L.A. Tourism at Work - September 2016

Visit California – Tourico Holidays – tripcentral.ca FAM
L.A. Tourism’s International Tourism hosted the Los Angeles portion of the Visit California – Tourico Holidays – tripcentral.ca FAM August 25-26, 2016.  Attendees consisted of Visit California’s Canada representative, Tourico Holidays staff, and several tripcentral.ca travel agents who are based in Toronto, Canada. The educational itinerary highlighted attractions and activities including The GRAMMY Museum, bikes rentals from Perry’s Café & Rentals, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, Hollywood & Highland, OUE Skyspace LA, Border Grill Downtown LA and Tinhorn Flats Hollywood. 

Virtuoso Travel Week
Virtuoso Travel Week, the annual travel industry summit exclusive to the worldwide Virtuoso network, was held in Las Vegas August 7-11, 2016. L.A. Tourism representatives Tamy Martelli, Mariella Carmona and Maya Hua conducted more than 300 one-on-one pre-scheduled meetings with Virtuoso agency owners, managers, consultants and travel specialists at the show. During the appointments, L.A. Tourism presented Los Angeles as a premier luxury destination. Travel Week attendance for the show reached a record number of attendees with 5,236 influential travel professionals from 90 countries.

GO USA Seminar - Busan, Korea
L.A. Tourism attended Brand USA’s GO USA seminar in Busan, South Korea on August 18, 2016. The seminar featured roundtable destination training for 78 travel agents from key agencies in Busan as well as airline updates and a networking dinner. L.A. Tourism partners and Asiana Airlines sponsored the grand prize for one lucky winner, a trip to Los Angeles. L.A. Tourism thanks The Line Hotel, Dodger Stadium, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, and Starline Tours for their participation. South Korea is L.A.’s 7th ranked market for international visitation.

United Airlines – Japan Training
L.A. Tourism’s Japan representative conducted a Los Angeles and LAX training seminar for United’s key staff in their regional Japan office. The latest visitation information and new L.A. products as well as LAX and Metro updates were shared with the United staff. The training will assist them in their promotion of the airline’s new Haneda-LAX flight scheduled to begin November 2016.

World Connection’s Aisai City Youth Group
L.A. Tourism would like to send major thanks to Chris Drosse of LACMA for making special arrangements for World Connection’s Aisai City (Japan) youth group.  The group was interested in seeing two Japanese masterpieces which are not available for public viewing and reached out to L.A. Tourism for assistance. Mr. Robert Singer, the curator for Japanese art, was able to meet with the group, a highlight of their Los Angeles visit.

Ejazat Group Training
L.A. Tourism’s Middle East office conducted a destination awareness training via Skype with Ejazat Group, a leading Kuwaiti based travel agent on August 8, 2016. During the one-hour training, L.A. Tourism representative shared updates on the latest L.A. attractions, hotels, products and direct air services from the Middle East to LAX. Three managers and two reservations staff joined the training from the two travel agent offices in Kuwait.

GOGO Vacations – Flight Centre Travel Group Dinner
L.A. Tourism representatives Tamy Martelli and Andy Liu hosted 10 Flight Centre Canada travel agents for dinner at Buca di Beppo at Universal CityWalk where they shared destination updates and the latest L.A. products. The group also experienced Universal Studios Hollywood earlier in the day.

Contact Conference
L.A. Tourism participated in Contact, NTA’s annual conference for travel buyers such as member tour operators and travel agents and member suppliers, held in Quebec City, Canada. The conference was a blend of business and education and included a product development session, insights from industry experts as well as networking opportunities. The majority of attendees were from the U.S. and Canada and also included operators from overseas.

L.A. Tourism – Australia and New Zealand
Flight Centre Australia Consumer Travel Shows
L.A. Tourism’s Australia office exhibited at the annual Flight Centre Discover America Travel Expos in Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne throughout August. The Expo’s are the largest frontline consumer travel shows in Australia, attracting more than 50,000 consumers nationally. L.A. Tourism representatives highlighted L.A.’s unique neighbourhoods and LAX airport developments with incorporated street art and a digital information kiosk at the booth, allowing consumers to research the destination via interactive maps and videos. L.A. Tourism was awarded best booth at the Sydney Expo by Flight Centre for 2016.

Helloworld Frontliners Conference
L.A. Tourism and LAWA attended the annual Helloworld Frontliners travel agent conference in Brisbane August 11-13, 2016. L.A. Tourism representatives conducted B2B appointments sessions with more than 300 retail agents sharing updates on L.A.’s hotel development, LAX and the NFL’s L.A. Rams. Helloworld is Australia’s second largest retail travel agency network, attracting 540 frontline sales staff from across their Australian network of stores.

United Airlines Training Seminars - Sydney & Melbourne
L.A. Tourism and LAWA sponsored the annual United Airlines Sydney & Melbourne training seminars on August 18 and 23, 2016. The training seminars for 100 retail and corporate travel agents allowed L.A. Tourism representatives to share updates on LAX’s developments with a key focus on United’s renovations at Terminal 7 and 8. United Airlines currently operates direct daily service from both Sydney and Melbourne to LAX with the new 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Visit California Sales Mission - Australia & New Zealand
L.A. Tourism and LAWA participated in the bi annual Visit California Sales Mission to Australia and New Zealand August 21-26, 2016. The sales mission featured a series of five trade events in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane & Sydney with B2B appointment sessions with leading wholesalers and tour operators from the Oceania market. L.A. Tourism representatives shared product updates to more than 400 travel agents, primarily focusing on L.A.’s urban outdoors and sports offerings. As seeing a live U.S. sporting event when on vacation is a key visitation driver for Australians and New Zealanders, representatives highlighted the NFL’s L.A. Rams as a new vacation package option.

L.A. Tourism – China

Dista Group Roadshow in Zhongshan and Zhuhai City
L.A. Tourism’s Guangzhou office participated in Dista Group Roadshow, a key Guangzhou wholesale company, in Zhongshan and Zhuhai August 6-7, 2016. In an effort to further develop the tier 2 cities markets, representatives shared information on LAX’s modernization and new L.A. tourism resources.  More than 75 Zhongshan agents and 15 Zhuhai agents signed up for a future U.S. group tour at the Roadshow.

In-house Training at China Women Travel Service
L.A. Tourism’s Beijing office conducted an in-house training at China Women Travel Service, one of China’s top wholesalers with focus on organizing groups to North America, on August 12, 2016. More than 20 OP and sales representatives attended the training where L.A. Tourism shared the latest developments on LAX and L.A.’s tour products and attractions such as ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ at Universal Studios Hollywood and OUE Skyspace LA.

In-house Training at TTS Shanghai
L.A. Tourism’s Shanghai office organized an in-house training at TTS Shanghai, a receptive operator for Los Angeles, on August 19, 2016. In an effort to help TTS agents better sell the destination, the training served 20 sales and operation staff and informed them on L.A.’s new hotels, attractions and day tours. Other information that was shared by representatives included LAX developments, Metro updates and upcoming direct air services to LAX from China. TTS organized more than 1,500 Chinese visitors to Los Angeles in 2015.

Tuniu Travel Roadshow
L.A. Tourism’s China office, in partnership with Tuniu Travel - one of the leading OTAs in China’s leading OTAs - to host an LAX roadshow in Beijing on August 20, 2016. The roadshow promoted LAX and L.A.'s attractions more than 200 of Tuniu's potential clients. One more roadshow is planned in Chengdu in October 2016.

Co-op Marketing Campaign with GTA 
L.A. Tourism’s China office organized a series of six trainings in various China markets, which were carried out in cooperation with GTA. The effort launched a marketing campaign to promote L.A. member hotels bookings, especially China-Ready hotels. More than 35 tour operators in Nanjing attended the training on August 25, 2016, where they were briefed on L.A.’s and LAX’s latest happenings including new hotel openings, shopping centers and attractions.

Brand USA Roadshow in Shenzhen & Xiamen
L.A. Tourism’s Guangzhou office joined the Brand USA Roadshow in Shenzhen & Xiamen on Aug 24 and 26, 2016. Representatives shared new air service updates, LAX developments, new attractions and MICE resources to key trade clients. Xiamen Airlines, a China Southern Airlines subsidiary, is planning direct air service from Xiamen to Los Angeles commencing in June 2017 with 3x weekly service. More than 120 travel trade companies from each city joined the roadshow.

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Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo
As invited by U.S. Embassy Beijing China, L.A. Tourism’s China office joined the “U.S. Pavilion” at the Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo 2016 tradeshow in Xi'an August 25-28, 2016. During the show, representatives conducted a total of 57 appointments with leisure tour, tailor-made and MICE buyers from North and Northwest China. Buyers were briefed on LAX, L.A. tourism updates and newly developed products like OUE Skyspace LA and ‘Step Beyond the Red Carpet’ at the Dolby Theatre. Shaanxi Province’s future tourism market shows great potential in the coming years with 67 outbound travel agencies operating group leisure travel to the U.S.

Travel Agents Distribution Conference
China Regional Director Kate Chang represented L.A. Tourism as a panelist at the Travel Agents Distribution Conference on August 26, 2016 where she shared L.A.'s record breaking tourism data as well as L.A.'s tourism marketing initiatives.

IncentiveWorks 2016
L.A. Tourism Sales exhibited at IncentiveWorks 2016, Canada’s largest and longest running conference and trade show for meetings, incentive travel and special events, in in Toronto, Canada August 16-17, 2016. L.A. Tourism representatives shared L.A. updates and developments with buyers and thanks partners Hollywood Roosevelt, LA Athletic Club and The Garland for participating.

L.A. Tourism Public Relations hosted freelancer Jimmy Im for an educational trip as he researches for two editorial stories August 18-21, 2016. Im’s first story will highlight Metro’s Expo line extension to Santa Monica and its new experiences along the way such as Platform LA and Cannibal LA for the New York Post. Im’s second story will focus on the rising LGBT scene in Downtown Los Angeles for Passport Magazine. His educational itinerary included Grand Central Market, Miro, Faith & Flower, Gwen and OUE Skyspace LA. Accommodations were hosted by The Standard Downtown LA.

As an introduction to the Rams homecoming to Los Angeles, L.A Tourism PR hosted journalist Cyd Zeigler from Outsports, a prominent LGBT sports publication. Cyd attended the Rams preseason game against the Chiefs on August 20, 2016 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He also explored Downtown with experiences at The Broad Museum and the Architecture and Design Museum in the Arts District. Cyd dined at Otium, Broken Spanish, Grand Central Market and The Springs. Accommodations were provided by Los Angeles Athletic Club.

L.A. Tourism PR hosted journalist Karen Cicero, travel editor from Parents Magazine, August 20-23, 206. Karen was in Los Angeles to conduct research for stories highlighting family-friendly activities with teens. Karen’s educational itinerary included the Original Farmers Market, The Grove, La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, Starline Tours, Universal Studios Hollywood, Warner Bros. Studio Tour and Sunset Ranch Hollywood. Karen dined at Olive & Thyme, Little Dom’s and The Front Yard. Accommodations were provided by The Garland hotel.  Coverage will result in multiple stories set to run in 2017.