Many Americans think that international visitors to our country only want to see the big cities such as NYC, Las Vegas, the Disneys- both East Coast and West, and the National Parks. After that, what else is there to see? Those destinations are also the ones with big advertising and marketing budgets, so we can’t blame visitors for wanting to see these places when they vacation in the U.S.
But there has been a growing trend for international visitors to want to see small towns – the real America-friendly people and interesting attractions and activities that they can talk about back at home. So what can smaller destinations do to be noticed and attract this type of visitor? FIT’s, or Foreign Independent Travelers, tend to stay longer and spend more. They are more likely to buy bottles of wine with meals, shop for all kinds of items they can’t get back home, and often stay midweek. They often have a bigger per capita impact than a domestic visitor. Here are some helpful ideas to consider:
1. Language Barrier.
By the time most international visitors decide to venture out to the rural areas of our country, they have been to the U.S. several times and speak English fairly well. Most children around the world take English classes and like to practice while they are here. For those guests who do not speak English well, just remember to speak slowly and clearly (not loudly!) Maps and brochures are handy for pointing things out. And don’t be embarrassed to ask someone to repeat themselves by simply saying “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand you.” Google Translate has saved me many a time- make sure you have that app on your phone. Don’t let a language difference stop you!
2. Big picture.
As lovely as your destination is, most international visitors are here in the states for up to two weeks and will plan on seeing several states. That is why it is important for you to be familiar with other destinations within a few hours drive of you.
We all know that visitors don’t care about county or state lines, so you need to make the time to visit other tourist spots. As a tourism pro, you can be doing some benchmarking and checking others out as well. When you meet with tour companies and they ask for other ideas of stops nearby, you will become a valuable resource. When you only suggest other attractions within your county, you don’t give them what they need in order to put together a tour. I work in Upstate New York and recommend stops in Pennsylvania ( Hi Hershey and Poconos!) as often as I speak about Niagara Falls.
3. Booking and Websites.
Unlike Americans, most international visitors still use travel companies and rely on their travel agents for ideas and to make their travel arrangements. However, they do use the internet for searches. Make sure your website is up to date and has crisp photos. Our U.S based businesses are often competing for tourists with options in Spain, Greece, Turkey and Eastern Europe. There are plugins for your website which will translate the text on your web pages into various languages. The translations might not perfect, but as I often say, done is better than perfect.
4. Timeframe.
The international market is complex, with several layers of intermediaries from regional and state marketing directors, to receptive operators here in the U.S. who put together the driving tours and then sell them to tour companies overseas. It takes a few years once you have decided to pursue this market before you will see the benefits. As an example, I started working with an Israeli tour operator in 2006 and brought him to NY in 2008 with some of his top tour agents to see what New York State had to offer. He brought media representatives from Israel the following year. Bookings began to appear in 2009. Ten years later Israeli visitors are still consistently in the top 5 markets for Upstate NY. But it was a long process. Have a long-range plan and goal – and don’t give up!
5. Education.
Because this is a complex market, it is best to take advantage of any and all training opportunities that your tourism offices offer. It might be a program offered by your state tourism office, or a webinar available through various organizations.
I conduct training programs on the China market and how to become China ready as well as how to use WeChat, the most powerful social media in Asia. I also am available for consulting calls if you have questions about how to be successful in this market.
If you think that international tourism is too small a market to pursue, I will leave you with this information from U.S. Travel. Don’t you want to start taking advantage of these markets?