Destination DC, the destination marketing organisation for Washington DC, is using the people of the District as the hook to lure tourists back, following a slow down in visitation.

The National Chair of the US Travel Association, Bill Hornbuckle, says the United States must take immediate action in curbing falling inbound international visitor numbers. Speaking in Chicago this week at the IPW 2025 conference, Hornbuckle said the opportunity available to the USA is immense.

Brand USA has unveiled a new tourism campaign titled ‘America, the Beautiful’ which places a strong emphasis on human-to-human connections, and the USA’s unique experiences.

Presidents from Brand USA, the US Travel Association and Choose Chicago, joined the Mayor of Chicago and a Board executive of the Chicago Cubs to welcome some 500 media delegates from around the globe to this year’s IPW at an event at Wrigley Field in the city’s north on Sunday morning.

Australia travellers heading to the United States in 2024 continued to push above their weight in terms of spend and stay, with numbers up 7.4% year-on-year to 1.025 million, according to Visit USA Organisation.