Atlanta,
GA – October 2021 / Newsmaker Alert / Travel
South USA is inspiring post-pandemic travel through the launch
of its International
Showcase later this year, bringing industry professionals together
back in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the first time since 2014.
The
event, taking
place from November 30-December 1, 2021, will connect European,
Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) tour operators with southern destinations
and suppliers. The program will feature the gateway of Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport, the home airport of presenting sponsor Delta
Air Lines, and key airports in the South.
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Travel
South USA teams across the EMEAI region are working together to select
international tour operators to participate. Elite international buyers
will fly exclusively with Delta Air Lines and visit the southern region
to experience its famous hospitality. A specialized program has been created
exclusively for the buyers featuring presentations by state tourism offices,
selected appointment scheduling, and access to all marketplace functions
and social networking opportunities. New buyers provide growth opportunities
for southern destinations and connect people to generate tourism revenue.
“It
has been a tough 18 months of the pandemic but we believe there is no time
like the present to host select international tour operators and journalists
at the upcoming International Showcase and prove we are open and ready
with safety protocols for global business and leisure travelers,” said
Liz Bittner, president & CEO, Travel South USA.
As
global travel slowed, airports across the South continued their expansion
and modernization projects. The new investments at Atlanta airport (ATL)
continue to make international travel safe and efficient, while specialty
restaurants, high-tech plug-ins for electronics, new signage, kiosks, and
baggage systems are ready as international travelers return. More than
a billion dollars of infrastructure and investments have been made at airports
in New Orleans (MSY), Memphis (MEM), Nashville (BNA), Lafayette (LFT),
and Birmingham (BHM) combined. Travel via these airports will be included
in pre and post familiarization tours for delegates attending the International
Showcase.
About
Travel South USA
Travel
South USA is America’s oldest and largest regional travel promotion
organization, formed in 1965. The long-standing regional collaboration
of the state tourism offices of Alabama,
Arkansas,
Georgia,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee,
Virginia
and West Virginia provides a foundation
to positively position tourism as a vital and dynamic element in the region’s
economic development.
In
2019, tourism ranked throughout the region as one of the top three industries,
behind manufacturing and agriculture, and was responsible for $133 billion
in spending by visitors, generating 1.4 million direct jobs, $30 billion
in worker paychecks, and almost $16 billion in state and local taxes. Visit
TravelSouthUSA.com
for consumer information and TravelSouthUSA.org
for travel industry information.
Contact:
Angelica
De Stefano
Travel
South USA
Manager,
Communications & Events
404-231-1790
ext. 106
Travel
South USA: Facebook
/ Twitter / YouTube |