SAN FRANCISCO — More than 5,000 delegates from 70 countries attended the U.S. Travel Association’s (USTA) annual International Pow Wow May 21-25 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.
The attendees included approximately 1,200 international and domestic buyers of travel, including tour operators and travel agents, who are expected to create $3.5 billion to $4 billion in future travel to the United States.
Representatives of more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations, including convention and visitors bureaus, marketing groups, hotels, airlines and cruise lines, conducted 70,000 prescheduled business appointments with the buyers.
The host city can expect a resulting return on investment of $350 million to $400 million in future travel, according to USTA. The 43-year-old Pow Wow last met in San Francisco in 1992.
“The return of this conference is not only significant for this week, but for the next three to five years, they’re going to be selling San Francisco for us,” Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, told the San Francisco Examiner.
More than 400 international and domestic media also attended.
Three evening events were held at Pier 39, in Golden Gate Park and an “Ultimate San Francisco Party” downtown.
Next year’s International Pow Wow will also be held on the West Coast, April 21-25 in Los Angeles.
