Shop America Alliance, the travel trade organization dedicated to promoting shopping, dining and cultural travel as the top tourism activities, welcomes its newest members: Simon Shopping Destinations, GAP Factory Stores, Hard Rock Cafe, The Outlet Resource Group, Outlets at San Clemente CA, Outlets at Barstow CA and Century 21 Department Stores in New York City.

A new White Paper on “International Travel Opportunities” published by Shop America Alliance, The Cultural Traveler and Travel Market Insights will be presented at ICSC's Recon annual conference on May 24 in Las Vegas, at #NEXT Travel Exchange in Cancun on May 27 and at Shop America's Annual Partners meeting in New Orleans on June 19. The 30-page White Paper provides the latest international arrivals data from the National Travel & Tourism Office, retail spend and brand preference data from TaxFree Shopping Texas and Louisiana Tax Free Shopping plus trend analysis and strategies for developing and enhancing tourism success.

Founded in 1998, Shop America (SAA) provides travel and tourism marketing tools and opportunities to its members and partners with programs that provide measurable ROI.

The programs include partnerships, packaged tours development and sales, publishing, communications, research, public relations, meetings and events.

Representing leading retailers, brands, shopping centers, outlets and shopping destinations throughout North America, Shop America's 2016 programs include:

• Shop America Magazine and America's Best Shopping guide published annually
• Shop America Tours— 100+ commissionable shopping and dining packages and cultural heritage experiences in 40 cities sold via major tour operators worldwide and at ShopAmericaTours.com
• MasterCard® Shop America Savings program with special offers for MasterCard cardholders at locations throughout the USA. Select Shop America partners are featured in marketing promoting the MasterCard Priceless Cities program.
• AAA/CAA Discounts & Rewards Shop America VIP partnership provides savings at dozens of participating shopping centers and outlets
• Shop America Tours Club—Thousands of members in this exclusive consumer club enjoy special savings and monthly contests promoted via social media and bi-monthly ShopTalk Ezine
• ONE Travel Conference for Shopping, Dining & Cultural Tourism—annual conference featuring executive level education, networking and the SASI-ONE Awards for marketing excellence. The next ONE Travel Conference will be held September 7-9,2016 in Santa Monica, California.
• Participation in 15 major travel trade events and sales missions annually to market Shop America Tours and showcase Shop America partners including IPW, #Next Travel Exchange, La Cita, NTA, ABA, Active America China, China Sales Mission, ONE Travel Conference, Go West Summit, California Marketing Outlook Forum, Travel South International Showcase, Brand USA India Sales Mission, ICSC Recon, witti Annual Conference and Marketing Outlook Forum.
• China Market opportunities: Thousands of Weibo followers, Shop America Magazine distributed digitally via Weibo and Wechat in partnership with Essentially America.
• Weekly Shopping and Cultural Enews provides timely information and opportunities.

“Shopping tourism continues to provide exceptional economic benefits to all engaged. Shop America's objective is to provide essential information, key contacts and expanded opportunities for our partners to enhance their success,” said Rosemary McCormick, founder and President of Shop America Alliance.

Also active in Cultural & Heritage tourism, Shop America Alliance co-produced the US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit with the US Department of Commerce/OTTI in Washington, DC in 2005 and co-founded the US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council (USCHT) in 2007. The strong correlation between shopping, dining and cultural

& heritage tourism, as indicated by research studies, led to more innovative collaborations including the ONE Travel Conference for Shopping, Dining and Cultural Tourism which was incorporated with the former Shop America Tourism Conference. Shop America president Rosemary McCormick's book Marketing Cultural & Heritage Tourism was published by the Museum Store Association providing tools for increased effectiveness and developing partnerships. Shop America also co-publishes The Cultural Traveler guide annually in partnership with USCHT.

Shop America continues to grow its network of partners to extend its marketing efforts with MasterCard Worldwide, US Travel Association, OutletBound.com, Visit USA UK Committee, Discover America Canada, Mandala Research, Women In Travel & Tourism International (witti), Brand USA and National Travel and Tourism Office.

Shop America Tours works with top online travel agents and tour operators worldwide including Expedia, Orbitz, Gray Line, Tourico Holidays, GTA, Hotelbeds, Viator and more to market commissionable shopping packages and cultural heritage experiences.

Shop America Alliance is the travel trade organization representing hundreds of the premier shopping tourism destinations, retailers, shopping centers and outlets in North America. Founded in 1998, Shop America Alliance produces the annual ONE Travel Conference and SASI-ONE Awards, publishes Shop America Magazine and The Cultural Traveler guide and markets more than 100 shopping tours and cultural heritage experiences in 40 cities. For more information, visit shopamericatours.com, theculturaltraveler.com and ONEtravelconference.com or call 707-224-3795.

Shop America Alliance Executive Advisory Committee 2016

Kathy Anderson, Anderson Retail Tourism Marketing Bonnie Carlson/Jan Kroells, Bloomington MN CVB Rose Hapanowich, Destiny USA

Pat Lee, Cherry Creek Center

Carolyn Feimster, CJF Marketing International

Petty Ziglin, Craig Realty Group

Li-Chun Young, Duty Free Shopping (DFS) Connie Dyer, Horizon Group Properties

Kelly Messina, Las Vegas CVA/Shop Las Vegas

Denise Thevenot, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Kate Birchler, Macerich Shopping Centers Keri Hanson/Nancy Gallagher, Macy's

Doug Killian, Mall of America

Laura Mandala, Mandala Research Stephen Fine, OutletBound.com Kristen Esposito, Simon

Werner Escher, South Coast Plaza

Carolyn Petty, TaxFree Shopping Texas

Chris Szalay Strange, The Outlet Resource Group

Amy Drouillard, The Taubman Company

Daphne Lange, Visit California

#####