Travel South International Showcase was an overwhelming success! Over 275 delegates from seventeen (17) countries on six (6) continents attended and held over 3,000 business appointments with southern travel suppliers during the three day conference, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, November 26-29, 2012.    A robust business environment, wrapped with southern hospitality, amazing food and music, truly showcased the city, state and region and prepared all delegates to take advantage of the growth in international tourism exports to the south.   This inaugural Travel South USA International Showcase in Atlanta was sponsored in part by the Georgia Department of Economic Development; Atlanta Convention and Visitor Bureau and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in conjunction with Rhythms of the South and Brand USA. 

3 Tour Operators from Australia, Meagan Maynard from Infinity Holidays, Jacqui Browne from Travel Corporation and Andrew Hutchinson from Pinpoint Travel participated in this first International Showcase. Geoffrey Hutton from Kent Marketing also attended as an Observer for the Visit USA Organisation.

“The U.S. Department of Commerce just announced that international visitors had the highest overall September export figures on record, and the south must be in a position to take advantage of this global increase,”  shared Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Department of Economic Development(Tourism) and current Board Chairman of Travel South USA.  “Tourism is helping drive the success of exports and we are focused on creating more international visitors interested in our region, staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, and supporting our local businesses.  We want to make the Authentic South a must-see destination for international travelers, and International Showcase is one of the best marketing tactics to assure we have tourism product on the shelf, around the world, when the long-haul consumer books their business or leisure travel plans to the USA.”

While business meetings were the focus of the program, delegates from around the world also had time to participate in site inspection activities including a guided trolley tour of downtown Atlanta, visiting Pemberton Place (World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour and the Georgia Aquarium), shopping excursions at the North Georgia Premium Outlets, as well as an opportunity to visit Stone Mountain; the Margaret Mitchell House; Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site; the Carter Center;  High Museum of Art; the Atlanta Botanical Gardens  or a “Gone with the Wind” tour in Clayton County.    Functions included private international delegate dinners at some of downtown Atlanta’s best known restaurants, and an “After Hours Party” sponsored by Hard Rock Café Atlanta.  Added to this itinerary, the international operators toured the NEW International Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

 Following the conference, international tour operators traveled throughout the region on familiarization tours in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana visiting Birmingham and Montgomery; Swainsboro and  Savannah; Asheville, the Great Smoky Mountains; Charleston; Greenville, Myrtle Beach;  Chattanooga, Nashville; as well as Alexandria, Houma, Plantation Country and New Orleans, Louisiana.

“The enthusiasm for this program is amazing, said Liz Bittner, Executive Director, Travel South USA.  I love it when I hear suppliers booked business on the spot.  Many of the suppliers came prepared with itineraries and special niche programs, and it really paid off.  One operator from Asia told me he called his home office to tell them to book the World of Coca-Cola with all the exact details from our opening reception for an insurance incentive group coming to Atlanta next spring.  Operators from the UAE made a point to tell me about family travel packages they are putting together immediately to offer clients coming for medical conventions.  An African operator who works with school groups is planning programs in Alabama, and another operator from Ireland doubled her plans adding a second bus, for a trip to experience country music.  Finally, the British and Germans who already travel extensively to the USA are going to feature more southern destinations in their 2013-2014 marketing.  I am optimistic that next year will be a terrific year for international visitors in the south.”

The 2013 Travel South International Showcase is planned for early December in Nashville, Tennessee and 2014 will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana.