U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be on the ground at IPW in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week, a move that signals how seriously the US travel industry is taking a growing confidence problem among international visitors.
Brand USA has released an overnight statement announcing a new arm to its campaign – Get Facts. Get Going – to provide real-time information and address misperceptions about entry requirements and fees, including visa costs, national park pricing, and screening policies, amongst international travellers.
Brand USA has an ongoing partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help sign-ups in international markets. CBP representatives will be on-site at IPW this week at Brand USA’s booth to help answer questions and provide updates on America’s trusted traveller program, for which Australian travellers are eligible.
The move comes amid a steep fall in Australians travelling to the US. Recent data from the ABS shows Australians travelling to the US dropped by 5.5 per cent to March this year. Data released from ATIA last month suggested the trend is accelerating: outbound travel to the USA fell 4.8 per cent for the year to February 2026, with a sharper 9.7 per cent decline in February alone. Meanwhile destinations closer to home, such as Vietnam, showed a steep improvement.
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Whilst local travel is part of a broader trend, a number of travel headlines coming out the US in recent time – such as ICE agents at airports, tighter custom restrictions and the well-publicised government shutdowns (which led to air traffic controllers going unpaid for weeks), haven’t helped matters.
Get Facts. Get Going is just one of the new initiatives added as part of its America the Beautiful brand expansion. The other is American Originals – a new content and storytelling series.
The initiatives, being announced this week at U.S. Travel Association’s IPW in Florida targeting leisure tourism and at IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany targeting international business events, reflect the organisation’s focus on growing international travel demand and boosting travel exports that impact the U.S. economy and communities.
The announcement comes as the U.S. readies to host major events beginning next month, including the FIFA World Cup, America’s 250th anniversary, and the Route 66 Centennial.
Brand USA President and CEO Fred Dixon said: “In line with our mission to impact the U.S. economy through travel exports, we have an opportunity to further build traveller confidence and inspire visitation.
“With our expanded platform, we are introducing American Originals, which spotlights the people and places who originated the styles, sounds, and tastes the world loves – while Get Facts. Get Going serves as a single source of information to address misperceptions head-on. We want international visitors to know that we are open for business and warmly welcome them.”
