FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Alton, Illinois] — Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau of Southwest Illinois today announced its participation in a recent Brand USA Destination Immersion with the support of Atlantic Joint Business carriers American Airlines, British Airways and Aer Lingus.

This is a program designed to expand U.S. travel products on offer and convert global interest into meaningful economic impact for American businesses, communities, and workers. This year’s program brought together a select group of highly qualified travel advisors from the United Kingdom and Ireland, competitively chosen based on their proven success in selling travel to the USA.

“Brand USA Destination Immersions are high-impact programs that showcase the range of travel experiences available across the United States while delivering measurable economic benefit to communities nationwide,” said Fred Dixon, President & CEO of Brand USA. “By experiencing destinations firsthand, travel advisors gain the insight needed to translate interest into bookings, helping drive visitation, increase traveler spend, and generate new economic activity across U.S. communities. These programs play a critical role in strengthening local economies by supporting jobs, small businesses, and broader community investment. Our collaboration with partners like Great Rivers & Routes is essential to ensuring these experiences are both authentic and globally competitive.”

In Illinois we welcomed 1.4 million international visitors, generating $47.2 billion in visitor spending, supporting 277,600 jobs, and producing $4.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.

“Southwest Illinois is the only place in America where the Great River Road meets Route 66 which we have found is very attractive as a destination to UK and Ireland travel markets. Bringing top-performing travel advisors and tour operators from these markets is critical to growing international visitation in southwest Illinois. International travelers are drawn to the International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville where they can sample a Horseradish Vodka and get a selfie at the World’s Tallest Catsup Bottle Water Tower. Visiting the new It’s Electric Neon Sign Park on Route 66 in Granite City brings ghost neon signs to life and the city is home to numerous Muffler man-style giants. In Edwardsville, the West End Service Station welcomes travelers to Route 66 and also serves as a Mother Road museum. These are just a few of the experiences and attractions that line our Last 100 Miles of Route 66 in Illinois and creates a buzz among our international travelers. We partner with Brand USA through trade missions to help drive awareness, enhance local and regional economic impact and bring international travelers to southwest Illinois.” said Cory Jobe, President & CEO of Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.

Programs like Destination Immersions are a key component of Brand USA’s broader travel trade engagement activities throughout the world. At a time when approximately 25 percent of global travelers continue to book through travel agencies, engaging this influential audience remains a critical driver of international visitation and long-term market growth. By building strong relationships with high-performing international travel advisors and increasing awareness of destinations across the country, these efforts help ensure that the economic benefits of travel are distributed widely. The result is a more balanced tourism economy, where gateway destinations continue to thrive while urban and rural communities alike gain greater visibility and travel and tourism export revenues.

For more information about Brand USA’s programs and partnership opportunities, visit TheBrandUSA.com. To learn more about Great Rivers & Routes of Southwest Illinoisvisit https://www.riversandroutes.co...

###

About Great Rivers & Routes
The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is a certified Destination Marketing Organization serving Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene counties and East St. Louis in St. Clair County. The bureau is dedicated to educating visitors about the region by providing information regarding the area’s history, unique landmarks, recreational opportunities, leisure attractions, special events and scenic marvels.



About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2013, Brand USA efforts have generated 11.3 million additional international visitors who spent $38.1 billion in communities across the United States, producing $82.9 billion in total economic impact and sustaining more than 40,000 jobs annually. These results generated nearly $11 billion in additional tax revenue at the federal, state, and local levels.