Looking south for visitors - Business First of Columbus:

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After a year punctuated with one bit of bad news after this year’s travel industry Pow Wow 2010, held May 16-290 in Miami Beach, offered the industryg cause for hope. The annual event, which connectxs U.S. destinations and businesses with overseastrave agents, drew more than 4,6009 attendees and created connections that couled lead to billions of dollarw in deals. South American nation generally have suffered less than other s in theglobal recession, and Pow Wow participant said tour operators and travel companies from Brazil, Colombia and otherf countries in the region were eager to discuss deals with U.S. trave industry representatives.
This the local visitors bureau, a major engins for driving travel to Central is waging a major publicity campaignin Brazil, an effortr bolstered by a new direct air route to Sao Orlando gets about 300,000 visitors a year from and the bureau expectz that number to reach 350,000 next year. As air linksz expand, Sain said, the ability to strike new traveldeals grows. “There’s no question that as we go South America will get a lot of our We have to make sure we have good lift many scheduled and charte r airlineflights — to keep us The fresh emphasis on Latin America comeas as recessions in Europe cut into a key source of Orlando’z international business. The U.K.
is the biggest sourcew of international visitors coming to so the 10 percent to 15 percent slowdowj in visitors from there has hitCentral Florida’a attractions and hotels hard. Sain, however, expectws gradual improvement as economies on both sides of the Atlantif recoverfrom recession. Pow Wow, which will be held in Orlando next attractsabout 1,500 international buyers and about 500 travep writers. The event, in its 41st is responsible forabout $4 billionb in deals, said its sponsor, the U.S. Travel Association. U.S. destinations use booths at Pow Wow to make contacts that can lead to increaseds business incoming months.
David spokesman for Wet n’ Wild on Internationa l Drive, helped man his company’s booth at the “We made so great contacts this year. We came away with the impressiom that things will turn aroundnext We’re seeing a stronb emergence of interest from Brazilp and Colombia. Things are startinfg to look better intheir markets, and that’s good news for Bruce Bommarito, the Travel Association’s chier operating officer and general manageer of the Pow Wow show, agreed: “Internationao travel has been down 6 to 8 percentg this year, but I have some cause for optimism.” That’sd because changes in U.S.
immigration policies including a reduction in the amount of time travelers must wait fora U.S. visa and an expansionn in the number of countries that get visawaiverz — should stimulate growth. Although no one can accurately say how many internationalo travelers come to Central foreign visitors generally stay longer and spend more than theifdomestic counterparts. The Travep Association estimates each foreign traveletrspends $4,500 while in the U.S. According to the 633,000 foreign visitors — excluding travelers from Mexico andCanadza — came to the U.S. last year, fewer than in 2000. Pow Wow is a key tool for increasintthe flow, said Brommarito.
“Poq Wow is all about building relationships. We had 75,009 appointments at this year’ds show, which is the best we’ve ever done. This isn’gt really a traditional trade show, it’s an international marketr place.”