POSTED: Thursday October 8th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Roger Dow to Address Role of U.S. Attitude Toward International Visitors In Chicago's Unsuccessful Olympic Bid at TEAMS Conference & Expo in New Orleans

October 13-17, New Orleans

The International Olympic Committee’s elimination of Chicago as a possible host of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games during the first round of balloting demonstrates the need to change impressions of what the experience of travel to the U.S. is like for international visitors, the head of the U.S. Travel Association said.

Roger Dow, U.S. Travel’s president and CEO, applauded President Obama’s personal appeal on behalf of Chicago and for sending a welcoming message to international travelers around the world, but added, “It’s clear the United States still has a lot of work to do to restore its place as a premier travel destination.”

Dow will discuss the unwelcoming message the U.S. sends to international travelers as well as the overall state of the U.S. travel industry on Wednesday, October 14, in New Orleans at the TEAMS Conference & Expo. Presented by SportsTravel magazine, TEAMS is the world’s largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports-event industry.

“When IOC members are commenting to our president that foreign visitors find traveling to the United States a ‘pretty harrowing experience,’ we need to take seriously the challenge of reforming our entry process to ensure there is a welcome mat to our friends around the world, even as we ensure a secure system,” Dow said. “At the same time, the Travel Promotion Act is an important step in making sure international travelers know we want them to visit our country.”

The Travel Promotion Act, which recently was passed in the U.S. Senate and is awaiting action in the House of Representatives, would create the first-ever U.S. promotion and communications program aimed at international travelers. Virtually all other industrialized nations spend tens of millions of dollars annually on advertising and promotion to attract foreign visitors. Studies show that such a campaign could attract millions of additional overseas visitors per year, resulting in billions of dollars in new visitor spending.

“Chicago has everything to offer and would have been an ideal venue for the Olympics,” Dow said. “Officials from the city and the state of Illinois did a fantastic job of showcasing everything Chicago has to offer, and it’s disappointing to have this $7 billion loss to its economy at a time it is sorely needed.”

In addition to providing his take on the unsuccessful U.S. bid to host the 2016 Olympics, Dow will provide his insights at TEAMS 2009 on how the weak economy, the retreat of corporate sponsors and the challenges of funding for convention bureaus and sports commissions have resulted in a new landscape for those in sports-related travel. The TEAMS Conference & Expo is organized by Schneider Publishing, the Los Angeles-based company that publishes SportsTravel and Association News magazines. Earlier this year, TEAMS was named one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows across all categories by Tradeshow Week magazine for the fifth time. For further information on the TEAMS Conference & Expo or to review the final conference program, please visit TEAMSconference.com or call toll-free (877) 577-3700.

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TEAMS: Travel, Events And Management in Sports is the annual conference and trade show for the global sports-event and travel industries. Established in 1998, TEAMS is the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers. For further information on the TEAMS Conference & Expo, SportsTravel and Association News, please call toll-free (877) 577-3700 or visit SchneiderPublishing.com. TEAMS 2009 will be held October 13-17, 2009, in New Orleans.

For more information, please visit TEAMSconference.com.

SportsTravel is the sports world’s event magazine. Founded in 1997, SportsTravel was the first magazine to identify and serve the sports-related travel and event industry. Published 10 times a year, SportsTravel is the authoritative source of information for those responsible for deciding where sporting events are held and travel planning for sports-related groups. The readers of SportsTravel generate 47 million hotel room nights annually. For more information, visit the magazine’s website at SportsTravelMagazine.com.

SportsTravel and TEAMS are registered trademarks of Los Angeles-based Schneider Publishing Company, Inc. For further information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free (877) 577-3700 or +1 (310) 577-3700 if calling from outside the U.S.A.

For additional press information or to request press credentials for TEAMS 2009, please contact Elissa Fairchild at (310) 577-3700 or Elissa.Fairchild@SchneiderPublishing.com

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Keywords · Roger Dow · U.S. Travel Association · TEAMS 2009 · Schneider Publishing · SportsTravel

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Name: Elissa Fairchild
Organization: Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.
Email:
Phone: +1.310-577-3700
URL: http://www.TEAMSconference.com

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