News Release

SYDNEY (May 5, 2021)—Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, will host Focus On Australia & New Zealand—a virtual gathering that will provide U.S partners with the latest insights on the Australian and New Zealand travel and media landscapes—on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The event will take place on Brand USA Global Marketplace, an always-on platform that provides access to a diverse range of U.S. destinations, attractions, and points of interest for the international travel industry.

Chris Thompson, Brand USA president and CEO, says, “Historically, the Australia and New Zealand travel markets have been among the world’s most resilient, from prior downturns. With a strong economy and a huge increase in personal savings, Australia and New Zealand should rebound very strongly when borders open. As one of the United States’ top 11 markets, Australia and New Zealand are both vital to our nation’s ability to drive recovery and rebuild inbound international tourism.”

Focus On Australia & New Zealand will offer U.S. partners the chance to hear from a range of industry leaders and experts as they shine a spotlight on the rapidly evolving travel and consumer landscapes of Australia and New Zealand. Experts from across all sectors of the travel and tourism industry will provide strategic insights to help inform recovery plans when international travel resumes from Australia and New Zealand to the United States.

Program highlights include:

• The “Down Under” Pandemic Experience: Understand how Australia and New Zealand have navigated COVID-19 and what the immediate and near future hold for travel. A discussion between Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan Research and Jo Palmer, director of Brand USA in Australia and New Zealand will outline consumer sentiment toward travel, and how the economic landscape will contribute to the return of travelers to the U.S.
• The Future of the Aussie and Kiwi Traveler: The travel industry’s leading voices join a panel to discuss how the pandemic has impacted the structure of the tourism industry, and what that means going forward. Panelists Brett Jardine, managing director of the Council of Australian Tour Operators, Tom Manwaring, chairman of Australian Federation of Travel Agents (and CEO of Express Travel Group), and Brent Thomas, president of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (and COO of House of Travel) will discuss current trends in travel and the future of the Aussie and Kiwi traveler. This panel will be moderated by Bruce Piper, managing editor and publisher of Australia’s leading trade publication, Travel Daily.
• Targeting Aussie and Kiwi Travelers for Recovery: Brendan Watmore, co-founder and CEO of Tourist Tracka will showcase innovative technology to help U.S. partners identify which travelers are most likely to rebound first, providing an in-depth look into the right profile of traveler to be marketing to.
• The Aviation Outlook “Down Under”: Air New Zealand and United Airlines will share the airlines’ plans for the return of travel to the U.S. and what they think is the most important for recovery. Kathryn Robertson, group general manager sales at Air New Zealand, Julie Reid, director for Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti sales at United Airlines as well as Tommy Lindblad, marketing manager for Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Southeast Asia for United Airlines will discuss future outlook for their respective airlines, and how U.S. partners can support, when they are able to resume unrestricted flying.
• How are Media Preparing for the Return of U.S. Travel?: An in-depth look at the media landscape and emerging trends with Ben Groundwater, Australian freelance journalist, Stephanie Holmes, travel editor at New Zealand Herald, moderated by freelance travel writer, Rob McFarland. The panelists will discuss how the media landscape has evolved throughout the past year, current consumer sentiment, and demand.

Additionally, U.S. partners will have the opportunity to hear from five key travel companies in Australia and New Zealand for an in-depth update on their respective businesses via the Video On Demand room. Event attendees will hear from the market’s leading travel companies such as Helloworld Travel Group, House of Travel New Zealand, Adventure World, Luxury Escapes, and Expedia. These Video On Demand sessions will include organizational updates and hearing about how each has evolved over the past twelve months, key customer insights, U.S. travel outlook, and how U.S. partners can work with them now and in the near future.