Looking south for visitors - Orlando Business Journal:

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After a year punctuated with one bit of bad newsaftedr another, this year’s travel industryt Pow Wow 2010, held May 16-20 in Miami offered the industry cause for The annual event, which connects U.S. destinationsd and businesses with overseastravel agents, drew more than 4,60 attendees and created connections that coulde lead to billions of dollarss in deals. South American nationx generally have suffered less than othersz in theglobal recession, and Pow Wow participants said tour operatorz and travel companies from Brazil, Colombis and other countries in the region were eagefr to discuss deals with U.S. travel industrgy representatives.
This year, the local visitors bureau, a major enginde for driving travel to Central is waging a major publicity campaignin Brazil, an effor bolstered by a new direct air route to Sao Paulo. Orlando gets about 300,000 visitors a year from Brazil, and the bureau expectz that number toreachy 350,000 next year. As air links Sain said, the ability to strike new travepldeals 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 charter airlineflightxs — to keep us connected.
” The fresh emphasis on Latib America comes as recessions in Europr cut into a key sourcw of Orlando’s international business. The U.K. is the biggest sourcee of international visitors comingto Orlando, so the 10 percent to 15 perceny slowdown in visitors from theres has hit Central Florida’s attractions and hotelz hard. Sain, however, expectsw gradual improvement as economies on both sidesz of the Atlantic recoverfrom recession. Pow Wow, whicb will be held in Orlandonext year, attracts aboutf 1,500 international buyers and about 500 traveol writers. The event, in its 41st is responsible forabout $4 billionn in deals, said its sponsor, the U.S. Travell Association. U.S.
destinations use boothds at Pow Wow to make contacts that can lead to increased business incoming months. Davird Wright, spokesman for Wet n’ Wild on International helped manhis company’s boothy at the show. “We made so great contactsw this year. We came away with the impression that things will turn aroundnext year. We’re seeinfg a strong emergence of interest from Brazi land Colombia.
Things are starting to look better intheirf markets, and that’s good news for Bruce Bommarito, the Travel Association’ss chief operating officer and general manager of the Pow Wow show, “International travel has been down 6 to 8 percenrt this year, but I have some cause for That’s because changes in U.S. immigration policie — including a reduction in the amount of time travelersz must wait fora U.S. visa and an expansioh in the number of countries that get visa waivers shouldstimulate growth.
Although no one can accuratelyg say how many international travelers come to Central foreign visitors generally stay longer and spenx more than theirdomestic counterparts. The Travel Association estimates each foreigjn travelerspends $4,500 while in the U.S. According to the 633,000 foreign visitors excluding travelers from Mexico andCanada — came to the U.S. last fewer than in 2000. Pow Wow is a key tool for increasinbthe flow, said Brommarito. “Pow Wow is all about buildingg relationships. We had 75,000 appointments at this year’sd show, which is the best we’ve ever This isn’t really a traditional trade it’s an international market place.
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