The U.S. Travel Association, alongside all of us who work in the travel industry, are celebrating the 36th annual National Travel and Tourism Week. This year’s theme, “Travel Matters,” encourages us to examine how travel contributes to our economy, our communities, our jobs, our personal health, and much more.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, the travel industry creates and supports 15.7 million jobs across the U.S. and generated $2.5 trillion for the U.S. economy in 2018.
But, as we all know, travel isn’t just important to the economy — it’s important for our well being. In fact, there is even a National Plan for Vacation Day each year, set aside to encourage Americans to use their vacation time (because Americans have a habit of leaving a lot of it unused).
Travel also matters for creating new experiences. An Expedia Group study found that the majority of Americans would rather spend money on experiences over possessions. Exploring culture and new places is important to American travelers. We explored this further in our American Multi-Generational Study, which showed that activities, once in a lifetime experiences, and cultural experiences are top priority when choosing a vacation.
We also see this firsthand as travel marketers. We work closely with destinations, hotels, and other brands to help them showcase their unique culture and the activities and experiences they can offer travelers. Here are some examples of campaigns that do just that.
In collaboration with Travel Texas and Proof Advertising, we created Discover More Texas a campaign that encourages U.S. travelers to take a virtual road trip across Texas to uncover and experience the unexpected side of Texas’ cuisine, landscape, culture and city experiences.
The San Diego Tourism Authority wanted potential travelers to see all that the beach destination had to offer and increase perception of San Diego as more than a beach destination. To highlight the experiences and activities San Diego has to offer, we launched Better by the Beach, a bespoke creative campaign that drives awareness, inspiration, and consideration of the destination.
This week serves as a great reminder to think about how travel really matters – how it enriches our lives, bolsters our communities, and boosts our economy. To stay up to date on how we are working to support travel and tourism, by subscribing to our newsletter.
