Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip will be focusing on growing its non-air business in fiscal 2025, Prashant Pitti, its co-founder, said during an earnings call Friday.
08.05.2024 - 08:09 / breakingtravelnews.com / Brand
At U.S. Travel’s IPW – the largest generator of international inbound travel to the United States – Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman shared a vision to make travel a national priority, solve barriers to visitation growth, and become the most-visited nation in the world.
“It should be our national goal to be nothing short of number one in terms of visitor arrivals, visitor spend and visitor experience,” Freeman said. “But our ambitions are constrained by excessively long wait times for visitor visas, often-lengthy waits at customs, and an air traffic control system that is challenged to meet demand. Achieving travel growth will require a sustained focus by government and industry to address frictions and improve the process for travelers.”
The 55th annual IPW is being held May 3-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. IPW drives more than $5.5 billion in economic impact in future travel to the U.S.
A decade of opportunity for the United States
Freeman pointed to a decade of opportunity ahead as the United States prepares to welcome millions of new travelers to major events in destinations nationwide, such as Copa America this summer, the FIFA World Cup games and America’s 250th celebration in 2026, and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, among others that will attract leisure and business travelers.
ADVERTISEMENT
At U.S. Travel’s IPW press conference, Freeman was joined by a panel of the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, including co-chair Kevin McAleenan, former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Patty Cogswell, former Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. They participated in a conversation focused on creating a more efficient, secure and modern travel system for the U.S. The commission—comprised of former government officials and private sector experts—is tasked with making policy recommendations to modernize the travel experience, increase U.S. travel competitiveness and facilitate growth.
Freeman told media, “IPW is back,” citing attendance this year of approximately 5,700 attendees from nearly 70 countries. IPW convenes U.S. travel suppliers with international tour operators and buyers for 100,000 scheduled business appointments over three days. This year’s IPW saw a 20% increase in attendance over 2023’s event, an indication of travel’s continuing recovery. However, total inbound visitation to the U.S. remained at just 84% recovered (at the end of 2023) of 2019 levels, so much work remains ahead to build arrivals and increase market share.
Brand USA returned as premier sponsor of IPW. American Express is the official card of the U.S. Travel Association.
The 56th IPW will be held in Chicago from June 14-18,
Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip will be focusing on growing its non-air business in fiscal 2025, Prashant Pitti, its co-founder, said during an earnings call Friday.
Chase Travel grew sales last year at a pace on par with Booking Holdings and far ahead of Expedia Group.
Jamaica showcased the best of its heritage in food, dance and music last night (May 20) to over 1,000 delegates from more than 45 countries who are attending the 42nd Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM42), being held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
Connecting Travel Marketplace, formerly Global Travel Marketplace, is set to expand with new editions in the UK and Italy, enhancing its role in connecting high-spend travel industry professionals. This evolution aligns with Jacobs Media’s 15th anniversary and aims to boost global travel business opportunities.
The IMEX Frankfurt workshop, led by IAPCO and partners, empowered emerging leaders with tools for leadership, mentorship, and strategic thinking in the meeting industry.
Conference aims to enhance industry competitiveness through initiatives focused on environment, connectivity, market liberalisation and much more.
Resources required to implement new technology platforms and maintaining customer satisfaction rank highest as challenges for the year ahead.
Aruba Tourism Authority introduces myAruba Assistant, an AI tool enhancing travel planning, alongside significant sustainability initiatives and developments to improve the visitor experience on the island.
Cindy McCabe. (Source: Cindy McCabe)
Even in 2024, the question “can Americans travel to Cuba?” is still frequently asked among US travelers. Few destinations create such simultaneous longing and confusion as this crocodile-shaped island only 95 miles south of Key West. It has held a mythic status since the early 20th century for its vibrant mix of Latin and Caribbean cultures, its hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, its African-influenced music, and its vintage charm; today, Chevrolets and Buicks from the ’50s rattle down Spanish colonial streets in Old Havana that have hardly changed since Ernest Hemingway was knocking back mojitos there.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, May 16. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Congress has passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs by overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate, leading to greater protections for travelers.