National News

Niche marketing

With an estimated $65 billion in annual expenditures, American homosexuals are one of the world's most sought-after leisure travel submarkets. And Las Vegas, like other cities, aims to snag a larger slice of that pie. Promoting the gaming capital to gays and lesbians requires a different approach than those favored by many competing destinations. But armed with new research and an advertising campaign that's demonstrated strong multicultural appeal, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority recently unveiled its first gay promotional push. The CVB has placed print ads in three prominent gay publications: The Advocate, Out and Out Traveler.
Source: Travel Advance

Global 2005 travel spending topped $6 trillion

The World Travel & Tourism Council says that travel and tourism spending worldwide last year topped $6 trillion. According to research released by WTTC and Accenture, that outlay was an increase of 5.7 percent from global spending a year earlier. Looking forward, WTTC forecasts that the industry will grow by 4.6 percent in this year to a total of $6.5 trillion. The study predicts an annual growth rate of 4.2 percent from 2007 to 2016.
Source: Travel Advance

Foreign tourist spending hits record

Foreign visitors spent more than ever in the U.S. last year despite visitor numbers held down partly by the war on terror. Government figures show foreign visitors spent a record $104.8 billion on lodging, meals, entertainment and other travel expenses, up 12 percent from 2004. The number of foreign visitors (49.4 million) was up 7 percent from 2004, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The number of foreign visitors continues to lag behind the recent peak of 51.2 million in 2000. Jay Rasulo, chairman of the Travel Industry Association and chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said the record spending for foreign visitors underscores the importance of winning a bigger share of global tourism.
Source: Travel Advance