From IPW: A look at Brand USA's activities & impact

Brand USA is reporting that its efforts have generated more than two million incremental visitors to the U.S. from around the world over the past two years.

According to a new study by Oxford Economics, those visitors accounted for $6.5 billion in incremental spending, which injected nearly $15 billion into the American economy; the influx of incremental visitors also supported an average of 50,000 incremental jobs each of the two years.

Overall, during fiscal 2014, the United States welcomed 75 million international visitors, translating into a $222-billion boost for the U.S. economy.Canada continued to deliver the largest inbound travel market, despite challenges such as the decline in value of the Canadian dollar.

With 23 million arrivals in 2014, the number is down two per cent from 2013 but makes up 31 per cent of total international visitor arrivals. Total growth from the Canadian market is expected to reach 15 per cent between now and 2020.

Brand USA began operations in May 2011 and as it has developed over the years, is working with a network of nearly 500 private-sector partners.

Highlights of Brand USA activities and programs during fiscal 2014, as discussed in the annual report, include:

• Brand USA began production of a giant-screen film that pays tribute to America's national parks. It is being produced with independent filmmaker MacGillivray Freeman Films and will be released early in 2016 at more than 800 IMAX theaters and other giant-screen theaters in nearly 40 countries. The film is a major element in Brand USA's campaign to promote America's Great Outdoors.

• Brand USA launched a new culinary-tourism initiative in July 2014 in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. The program recently expanded to include a new consumer website, “Flavors of the USA,” and a new guidebook in six languages by the same name.

• Brand USA's partnership network jumped from 339 partners in fiscal 2013 to 475 in the following year. The number of programs for partners surged from 30 to more than 100. This helped to sustain a 94 per cent retention rate among partners.

• Brand USA's international representation now covers 20 markets, including one in Canada.