Partners

FREE ACTIVITIES! (Well, almost free…)

HELP HOST A FAMILIARIZATION TOUR

Seeing is believing, right? CRUSA fam tours are an excellent, cost-effective way to showcase your product to overseas tour operators and media. CRUSA will host 27 group and individual media tours and 10 tours for tour operators during 2009-10. Our media fams generated more than $11 million worth of earned media coverage last year. Capture a piece of this coverage for your product!

All clients will be pre-qualified by CRUSA’s overseas PR and sales representatives and all co-hosts will receive client feedback from a post-fam online survey. If you want to be included on an upcoming media or trade fam tour by providing complimentary/discounted accommodations, meals, admissions, sightseeing or transportation, please contact Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168 kpetersen@capitalregionusa.org.

HELP SPONSOR A CONSUMER PROMOTION

CRUSA organizes consumer promotions and sweepstakes with media partners in our overseas markets to generate editorial coverage for the destination. Last year these promotions generated more than $700,000 in earned media value! You can create exposure for your hotel in these promotions by sponsoring a couple of nights lodging as part of a sweepstakes offer. To participate please contact Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168.

REACH TRAVEL AGENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Description: Travel Uni, founded by BMI Publications (publishers of Selling Long

Haul magazine), is the UK’s leading online training program providing an easily

accessible, comprehensive and interactive opportunity for travel agents to learn about 50+ destinations worldwide 24/7 and to become a recognized destination specialist. CRUSA’s site on the Travel Uni platform includes 90+ pages of content to enhance travel agents’ knowledge on how to sell the destination. Over 300 agents have registered, making it one of the most visited USA destination sites. Our goal for 2010 is 400 registered agents. To see the current site visit: www.capitalregiontraining.com and enter: Username: Travel_Agent Password: training

Interested partners are invited to help encourage more agent registrations and generate awareness for their own products by providing 25 prize giveaways, to be used as agent incentives.

Benefits:

• Partners providing giveaways will receive coverage in one Travel Uni monthly e-newsletter to 20,000 travel agents and one issue of Selling Long Haul magazine (circ: 16,000 travel agents)

Audience: Travel Agents

Dates: Ongoing

Cost: Provide 25 prize giveaways to be used as incentives to increase agent registrations. Examples of giveaways include backpacks, I-pod accessories, spa kits, cuddly toys, mugs, notebooks, beach towels, tee shirts or hats. (You will be responsible for shipping your items to a UK address provided by CRUSA.)

Contact: Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168

STAY IN TOUCH WITH OUR OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES

CRUSA’s public relations firms in the UK and Germany are in constant contact with media to pitch story ideas, organize media visits and create buzz for the Capital Region. They need your best story ideas that will have appeal to an overseas traveler. Here are the main themes CRUSA will be promoting to the media:

• Holiday shopping
• Wintertime Fun
• Romantic Getaways & Spas
• Spring Festivals & Garden Tours
• Equestrian destinations & events
• Wineries & Food Festivals
• Natural Foods/Farm to Table/Farmers Markets
• Summer Travel Tips
• Rails & Sails
• Small Town America/Main Streets & Neighborhoods
• Free Activities
• Family Fun
• Civil War Battlefields & Museums

Be sure to keep them up-to-date on your products and services.

WEB MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES ON capitalregionusa.org

Benefits:

• Reach overseas travelers while they are actively researching their next holiday to the USA & CRUSA
• You can post your video, brochure or travel packages, create a special itinerary that highlights your destination or purchase a banner ad that links directly to your website.
• Chose the opportunity and budget that is right for you from the choices below!

Audience: Consumers

BELGIUM

WHAT IS A VISIT USA COMMITTEE?

Also known as See America or Discover America Committees, these organizations are made up of U.S. travel industry representatives based in-country and conduct a variety of in-market activities on a volunteer basis including:

• Represent both the private and public sector interests relevant to promoting international travel to the U.S.
• Organize promotional activities
• Run trade shows and consumer information centers
• Support existing marketing activities.

To see a complete list of Committees visit the U.S. Travel Association website and click on International. www.tia.org

VISIT USA TRAINING & WORKSHOP

Description: Join CRUSA in hosting a training session for 80 travel agents from Belgium. Each partner will receive 15 minutes during a 45-minute CRUSA PowerPoint presentation to train agents on their product. Training sessions are followed by an evening table-top workshop and reception for 200 travel agents, tour operators and media from across Belgium. Both events are organized by the Visit USA Committee in Belgium. Partners will also participate in a day of sales calls targeting top tour operators around Belgium with CRUSA representative Gerda Arnauts. Limited to two partners.

Benefits:

• Seminars and workshops are professionally organized by the Visit USA Committee in Belgium, who carefully screen buyers
• Participation in the CRUSA booth at the workshop
• Participation in sales calls to top tour operators with CRUSA’s in-market representative
• Seminar and workshop participant list will be shared with each partner

Audience: Tour operators, Travel Agents & Media

Date: March 8, 2010

Deadline: November 15, 2009

Cost: $2,000 + travel expenses

Contact: Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168

LATIN AMERICA

EXPO VACACIONES TRADE SHOW, MEXICO CITY

Description: Mexico’s most important travel trade event for promoting Visit USA travel with an attendance of 200+ travel agents and operators; organized by the Visit USA Committee in Mexico. This event combines a media day, trade show and 1 on 1 scheduled appointments with Mexican tour wholesalers. The two‐day event will be combined with sales calls organized by Natalia Rubio from CRUSA’s Mexico City representation office. Space is limited to four delegates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Benefits:

• Participation in the CRUSA booth
• Inclusion of material in press kits for See America Media Day
• Sales calls in Mexico City with CRUSA sales representative
• Complete sales lead report will be shared with each partner

Audience: Tour Operators, Travel Agents & Media

Dates: March 1-3, 2010

Deadline: January 15, 2010

Cost: $2,000 + travel expenses

Contact: Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168

VISIT USA WORKSHOPS BRAZIL

Description: The Visit USA Seminars and Workshops in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil bring together the top travel trade and media representatives in the two main areas of the country. In 2009, more than 950 buyers and media were present and 45 companies exhibited. CRUSA will exhibit at the workshops in both cities. Tour operator sales calls and training opportunities will be arranged in both cities by CRUSA’s in-country sales representative. Limited to four partners.

Benefits:

• Seminars and workshops are professionally organized by the VISIT USA Association in Brazil, who carefully screen buyers
• Participation in sales calls with CRUSA and United Airlines
• Complete sales lead report will be shared with each partner

Audience: Tour Operators, Travel Agents & Media

Dates: April 2010

Deadline: March 1, 2010

Cost: $2,000 + travel expenses

Contact: Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168

LATIN AMERICAN SALES MISSION/TRADE EVENT

Description: Join the CRUSA delegation for a sales mission to Mexico and Brazil to meet one on one with key travel trade and media representatives in each country. The details of the initiative will be confirmed by the end of 2009. In 2008, leisure traffic from Latin America increased to the Capital Region USA and projections for 2010 are positive with arrivals increasing 3% from Mexico and 5% from Brazil. On average, the Latin American traveler stays in the Capital Region USA longer and registers the highest spending per stay compared to the other international markets. Limited to four partners.

Benefits:

• Scheduled appointments with tour operators and media
• Access to CRUSA’s in-country representatives for Latin America
• Distribution of materials
• Complete Sales Lead report available

Audience: Tour Operators, Travel Agents & Media

Dates: Dates and Location TBD

Deadline: July 15, 2010

Cost: $2,000 + travel expenses

Contact: Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168

US - BASED MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

INTERNATIONAL POW WOW SHOW, ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Description: USTA’s International Pow Wow is the travel industry’s premier international marketplace. In just three days of intensive pre-scheduled, computer-generated business appointments, more than 1,000 U. S. travel organizations and close to 1,500 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries conduct business negotiations that result in the generation of over $3.5 billion in future Visit USA travel. At Pow Wow, the Washington, DC, Virginia & Maryland booths are located together to create a branded Capital Region USA aisle.

For details visit: http://www.tia.org/powwow/index.html

Audience: Tour Operators, Receptive Operators & Media

Dates: May 15-19, 2010

Contact: Your state/city tourism office for availability and pricing

2011 CAPITAL REGION USA HOLIDAY GUIDES. View Rate Card. (pdf 450.54 kB)

Description: The CRUSA Holiday Guide is the primary response piece distributed to consumers and the travel trade in our target markets of the UK, Germany, France, the Benelux, Mexico and Brazil. 175,000 copies will be printed and distributed in 2011 in English and German languages with an anticipated readership of 468,000. Smaller print runs of 10,000 each will be produced in French and Spanish. All guides are also available on the CRUSA website.

Benefits:

• The official publication promoting Washington, DC, Virginia & Maryland to overseas consumers
• CRUSA’s primary consumer & trade print response piece in all markets
• Professionally edited by Phoenix International Publishing and translated by CRUSA’s in-market representatives
• Accessible from the CRUSA website

Audience: Consumers and the Travel Trade in all Overseas markets

Dates: Ad closing in late July 2010; published in November 2010

Cost: Rates begin at approximately $2500

Contact: Larry Cohen, Northeast Media Group, tel. 203-255-8800

2008 INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH

Description: CRUSA’s 2008 International research reports are important tools in determining your international marketing strategy and in assigning financial resources to this market segment. The reports measure visitor arrivals, spending and visitor characteristics for overseas travelers to Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland. The reports are based on the US Dept. of Commerce, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) In‐Flight Survey.

Benefits:

The reports provide details on the following topics:

• Overseas arrivals to CRUSA
• Arrivals to CRUSA from key markets
• Length of stay
• Spending
• Most popular leisure activities
• Travel party size
• Trip purpose
• Port of entry
• Transportation within CRUSA
• Advance trip decision time
• Primary information sources
• How CRUSA performed relative to the USA

Cost: $500 includes four reports (Overseas, UK, Germany and the Spending Report). At no extra charge you will also receive reports for the following secondary markets: France, Benelux, Scandinavia, Latin America and China.

Note: Arrival information in the secondary market reports is based on survey sample sizes below 250 respondents and should be used for comparison purposes only.

Contact: Kimberly Petersen, 804-562-0168