Brand USA, in partnership with Cathay Pacific, hosted its first ever Taiwan, Hong Kong & Singapore B2B Day in Taipei on 15 October 2018.

Organized primarily as a stop-over for USA Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) heading to Singapore for ITB Asia, the full-day event was created with the intention of developing more outreach opportunities to jointly promote the USA.

Hear the Music, Experience the USA is a celebration of all the songs, genres, and cities that make American music so unique and so beloved around the world. From guitar licks to banjo picks, from brass horns to thumping bass, music opens the door to amazing discoveries. A unique exploration in sound, the campaign interprets Bobby Freeman's iconic song, “Do You Wanna Dance?” through different musical genres as envisioned by five innovative artists bringing the unique cultural sounds of their cities to life.

Buyers from Hong Kong and Singapore were flown in to join Taiwanese counterparts for over 390 business appointments with participating DMOs, including destinations such as California, Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York City, airlines, attractions, hotels and other tour providers. The event was attended by Mr. Wellington Chu, Commercial Officer from the American Institute in Taiwan.

Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore with a combined population of about 37 million, contributed over 700,000 visitors to the USA in 2017, with Taiwan making it into the top 20 list of source markets for visitation to the United States. Singapore and Taiwan in particular, have been part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program since 2016 and 2017 respectively. Its passport holders have been eligible for Global Entry since then as well.  

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, the co-partner of the B2B event, sponsored return flights for Hong Kong and Singapore buyers. The Hong Kong-based carrier recently launched direct flights to Dulles International Airport (Washington, D.C.), adding to existing routes to Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. A Seattle route will be added in spring of 2019, further expanding the carrier's USA connectivity.

“As part of our marketing and promotional efforts to increase international visitation to the United States, we believe that this inaugural B2B Day in Taipei, Taiwan has the potential to engage stakeholders, especially those in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore markets. Most importantly, we hope this event can inspire even more travelers from these Asian markets to visit the USA,” said Christopher L. Thompson, President and CEO of Brand USA. 

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About Brand USA

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. travel policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the USA in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past five years Brand USA's marketing initiatives have helped welcome 5.4 million incremental visitors to the USA, benefiting the U.S. economy with more than $38 billion in total economic impact and supporting, on average, more than 51,000 incremental jobs a year.

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. To discover more about the USA and the boundless diversity of American travel experiences and authentic, rich culture, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com and follow VisitTheUSA on Facebook.