Italian tourists are back visiting America

italians in us
italians in us
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

ITALY (eTN) – Italian tourists are rediscovering America and vice versa.

ITALY (eTN) – Italian tourists are rediscovering America and vice versa. After decades in the top ten of incoming tourists, followed by several months of decline, Italian tourists are back in the USA. In 2013, arrivals in the United States grew by 1%, for a total of about 839 million visitors. Italian tourists in America are now in the 12th position of ranking by the NTTO – National Travel and Tourism Office.

This good news comes from the halls of Chicago’s McCormick Place, the convention center that recently hosted the 46th IPW -International Pow Wow. Recovery is in the air, and the tourist axis between Italy and the United States is experiencing a force of recovery. Olga Mazzoni, President of Visit USA Italy, is convinced that the US players strongly relayed their confidence on the recovery of the Italian tourist market. On the flip side, Italian tour operators are willing to explore new frontiers in areas such as the Midwest, which has so far been neglected as compared to the usual New York and Miami US destinations. America is this and much more – the ice of an Alaskan bay; the community of Lafayette, home of the Cajun descendants of French-speaking Canadians deported to Louisiana; the dream of flying into space from Cape Canaveral and fulfilling the dream of galactic simulations at Kennedy Space Center.

Italian tourists have been overtaken by Indian tourists whose presence in the USA grew by 19% in terms of arrivals, recovering its position among the top 10. The market leaders are at present: Canada, Mexico, and the UK, followed by Japan, Brazil, Germany, China, France, South Korea, and Australia. From the BRIC countries, the Chinese and the Brazilians are ahead of 23%, with an increase of 15%.

Expo 2015 in Milan is a golden opportunity for Italy, where Brand USA promises to have a major role. 10% of the US pavilion will showcase tourism, a fixed garrison in which during 26 weeks, events supported by sponsors will take place.

Meanwhile, in the USA, a fundraising campaign for Expo Milan 2015 has started. The United States plans to allocate US$45 million, of which 5 million will come from US states, destinations, and partners, and the rest from public sources. Among the ideas for the Expo is the installation of a terminal within the US pavilion where visitors can book trips to the United States of America. In this context, the collaboration between โ€œVisit USA Italyโ€ and โ€œBrand USAโ€ is ready to organize a team of marketing and communications professionals to address the trade and consumers.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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