Orange County’s tourism businesses could see a bump in visitors after hosting last month’s International Pow Wow, an annual event staged by Washington, D.C.-based Travel Industry Association. It was the first time the convention was held in Anaheim.
The convention brought 4,700 people to Anaheim, including almost 300 foreign journalists and 1,200 tour operators who package travel to U.S. destinations. Those attendees met with U.S. promoters from 3,200 destinations to decide what to include in future tours.
Because Pow Wow has a track record as a business event that produces contracts for future travel groups, it is considered the premier event for destinations like Orange County that hope to boost their share of visitor revenue.
The convention is expected to generate up to $350 million in future travel business to Orange County and $3.5 billion in total business to the U.S.
The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau won the right to host Pow Wow seven years ago.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships came from seven other area convention and visitor bureaus as well as the California Travel & Tourism Commission. Dozens of hotels, attractions and other providers chipped in.
Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm and the city of Anaheim hosted the three official evening parties.
KC & the Sunshine Band, along with Dean Torrence (of Jan & Dean) and the Surf City All-Stars headlined the final gala, sponsored by the city and staged outside the newly landscaped Anaheim Arena.
“Pow Wow’s first time in Anaheim coincided with the city’s 150th anniversary,” said city of Anaheim spokesman John Nicoletti. “That was too great an opportunity to pass up.”
Several California exhibitors said the show was the busiest they’ve seen in recent years; some said they came away with signed contracts for future business in hand.
“We were able to secure new clients that we have been pursuing since (we opened) in December 2005,” said Michael Casillas, sales manager for Pirate’s Dinner Adventure in Buena Park.
Many exhibitors said they took part to gain exposure.
The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach presented one of its living pictures as a teaser for its 75th anniversary that begins this summer; the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa hosted a press brunch; and GardenWalk,a retail, dining and entertainment district under construction in Anaheim,talked to prospective buyers about what it will offer beginning later this year.
“It’s all about participating in the market share that comes to the destination and building brand awareness,” said Arlene Laucis, a sales executive for Pala Casino Spa Resort in San Diego County.
South Coast Plaza, which was a presenter of the final night party, hosted an invitation-only party attended by about 500 people along with two preconvention tours.
“It’s the exposure that counts,” said Werner Escher, executive director of domestic and international markets for South Coast Plaza.
Escher said booth visitors were most interested in knowing how they could take advantage of the shuttles South Coast Plaza operates from Anaheim. Because retailers don’t have gated admission, negotiating discounts on shuttle passes is one way to attract tour groups, Escher said.
As the lead promoter and organizer with the Travel Industry Association, the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau promoted a broader theme that emphasized Orange County’s central location in Southern California and the continuing evolution of Anaheim and surrounding communities.
“What you see here today is great, but what you see in five years will be totally different and maybe even better,” said Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau at a press conference.
Since 2001, Southern California has been struggling to regain international market share. Orange County last year counted 2.7 million international visitors,just 6% of its total. But the Anaheim/Orange County Web site gets about 15% of its visitors from outside the U.S., Ahlers said. And Japan sent 100 delegates to Pow Wow,an indication that the Japanese market may finally be recovering from the post-2001 slump.
International visitors spent $14.6 billion in California last year and the state is beefing up its promotion budget.
For fiscal year 2008, the California Travel & Tourism Commission’s budget is set to reach $50 million. Executive director Caroline Beteta said about $21 million will be spent on international promotion.
Top consideration will be given to promotions in the U.K., Japan and Canada, she said, followed by Germany, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. A lesser amount will be spent in China, Korea, Brazil, France and India.
Beteta said the amount spent on each country is based on travel volume, average spending and average length of stay.
“If we get back to pre-2001 levels, it would mean $1.7 billion in annual spending (in the state),” she said.
Foreign Policies
Though Pow Wow results were generally positive, U.S. policies for international travelers may be the deciding factor in how many foreign visitors arrive in the future. During the convention, the foreign press was vocal in its frustration with the current U.S. visa process and impeding entry requirements that include 10-finger fingerprints. Many foreign representatives said those policies result in their travelers choosing other destinations.
The Travel Industry Association hopes an industry-wide program, dubbed Discover America Partnership, will remedy those concerns. The partnership includes TIA members, private industry leaders, the Travel Business Roundtable and state industry officials and is set to become the first national tourism promotion program in U.S. history.
The Discover America Partnership is working with Congress to expand the visa waiver program to more countries, ensure that visas are issued in 30 days or less and modernize the largest U.S. airports to enable visitors to clear immigration in 30 minutes or less.
“We expect it to translate to more visitors,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and national chair of the Travel Industry Association.
During Pow Wow, Hilton Hotels donated $100,000 to the Discover America program. The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau and L.A. Inc.: The Visitor & Convention Bureau also made substantial donations.
