TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Enthusiasm and excitement from key clients in Canada, Mexico, and the Southeast USA were on display during our recent missions with in-person meetings and events. We learned call volume and interest in domestic and cross-border holidays remain high with many travelers preferring to remain closer to home. Our strong air service continues to be a great asset and well-received by both advisors and travelers.
As with many industries, travel agencies and operators are welcoming new staff, providing us with a great opportunity to connect and educate this class of new advisors. Experienced travel professionals are also top-of-mind as we promote all the new experiences and products in our destination. Our upcoming schedule will put us in front of international and golf travel clients as well as airline network planners at U.S. Travel’s IPW, the California Cup, Jump Start, and IAGTO’s North American Conference. At the same time, we are busy planning several client FAMS for Southern California advisors with ASTA and welcoming trade and media clients from France. We are excited to see many partners join us in our travels and FAMS, but there is always room for more.
Looking forward, we will continue monitoring traveler sentiment as inflationary pressures along with recession fears may affect traveler behavior. Despite those potential obstacles, Greater Palm Springs continues to offer many of the experiences and attributes valued by so many travelers. To help us promote our strong selling points, I’m excited to announce the addition of Julie Kawaguchi to the Tourism Development team. Through Julie’s career with various travel companies, she has developed great relationships with key clients and understands the nuances of international travel and visitor motivation factors. Julie will be responsible for our international markets in the Pacific region while working remote from her home in Los Angeles. I look forward to introducing Julie to everyone over the coming months.
Finally, please support our Tourism Foundation as we host our second annual charity golf tournament on Wednesday, May 25 at PGA West, Greg Norman Course. This is a wonderful opportunity to network with your local colleagues and support our local high school students with scholarships as well as provide training to our hospitality workforce. You can learn more about the event and register via this link.
If you have any questions about Tourism Development, please contact:
Gary Orfield, Director of Tourism Development
gary@visitgreaterps.com | 760.969.1335
