Delegation from New York City, New York State, New England, Philadelphia and Washington, DC Making Stops in Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane – 18-22 July, 2016
Record visitation numbers, exciting new developments, hotels and products are all set to be showcased in the upcoming East Coast USA Mission to Australia and New Zealand. The delegation will include New York City, New York State, New England, Philadelphia and Washington, DC and they will be in Auckland 18 July, Melbourne 19 July, Sydney 20-21 July, concluding in Brisbane 22 July.
East Coast USA is a diverse area of America featuring the bright lights and big city experiences of New York City, the pretty coast and country of New York State – think wines, lakes and Niagara Falls, to the New England area featuring cities like Boston, lobster rolls and Fall Foliage, down to Philadelphia rich in history and culinary events and Washington, DC for its free attractions, diverse neighbourhoods and majestic monuments and memorials.
The four-city Mission will feature a series of events including B2B sessions, press events and travel agent expos. Door prizes provided by the delegation will be awarded at each expo, and agents will also be given the chance to win places on an East Coast USA familiarisation, taking place later in the year, with flights supplied by official airline partner American Airlines.
“The East Coast of the United States has never been more accessible for Australians with competitive flights, a variety of gateways and experts with more information than ever on where to go and what to do,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company.
Australians continue to be the fifth largest international market to New York City and the third highest spenders. “We love Australians and New Zealanders because they enjoy extended stays and are intrepid travellers, seeking out our lesser known neighbourhoods and boroughs for truly authentic experiences,” said Dixon. “New York City remains in the top three international destinations for Australians because of the City’s continual evolution – new hotels, attractions, exhibitions and tourism development.”
“As a result of historic investments and continued support for tourism destinations statewide, New York State is proud to welcome nearly 650,000 Australian travellers each year,” said Empire State Development Executive Director of Tourism, I LOVE NEW YORK, Gavin Landry. “We look forward to continuing to build awareness of our world-renowned destinations, grow the state’s global footprint, and encourage Australian and New Zealand travellers to experience the rich culture, history and adventure of New York State’s 11 vacation regions year-round.”
Lori Harnois, Executive Director of Discover New England said, “We are seeing 15.7 per cent growth year on year from Australian and New Zealand visitors as they explore beyond the gateways of Boston, New York City and Montreal Canada. Specifically, more than 69,000 Australians visit annually with an average length of stay of 8.9 nights. This has a total economic impact of more than US$80 million to the region”.
Discover New England is bringing eight partners to Australia and New Zealand as part of its continued investment into the market. “New England resonates extremely well with the intrepid Oceania traveller due to the diverse product offering inclusive of rich history and architecture, stunning vistas throughout the year including the amazing Fall Foliage,” said Harnois.
Philadelphia is centrally located between New York City and Washington, DC, and its compact, walkable and safe downtown is accessible and affordable. Learn about the beginnings of America at Independence National Historical Park, take in the world-class art collections along Museum Mile or enjoy outdoor activities in one of the city’s many picturesque parks.
Brian Said, Executive Director of Tourism, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau said, “Savvy travellers are beginning to combine multiple cities in the northeast region to maximise their experience. Australians and New Zealanders will be excited by the tax-free shopping on clothes and shoes in addition to the great value on accommodation.”
“According to our latest official statistics from 2014, Australian travellers contributed over US$23 million in total economic impact to the Philadelphia region. This puts them among our highest spending customers and based on a projected 35 per cent growth in visitation by 2020, it is a market that we see great potential in for future years. Not only are we seeing an increase in length-of-stay, but Australian visitors to Philadelphia spend, on average, 40 per cent more than the average overseas traveller to our city,” Said concluded.
In 2014, Australia was DC’s fifth international market with 86,000 visitors, an increase of 28 per cent from 2013. Elliott L. Ferguson II, President and CEO of Destination DC explains, “Increased airlift from New Zealand and Australia to the U.S. is making the East Coast a more desirable location among our Oceanic travellers. In DC, we have US$9.6 billion in development underway, including a US$2 billion Wharf project on the waterfront as well as new restaurants, nightlife and major hotel openings. It’s all contributing to increased interest in the region and providing even more opportunity for visitors to experience Washington beyond the iconic National Mall.”
The delegation includes: New England: Discover New England, Maine Office of Tourism, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing, New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development, Massachusetts Office of Tourism, White Mountains Attractions Association, The Cog Railway, New York City: NYC & Company, Hotel Edison, Marmara Hotels New York, Disney on Broadway, Broadway Inbound, New York Hilton Midtown, Hotel Metro New York City, Marriott International Inc., One World Observatory, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, InterContinental New York Barclay, New York State: I Love NY, Dutchess Tourism, Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, Washington, DC: Destination DC, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, Bike & Roll.
“American Airlines together with our partner Qantas offer the leading network to North America, providing Australians and New Zealanders with 14 daily services from Los Angeles to New York JFK and five daily services from San Francisco to New York JFK. American is the only airline to offer a three class transcontinental services on our A321T with a choice of first, business, main cabin extra and main cabin. Customers can stay connected with our inflight wi-fi and indulge in over 700 hours of personal in-seat on-demand entertainment, to make their transpacific journey enjoyable – whether they choose to work or relax,” said, Simon Dodd, American Airlines General Manager Australia & New Zealand.
For further media information on New England contact;
Corey Marshall
Discover New England
corey@canuckiwi.com
+ 64 21 555 463
NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organisation for the City of New York, dedicated to maximising travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.
New York State features 11 beautiful vacation regions. New York’s attractions span from landmarks such as Niagara Falls to the wine trails of Hudson Valley and treasures like the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Whether it’s wide-ranging outdoor activities for the whole family like hiking, culinary wonders and farm-to-table fresh foods, or exploring the rich history and culture of one of the 13 original colonies, New York State offers diverse activities for all travelers. For more information, visit www.iloveny.com. Media can find press releases and more at www.iloveny.com/thebeat.
Discover New England is a nonprofit cooperative destination-marketing organisation that promotes New England tourism internationally in partnership with the state tourism offices of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. To learn more, visit www.discovernewengland.org.
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), www.discoverPHL.com, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia globally, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has divisions dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets.
Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of nearly 850 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. www.washington.org.
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
