ao link

 

(Credit: Visit California)
(Credit: Visit California)

Another UK favourite, California, is “already showing high volume for summer 2022”; that was according to Caroline Beteta, Visit California president and chief executive, who said the UK was California’s second largest overseas market with more than 750,000 visitors.


New attractions include the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, and the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego. In California’s theme parks, the Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park has opened, together with The Lego Movie World at Legoland, while Universal Studios Hollywood now boasts The Secret Life of Pets and Jurassic World – The Ride.


Meanwhile, 50 new hotels, offering 7,400 rooms, opened during the pandemic, with a dozen more properties opening later this year.


Transatlantic airlift is returning, Beteta said. “By November 2021, we'll see 72 direct weekly flights into San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego across British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines. British Airways is planning to reintroduce its direct Heathrow-San Jose route in March 2022.”


Visit California also used lockdown to refresh its STAR training module. “The travel trade is an essential aspect of Visit California’s recovery strategy,” she said. "To be in London just ahead of the borders reopening, and to be able to reconnect face to face, will be invaluable."

 

‘Dramatic changes’

 

Like California, the UK is the second biggest inbound market for Washington DC. Destination DC chief executive Elliott Ferguson said pre-Covid, the city was on track to see "large increases" in numbers from the UK. DC receives 10% of its 25 million annual visitors from abroad, and will be among the first to see airlift restored.

 

“This year alone, we expect to see all but two of our international airlines return,” said Ferguson. “Now our borders are opening, we plan to work with tour operators to promote DC as a top destination for summer holidays in 2022, especially for families.”

 

Ferguson said lockdown had been constructive. “We used the time to develop and open new museums such as Planet Word and the National Children’s Museum. We also focused on creating engaging new content around DC’s story of Black History.”

 

Washington launched its Travel Agent Special Agent training programme prior to the pandemic, and has revamped it for the post-Covid world. “We understand the pandemic has caused dramatic changes to the travel workforce and many have never visited DC, so to enhance learning and broaden horizons, we launched our most recent marketing campaign, ‘You know Washington, now Experience DC’," said Ferguson.

 

He added: “We view the last 18 months as a rear-view mirror, it reflects the past and is not to be forgotten, but to remind us where we have been and how far we have come. Now, we are looking through the windscreen, and our future is big and broad.”

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