AMERICAS
AMERICAS Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #36 2017 Autumn Edition 29 THE AMERICAS – A FAST-CHANGING TOURISM DYNAMIC Inbound and outbound tourism is evolving faster in the Americas than perhaps anywhere else, with a rebound in South America, and growth in US outbound travel. According to Brian Tress, Ernst & Young’s Executive Director Real Estate & Hospitality, “Americans are going on more foreign holidays and exploring new destinations around the world.” Many US destinations are improving their products and offerings in response to global trends such as culinary travel, cultural travel, demand for authentic experiences, adventure and health & wellness stays, Tress told forum participants. Comments from destinations at a recent EY workshop ranged from “We’ve changed our focus from families to millennials” and “We’re creating curated experiences around music” to “We’re developing cultural tourism and expanding our food tours”. Tress explained that EY is helping various US cities to develop their tourism strategies. One international city by the sea, for example, is focusing on improving service quality and offering more diverse value-formoney products for a broad range of visitors. A historic city “with southern charm” is developing new culinary and cultural offerings, while a medium-sized former industrial city is aiming to promote its world-class arts and culture, historical sites and emerging culinary scene Charleston, South Carolina, USA
