing list of major North

American hotel chains.

Luxury hotels now represent

more than 10 percent of GTA’s

portfolio, a total of 4,300 five-

star properties around the

world.

“The luxury market has

proven to be very resilient

to economic trends, and it

offers tremendous potential

for continued growth,” noted

Karaburun. Some of the

newest additions to GTA’s

North American five-star hotel

lineup include: New York – Ritz

Carlton, Mandarin Oriental;

Los Angeles – L’Ermitage and

Four Seasons Beverly Hills;

Scottsdale – Arizona Bilmore,

The Phoenician.

“Because travelers today do

their own research online, we

make sure we select properties

with high TripAdvisor ratings,”

Karaburun said. “Our clients

can see the TripAdvisor ratings

right on GTA’s own website,

as well as on all our privately

branded sites.”

Karaburun plans to

aggressively promote not only

high-end properties, but the

kinds of services that affluent

travelers expect. GTA offers

private transfers between airport

and hotel or cruise port and

thousands of upscale tours

and experiences. Among the

newest North American luxury

experiences GTA has added: San

Francisco – Private Napa Valley

wine tour; Los Angeles – Private

Getty Center and Rodeo Drive

shopping tour with lunch at

“Bon Appetit” restaurant; New

York – Private, scholar-led tours

of New York City architecture

and Central Park by Ph.D.-

level experts, private tour of the

American Museum of Natural

History.

Delegates can visit GTA at

booth 2012 in Discover America

Marketplace Hall.

GTA Growth Targets: Luxury, North America

continued from page 1

karaburun

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

16 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

By Harvey Chipkin

Clear Channel Outdoor

Holdings, the world’s largest

outdoor advertising company,

is making its first appearance

at International Pow Wow

this year to demonstrate to

delegates the digital screens

that are part of the first-of-

their-kind interactive digital

transit shelters. Pow Wow host

city of San Francisco is the first

home to these new shelters.

The shelters feature 72-inch

LCD touch screens. A sample

screen will be on display at the

Clear Channel Pow Wow trade

show booth. Clear Channel

is located in Sky Suite No. 3

(South Lobby).

The screens represent the

largest outdoor interactive

touch screens in use today; they

allow consumers to not only

view, but also interact with the

content. It is even possible to

play games on them.

“We’re looking to establish

a long-term relationship with

the U.S. Travel Association,”

said Lily Nguyen, director

of public affairs for Clear

Channel Outdoor – San

Francisco. “There is

tremendous opportunity to

combine the tourism element

with international recognition

for the many innovative uses

of digital media in today’s

market. Digital transit shelters

in San Francisco, for instance,

are a fantastic way to showcase

this. With San Francisco being

the city to host America’s Cup

in the near future, there is no

better time than now.”

Todd Hansen, Clear Channel

Outdoors’ general manager and

president; Jon Charles, vice

president of sales, and Jordy

Ford, vice president of marketing

& business development, will be

in attendance at Pow Wow.

According to Bruce Qualls,

vice president of real estate and

public affairs, there are currently

35 digital transit shelters at bus

stops around the city, with more

being added. The first of which

were installed late last year.

“Users have the ability to

interact with the screens,” said

Nguyen. “This allows us to

pull reports to see how many

users interacted with each and

to what extent. In addition,

the screens have the ability to

prompt dynamic adjustment to

the content.”

The shelters, said Nguyen,

“are beautiful, ADA-compliant

structures and are a whole new

kind of product for us. They not

only provide information and

an opportunity for advertising,

but provide a Wi-Fi hotspot for

people waiting for buses.”

Nguyen said the screens

would provide an excellent

medium for travel advertisers

or even nonprofits who might

want to promote.

“A nonprofit,” said Nguyen,

“would be able to track how

much went to that fund from

viewers at the shelter.”

Clear Channel Makes Pow Wow Debut

san Francisco is the first home to these new outdoor digital tran-sit shelters from clear channel outdoor holdings.

“What we share with all legislators is the impact that’s created by the travel industry on every U.S. congressional district in terms of economic benefits and jobs.” — Lewis

By Harvey Chipkin

The U.S. Travel Association

Political Action Committee,

which is being branded as

TRAVEL PAC, has had an

auspicious beginning – quickly

becoming one of the top five

travel-industry PACs in its first

election cycle.

It was formed in 2009 to

enhance the association’s

leadership on behalf of the

entire travel community by

helping to elect members of

Congress who appreciate the

power of travel.

In 2010, TRAVEL PAC

contributed to 48 different

political races, all on the

federal level and focusing “on

travel industry champions in

Congress,” said Bryan Lewis,

chief of staff and general counsel

at U.S. Travel. He said TRAVEL

PAC was successful with 92

percent of its candidates. And

with a class of more than 100

new Congressional members

elected last year, TRAVEL

PAC “is hoping to develop

strong relationships with these

freshmen and create new allies

in Congress.”

“What we share with all

legislators is the impact that’s

created by the travel industry on

every U.S. congressional district

in terms of economic benefits

and jobs,” Lewis said.

Among the priority issues

for TRAVEL PAC, Lewis

noted: aviation security; visa

application processes (with

particular focus on China, Brazil

and India); protection and

expansion of the Visa Waiver

Program; more welcoming

airport environments; and

infrastructure improvements.

Fundraising has also gotten

off to a great start. According

to Lewis, TRAVEL PAC raised

$157,000 toward the 2009-10

election cycle – well above its

goal of $100,000.

For the second election

cycle, which started in January

of 2011 and runs through the

election of 2012, the projected

goal is $200,000; and for the

following cycle (2013-14), the

goal is $300,000.

Steve P. Joyce, President

& CEO of Choice Hotels

International and the national

chair of U.S. Travel, has said

that if the travel industry is

to be effective as a force in

Washington, TRAVEL PAC

would need between $300,000

and $400,000 per cycle, which

should be reached in the 2013-

14 cycle, if not before.

Lewis said TRAVEL PAC is

working on new and creative

fundraising activities. Board

approval was recently earned to

create an “industry supporter”

class of members that would

allow TRAVEL PAC to reach

out to employees of travel

industry companies. If enacted

through a change in bylaws,

that initiative would dovetail

with the industry’s Power of

Travel Coalition, which already

coordinates grassroots efforts

of 380,000 individuals counted

among travel’s workforce.

Meanwhile, TRAVEL PAC has

been successful with its program

of identifying communities of

potential contributors, each of

which is targeted by one of its

five board of directors members.

Those communities include:

U.S. Travel’s board of directors,

travel industry employees,

other industry PACs, U.S. Travel

Association staff and CEOs of

major travel organizations.

At International Pow Wow,

TRAVEL PAC hopes to enhance

its awareness among travel

employees “that, as we come

together as a collective industry

and support the PAC, our

voices will be heard louder in

Washington on issues that affect

all of us and our jobs,” Lewis

said.

U.S. Travel is also in the process

of creating an outreach effort

to other major travel industry

and affiliated groups that will

seek common ground on issues

where, working together, they

could exert significant leverage

on legislative issues of interest

to the travel industry, according

to Lewis.

U.S. Travel’s PAC Takes Action

17I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y

May 24, 2011 tuesday

T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

Universal Announces “Transformers: The Ride–3D” “Transformers: The Ride–

3D,” based on the film franchise

blockbuster, directed by Michael

Bay, promises to transform

theme park ride perceptions

when it debuts as a cutting-edge

mega-attraction at Universal

Studios Hollywood in Spring

2012. Universal will unveil

details in a press conference

today at International Pow

Wow.

The dynamic, motion-

based thrill ride will tell an

original “Transformers” story

using original, photo-realistic

3D-HD media, sophisticated

special effects masterminded

by Industrial Light & Magic,

and one of the most elaborate

roaming flight simulator ride

systems ever created. Fusing

high-tech elements with an

epic new “Transformers” tale,

“Transformers: The Ride–3D” will

be Universal Studios Hollywood’s

most ambitious ride ever created

and will set a new standard in the

world of theme park attractions,

stretching the medium’s potential

as an immersive and powerful

storytelling vehicle.

As Universal Studios

Hollywood readies for the

new “Transformers: The Ride

3-D,” the final chapter in the

film franchise, “Transformers:

Dark of the Moon,” is set

to launch into theaters this

coming July 1.

“Transformers: The Ride–

3D” is being created in a

partnership between Universal

Parks & Resorts and Hasbro,

Inc.

The ride’s pioneering photo

realistic 3D media is being

created by multiple Oscar®-

winning Industrial Light &

Magic (ILM), a division of

Lucasfilms, Ltd., the special

effects company behind

such acclaimed films as

“Transformers,” “Avatar,” “Iron

Man” and “Star Wars”.

Universal Studios Hollywood

includes a full-day, movie-based

theme park and Studio Tour;

the CityWalk entertainment,

shopping and dining complex,

the Universal CityWalk

Cinemas, and the Gibson

Amphitheatre concert and

special event venue. World-class

rides and attractions include

the new blockbuster ride, “King

Kong 360 3-D” on the famed

behind-the-scenes Studio Tour,

“The Simpsons Ride,” the

“Revenge of the Mummy – The

Ride” indoor roller coaster and

“Jurassic Park® – The Ride.”

18 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y

May 24, 2011 tuesday

the perfect mix of culture and cocktails.

SFO Signature.eps T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L

St. Petersburg/Clearwater Fun in Sun

555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.

Group Sales: 202/292-6690 newseum.org

‘The best museum I have ever visited.’— Susan Fornoff, San Francisco Chronicle

Visit us at Booth #827!

the recently renovated clearwater Marine aquarium is home to soon-to-be movie star, Winter, the bottle-nosed dolphin.

By Mark Chesnut

Florida may be known for

its sun, sand and amusement

parks, but in the St. Petersburg/

Clearwater area, travelers find a

multitude of cultural attractions

as well as an array of award-

winning beaches.

Situated on a peninsula

separating the Gulf of Mexico

from Tampa Bay, St. Pete/

Clearwater’s 35 miles of white-

sand beaches are just a 90-

minute drive from Orlando-

area theme parks. In addition

to pristine beaches, the area’s

burgeoning arts and culture

scene caters to enthusiasts of all

levels. This year, a brand-new,

$35 million facility debuted

to house the Dalí Museum,

which is the permanent home

of the most comprehensive

collection of the great Spanish

artist’s work. The new facility,

centered around a geodesic

glass structure, more than

doubles the size of the original

museum’s gallery space, with

space for visiting exhibitions as

well as the permanent Salvador

Dalí collection, which includes

more than 2,100 pieces.

Another treat for visitors is the

recently renovated Clearwater

Marine Aquarium, a nonprofit

organization dedicated to the

rescue, rehabilitation and release

of injured marine animals. This

facility will gain even more

fame in September, when a

major 3D motion picture called

Dolphin Tale debuts nationwide

and internationally. The movie

has a star-studded human cast,

but the biggest star is Winter,

the aquarium’s resident bottle-

nosed dolphin, who got a

new lease on life, thanks to a

custom-made prosthetic tail.

Visitors to the aquarium can

get an up-close look through

windows in the dolphin pool,

while the 100-seat, wide-screen

theater and expanded gift shop

offer additional opportunities

to make the most of each visit.

Another important cultural

institution is the Chihuly

Collection, a permanent

exhibition of world-renowned

artist Dale Chihuly’s unique

artwork, set in a magnificent

10,000-square-foot facility

designed by award-winning

architect Albert Alfonso.

Located on the waterfront in

downtown St. Petersburg, the

exhibit includes many of his

signature glass-blown elements.

Popular destinations for sun-

seekers include Caladesi Island

State Park, which was named

America’s Best Beach in 2008 by

coastal geologist Dr. Stephen P.

Leatherman, and Fort De Soto’s

North Beach, voted best beach

by Leatherman in 2005 and by

TripAdvisor in 2008 and 2009.

Vacationers can also

participate in a variety of unique

activities while enjoying the

natural surroundings, thanks

to companies like Stand Up

Fitness, a fitness and recreation

company that specializes in

stand-up paddleboarding, a fast-

growing sport that combines

the tranquility of paddling with

the thrill of surfing. And in

Tarpon Springs — a town with

a rich Greek heritage visible in

its shops and traditional sponge

fishing industry — visitors can

soak up the sun during the

Sponge-O-Rama sightseeing

cruise, which often provides the

opportunity to spot dolphins

and manatees.

For more information,

contact Visit St. Pete/Clearwater

at visitstpeteclearwater.com or

727-464-7200.

May 24, 2011 tuesdayAmtrak Sets Revenue and Ridership RecordsBy Harvey Chipkin

Celebrating its 40th year in

2011, Amtrak is setting records

in ridership and revenue.

According to David Lim,

chief marketing officer for the

national rail line, ridership in

the fiscal year that ended last

September 30 was almost 29

million passengers while annual

revenue was $1.7 billion.

More, revenue on the long-

haul trains that are popular

with international travelers were

up between 6 percent and 24

percent, depending on the route.

And, on the heavily trafficked

routes between Boston and

Washington, Amtrak had 69

percent of the market versus

the airlines on the New York

to Washington leg (up from 61

percent); and 53 percent on the

New York to Boston segment.

“While we’re not even in

high season yet,” says Lim, “it’s

safe to say that we’re on pace to

have the best year in the history

of the company.” And the spike

in gas prices, said Lim, should

also add to a successful year for

the rail line.

At International Pow, says

Lim, Amtrak will once again

be a sponsor of the America’s

National Parks’ Monument

Monday luncheon, which

will promote the rail line’s

strong historical connection

to the national parks. As part

of that process, the website

Amtraktoparks.com is being

enhanced. And, working with

the California Travel & Tourism

Commission, Amtrak will

operate a post-Pow Wow trip to

Yosemite National Park.

In fact, Amtrak serves

directly or has nearby access to

more than 300 national parks.

That’s why the line, says Lim,

is bringing awareness to the

public about trains as a way to

get to the national parks that is

frequently overlooked.

Amtrak will also be

sponsoring internet kiosks at

Pow Wow. The rail line has

been on the board of U.S. Travel

Association and its predecessors

for 39 of its 40 years; and Lim is

on the board of directors.

The line launched its

YouTube channel in March at

www.youtube.com/Amtrak. It

features TV commercials and a

message from the CEO; content

will be added on a regular

basis.

Amtrak continues to improve

its product. The line has

ordered 130 new single-level,

long-distance coach cars that

will be used on long-distance

routes on the east coast. Also

purchased were 70 new electric

locomotives for the northeast

corridor; the first will go into

service in 2013.

A year after free Wi-Fi access

was introduced on Acela high-

speed trains, says Lim, it is being

added to Northeast Regional

trains with that process to be

completed by the end of this

year; it will also be added to

other long-haul trains.

And Lim reminds

international travel sellers that

the Auto Train (which carries

cars from the Washington

D.C. area to Florida) has great

potential for international

travelers.

Amtrak, says Lim, continues

to add to its network of trade-

oriented websites. Travel sellers

can get commissionable fares

at Amtrak.railagent.com; tour

operators at Amtraktour.

railagent.com; and information

for all travel partners is available

at Amtrakagentsupport.com

And the line continues its

partnership with Rail Europe,

Inc. and RE4A.

The future is bright, says

Lim, who notes that the current

administration in Washington

is very supportive of high-

speed rail projects around the

country. Amtrak will bid on

those projects, but even when

it does not run those lines,

they will connect to Amtrak’s

national network.

lim

hot oFF the Press: celebrating the ribbon cutting at the Discover america Media Marketplace were (left to right) Malcolm smith, u.s. travel association; steve Joyce, choice hotels international and u.s. travel association national chair; roger Dow, u.s. travel association; Mike Gallagher and Mike Morey, both of cityPass.

lei oF the lanD: the aloha state of hawaii was the hot topic when Denise ster-ling (far left), Westjet vacations, calgary, canada met with delegates from lahaina, hawaii, including (left to right) carolyn Mccammon, hyatt regency Maui and kalani nakoa and susan haigh-bishop, both of ka’anapali beach hotel.

a bit oF broaDWay: Million Dollar Quartet, which features the music of legends of rock and roll, took to the stage Monday at Pow Wow.

roger Dow, u.s. travel association president and ceo, addressed delegates at Monday’s lunch.

The U.S. Travel Association’s social media channels are running in full gear, including here at International Pow Wow.

On Twitter, more than 450 Pow Wow-related tweets were posted through Sunday with the Pow Wow hashtag #ipw11. The Pow Wow Twitter handle is @USTravelPowWow.

The association’s regular Twitter handle is @USTravel.

On Facebook, U.S. Travel Association can be found at facebook.com/ustravelassociation.

San Francisco, known as one of the greenest cities in the U.S., extends its innovative recycling program to Moscone Center. Delegates can pick up information and labels to use for recycling material and goods that can be donated to local charities at the Freeman Service Desk or by visiting the website moscone.com.

Green recycling labels can be used for unwanted literature, and blue donation labels are designed for reusable goods for charities. The items will be collected at the close of the event.

NEWS BRIEFS

Jim evans, ctP ceo

21I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y

May 24, 2011 tuesdayMonday’s Pow Wow: Business and Fun

T R a v E L   W E E K L y   / U . S .   T R a v E L

Evans Addresses Pow Wowgiant has awoken.”

Cloobeck presented a new

video promoting the CTP

and Evans spoke about his

enthusiasm for the work that

lies ahead.

“I don’t believe there is any

country in the world that offers

more to its visitors, whether

they’re business travelers or

leisure travelers,” Evans said.

“And, I know there is no

country in the world that has a

marketing team like all of you

to take this great brand to the

marketplace, day in and day

out.”

Evans vowed that the CTP

would benefit the travel

industry both inside the United

States and abroad.

“We’ll be working to develop

marketing strategies that will

deliver new visitors to hundreds

of destinations across our

nation, and we’ll be working to

put together a strategy to create

the funding to support all of

our marketing initiatives. This

is just the beginning, and I can

assure you with great confidence

that our board of directors and

I are excited and committed to

deliver impressive results for

our industry.”

continued from page 1

takinG a DiP: among the delegates sampling chocolate-dipped strawberries from the vlahos Fruit stand were (left to right) anna andriychuk, bcD travel; oleksander Pigolenko,trime travel centre; ivan kovpak, vremena Goda; and igor Galenko of Galileo eastern europe. all are from kiev, ukraine.

on the WaterFront: enjoying sunday’s lavish rock the night evening event at Pier 39 were (left to right) steve crist, Palm beach county (Fla.) convention and visitors bureau; kate connor, seagate hotel & spa, Delray beach, Fla.; christopher berr, PGa national resort and spa, Palm beach Gardens, Fla.; and caroline stan-ton, Palm beach county convention and visitors bureau, london.

bear With us: a friendly polar bear greeted Joann Mulnix (left to right) and Joan hane, both of ramada Mall of america; and Millie Philipp of Mall of america, all of bloomington, Minn.

sMiles at sunset: sharing a moment at sunset were (left to right) regis Mikelbren-cis, nanuq Destinations, Montreal; isabelle trotzier, interface tourism France, Paris; Fabrice nidiau,tourismes.tv, bondy, France; and rana noroozi, nanuq Destinations, new york city.

biG banD: the university of california, berkeley, straw hat band set a lively mood at the entrance to Pier 39 as delegates arrived to rock the night.

Merry eveninG: the carousel at Pier 39’s created a colorful backdrop for (left to right) anita abel and aminta vasquez-billot, both of american tours international, los angeles; bertin salas, radisson Fisherman’s Wharf, san Francisco; and Jenny tecklen-burg, also of american tours international.

tuesdayMay 24, 2011

22 I N T E R N a T I o N a L   P o W   W o W   d a I L y

Pow Wow Rocks the Night at PIER 39

T R a v E L   W E E K L y   /   U . S .   T R a v E L