Nation’s top tourism marketers headline Nevada’s new Global Tourism Summit
CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Division of Tourism (Travel Nevada) will present its inaugural Governor’s Global Tourism Summit in November, featuring keynote speaker Chris Thompson, president/CEO of Brand USA, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison announced today.
The Global Tourism Summit is the evolution of the long-running Governor’s Conference on Tourism, and will take place at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas on Nov. 16-17.
According to the World Tourism Organization, destinations worldwide received some 332 million international tourists between January and April 2015, 14 million more than the same period last year, an increase of 4 percent. By region, the Americas (+6 percent) led growth, followed by Europe, Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East.
In the United States, year-to-date international visitor spending is up 1 percent, totaling $112.2 billion for the first six months of 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries with Nevada as the fourth most visited state for inbound international travelers.
“Our sophisticated tourism industry demands a stronger focus on international marketing, and that’s why we have evolved the annual tourism conference to focus entirely on the global market,” Hutchison, chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, said. “Gov. Sandoval has made a point throughout his tenure as governor to keep Nevada competitive by looking forward and moving nimbly with the changing business landscape, and this is perhaps no more evident than in the tourism industry.”
Presenting the conference opening session, Christopher Thompson, President/CEO of Brand USA, has been at the helm of developing international marketing programs for Brand USA, the nation's public-private partnership dedicated to increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts. Thompson is responsible for accelerating the organization’s efforts to build and execute effective marketing strategies to increase U.S. travel exports, create jobs, strengthen the economy, and help enhance the image of the United States among people all over the world.
Also presenting at a general session is David Houle, global futurist and author of “Entering the Shift Age,” an Amazon.com No. 1 bestseller, and “Brand Shift: The Future of Brands and Marketing,” which was named one of the top five marketing books published in 2014.
“Travel Nevada has been working in the international marketing arena for more than a decade with representative offices in nine international markets, most recently expanding into India,” Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, said. “International travelers visit every corner of Nevada; our goal is to ensure statewide partners understand how to promote their product and effectively welcome visitors from diverse cultures.”
The popular Nevada Marketplace will expand this year with a record 10 countries represented, including India for the first time. This is an opportunity for Nevada travel suppliers to meet with international buyers – tour operators, receptive operators, wholesalers, online travel agents, and airlines – for one-on-one meetings. Marketplace attendance is included in the conference registration fee.
Registration for the Governor’s Global Tourism Summit is now available at governorsconference.org. Register by Sept. 4 to secure the early-bird registration fee of $200. Registration will increase to $250 until Oct. 31, and late and on-site registration will be $300. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
To get the latest conference news and updates, like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NevadaTourism, and to learn more about Nevada tourism, visit Travel Nevada.com.
