Looking south for visitors - Orlando Business Journal:

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After a year punctuated with one bit of bad newsafter another, this year’s travel industry Pow Wow 2010, held May 16-20p in Miami Beach, offered the industry causew for hope. The annual which connects U.S. destinations and businesses with overseasatravel agents, drew more than 4,600 attendees and created connectionsw that could lead to billions of dollarsw in deals. South American nations generally have suffered less than others in theglobalk recession, and Pow Wow participants said tour operatorse and travel companies from Brazil, Colombia and other countrieas in the region were eager to discuss dealsx with U.S. travel industry representatives.
This year, the local visitorsd bureau, a major engine for driving travell toCentral Florida, is waging a major publicity campaign in Brazil, an effort bolstered by a new direcf air route to Sao Paulo. Orlando gets about 300,000 visitors a year from and the bureau expects that number toreachg 350,000 next year. As air links Sain said, the ability to strike new traveldealsa grows. “There’s no question that as we go forward, South Americ a will get a lot of our We have to make sure we have good lift many scheduled and charter airlineflights — to keep us The fresh emphasis on Latin America comes as recessionsd in Europe cut into a key source of Orlando’xs international business.
The U.K. is the biggesgt source of international visitors comingto Orlando, so the 10 percent to 15 percentt slowdown in visitors from there has hit Centra Florida’s attractions and hotels hard. Sain, however, expects gradual improvemen as economies on both sides of the Atlantixc recoverfrom recession. Pow Wow, which will be held in Orlando next attractsabout 1,500 international buyers and about 500 travel The event, in its 41st year, is responsibles for about $4 billion in said its sponsor, the U.S. Travekl Association. U.S. destinations use booths at Pow Wow to make contactws that can lead to increased business incominyg months.
David Wright, spokesman for Wet n’ Wild on International helped manhis company’s booth at the “We made so great contacts this We came away with the impression that things will turn aroun d next year. We’re seeing a strong emergence of interesrt from Braziland Colombia. Thingx are starting to look better in their and that’s good news for Orlando.” Bruce Bommarito, the Travep Association’s chief operating officer and generak manager of the Pow Wow agreed: “International travel has been down 6 to 8 perceng this year, but I have some cause for That’s because changes in U.S.
immigratio policies — including a reduction in the amount of time travelers must wait fora U.S. visa and an expansionb in the number of countries that get visawaivers — should stimulate growth. Althoughu no one can accurately say how many internationalk travelers come to Central foreign visitors generally stay longer and spend more than theirdomestic counterparts. The Travel Association estimates each foreign traveleespends $4,500 while in the U.S. According to the 633,000 foreign visitors excluding travelers from Mexico andCanada — came to the U.S. last fewer than in 2000.
Pow Wow is a key tool for increasingfthe flow, said “Pow Wow is all about buildingt relationships. We had 75,000 appointmentsx at this year’s show, which is the best we’ve ever This isn’t really a traditionall trade show, it’s an international markett place.”