The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing appreciates the importance of cultivating the international tourism market. There are a variety of ways that VDTM targets international audiences, including having representation on the ground in key markets, hosting international media in Vermont, and meeting with domestic receptive tour operators.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, international travelers spend approximately $4,200 per person when they the visit the U.S. and they stay an average of 18 nights. They are less likely to be visiting friends or relatives, which means they’re staying in paid accommodations. Because they are booking so far in advance, they are less likely to cancel their plans. Lastly, because they are staying for a much longer period of time than domestic travelers, international visitors are able to fill in mid-week periods.
Discover New England
The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing is pleased to announce that after a four-year hiatus we have rejoined Discover New England (DNE). DNE is a regional destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting international visitation to (and within) the six member states of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We will be able to take advantage of DNE’s existing media and travel trade relationships and the tourism industry will have access to additional educational resources and the ability to attend the DNE Summit where they will be able to meet directly with tour operators. We encourage you to sign up for DNE’s industry newsletter to stay up to date on opportunities and events as they are scheduled. As international travel to the region re-starts, we are looking forward to making the most of this renewed partnership.
Tour Operator Summits
VDTM attends multiple tour operator summits within the U.S. to meet with tour operators who work with international travelers, including both groups and FIT (foreign independent traveler). Some of these include:
- RECEPTIVE TOUR OPERATOR SUMMIT EAST AND WEST
This summit brings together receptive operators with suppliers and destinations under one roof in an intimate environment for one-on-one appointments. Not sure what a receptive tour operator is? Take a look at our Receptive Tour Operator info sheet or watch our recorded webinar on how to work with receptive tour operators to increase international visitation. - U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION'S IPW
The travel industry's premier international marketplace. More than 6,000 delegates representing U.S. travel organizations meet with international buyers and media from 70+ countries. - BRAND USA GLOBAL MARKETPLACE
This virtual marketplace platform was created by Brand USA at the start of the pandemic to host one on one international tour operator appointments. They have hosted international tour operators from all over the globe and to date, VDTM has had over 50 one-on-one appointments.
Brand USA
Brand USA is the destination marketing organization for the United States. Their mission is to increase international visitation to the U.S. Vermont has its own state page on VisittheUSA.com which is the consumer facing website for Brand USA. They have marketing initiatives in over 40 markets which drives traffic to their site.
Brand USA has highlighted Vermont in their United Stories series on GoUSATV, featuring Sugarbush and the Bundy Modern in the Mad River Valley. GoUSA TV has over 42,000 subscribers on YouTube and averages over 500+ viewing hours per day on connected TV streaming services– with some days hitting 1,500 hours on Samsung TV Plus in the United Kingdom. GoUSA TV is also available on Reach TV in over 700 airports and hotels and GoTransit-Canada, which covers the metro system in Ontario.
Most recently as part of Brand USA’s partnership with Atlas Obscura they released a video about Bread & Puppet for their Small Town, Big Story series.