Chris Thompson travel tips

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, June 15. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Amid the fanfare of a press conference about the growth of inbound United States tourism, Brand USA Today officially introduced its new president and CEO and bid goodbye to its longtime leader after a dozen years of service.Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, welcomed Fred Dixon into the DMO’s top role. Dixon is the current president and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions.He will take over in July for Chris Thompson, who announced his retirement from the role last year. Thompson held the role of Brand USA president and CEO from 2012 until 2024.

Many American tourism marketers are well-paid. Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta recently collected more than $1.5 million in compensation. Brand USA CEO Chris Thompson recently took home over $700,000.

Chinese tourists aren’t rushing to get a U.S. visitor visa like they did before the pandemic, according to a State Department official speaking Saturday at IPW, a travel trade conference focused on international inbound travel.

The U.S. travel industry will see a full recovery in Chinese and Japanese tourism by 2026 — one year earlier than previously projected, according to the U.S. National and Travel Tourism Office’s latest annual forecast released Tuesday.

Los Angeles Tourism is launching its most expensive and far-reaching advertising campaign on February 1 in Paris. 

You’ve picked a ship, booked an itinerary and chosen your cabin, but even with the hardest part done, figuring out the ship’s layout and how to get a spot on a popular outing can be daunting. Here’s how to prepare for a smooth first sailing.

The U.S. and China will improve air connectivity and streamline visa processing, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in public remarks on Wednesday. Xi made the remarks at a dinner hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and US-China Business Council. 

Britain won’t see a full recovery in Chinese tourism next year – it won’t be until 2025 when Chinese tourists return to their pre-pandemic levels, VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates told the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday.

U.S. tourism businesses just finished their first post-pandemic sales missions to China — their first trips in four years.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, September 6. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

With the pandemic now over, what’s the future of tourism? What does the decline of full-time office employees mean for tourism and business travel? Why hasn’t U.S. solved its visa delay mess? We’ll discuss these topics with the executives of NYC Tourism+Conventions, U.S. Travel Association, Visit Britain, Intrepid Travel and others on-stage at the Skift Global Forum in New York on September 26-28. 

In just the past few days, there have been two key moves that ease restrictions for travel from China to the U.S. Tourism officials have been clear that the lifting of these restrictions is critical to a full recovery –though key hurdles remain. On Thursday, China lifted pandemic-era group tour restrictions for the U.S. and other key markets. Before the lift, Chinese travel agencies were banned from selling outbound group or package travel to the U.S.

International travel to the U.S. has been recovering faster since the U.S. lifted its vaccine requirement for inbound travelers in May, said Brand USA CEO and President Chris Thompson at a U.S. Senate hearing Tuesday. The absence of China, however, will prevent a full recovery.

The U.S. travel industry has made tremendous progress in its recovery from the pandemic. Bookings for hotels, car rentals and tour activities have risen almost 30% from last year for travel between between Memorial Day and Labor Day — numbers that are expected to increase, according to travel organization AAA.

Chris Thompson will step down as president and CEO of Brand USA, effective May 31, 2024. Brand USA is the U.S. ‘s destination marketing organization. Brand USA’s board of directors will work with an executive search firm to find a successor.

International travel to the U.S. has not returned to its 2019 peak, though some markets are doing better than others. Germany, for example, likely needs another year to recover, while India should exceed it this year, said Brand USA President and CEO Chris Thompson. None of that, however, will be enough to make up for the loss of China.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, August 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

U.S. tourism organizations and businesses are replacing the billions of dollars in Chinese tourist spending with other markets.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, August 10. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines will both add more flights to China this fall and winter as geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China begin easing.