The U.S. Travel Association’s IPW conference, held in Washington, D.C., attracted thousands of attendees from 70 countries, including hundreds of journalists from the U.S. and abroad.
Several attractions in the Shenandoah Valley were fortunate to be included on IPW’s list of FAM (familiarization) tours, which are designed to introduce top tier media and tour operators with outstanding travel opportunities in the area.
FAM trip visitors to the Shenandoah Valley region hailed from across the globe – from Canada (our top international-referring country), France, England, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Russia, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, and Germany.
Destinations in the Shenandoah Valley region that hosted IPW writers included Staunton, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Luray, and Shenandoah National Park.
Media attendance this year broke IPW records, as a record 530 domestic and international journalists met with destinations to generate stories.
These travel media write stories and articles about the area, with the goal of introducing new people will find out about the region and want to visit.
Most attendees are leaving the region today.
“We think that FAM trips are an amazing resource to help strengthen our travel brand and build awareness of our region,” says Julie Armel, SVTA President and Director of Marketing for the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
SVTA collaborates with travel parters like Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), Capital Region USA (CRUSA), Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance (MATPRA), and Brand USA.
About Shenandoah Valley Travel Association (SVTA)
Founded in 1924, SVTA is one of the oldest regional tourism promotional organizations of its kind in the United States. The association promotes the tourism assets of the beautiful and historic Shenandoah Valley to the rest of the world. SVTA is a membership-based organization that receives no lodging or meal tax revenues. The Shenandoah Valley encompasses fourteen counties in Virginia and two counties in West Virginia, stretching from Harper’s Ferry in the north to Roanoke in the south. For more information, VisitShenandoah.org.
About U.S. Travel Association
U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $2.3 trillion in economic output and support 15.3 million American jobs. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. For more information about U.S. Travel Association and its mission, please visit www.ustravel.org.
About Brand USA
As the premier sponsor of IPW, Brand USA looks forward to welcoming travel professionals around the globe to IPW. As the nation’s destination marketing organization, Brand USA inspires people worldwide to experience the United States’ diverse destinations and attractions. For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit www.TheBrandUSA.com.
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