Brand USA Opens 2022 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism
Chris Thompson, Brand USA CEO, highlights international inbound travel recovery efforts and longstanding partnership with Travel Michigan
Traverse City, Michigan (April 21, 2022) – This week, Brand USA, the official destination marketing organization for the United States, joined its partners in Michigan at the 2022 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. As the opening keynote speaker, Chris Thompson, Brand USA president and CEO, talked about travel recovery efforts and how the organization is helping Travel Michigan welcome back international visitors to boost the state’s economy.
“Tourism is vital to the state of Michigan. In pre-pandemic times, the state saw approximately $1.5 billion in international travel spending, which impacted local communities and businesses alike,” said Thompson. “Understanding the crucial role international tourism has on the state, we’re extremely grateful for our longstanding partnership with Travel Michigan and the opportunity to share Michigan’s story with travelers from around the world.”
During his presentation, Thompson reflected on Brand USA’s efforts and the international travel landscape since U.S. borders reopened in November 2021. He also shared how Brand USA has worked with Travel Michigan for nearly a decade to market the state internationally through multi-channel campaigns, the Global Inspiration Program and by highlighting Michigan as a destination with the travel trade in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, among other efforts. The latest content Brand USA created to promote Michigan, and is sharing across social platforms globally, tells the story of a father and daughter exploring the Great Lakes region, including Belle Island. This piece of content is part of Brand USA’s award-winning United Stories campaign.
Additional information on Brand USA and its efforts to increase incremental visitation, spend, and market share to the U.S. is available at www.TheBrandUSA.com.
About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.