Discover America, the advertising campaign launched to increase international visitors to The States, has attracted an additional 1.1 Million tourists in 2013. The Corporation for Travel Promotion organization, DBA Brand USA, was established in 2010 to ensure that the United States of America was competitive among a host of international destinations. Prior to its creation, there had never been a unified, international USA tourism marketing effort. Yes you read that right, N-E-V-E-R. According to Brand USA:

Other countries around the world have prioritized tourism efforts for years, yet in the 236 years since the United States of America was founded, this country has never had a nationally coordinated effort dedicated to inviting travelers to come visit us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWUA1CXIku8

While the campaign was mocked by satirist Stephen Colbert, suggesting alternative slogan “America – come, or don’t. We don’t give a sh**,” a press release last week from Brand USA stated that tourism in 2013 saw “a 2.3 percent increase over growth that would have occurred without Brand USA marketing initiatives.” While 2.3% may not seem like a huge shift, this incremental growth accounted for an additional $3.4 billion dollars in international visitor spending.

The Discover America campaign, which is heavily targeted to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and the UK, utilizes print, online, social media, SEM, and TV to communicate the wide variety of attractions and experiences unique to the USA. Seemingly a macrocosm of any CVB, Discover America even has co-op programs that states and districts can tap into to highlight destinations in individual cities. Now for the big question: will The Official Discover America Inspiration Guide be a part of your attraction’s media mix next year?