ConnectWorldwide in Hotel Business News Magazine
ConnectWorldwide History
September 15th, 2011
Connect-worldwide opens office in Russia.
September 12th, 2011
Connect-Worldwide Canada awarded Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Public Relations Contract for Canada
September 1st, 2011
Connect-worldwide has established Connect-Worldwide USA based in New York
August 1, 2011
Connect-Worldwide announces France Office
June 1st, 2011
Accor Partners with Connect-Worldwide to strengthen distribution in India.
March 8th, 2011
Connect-Worldwide Acquires the Destination Marketing Division from Vision|Co and establishes Connect-Worldwide Canada. New Clients include New York, San Francisco, North Carolina, and Arizona.
February 15th, 2011
Virginia Tourism Corporation has selected Connect-Worldwide South Korea, Japan and China to represent sales and marketing project needs in Asia.
February 1st, 2011
Fiesta Hotel Group has selected Connect-Worldwide for MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conventions & Exhibitions)representation services in the U.S. and Canada.
January 1st, 2011
The Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau has selected Connect-Worldwide to represent their sales and marketing needs in Japan.
October 6th, 2010
Royal Resorts has selected Connect-Worldwide for tour operator sales in the United
States and Canada.
September 1st, 2010
Travel South USA selects Connect-Worldwide Canada and Connect-Worldwide Italy to represent their sales and marketing needs.
July 1st, 2010
Formation of Connect-Worldwide Japan Co., Ltd.
July 1st, 2010
Argentina appoints Connect-Worldwide for development of 2011 sales and marketing plan
February 1st, 2010
Utell Hotels and Resorts appoints Connect-Worldwide Belgium to represent their sales and marketing needs in Belgium.
October 1st, 2009
Managing Directors Mauricio Gonzalez and Ana Mari Bordallo have been elected as President of the Visit USA committees in their countries.
September 1st, 2009
Utell Hotels and Resorts has appointed Connect-Worldwide Benelux to represent their sales and marketing needs in The Netherlands.
July 1st, 2009
Paradores Hotels has appointed Connect-Worldwide Italy and Connect-Worldwide Canada to represent their sales and marketing needs.
January 1st, 2009
Travel Oregon has selected Connect-Worldwide Mexico to represent their sales and marketing needs in Mexico.
January 1st, 2009
Thistle and Guoman Hotels increase their partnership and appoints Connect-Worldwide India as their sales and marketing partner.
September 22nd, 2008
The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau has selected Connect-Worldwide Mexico as their representation company.
August 12th, 2008
The Nevada Commission on Tourism today announced the appointment of Connect-Worldwide
as their representation company in South Korea.
July 2nd, 2008
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced the appointment Connect-Worldwide
International.
July 1st, 2008
Connect-Worldwide Benelux awarded office of the Year
2007.
February 1st, 2007
ThistleHotels and Guoman Hotels brands announced major expansion to its international sales and marketing team with the appointment of Connect-Worldwide.
November 1st, 2006
Netherlands based Tourism in Action awards global representation contract of TravelDNA to
Connect Worldwide.
August 1st, 2006
Connect-Worldwide is pleased to announce Connect-Worldwide Chile.
April 1st, 2006
Connect-Worldwide opens new office in South Africa.
January 1st, 2006
Connect-Worldwide signs agreement with Ginn Clubs & Resorts.
January 1st, 2006
Connect-Worldwide opens new headquarter office in Scottsdale, Arizona
October 5th, 2005
Connect-Worldwide adds 67 properties in the US to its global representation portfolio as a direct result of Choice Hotels acquiring the Franchise System of 67 Suburban Extended Stay hotels.
September 5th, 2005
Connect-Worldwide UK awarded office of the Year in 2004.
July 1st, 2005
Smart Destinations has increased their worldwide distribution by selecting Connect-Worldwide:
June 15th, 2005
Connect-Worldwide announces new office in the Caribbean.
June 1st, 2005
Connect-Worldwide announces the signing of a representation agreement with Allson Hotels based in
Malaysia.
May 1st, 2005
Connect-Worldwide open offices in Spain and in Central America
February 1st, 2005
Smart Destinations Inc announced the appointment of Connect-Worldwide UK.
January 1st, 2005
Connect-Worldwide CEO Eric Otto works with several local business leaders to aid Tsunami victims
in Indonesia.
September 1st, 2004
Connect-Worldwide open Eastern Europe office in Budapest, Hungary.
August 1st, 2004
Choice Hotels Brazil has selected the Connect-Worldwide European sales and marketing
offices to assist them in developing business.
July 1st, 2004
Vasudha Sondhi of India awarded Office of the year for 2003.
July 1st, 2004
Connect-Worldwide has opened a new Connect-Worldwide Mexico office.
January 1st, 2004
Connect-Worldwide accepted as a member of Travel Industry Association of America.
December 1st, 2003
Connect-Worldwide announces the opening of the Connect-Worldwide affiliate office in Russia.
December 1st, 2003
Connect-Worldwide announces the opening of the Connect-Worldwide affiliate office in Jordan
November 1st, 2003
Connect-Worldwide celebrates its first year anniversary.
November 1st, 2003
Connect-Worldwide announces the opening of Ireland office
September 20th, 2003
Connect-Worldwide opens office in Germany.
August 25th, 2003
Connect-Worldwide opens office in the UK.
July 7th, 2003
Connect-Worldwide recently acquired www.generalsalesagent.co www.travelrepresentation.com
June 15th, 2003
Choice Hotels International selects Connect-Worldwide for additional seven markets
April 10th, 2003
Connect-worldwide announces new offices in Venezuela and the Netherlands.
April 1st, 2003
Choice Hotels International selects Connect-Worldwide for sales and marketing
representation in Central America.
March 2003
Connect-Worldwide changes status from LLC to S-Corporatio
January 1st, 200
Connect-Worldwide signs agreement with Choice Hotels for representation in 15 countries
September 2002
Connect-Worldwide is registered as an LLC at a cost of $86.00
Record-Setting International Visitor Spending in July
Below is a press release from the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Statement from Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank on International Travel to the United States in July 2011
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that international visitors spent a record-setting $13.3 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of July – $1.8 billion or 15 percent more than was spent in July 2010. International visitors have spent an estimated $86.9 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date (January through July), an increase of 13 percent when compared to the same period in 2010. Americans have spent nearly $63.7 billion abroad year to date (up 8%) – resulting in a $23.2
billion trade surplus for travel and tourism through the first half of 2011.
“Today’s numbers underline the vital role travel and tourism plays in strengthening the U.S. economy, helping to create jobs in communities across the United States,” Blank said. “The industry is also an important part of America’s exports success story. Travel and tourism accounts for 26 percent of exports in services and 7 percent of all U.S. exports, and helps to achieve President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling exports by 2015.”
This service is provided free of charge by: Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
Some Good News for Mexico Tourism
Anytime we at Connect-Worldwide hear about uplifting news in the tourism industry we get very excited. This time around it’s about Mexico, a country that has seen a boost in the travel sector over the past two years! This has all happened in the midst of negative connotations it has received regarding travel safety…
Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal recently discussed President Calderon’s editorial board visit to say, “Yet a funny thing happened on the way to Mexico being called another failed state. To wit, the “failed state” boomed.” In 2010, twenty-two million tourists visited Mexico, trade with the U.S. reached an all-time high of nearly $400 billion and, in Ciudad Juárez, the maquiladora industries added some 20,000 jobs.
The percentage of the population living below the poverty line declined to 47.4 percent in 2008, literacy rates surpassed 90 percent and life expectancy continues to rise to near-First World levels. In Mexico City, home to some 20 million people, the murder rateactually fell over the last decade and, in 2009, it was about one quarter of the rate in Washington,D.C:
http://online.wsj.com/article/global_view.html
Mexico continues to grow its international conventions and meetings industry and has been ranked 22nd worldwide in terms of such events by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). This marks an increase of seven positions from 2009.
“Destinations and entities continue to invest in infrastructure, equipment and services… But Mexico has much more to offer,” said Gloria Guevara Manzo, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism. “In order to continue our competitiveness, we will also promote less well-known destinations that can be of interest for international conventions.”
Corporation for Travel Promotion budget hits $500 million
The 43rd annual Pow Wow US travel trade show has just completed in San Francisco, with the declaration that the Corporation for Travel Promotion now has half a billion dollars in funding available to market the USA to the rest of the world.
Stephen Cloobeck, chairman of the new Corporation for Travel Promotion, also chairman and chief executive of Diamond Resorts International, said it had a $200 million budget to promote the US, and that sum, combined with the work of the individual convention and tourism offices, meant there was now half a billion dollars available to market the USA internationally.
He described the new Corporation as a “game changer” and the USA as a “sleeping giant that has awoken.” He added: “Every other country will now be watching the USA – because we know how to compete.”
Pow Wow delegates were shown a new video to promote the work of the Corporation and highlight US attractions, which ends with the tagline” “Come visit the USA”.
But actual marketing activity will not begin until later this fall. It is anticipated that WTM in November in London will be a good kick-off date.
The newly appointed chief executive, Jim Evans, said the board was working towards making the USA “the most welcoming and interesting tourist destination in the world”. He said that the board had accomplished a great deal since its creation in September last year, and would build on that momentum going forward.
He also said that the corporation would be canvassing US travel partners for their ideas. “We want this program to deliver maximum results to our partners around the world,” he added. But initially his work will be to set up the infrastructure for a successful and long-term corporation. One of the first things on the list is to hire a CMO.
The CMO will establish the USA brand and develop it globally, so it will be a key position. It is a crucially important position.
There is much work to do, but in the end we are excited about the fact that the USA will be able to compete globally for the global travel dollars and reverse the declining market share trends.
