We went into Christmas with a degree of controlled optimism. Things were looking better – the USA had knocked Australia off its top spot as the most desirable holiday destination, North America remained the UK’s favourite long haul destination and the latest Mintel report, although reporting the expected drop in visitor numbers for 2009, had some twinkling rays of hope for the US holiday industry; the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, increased visitor figures for New York, and the more affluent visitor profile to the US apparently less affected by the recession than we might have first thought.  Add to this the passing of the Travel Promotion Act by the US government late last year (and hopefully lots of cash therefore coming our way to promote the country) and we were feeling pretty positive about 2010.  Hell, we even have a new Chair of the Visit USA Association, our own Kate Burgess-Craddy, who has already shaken things up a bit in her first few meetings.

Read TTG’s interview with Kate here (page 11): http://content.yudu.com/Freedom/A1j19g/TTGKnowledgeUSA1109/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=

So what now for 2010?  What will be the lasting effect of the events of Christmas Day?  Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines jet over Detroit.  This, in itself, was worrying enough, but the fact that he was on a watch list and that his own father had alerted the authorities of his increasing radicalism gives the media a sensational story which is sure to drive more fear into the purchasing decisions of potential UK holidaymakers to the US in 2010.  And, if they are not concerned about terrorism itself, they may still be concerned about the increased security measures which will doubtless follow this incident.

And just as the UK travel industry enters its peak booking period for 2010 summer holidays.

But the British are very resilient as we saw after 9/11.  They are used to security checks now and they expect and welcome the extra measures in place to protect them.  As an industry, we need to get clear messages to the media about what exactly is happening with US security, what did happen to the profiling of this particular man, what can passengers travelling to the USA this year expect at immigration and customs.  Our experience of crisis PR tells us that the most important response is clarity.  Tell the truth, as it is never going to be as bad as the speculation which will ensue without it.

Visit USA and its members will have an important role to play in getting good news messages out about travel to the USA.  And those of us working with the UK to US travel industry need to give our customers answers; update the websites, keep the FAQs coming, train the call centre staff and, most importantly, get the facts.

It’s a challenge, but we have a responsibility to give our customers answers and to do whatever we can to show the UK travelling public that the US has an enormous amount to offer; well worth a few extra minutes standing in a security line for all the right reasons.