June 11, 2008
IN BRIEF: TOURISM, FILM AND THE ARTS NEWS

 

Maryland teams with CRUSA at international travel expo

Representatives of the Maryland Office of Tourism, along with Clarence Bishop, deputy secretary for the Department of Business and Economic Development, participated in the Travel Industry Association (TIA)’s 40th annual International Pow Wow – a marketplace for generating travel to the U.S. The event was held last week in Las Vegas.

As part of a Capital Region USA (CRUSA) – Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. – joint marketing effort, the Maryland delegation had 45 meetings with tour operators from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, China and the Scandinavian countries. Virginia met with operators from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

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The Maryland and Virginia delegations, along with Washington, D.C. – which attracts more specific inquiries for its destinations – will all share CRUSA-related leads from their meetings.

“Working alongside our CRUSA partners enables us to reach deeper into the international market with a compelling presentation,” Bishop said. “Our region offers terrific opportunities to extend itineraries, especially for international visitors.”

“It’s great to see the appeal that Maryland has in the global marketplace,” said Margot Amelia, executive director of the Tourism Office.

The CRUSA display space (pictured), running 100-feet long, provided the CRUSA partners with a unified look. “It was striking this year – a real attention-getter,” said Pete Chambliss, assistant director for international sales and marketing at the Tourism Office. “We received lots of favorable comments.”

As part of the CRUSA delegation, Maryland was joined by representatives from the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference & Visitors Bureau, the Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Bernstein Companies/Hotel Division, Vanderbeek Adventures and the Days Inn Inner Harbor. The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association was across the aisle with its own exhibit, joined by its members.

The 2008 Pow Wow, which drew 5,500 delegates from 70 countries, was expected to book more than $3.5 billion in travel to the U.S., said Roger Dow, TIA president and CEO.

Next year, the event will be in Miami. For information and partnering opportunities, contact Pete Chambliss at the Tourism Office, 410-767-6294.