Meeting News - November 19, 2007 - (Page 20)

CVBs NYC Opens Sao Paulo Office, Taps Brazilian Travel Boom Sao Paulo—On Oct. 23, NYC & Company, the marketing and tourism organization for New York City, announced the opening of a new tourism office in Sao Paulo. Brazil represents a lucrative market for the Big Apple, with travelers spending 8.4 nights in the city on average and 78 percent staying in hotels. Nearly 90 percent of all Brazilian travelers shop and dine at New York City establishments. As a whole, 151,000 Brazilians spent more than $425 million in the city last year, landing them in the category of “big spenders.” George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, is eager to attract more. “We have a long way to go to achieve a greater share of the Brazilian market. Our hope is that with the office in Sao Paulo, we can compete with other destinations aggressively courting the lucrative Brazilian market,” he said. Brazilian visitors in New York City are split 75/25 leisure/business. The city is the number one destination for Brazilians traveling to the United States. Pocono Mountains Bureau Acquires Skipper from Idaho Pocono Mountains, PA—Industry veteran Carl Wilgus will take the helm at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau this month. Lured from his post as state tourism director and assistant deputy director of the Idaho Department of Commerce, Wilgus is credited with tripling the staff at the agency and quadrupling its annual tourism budget. In the Poconos, Wilgus will be the steward for the newly branded destination, and the PMVB will look to him to spearhead growth initiatives similar to those he led in Idaho. The Poconos offer 2,400 miles of mountain terrain, waterfalls, and woodlands, and 170 miles of rivers. The region touts its winter sports and summer hiking, biking, and golf. Manchester Revamps Website Manchester, England—Marketing Manchester has reworked its website with meeting planners (and revenues) in mind. The site, www.man chesterconferences.com, now features an interactive facility search, RFP capability, and in-depth information about the city’s hotels and meeting venues and services. With the improved portal, the CVB expects to increase its online meeting inquiries by 30 percent over the next two years. “More and more [meeting] planning now takes place online, and we needed to reflect that with a serious investment,” said Andrew Stokes, chief executive. The CVB spent more than $60,000 on the revamp. Myrtle Beach MyrtleBeachMeetings.com 20 MeetingNews November 19, 2007 New Orleans CVB Issues ‘State of the City’ Report New Orleans—In an effort to keep leisure travelers and prospective meeting groups up to date with the www.meetingnews.com http://www.manchesterconferences.com http://www.manchesterconferences.com http://www.MyrtleBeachMeetings.com http://www.MyrtleBeachMeetings.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - November 19, 2007

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