Market Information 2017 - Visit The USA...8 Brand USA TheBrandUSA.com Germany, Austria & Switzerland Market Information 2017 9 Geography Area Germany 357,022 sq km Slightly smaller

Market Information 2017GERMANY, AUSTRIA & SWITZERLAND

Cover image: Molokai, Hawaii

Germany, Austria & Switzerland Market Information 2017 3

Germany, Austria & Switzerland Market Information 2017 3

About Brand USA............................................................................................ 4

A Message from Christopher L. Thompson ...............................................5

Brand USA Executive and Senior Leadership ...........................................7

Geography .........................................................................................................8

Demographics ..................................................................................................9

Economy ..........................................................................................................10

Vacation Allocation .......................................................................................10

International Visitation Trends .................................................................... 11

Travel Trends ................................................................................................... 12

Traveler Characteristics ................................................................................ 14

Air Travel Information ................................................................................... 16

Market Profile ................................................................................................. 19

Brand USA Online Channels .......................................................................30

Brand USA Traveler Research .................................................................... 33

Brand USA Highlights .................................................................................. 38

Brand USA Markets ......................................................................................40

Visit USA Committees: Germany, Austria, Switzerland ........................41

About the U.S. Commercial Service ......................................................... 42

About the U.S. Department of Commerce.............................................. 43

About the National Travel & Tourism Office ........................................... 43

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About This GuideBrand USA is pleased to present this guide in partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service and the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). It includes snapshots of the economies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, along with information about travel from this region (booking channels, consumer trends, U.S. international inbound visitation data, and key travel motivators and indicators).

4 Brand USA TheBrandUSA.com Germany, Austria & Switzerland Market Information 2017 5

About Brand USAAs the destination marketing organization for the United States, Brand USA’s mission is to increase incremental international visitation, spend, and market share to fuel the nation’s economy and enhance the image of the USA worldwide.

Established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 as the nation’s first public-private partnership to spearhead a globally coordinated marketing effort to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. visa and entry policies, Brand USA began operations in May 2011.

As one of the best levers for driving economic growth, international travel to the United States currently supports 1.8 million American jobs (directly and indirectly) and benefits virtually every sector of the U.S. economy. Since its founding, Brand USA has worked in close partnership with more than 700 partner organizations to invite the world to explore the exceptional, diverse, and virtually limitless travel experiences and destinations available in the United States of America.

According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past four years Brand USA’s marketing initiatives have helped welcome 4.3 million incremental visitors to the USA, benefiting the U.S. economy with nearly $30 billion in total economic impact, and supporting, on average, more than 50,000 incremental jobs each year.

Brand USA’s operations are supported by a combination of non-federal contributions from destinations, travel brands, and private-sector organizations plus matching funds collected by the U.S. government from international visitors who visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, please visit TheBrandUSA.com. For information about exceptional and unexpected travel experiences in the United States, please visit Brand USA’s consumer website at VisitTheUSA.com.

Brand USA Headquarters1725 Eye Street NWEighth FloorWashington, DC 20006 USAPhone: +1 202.536.2060Email: [email protected]


A Message From Christopher L. ThompsonWe at Brand USA — the public-private partnership established seven years ago to promote international tourism to the USA — look forward to working with you to generate business in the outbound-travel sectors of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This guide will familiarize you with the factors that make these three countries important markets for international visitation to the USA.

According to the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), 2.27 million Germans traveled to the United States in 2015,* which was 10 percent more than the year before. These travelers spent $8.9 billion during their trips, an 8 percent increase. Both benchmarks place Germany among the top 10 international markets in each of these categories regarding inbound travel to the United States: arrivals and spending.

Also, 537,000 Swiss travelers and 220,000 Austrians came to the United States during 2015. Both numbers were up from 2014 levels. Expanded air service with direct routes to such cities as Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Seattle and San Diego has certainly helped.

Germans are intercontinental travelers, and favor travel to the United States. According to a Brand USA 2016 survey, 45 percent said they would unilaterally recommend the USA as a travel destination, and another 25 percent said they would offer positive opinions if the topic were brought up.

Austrians and Swiss prefer to travel individually or in small groups. And, many of the travelers from these countries are repeat visitors to the USA. As a result, they embrace independent travel and the idea of veering off traditional routes to go to lesser-known places.

Also, nearly two-thirds of German travelers selected their destinations after gathering information online, according to Brand USA’s 2016 survey.

Core to our marketing efforts in Germany is our direct-to-consumer USA Campaign, which hinges on digital and social media platforms to highlight the diverse range of destinations and experiences available in the United States.


The localized, interactive consumer campaign includes strong digital marketing (social media, display, and search) with a call-to-action to visit our new consumer website, VisitTheUSA.de, and “Plan your USA trip now.”

As part of the launch of the new campaign, Brand USA produced 15 versions of the consumer website in eight different languages, with each international market having a customized in-language version. The accompanying campaign’s approach puts each traveler at the center of their trip—allowing them to immerse themselves in their USA experience as they plan their trip. As they do, they’ll not only see the diversity of experiences and destinations that are available in the United States, but also the value inherent in the proximity of those experiences and destinations. For example, within a five-hour drive of every destination, there are many other unique and diverse experiences and destinations. That’s something very unique and appealing about the USA. The new campaign is supported by media and public relations efforts that help inspire travelers to visit the USA.

In addition, Brand USA’s cooperative marketing platforms and partner media campaigns reach travelers through advertising that includes multi-channel, cooperative promotional activity with airlines and tour operators, and media planning.

From a trade marketing standpoint, Brand USA has expanded its efforts to help travel agents and tour operators support their clients. In addition to our popular MegaFams, the Brand USA global development team has been expanding its range of recommended itineraries and trip ideas and training efforts (including road shows, sales missions, the USA Discovery Program, and destination seminars and webinars, as well as collaboration with Visit USA committees and U.S. Foreign Commercial Service throughout the year). In addition, Brand USA is a major exhibitor at ITB Berlin and IMEX.

I invite you to talk to our team about trip experiences in the USA and opportunities to enhance your marketing efforts in Germany. They can discuss with you many ways to inspire travelers to book their USA trip now.

Together, we are marketing the USA!

Chris Thompson President & CEOBrand USA *At the time of this publication, full-year 2016 data was not yet available.


Brand USA Executive and Senior LeadershipChristopher L. ThompsonPresident & [email protected]

Thomas GarzilliChief Marketing [email protected]

Anne MadisonChief Strategy & Communications [email protected]

Donald F. RichardsonChief Financial [email protected]

Karyn GruenbergSenior Vice President, Partner Marketing & Strategic [email protected]

Cathleen DomanicoVice President, Global Trade [email protected]

Tracy LanzaVice President, Integrated [email protected]

Stanley MattosVice President, [email protected]

Carroll RheemVice President, Research & [email protected]

Aaron Wodin-SchwartzVice President, Public [email protected]


GeographyAreaGermany357,022 sq km Slightly smaller than Montana

Austria83,871 sq km About the size of South Carolina

Switzerland 41,277 sq km Slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Source: CIA World Factbook

ClimateGermanyTemperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind.

AustriaTemperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers.

SwitzerlandTemperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers.

Source: CIA World Factbook 2015

GERMANY

SWITZERLAND

AUSTRIABern

Zurich

Munich

Berlin

Vienna

Hamburg

Cologne

WORLD

RANK

63

WORLD

RANK

136

WORLD

RANK

114


DemographicsPopulationGermany80,722,792

Austria8,771,770

Switzerland8,179,294

United States323,995,528


Largest Metropolitan AreasGermany

Berlin (capital): 3.563 million Hamburg: 1.831 million Munich: 1.438 million Cologne: 1.037 million

Austria

Vienna (capital): 1.753 million

Switzerland

Zurich: 1.246 million Bern (capital): 358,000

Population by Age

Age USA Germany Austria Switzerland

0-14 years 18.99% 12.88% 14.05% 15.09%

15-24 years 13.64% 10.38% 11.55% 11.29%

25-54 years 39.76% 41.38% 42.98% 43.67%

55-64 years 12.73% 13.91% 12.5% 12.18%

65 years and older 14.88% 21.45% 18.92% 17.76%

Median age 37.6 years 46.5 years 43.6 years 42.1 years

Population growth rate (2015 est.)

0.77% -0.17% 0.55% 0.71%


WORLD

RANK

19

WORLD

RANK

98

WORLD

RANK

95

WORLD

RANK

4


EconomyGermanyGDP: $3.841 trillion GDP real growth rate: 1.5% GDP—per capita: $46,900 Unemployment rate: 4.6% Inflation rate: 0.1%

AustriaGDP: $404.3 billion GDP real growth rate: 0.9% GDP—per capita: $47,300 Unemployment rate: 5.7% Inflation rate: 0.8%

SwitzerlandGDP: $482.3 billion GDP real growth rate: 0.9% GDP—per capita: $58,600 Unemployment rate: 3.2% Inflation rate: -1.1%


Vacation Allocation Vacation Allocation and Public HolidaysSalaried German employees earn an average of 28–32 days of paid vacation per year. Fortunate workers also receive either a thirteenth month salary and/or vacation bonus.

There are 10–14 public holidays, depending on the region of the country.

Primary Travel Periods and Public School Holidays• Easter holidays: Two weeks in March and April

• Summer holidays: Six weeks of school vacation, July–August

• Fall holidays: Two weeks in October

• Christmas holidays: Two weeks in December and January


International Visitation TrendsVisitor Spending, 2015 (billions of U.S. dollars)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

China

Canada

Mexico

Japan

Brazil

United Kingdom

India

South Korea

Germany

Australia

8.1

8.9

9.3

11.8

14.4

16.2

17.2

19.7

22.7

30.2

Billions of U.S. Dollars

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Travel & Tourism Office

International Arrivals to the USA, 2015Top 10 Countries Generating Travel to the United States (Long-Haul Arrivals)

0 5 10 15 20 25

Canada

Mexico

United Kingdom

Japan

Brazil

China

Germany

France

South Korea

Australia 1.45

1.76

1.75

2.27

2.22

2.59

3.76

4.90

18.41

20.70

Millions of Visitors



Travel TrendsData specific to the Austrian and Swiss market was not available in all instances.

Spending Trends (exports)—Germany (millions of U.S. dollars)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Total Travel & Tourism Exports

$7,167 $5,792 $6,585 $7,061 $7,456 $7,664 $8,272 $8,908

Travel $5,667 $4,699 $5,363 $5,629 $5,887 $6,023 $6,479 $7,212

Passenger Air Transport

$1,500 $1,093 $1,222 $1,432 $1,578 $1,641 $1,793 $1,696

Change (%) in Total Exports

27 -19 -14 7 6 3 8 8


Spending Trends (exports)—Switzerland (millions of U.S. dollars)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Total Travel & Tourism Exports

$1,601 $1,895 $1,713 $2,246 $2,567 $2,580 $2,705 $2,767

Travel $1,320 $1,575 $1,348 $1,734 $2,058 $1,864 $1,938 $2,040

Passenger Air Transport

$281 $320 $365 $512 $518 $716 $767 $727

Change (%) in Total Exports

39 18 18 31 15 0 5 2

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Travel & Tourism Office* 2015 estimates are currently being revised


Visitation Trends (arrivals)—Germany

0 500 1000 1500 2000

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2015

1,782

1,687

1,726

1,824

1,876

1,916

2,056

Thousands of Visitors

2500

2,272

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Travel & Tourism Office. 2015 International Visitation Reports are currently being revised.

Visitation Trends (arrivals)—Switzerland

0 100 200 300 400 500

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2015

342

356

391

477

477

473

500

Thousands of Visitors

537



Traveler CharacteristicsAll Purposes of Trip

All Purposes of Trip2014 (%) 2015 (%) Point Change

Germany Switz. Germany Switz. Germany Switz.

Vacation/Holiday 69 75 70 74 1.4 -0.7

Visit Friends/Relatives 32 34 33 34 1.2 -0.3

Business 17 11 14 12 -2.75 0.5

Convention/Conference/Trade Show 9 10 8 7 -0.72 -3.6

Net Purposes of Trip:

Leisure & Visit Friends and Relatives 81 88 83 87 3.1 -1.4

Business & Convention 23 18 21 17 -1.1 -0.9


Select Traveler Characteristics

Traveler Characteristics2014 2015 Change

Germany Switz. Germany Switz. Germany Switz.

Length of Stay in U.S. (mean nights) 18.9 14.8 19.0 15.5 0.1 0.7

Length of Stay in U.S. (median nights) 12 10 12 10 0.0 0.0


Activity Participation While in the USA

Activities2014 (%) 2015 (%) Point Change

Ger. Switz. Eur. Ger. Switz. Eur. Ger. Switz. Eur.

Shopping 87 85 88 87 89 86 0.3 3.8 -1.2

Sightseeing 80 71 79 81 71 80 1.9 8.5 1.0

Small Towns/Countryside 44 35 34 45 40 34 1.7 5.6 -0.9

National Parks/Monuments 44 38 42 45 44 43 1.2 6.3 0.7

Historical Locations 39 28 33 39 30 33 0.4 2.1 -0.2

Experience Fine Dining 35 43 37 34 53 36 -0.5 10.3 -1.4

Art Gallery/Museum 31 25 33 33 33 34 2.0 8.6 0.7

Guided Tours 25 18 27 26 24 27 1.2 6.4 -0.8

Cultural/Ethnic Heritage Sites

20 14 18 20 21 18 0.3 7.0 0.2

Amusement/Theme Parks 23 26 25 24 29 27 1.0 3.3 1.4

Concert/Play/Musical 18 19 20 14 20 18 -4.1 -1.8 -1.8



U.S. Destinations Visited—Germany

U.S. Destinations/Regions Market Share 2014 (%)

Volume 2014 (000)

Market Share 2015 (%)

Volume 2015 (000)

Regions

Middle Atlantic 35.0 689 33.5 761

South Atlantic 34.7 683 33.4 760

Pacific 24.9 490 24.4 555

States/Territories

New York 31.4 618 30 682

California 22.7 447 21.8 497

Florida 20.9 411 21.8 497

Cities

New York City 30.2 594 29.2 664


Transportation Used in the USA

Transportation Types2014 (%) 2015 (%) Point Change

Ger. Switz. Eur. Ger. Switz. Eur. Ger. Switz. Eur.

Rented Auto 47 42 35 49 48 36 1.6 5.6 0.6

City Subway/Tram/Bus 37 39 39 36 39 37 -0.8 0.3 -0.9

Auto Private or Company 30 26 32 30 37 32 0.8 -2.3 1.0

Air Travel between Cities 29 27 27 26 26 26 -2.6 -0.2 -0.6

Taxicab/Limousine 29 39 39 27 27 36 -2.0 0.6 -1.4

Bus between Cities 14 15 14 15 13 14 0.8 -1.7 -0.4

Ferry/River Taxi/ Short Scenic Cruise

13 13 13 12 12 14 -1.1 -1.0 0.2



Air Travel InformationNon-stop Flights from Germany to the USA

Airline Flights from Flights to Frequency per week

airberlin DUS, Düsseldorf BOS,Boston

7

airberlin DUS, Düsseldorf JFK,New York

14

airberlin DUS, Düsseldorf LAX,Los Angeles

7

airberlin DUS, Düsseldorf MIA,Miami

7

airberlin DUS, Düsseldorf RSW,Fort Myers

4

airberlin DUS, Düsseldorf SFO,San Francisco

7

airberlin TXL,Berlin (Tegel)

JFK,New York

14


ORD,Chicago

7


MIA,Miami

5


SFO,San Francisco

4


LAX,Los Angeles

3

airberlin DUS,Düsseldorf

MCO,Orlando

5

Condor FRA,Frankfurt

ANC,Anchorage

4


AUS,Austin

2


BWI,Baltimore/Washington

4


FAI,Fairbanks

1


LAS,Las Vegas

4

Condor MUC,Munich

LAS,Las Vegas

2


MSP,Minneapolis

4


MSY,New Orleans

2


PDX,Portland

4




PIT,Pittsburgh

2


SEA,Seattle

5

Condor MUC,Munich

SEA,Seattle

2


SAN,San Diego

3


SJU,San Juan

1

Delta Air Lines FRA,Frankfurt

ATL, Atlanta 7


JFK, New York 7


DTW, Detroit 7

Delta Air Lines STR,Stuttgart

ATL, Atlanta 7

Delta Air Lines DUS,Düsseldorf

ATL, Atlanta 7

Delta Air Lines MUC, Munich ATL, Atlanta 7

Delta Air Lines MUC, Munich DTW, Detroit 7

Delta Air Lines TXL, Berlin JFK, New York 7

Eurowings CGN Cologne -Bonn MIA, Miami 3

Eurowings CGN Cologne -Bonn LAS, Las Vegas 2

Eurowings CGN Cologne -Bonn MCO, Orlando 2

Eurowings CGN Cologne -Bonn SEA, Seattle 3

Lufthansa German Airlines DUS, Duesseldorf EWR, Newark 6

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt JFK, New York 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt JFK, New York 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt IAD, Washington 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurtt IAD, Washington 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt ORD, Chicago 14

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt EWR, Newark 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt BOS, Boston 7



Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt MCO, Orlando 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt PHL, Philadelphia 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt SEA, Seattle 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt DFW, Dallas 7



Lufthansa German Airliness FRA, Frankfurt IAH, Houston 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt SFO, San Francisco 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt LAX, Los Angeles 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt LAX, Los Angeles 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt MIA, Miami 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt DEN, Denver 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt DTW, Detroit 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt ATL, Atlanta 7

Lufthansa German Airlines FRA, Frankfurt TPA, Tampa 5

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich SJC, San Jose 5

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich EWR, Newark 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich JFK, New York 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich IAD, Washington 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich ORD, Chicago 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich BOS, Boston 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich SFO, San Francisco 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich LAX, Los Angeles 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich CLT, Charlotte 7

Lufthansa German Airlines MUC, Munich DEN, Denver 7

Singapore Airlines FRA,Frankfurt

JFK,New York

7

United Airlines FRA,Frankfurt

EWR, Newark 7

United Airlines HAM,Hamburg

EWR, Newark 7


IAH, Houston 7

United Airlines TXL,Berlin (Tegel)

EWR, Newark 7

United Airlines MUC,Munich

EWR, Newark 7


ORD, Chicago 14


SFO, San Francisco 14


IAH, Houston 7


IAD, Washington 14


ORD, Chicago 7


IAD, Washington 7

Source: U.S. Commerical Service


Market ProfileSnapshot: GermanyOverall Economic SituationThe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued the following statement in November 2016 about Germany’s current and projected 2017 economic outlook:

“Economic growth is projected to remain solid, as a robust labor market, low interest rates, and a mildly expansionary fiscal stance underpin consumption and residential investment. Demand from emerging market economies and euro area countries is expected to strengthen only slowly, holding back business investment. The unemployment rate will remain at historic lows. The current account surplus will fall somewhat but will remain high. The structural budget deficit is projected to remain within the medium-term target and government debt will continue to fall.”

“Vigorous activity in employment-intensive services, such as in retail trade and restaurants, has boosted employment and wage growth and kept unemployment at historic lows. The inflow of refugees fell sharply in the course of 2016. However, most refugees have yet to enter the labor market, once asylum procedures and first training measures are completed. Many are expected to do so in the coming two years. Many refugees have poor German language skills, lack formal qualifications, and will not find jobs quickly. The government has expanded training opportunities and facilitated access to the education system. It has improved refugees’ incentives to engage in training, for example by lowering legal barriers for refugees to take up jobs before their asylum request is processed.”

The labor market in Germany is tightening, and unemployment has hit the lowest point since reunification, at around 4.2%. Inflation is projected to increase slightly to around 1% in 2017, while wage growth is foreseen to significantly outpace this at 3.5%. Germany’s economy remains very export driven, whereby growth in 2017 and 2018 will come from domestic spending (increased wages, low inflation) and government spending. Tax revenues reach new highs every year. While the German Finance Ministry places high priority on reducing the national debt (the so-called “austerity programs” also suggested and imposed on Greece), there has been a reduction of wage taxes


and social security deductions for both employers and staff as of January 2017, thus fueling domestic spending and demand.

Recently released statistics indicate a record export surplus from Germany in 2016 of USD 297 billion, representing 8.8% of GDP. Germany thus re-asserts itself as the #1 exporter world-wide with the highest export surplus, surpassing China for the first time in several years.

German Travel Market and Tour Operators

In December 2016 the German Travel Association (DRV) reported stable revenues of about €27.3 billion for the entire German tour operator market in 2016. Contrary to widespread fears, the German tour operator market remained stable, experiencing the first year of non-growth since the major market recession in 2008. Customer numbers fell slightly from 44.9 million to 44 million, as revenue remained more or less constant. This trend is explained by higher sales of more expensive holidays, such as cruises, long-haul and luxury trips, and weaker sales of lower-priced packages to destinations such as Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia (“Eastern Mediterranean”).

Several major trends can be identified in the German travel market based on reported turnover numbers at the close of the 2016 booking season:

1. The larger tour operator groups, such as TUI, Dertouristik, and Thomas Cook, lost turnover while mid-sized operators and specialists improved turnover.

2. The entire German-speaking region of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria has become even more interconnected through products and distribution systems.

3. Cruises sold extremely well in Germany in 2016 and were the motor for travel agency turnover

4. Because of the decline of the Eastern Mediterranean, short- and mid-haul travel decreased by just under 5% in 2016.

5. Long-Haul travel grew out of Germany by roughly 2%. The countries that benefited the most in 2016 were Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Slight decreases as a whole were reported for Thailand, Maldives, and the United States.


6. Turnover numbers were stronger than passenger numbers, reinforcing sales of more expensive travel products (away from the Eastern Mediterranean).

Personal security remains a paramount issue for international travel. Because of atrocious terrorist attacks in classic/Eastern Mediterranean destinations such as Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia, there was a clear shift “west.” Cost-sensitive clients booked to Bulgaria. Greece has enjoyed a massive rebound the past two years following negative media with regards to its domestic finances (which affect the Euro Zone). Croatia, Italy – and in particular – Spain and Portugal have benefited greatly from increased tourism numbers from Germany, which have pushed prices up considerably and made for crowded beaches, booked-out hotels, and very full restaurants in these popular vacation destinations.

German Travel Industry

The DRV undertakes an annual survey of German travel facts collected through multiple research sources. The final report for 2015 included these important market characteristics:

• There were 9,980 registered travel agencies in Germany in 2015, the second year of growth in the number of travel agencies in Germany. This represents 11.2 travel agencies per 100,000 people.

• There are 68,000 German travel agents with a population of 82 million people. In comparison American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) reported 74,000 travel agents in the United States in 2014 with a population of 320 million.

In addition to high-street travel agencies there are 400 agencies that sell their travel offerings exclusively on the internet and via call centers; this is a marked increase by more than 100 compared with 2014. Affiliation of high-street travel agencies to a chain, a franchise system or a cooperation is, seen in the long term, becoming more and more important. Only 620 agencies do not belong to any chain, cooperation, or other association.


Online Travel Agencies and Turnover per Booking

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) in Germany: There are roughly 20 large OTAs that sell a comprehensive palette of travel products – primarily airline tickets, train tickets, rental cars, overnight accommodations, and vacations. Their total turnover is estimated by DRV to be around EUR 8 billion, whereby this figure also includes bookings made by travel agencies on OTA sites. Most frequently individual travel products are booked rather than complete package tours. Over 50% of OTA bookings are for travel products totaling under EUR 1,500, and only 7% of bookings were for travel products over EUR 3,000.

As these multiple research sources indicate, specialist tour operators for the United States have enjoyed considerable turnover and client numbers the past several years. The vast majority of their bookings come through online channels; the products they sell are mostly tailor-made and purchased through multiple receptive tour-operator channels. These are not classic OTAs but rather direct sell tour operators.

German Travel to North America

German tour operators selling North America across the board considered 2015 an amazing bumper year for travel to the United States. Visitation numbers captured by National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) were revised in 2016 based on discrepancies between country of residence and country of citizenship, which pushed Germany over the 2 million visitation mark in 2014 for the first time since the turn of the millennium. 2015 visitation numbers from Germany were reported at 2.27 million visitors, representing a year-to-year growth of 10%.

Currency exchange rates became much more disadvantageous to Euro-based travelers – such as the Germans – in 2016. German tour operators did not have the advantage of pre-purchased currency as in the former years: it was considerably more advantageous for consumers to buy USD-based travel prices from tour operators when currency had been pre-bought at rates of 1.50 or more in 2014 for 2015 catalogue prices. By 2015 leading into 2016 the USD had gained considerable strength against the Euro, and the USD remained quite steady, trading at levels around 1.10. The United States, thus, seemed considerably more expensive than in previous years. Currency and the cost of vacation in the United States is primary impediment to travel.


In 2016, the United States continued to be viewed by German travelers fundamentally as a safe travel destination despite media coverage of protests concerning violence with/against police enforcement and gun control.

Expanded Air Service to the United States

There is and will continue to be a strong number of newly opened direct flight routes to the United States from Germany. These include Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New Orleans, Louisiana; Seattle, Washington; Austin, Texas; and Portland with Condor Airlines; Seattle, Las Vegas, Nevada; Miami, Florida; and Orlando, Florida (all from Cologne Bonn Airport [CGN]) with Eurowings, the new Lufthansa low-cost carrier; San Diego, California from Zurich, Switzerland on Edelweiss Air; Orlando from Düsseldorf on Air Berlin, which as a whole will be increasing its U.S. flights from Berlin and Düsseldorf by 50% from 55 to 78 weekly flights.

In addition, Icelandair continues to open new routes from Reykjavik, Iceland with a total of 12 U.S. destinations in 2017. Aer Lingus flies to 9 U.S. cities in 2017 including a new route to Hartford, Connecticut.

The Sky Team continues to open new routes, such as Salt Lake City, Utah on both Delta Air Lines and KLM from Amsterdam. British Airways is opening new routes from London, England to the United States, including San Diego. Lufthansa remains the #1 carrier to U.S. destinations with the number of direct flights from Germany, including the new route to San Jose, California. Star Alliance, a partner of United Airlines, remains the strongest U.S. carrier flying out of Germany and an important marketing partner for Brand USA and its partners.

For an overview of the direct flight connections from Germany to the United States, please see the “Air Travel Information” chart on page 16.

Sources: DRV (Deutscher Reiseverband)

FUR (Forschungsgemeinschaft für Urlaub und Reisen e.V.)

OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)

U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel & Tourism Office


Snapshot: AustriaAustrians took a total of 17.9 million holiday trips in 2015, as well as 3.8 million business trips. A total of 8.9 million of these trips were approximately seven nights and were spent abroad. In general, Austrians prefer to spend their vacation abroad. They spent a record EUR 9.7 billion (USD 10.7 billion) traveling abroad in 2015, where approximately EUR 296 million (USD 326 million) was spent for travel to the United States. For travel to the United States, Austrians spent approximately EUR 3,050 (USD 3,355) per trip.

The United States was the most popular long-haul destination in 2015 (meaning a destination outside Europe) for Austrian travelers. We expect the number of Austrian travelers to the United States to increase by about 3% in 2016. For 2017, we expect an increase of 3%, but less spending. Total arrivals from Austria in 2015 were 220,489. Austria ranked 38th overall for arrivals to the United States in 2015.

The top ports of entry for Austrian travelers are, in order: New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The most popular U.S. destinations are New York, Florida (Orlando, Miami), California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego), Nevada, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, and the national parks. The most popular recreational places in the United States are amusement/theme parks like Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World, visiting historical places, sightseeing in cities, visiting museums and art galleries, visiting cultural heritage sites, ranches, shopping malls, dining in restaurants, water sports, and golfing. Travel industry representatives see potential for adventure trips to Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Louisiana. New York, Florida, California, and Las Vegas remain strong attractions. Repeat travelers choose destinations like New England, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, the Great Lakes, and Hawaii.

In 2015, the Austrian outbound market declined by 3.3% and expenditures for travel abroad declined by 4.4%. There was less demand for packages offered to South East Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The United States had an increase of 9.3% of visitors from Austria in 2015 vis-à-vis 2014. The correlation between the stronger U.S. currency and the Austrian visitors to the United States was particularly noticeable, especially during the second half of the year. Industry experts forecast that Austrian long-haul pleasure travel


market will grow by 3% annually over the next 3 years, if the dollar does not appreciate too much against the Euro. Expenditures will not rise at the same rate since the average length per trip, and cost may be slightly declining due to the economic downturn. Visitors to the United States stayed an average of 13 days per trip in 2015.

Austrians who travel to the United States are generally 18-65 years of age with about 50% belonging to the upper middle class. Their length of stay in 2015 was approximately 13 days vis-à-vis 10 days in 2014. Travel mostly takes place during June, July, August, September, and during the Christmas holidays. Almost 50% of all pleasure travel takes place during the months of July and August. More than half are repeat travelers. Vienna and its surroundings account for the major part of travel to the United States.

Stiff competition among the direct service carriers Austrian Airline’s Group in cooperation with United Airlines and Lufthansa (Star Alliance), Delta Airlines and Air France KLM and British Airways in cooperation with American Airlines, are expected to keep airfares low and attractive. The low cost carrier Air Berlin and Condor are also offering flights via hubs in Germany to several destinations in the United States. Several carriers, including Austrian Airlines, KLM and British Airways, offered return trips to New York for EUR 490 (USD 539) excluding taxes, to Washington D.C. for EUR 560 (USD 616) excluding taxes, to Miami for EUR 540 (USD 594) excluding taxes and to Chicago for EUR 480 (USD 528) excluding taxes in 2016. The Star Alliance group and British Airways pick up the highest number of passengers originating from Vienna across the Atlantic. A strong Euro may encourage some people to take a trip to the United States, to take advantage of the attractive packages offered by travel suppliers.

Austrians in the past have discovered the United States as a shopping paradise, where many products are sold at a considerably cheaper price. Austrians also discovered excellent wines and cuisine as well as a broad offering of cultural events. Sports are in very high demand, along with adventure travel. Most Austrians, with the exception of older people, prefer to travel individually. The majority of Austrian travelers rent a car.

The United States is in a strong position, as long as the dollar does not increase too much vis-à-vis the Euro, which would make traveling to the United States expensive for middle-class Austrians. Competition from South East Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Africa is increasing, and


continuous marketing is necessary to meet these challenges.

Paid vacation is generally between 5-6 weeks depending upon industry and years of service. The number of Austrian arrivals in the United States increased from 201,729 in 2014 to 220,489 in 2015. English is widely spoken and is not generally a barrier for Austrian travel to the United States.

The Austrian outbound travel market is wide open with virtually no restrictions. The use of credit cards is widespread, with VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Diners Club being the most popular.

Tour operators and travel agencies do extensive promotional work and absorb most promotion costs. Increasing pressure comes from tourists who like to make their own arrangements and prefer to book their trips online. Tour operators have been successful so far in competing with packaged air travel, hotels and car rentals at very competitive prices, due to their annual purchasing power. E-specials and last minute offers are very popular due to the attractive prices.

Given that most visitors from Austria to the United States are repeat visitors who prefer to travel independently, we expect that U.S. tour operators could profitably offer attractive fly and drive packages, short city trips for shopping and cultural events, guided tours, cruises, hotel and resort packages in lesser known areas, wilderness, river rafting or adventure trips, helicopter sight-seeing, wedding packages, etc. Educational trips/stays (e.g., language, MBA programs, pilot training) may have good potential. Traditional golf packages offered should be expanded to areas, which are less known to Austrians, e.g., the Carolinas, Virginia, Hawaii, and others.

Source: Compiled and presented by: Commercial Service Vienna, Austria. Contact: Ingeborg

Doblinger, Commercial Specialist at [email protected], +43 1 313 39 Ext: 2120


Snapshot: SwitzerlandEconomic overview and outlook: 2017 (revised February 2017)

In spite of the strong Swiss Franc, Switzerland’s export driven economy grew by 1.4% in 2016 up from a mere 0.9 % the year before. The analysts of the leading KOF institute expect growth in 2017 to climb to 1.8%. Driving forces are the pharmaceutical and medical equipment/instruments industries (whereas the important machinery manufacturers are still struggling to cope with the exchange rate.) The strength of the U.S. dollar, in particular, is providing relief while the Eurozone remains a challenge. Switzerland, as the European Union’s (EU’s) third ranking trading partner, is directly affected by some of the EU’s problems. Some 47% of total exports go to member states. U.S. – Swiss economic relations are significant. The USA is Switzerland’s second ranking trading partner, and Swiss companies are among the leading direct investors (at about German level) providing about half a million jobs in the United States.

Switzerland’s public debt dropped to 33.8 percent (in relation to the GDP) providing a healthy, future financial basis. The industry has been surprisingly apt in handling the restructuring process due to the strong national currency. In fact, certain manufacturers have reached a level of automation and productivity allowing to move certain labor intensive processes back into the country. The regulatory environment remains one of the most employer-friendly in Europe. R&D is among the world’s leaders and the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked the country 2016 for the third time in a row to be the most competitive. Europe’s two leading universities are located in Switzerland and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ranks among the world’s top ten. The strong Swiss Franc, however, continues to be a challenge for many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

High salaries (average of over $6,600 monthly) continue to attract a foreign workforce topping now at 1.5 million, of which, over 330,000 are crossing the borders daily for work, mostly from neighboring countries. They transfer annually the equivalent of about 27.5 billion USD back home (IMF). The migratory pressure, including from Africa and the Middle East, is a growing problem and source of irritations with the EU. Switzerland is not a EU-member. In a recent poll, 86% of the voters rejected membership.

Over 536,000 Swiss arrivals in the USA broke a new record in 2015. Driving forces were comfortable non-stop flights to popular gateways such as Tampa,


Florida and the Southwest, such as Las Vegas, Nevada; the still advantageous rate of exchange; and a generally optimistic outlook of the average potential traveler. The worldwide security challenges also seem to work in favor of the United States, which is generally considered a safe destination. The USA, it appears, has found a solid, established place on the radar of Swiss travelers. It remains to be seen how the market, although less cost sensitive than most others, will react to the growing strength of the USD. Interestingly, a new appreciation for “Swissness” has been surfacing in the past two years. It shows in a growing number of people who, for a change prefer to spend their vacation at home. The mature Swiss market will demand easy access to information and creative counseling about travel to places off the beaten tracks. Authenticity is important; it offers attractive and profitable opportunities as an alternative to mass-tourism. The new non-stop service to San Diego, California, as of 2017, is also expected to have a positive impact.

Profile of average Swiss traveler to the USASwiss tourists to the USA typically like to travel individually or in small groups. They enjoy the excellent U.S. travel infrastructure, which they consider a trademark of the mobile American society. It provides them with creative freedom, which is important for a mature market with some 75 percent of “repeaters” Groups larger than about 10 are mostly special interests or senior citizens who may have a higher language hurdle. The average Swiss visitor is mostly rather well informed about American issues and politics. Most enjoy an above average purchasing power. Average daily spending for Swiss travelers (per person) while in the USA is $390.00. Swiss value punctuality and quality service at restaurants and hotels. Quality is a prime criteria, before price. The language hurdle tends to be quite low.

What are Swiss travelers looking for in the USA?

The Swiss enjoy meeting Americans, repeaters in particular. They like their easy accessibility, friendliness, and spontaneous hospitality. Swiss go to big cities, in particular, for cultural events, architecture, museums, shopping, sightseeing, and restaurants. However, they also like the experience and lifestyle of American small towns. San Francisco; New Orleans, Boston, and New York City are cities of particular interest because of their interesting ethnic, cultural, and historical make-up. Nature, wide plains, wildlife (national


parks and forests); Native Americans; Western lifestyle (horses, barbecue, dude ranches); and outdoor activities (Jeep tours, river rafting, helicopter rides, biking) have appeal. And, states like Florida are becoming viable alternatives to Mediterranean beach destinations and regions experiencing social unrest or crime. Daily affordable direct flights to the United States make it possible. Typical American sports (rodeos, baseball, American football), which are less known in Switzerland, are increasingly popular.

Where do they go?4

Swiss may be found throughout the USA these days, increasingly off the beaten tracks. Most travel individually or with friends. Many leave room in their travel plans to allow spontaneous arrangements on-site—if they like a place (event bookings, extensions, excursions). Authenticity is important. The high percentage of repeat visitors explains the interest in lesser-known U.S. regions and cities. Popular destinations include: New York City, New York (Brooklyn, Harlem); California; the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah), Alaska; Florida; New England; the South (Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee); Colorado; Hawaii; Montana; Oregon; Texas; Washington (state); Wyoming; and the Midwest/Great Lakes regions.

Sources:1 Swiss Natl. Bank, SECO, KOF etc.

2 The WEF “Global Competitiveness Index” looks at 144 global economies, considering a dozen factors in each that influence productivity and prosperity.

3 Used on Wall Street for the Swiss franc

4 Visit USA Committee: www.vusa.ch


Brand USA Online Channels Digital/Social Marketing

Brand USA employs digital and social media marketing strategies to inspire, engage, and activate international travelers to visit the United States during the year through:

• Proprietary website platforms

• Social media channels

• Global digital marketing and social campaigns

• Online video

• Retargeting and other targeted advertising

PROPRIETARY CONSUMER WEBSITE PLATFORMS

Brand USA has two online consumer identities in the marketplace:

• VisitTheUSA (VisitTheUSA.com), which is active in most markets where Brand USA markets the United States to international travelers

• GoUSA, which is active in Asian markets, including China and Hong Kong (GoUSA.cn), Taiwan (GoUSA.tw), India (GoUSA.in), Japan (GoUSA.jp), and South Korea (GoUSA.or.kr)

Together, the VisitTheUSA and GoUSA website platforms are the consumer-facing online identities international travelers associate with travel to the United States.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

In addition to the global and in-market VisitTheUSA and GoUSA proprietary websites, Brand USA leverages related social media accounts in consumer-facing content and communications. Each market where Brand USA has a fully developed marketing presence has a dedicated, in-language website and social channels, which Brand USA uses to reach consumers in its target markets.


The following handles are used for global, consumer-facing promotions in English:

• Website: VisitTheUSA.com

• Twitter: @VisitTheUSA

• Facebook: Facebook.com/VisitTheUSA

• YouTube: YouTube.com/VisitTheUSA

• Instagram: VisitTheUSA

• Google+: Google.com/+VisitTheUSA

The following campaign hashtags support global and thematic promotions and initiatives:

• Global: #VisitTheUSA

• Flavors/Culinary: #TasteUSA

• Road Trips: #RoadTripUSA

• Great Outdoors: #OutdoorsUSA

• Market the Welcome: #USAWelcome


In addition to leveraging these global channels, Brand USA currently has localized social media efforts in the following markets via the channels shown in Chart 1.

CHART 1

Digital Channels

MARKET URL Local Tagline FACEBOOK TWITTER HASHTAG INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE

Australia VisitTheUSA.com.au

Plan Your USA Trip Now

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAau @VisitTheUSA #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSA

Brazil VisiteosUSA.com.br

Planeje Sua Viagem Aos USA Agora Mesmo

facebook.com/VisiteOsUSA @VisiteOsUSA #VisiteOsUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisiteOsUSA

Canada: English VisitTheUSA.ca


facebook.com/VisitTheUSAca @VisitTheUSAca #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSA

Canada: French

fr.VisitTheUSA.ca

Planifiez Votre Voyage Aux USA Dès Maintenant

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAca @VisitTheUSAca #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSAfr

Chile VisitTheUSA.clPlanifica tu viaje aUSA ahora

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAcl @VisitTheUSAes #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA

(Spanish)YouTube.com/VisitTheUSAes

China GoUSA.cn即刻定制您的 USA 旅行计划

n/a

Sina Weibo (Chinese microblogging site/hybrid of Twitter and Facebook): http://weibo.com/GoUSAcn

Tencent Weibo (Chinese microblogging site): http://t.qq.com/DiscoverGoUSA

Youku (YouTube equivalent): http://i.youku.com/gousacnWeishi (like Vine): http://www.weishi.com/u/23484775 Wechat (Chinese mobile social network for texting, images, music and

articles sharing, mobile only):美国国家旅游局Lofter (Photo sharing platform): http://GoUSA.lofter.com

Colombia VisitTheUSA.coPlanifica tu viaje aUSA ahora

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAco @VisitTheUSAes #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA


France VisitTheUSA.fr

Préparez Votre Voyage Aux USA Dès Maintenant

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAfr @VisitTheUSAfr #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSAfr

Germany VisitTheUSA.dePlant Jetzt Eure Reise In Die USA

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAde @VisitTheUSA #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSAde

India GoUSA.inPlan Your USA Trip Now

facebook.com/GoUSAin @GoUSAin #USATrip VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

GoUSAin

Japan GoUSA.jp今すぐ USAへの旅の計画を

facebook.com/GoUSAjp @GoUSAjp アメリカ旅行 VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

GoUSAjp

Mexico VisitTheUSA.mxPlanifica Tu Viaje AUSA Ahora

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAmx @VisitTheUSAes #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA


Korea GoUSA.or.kr지금 USA 여행을 계획해보세요

facebook.com/GoUSAkr @GoUSAkr #미국여행 VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

GoUSAkr

Sweden VisitTheUSA.sePlan Your USA Trip Now

facebook.com/VisitTheUSAse @VisitTheUSA #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSA

Taiwan GoUSA.tw n/a facebook.com/GoUSA.official n/a n/a n/a n/a

United Kingdom

VisitTheUSA.co.uk


facebook.com/VisitTheUSAuk @VisitTheUSAuk #VisitTheUSA VisitTheUSA YouTube.com/

VisitTheUSA


Brand USA Traveler ResearchIn the summer of 2013, Brand USA launched its Global Market Intelligence program. As part of this program, Brand USA commissioned PhoCus Wright to conduct proprietary consumer research in various international markets. Respondents were recruited from an online panel. For markets beyond North America, the results reflect responses from adults who travel outside of their continent for leisure. The Global Market Intelligence program is designed to gain insight into travelers’ perceptions of the USA and its competitors, as well as general travel behaviors and preferences.

Question: What motivates your desire to visit that destination? Select all that apply (N=1035). For each of the following countries, select which characteristics, if any, describe it as a holiday destination. Select all that apply (N=1035). Base: Germany intercontinental travelers 2016.

Source: Brand USA Market Intelligence Study 2016.

Top 5 Channels Used in Destination Selection for Last Intercontinental Trip

Channels % Selected

Websites via Computer or Laptop 64

Personal Recommendations from Family and Friends 41

Information in Printed Travel Guidebooks 36

Personal advice from travel professionals/ travel agents 28

Printed Publications, Articles or, Brochures 22

Question: What sources of information did/will you use to select the destination for this holiday? Select all that apply. Base: Germany intercontinental travelers 2016 (N=1035).


Top 5 Strongest Impressions of the USA

Impression % Selected

Diverse 62

Adventurous 44

Forward-thinking 37

Energetic 33

Friendly 31

Top 5 Motivations for Selecting Last Intercontinental Destination

Motivation % Selected

Cultural Historical Attractions 44

Eco tourism and Nature 39

Dining/Gastronomy 38

Shopping 32

Urban Attractions/Nightlife 37


Expected Household Travel Spend for Next Intercontinental Trip

$10,000+

$7,500-$9,999

$5,000-$7,499

$2,500-$4,999

>$2,499 23%

35%

26%

8%

8%

Question: What is the total amount you expect your household to spend on each of the following elements of this holiday? Enter a whole number without the currency symbol. Airline tickets/lodging/additional trip-related expenses, such as dining, local transportation, souvenirs, and local tours.

Source: Brand USA Market Intelligence Study 2016 (Conversion EURO to USD=1.197)

Months Traveled (January 2016–December 2016)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January 15%

13%

19%

19%

25%

22%

28%

32%

33%

24%

11%

15%

Question: During what month(s) did you take your holiday(s)? Base: Germany intercontinental travelers 2016 )N=1035).


Mean: $5,050

Median: $4,427


Destination Interest—Top 10 States

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Colorado

Arizona

Nevada

Alaska

Washington

Texas

Hawaii

New York

Florida

California 57%

49%

47%

36%

22%

17%

15%

14%

14%

13%

Question: You indicated in a previous question that you have interest in visiting the U.S. some time in the future. Which U.S. state(s) are you interested in visiting? Base: Germany intercontinental travelers who are interested in visiting the U.S. (N=945).


Expected Travel Party Size of Next Intercontinental Trip

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Friends or a group of people

Adult Family(no children)

Family (with children under 18yrs)

Another Adult (travelling as a couple)

By Yourself20%

54%

19%

5%

11%

An organized group/tour 1%

Question: Who will travel with you on this holiday? Select all that apply. Base: Germany intercontinental travelers 2016 (N=1035).



Destination Decision for Next International Trip

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

More than one year

6 to 12 months

3 to 5 months

1 to 2 months

3 to 4 weeks�

1 to 2 weeks�

2 to 6 days

1 day or less

I did/will notdecide in advance 2%

1%

3%

5%

6%

17%

34%

27%

6%

Question: How far in advance of your departure date did/will you decide on the destination? Please select one answer for each of the following questions. Base: Germany intercontinental travelers (N=1035). Note: Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.


Air Booking for Next International Trip

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

More than one year

6 to 12 months

3 to 5 months

1 to 2 months

3 to 4 weeks�

1 to 2 weeks�

2 to 6 days

1 day or less/did notreserve in advance 1%

2%

5%

10%

24%

41%

16%

1%

Question: How far in advance of your departure date did/will you book the travel products for this holiday? Select one option from the drop-down box. Base: Germany intercontinental travelers who booked/ will likely book air travel (N=610). Note: Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.



Net Promoter

0 10 20 30 40 50

I would bring it up to

recommend as a destination

I would tell people positive things

about it if it were brought up

I would tell people neither positive nor

negative things if it were brought up

I would tell people negative things

about it if it were brought up

I would bring it up to discourage

people from traveling there

45%

25%

21%

6%

3%

Question: If a friend or relative were discussing a future holiday destination with you, which statement would best describe your attitude toward the following countries?Source: Brand USA Market Intelligence Study 2016.

Likelihood of Travel to the USA

0 5 10 15 20 25

Not likely to ever visit

2-5 years from now

1-2 years

6-12 months

In the next 6 months

Maybe some timein the distant future

8%

15%

19%

28%

21%

9%

Question: When, if ever, are you likely to visit the following countries? Base: Germany intercontinental travelers 2016 (N=1035).



Brand USA Highlights Brand USA is building on success. With the support of its many partners worldwide, Brand USA has grown from a start-up organization (that launched its first full year in operation in 2012 with just 89 partners) to an organization that has worked with and been supported by over 700 partners worldwide.

Here is some of what we’ve accomplished with the support of our partners since we began operations in 2011:

• Generated 4.3 million incremental international visitors to the USA over the past four years, which has benefitted the U.S. economy with $29.5 billion in total economic impact, and supported, on average, 50,900 incremental jobs a year (source: Oxford Economics).

$29.52

4.3millionincremental visitors

$13.6 billion

billion

billion

in incremental spending

50,900 incremental jobssupported each year

federal, state, & local taxes nearly

more than

partner program retention rate in FY2016

$4

700 98%

in total economic impact

partners since our founding

an average of

Sources: ROI data provided by Oxford Economics. Partner and partner program retention data provided by Brand USA internal reporting.

• Established consumer and trade marketing initiatives in nearly 40 international markets, which generate 90 percent of all inbound travel to the United States.


• Expanded the USA consumer campaign from 11 markets in FY2014 to 12 markets in FY2015 (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and the United Kingdom) and 14 markets in FY2016 and FY2017 (with the addition of Colombia and Sweden). In total, these markets generate more than 80 percent of all international visitation to the United States.

• Significantly increased the effectiveness of the USA Campaign during FY2016 — driving increases in intent to visit the USA (based on post-wave research) that ranged from 7 percent in China to 99 percent in Mexico. We were able to achieve this with a new strategy that shifted media investments to digital channels that reached travelers with more relevant messaging and calls to action during those moments when they were most receptive to making travel decisions and booking travel.

• Launched 16 multi-channel cooperative marketing programs across nine markets (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom) in FY2016 compared to seven in FY2015 generating 750 million impressions promoting U.S. destinations and experiences through 12 state cooperative marketing campaigns.

• Maintained a partnership program retention rate of over 90 percent (94 percent in FY2015 and 98 percent in FY2016).

• Based on the results of our annual partner satisfaction survey in 2017, 96 percent of partners agree that partnering with Brand USA adds value to their organization (compared to 92 percent the prior year), and 100 percent intend to partner with Brand USA again in the future (compared to 96 percent the prior year).

• Kept overhead expenses to below 10 percent — devoting more than 90 percent of Brand USA’s resources toward marketing and programs to increase international visitation.

By all these measures and more, Brand USA’s marketing efforts are working—effectively and efficiently.


Brand USA Markets Brand USA deploys its marketing efforts in a strategic combination of emerging and established markets that have the potential to drive the greatest returns in terms of visitation, spend, and market share.

Based on these market selection factors, Brand USA currently focuses the majority of its consumer marketing efforts in the following markets:

• Australia

• Brazil

• Canada

• Chile

• China

• Colombia

• France

• Germany

• India

• Japan

• Mexico

• South Korea

• Sweden

• United Kingdom

These 14 international markets generate more than 80 percent of inbound travel to the United States. In total, through the combined total of Brand USA’s cooperative marketing platforms, contributed media, and trade outreach, the international marketing effort is present in nearly 40 markets, including:

• Argentina

• Australia

• Austria

• Belgium

• Brazil

• Canada

• Chile

• China

• Colombia

• Costa Rica

• Denmark

• Ecuador

• El Salvador

• France

• Guatemala

• Germany

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• India

• Ireland

• Italy

• Japan

• South Korea

• Mexico

• Netherlands

• New Zealand

• Norway

• Panama

• Russia

• Singapore

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Taiwan

• United Arab Emirates

• United Kingdom


Visit USA Committees: Germany, Austria, Switzerland How Brand USA Works with Visit USA Committees

Brand USA works in collaboration with Visit USA committees around the world to promote the United States as a premier travel destination. These committees organize a wide range of promotional activity, including travel trade and consumer fairs, workshops and programs for travel agents, newsletters, and more.

Visit USA committees are managed by voluntary members with an interest in promoting and selling travel to the United States. Brand USA collaborates with Visit USA committees and supports activities that align with Brand USA’s objectives and marketing strategies. In addition, Brand USA makes use of the in-market expertise of Visit USA committees, both in markets where Brand USA has established international representation and in select markets where the organization is not currently represented. Contact:

Hans Gesk, President Visit USA Committee, Germany [email protected]

Cristian Meuter, General Manager Visit USA Committee, Germany [email protected]

Werner Marschall, President Visit USA Committee, Austria [email protected]

Werner Wiedmer, Chairman Visit USA Committee, Switzerland [email protected]


About the U.S. Commercial ServiceThe U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). The USCS is a federal government agency with a domestic network of over 100 offices and a global network operating in over 75 countries. The mission of the USCS is to assist American companies in their export needs and to support foreign direct investment into the United States. As America’s largest service export, travel and tourism is a key sector for the USCS. The Commercial Service Global Travel and Tourism Team helps U.S. destinations and travel suppliers to attract international visitors and to grow international arrivals. This assistance can include: trade counseling, market research, vetting of potential partners, outreach to wholesale buyers, and support with international sales calls/trade shows/visits. Our specialists in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland can be reached at the contact details below.

Contact:

Germany

Elizabeth Walsh [email protected] +49-69-75353167

Austria

Jacquelline Siegl [email protected] +43 1 31339-2297

Switzerland

Sandor Galamboss [email protected] +41 31 357 7237


The U.S. Department of CommerceBrand USA collaborates closely with the International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, and its National Travel and Tourism Offi ce (NTTO) and U.S. Commercial Service Offi ces in market.

As part of our eff orts, we work with the Tourism Policy Council, an interagency group chaired by the Secretary of Commerce to advance the National Travel and Tourism Strategy through the work of inter-agency working groups, managed by the National Travel and Tourism Offi ce. The National Strategy has set a goal of welcoming 100 million annual international visitors to the USA by 2021.

In addition to working to achieve this goal in collaboration with our Federal partners, Brand USA also works in close partnership with Visit USA committees in market and more than 700 contributing partners throughout the world to implement highly successful campaigns that are inspiring an increasing number of travelers to visit the USA.

The National Travel & Tourism Offi ce

The National Travel and Tourism Offi ce (NTTO) plays an active role in travel and tourism-related policy issues, primarily focused on reducing and/or eliminating barriers to travel. The Offi ce utilizes primary and secondary research to provide crucial tourism statistics for international inbound and outbound travel, including economic impact, market share and balance of trade data. Key focuses of NTTO are to:

• Promote the growth of U.S. travel exports through bilateral agreements with countries of strategic importance, including the Memorandum of Understanding with China on group leisure travel;

• Represent U.S. tourism interests in intergovernmental organizations to lead the global eff orts for travel and tourism policy concerns and issues, including chairing the Tourism Committee for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (www.oecd.org);

• Serve as the Secretariat for the interagency Tourism Policy Council, ensuring that the nation’s travel and tourism interests are considered in Federal decision-making. More than 18 agencies and offi ces of the government participate in this Council;


• Serve as the USG official head delegate to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Working Group (www.apec.org);

• Serve as the official U.S. government observer and participant on committees and activities of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Contact:The NTTO is located in the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce.

14th & Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20230 202.482.0140 [email protected]

Staff List:

Isabel [email protected]

Brian BeallDeputy Director, Policy and [email protected]

Ron ErdmannDeputy Director, [email protected]

Julie HeizerTeam Lead, Industry [email protected]

Jennifer AguinagaInternational Trade [email protected]


Melissa BennettProgram [email protected]

Mark BrownMarket Research [email protected]

Richard ChampleySenior Research [email protected]

Curt CottleInternational Trade [email protected]

Margie ParkerProgram [email protected]

Schermin SmileyAdministrative [email protected]

John [email protected]

Claudia [email protected]

TheBrandUSA.com

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Market Information 2017 - Visit The USA...8 Brand USA TheBrandUSA.com Germany, Austria & Switzerland Market Information 2017 9 Geography Area Germany 357,022 sq km Slightly smaller