Tourism partnerships reflect industry shift
Posted on 30. Oct, 2010 by Kerri MacDonald in Uncategorized
In October, NYC & Company announced partnerships with three American tourism hubs: Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. The effort, hoped to draw tourists for all four cities, is part of the city’s “Live More Tour.”
Tourism has been one of New York’s strongest industries this year. But the collaboration comes at a time when tourist professionals believe they have to boost travel to the U.S. In many ways, it is a shift in an industry traditionally focused on self-promotion–one indicative of a move toward nationwide tourism promotion.
“Part of this is really a matter of four of the top destinations taking matters into their own hands in terms of promoting travel within the U.S.,” said a spokesperson for NYC & Company.
Early this year, President Obama signed the Travel Promotion Act into law, which, in September, created the Corporation for Travel Promotion. The organization is responsible for developing the first-ever campaign to attract international tourists to the U.S. as a whole, rather than to individual cities.
At an Oct. 19 press conference in Miami, The Miami Herald reported, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, who is part of the 11-member board, said the tourism industry needs to offer deals and incentives to boost travel.
This is the first time NYC & Company has partnered with other U.S. destinations, although it announced a two-year partnership with London last September and, earlier in October, a partnership with Madrid.
What links New York with the other cities is American Airlines, which considers each to be a travel hub. The airline offered discounts on flights between New York and each city during the post-holiday months. Although it has marketed similar promotions between New York and other cities in the past, never have they lined up with tourism board efforts.
For New York and Miami, the partnership will be a boon to both during slower months. When it’s cold in New York, New Yorkers can travel to Miami, and Miami residents are encouraged to visit New York in the summer.
In Los Angeles, the country’s second-rated tourist destination, L.A. Inc. media relations & communications associate vice president Carol Martinez said the promotion will allow the two cities to exchange marketing ideas.
“We’re both urban destinations on coasts,” she said. “So we think there’s a lot of things that are ideas that we can share.”
New York and Chicago have similar demographics, residents who seek diversity, cultural attractions, dining and business hubs. Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureeau Executive Vice President Mark Theis said business travelers moving between the two cities could be tempted to stay an extra night.
“We found it to be just a real natural reciprocal opportunity, knowing the strength of both destinations,” Theis said.
Both cities–which suffer from soft first quarters in the cold winter months–will have a better idea how well the program fares by January or February, Theis said.
At the same time, though, the need to stand out remains.
“This is a competitive climate,” said. “We’re all four unique destinations and we all have our own challenges, depending on the season or depending on the conditions of our product.”
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