17 July 2008

First US official travel Web site launched

DiscoverAmerica.com, the United StatesÃ¢â¬â¢ first-ever official travel and tourism Web site, has been successfully launched with language-specific sites in the leading international travel markets, announced the Travel Industry Association (TIA).

Ã¢â¬ÅâœThe Web sites target consumers in the five countries that account for 75% of all inbound travel to the United States: Canada (English- and French-speaking), Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. Interactive content for all 50 states, the five territories, dozens of cities and attractions, and official entry information from US government sources is presented in the native languages of each market,Ã¢â¬~ said TIA.

DiscoverAmerica.com is the result of a cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce to the Travel Industry Association (TIA) in January 2007. The six websites took about 16 months to research, develop and build.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœToday the United States offers travelers worldwide a one-stop shop for travel planning and an official source of information on the diversity, beauty and spirit of America,Ã¢â¬~ said Roger Dow, TIAÃ¢â¬â¢s President and CEO.

In addition to its wealth of destination content, the websites feature an interactive map, an activity finder that sorts popular trip activities, booking opportunities through in-market travel specialists and through Travelocity, travel deals in the US, and a Stories section for travelers to post authentic reviews and comments.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœTIA plans to grow DiscoverAmerica.com in coming months, adding more cities and attraction information. TIA also hopes to add websites for markets such as China, France and South Korea, among others,Ã¢â¬~ the company says.

Strategic partners to DiscoverAmerica.com are American Express, FodorÃ¢â¬â¢s, Translations.com and Travelocity Partner Network.

Report by David Wilkening