Brand USA Targets 9 Countries with New Tourism Campaign Amid Travel Slump
Brand USA’s latest tourism campaign comes on the heels of a tough start to the year: an 80% cut in federal funding for the organization and the first decline in overseas visits in five years.
After a rough start to the year for inbound tourism, the United States’ destination marketing organization is rolling out a new campaign to bolster travel demand.
Brand USA’s global campaign, “America the Beautiful,” launched Monday at Brand USA Travel Week U.K. and Europe in London, an annual event connecting U.S. destinations with international buyers and media.
The campaign, first announced in June, follows a dramatic cut to Brand USA’s federal funding at a time when political rhetoric and restrictive policies have curbed international tourism to the U.S.
New Campaign Launches During Travel Slump
The campaign will roll out on connected TV, streaming, out-of-home, digital, and social media platforms across nine markets: The U.K., Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea.
The countries are among the top tourist-generating counties for the U.S., although many have seen a decline in year-to-date visitation rates this year, according to preliminary August data from the National Travel and Tourism Office:
- Argentina: Up 19.1%
- Japan: Up 5.8%
- Brazil: Up 3.6%
- Mexico (excluding land arrivals): Up 3.4%
- United Kingdom: Up 2.1%
- Ireland: Down 0.3%
- India: Down 4.3%
- Australia: Down 3.5%
- South Korea: Down 8%
Total overseas visitation rates from January to August are down 1.8%, excluding land arrivals from Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. Travel Association projects a decrease in total inbound travel in 2025, but says events like the World Cup and celebrations tied to America’s 250th anniversary should boost growth rates in 2026.
Brand USA CEO Fred Dixon pushed back on the negative narrative around inbound travel at the October 15 Skift Transatlantic Summit, noting forecasts for record non-stop plane seats between the U.S. and Europe and an increase in travel spend.
International travelers spent just over $147 billion on tourism-related goods and services between January and July, up nearly 2% from the year prior, according to a report from the International Trade Administration.
AI Tools Target International Tourists
A 30-second video from the campaign highlights American beaches, national parks and cities, with a narrator offering travelers “this great big, open-arms hug of a land” that has “a million moments to offer.” Route 66 — which celebrates its 100th anniversary in November 2026, with festivities kicking off in Springfield, Missouri in April — gets a special call-out.
Luxury experiences, immersive arts and culture and “authentic family moments” are also highlighted in the campaign’s four video spots, according to Brand USA’s statement.
Also part of the campaign: a new website built with trip planning and booking website Mindtrip, AmericaTheBeautiful.com. Available in eight languages, the platform’s AI-powered chatbot can help travelers build itineraries with personalized recommendations and interactive maps.
“Every element, from powerful creative storytelling to AI-powered planning tools, is designed to inspire travelers to see America in new ways and to turn that inspiration into action,” Leah Chandler, chief marketing officer of Brand USA, said in the statement.
Funding Challenges
Created in 2010 as a public-private partnership, Brand USA has long faced potential cuts and threats of elimination. The latest funding challenge is a 80% cut to matching federal funds, from $100 million to $20 million, in the tax and spending package signed into law over the summer called the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Shortly after the funding cuts were announced, Brand USA laid off 15% of its staff and shut down its ad-supported streaming service that promotes inbound tourism, GoUSA TV.
A separate funding crisis — a lapse in matching funds from the federal government going back to January — has recently been resolved. Brand USA spokesperson Chris Heywood confirmed in October that the organization received backlogged funding for fiscal year 2025.
This article was originally published by Skift and has been republished with permission.
