Dear VISIT USA Members, 

This is the latest installment of the VISIT USA Russia Committee (VUSA) e-bulletin, with news about our upcoming events, planned meetings, presentations, exhibitions, fam-tours, roadshows, as well as other up-to-date information addressed to our members.

ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS:

1. September 22, 2011at the US Embassy Dacha (summer house) in Serebryanny Bor in Moscow the tenth meeting of the Visit USA Russia committee was held. Representatives of the U.S. Embassy Consular Section: U.S. Consul-General Mr. Doron D. Bard, Chief of the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit Mr. William Bistransky, Commercial Attache  Ken Walsh spoke on visa issues. At the meeting reports on accomplished projects, plans of Visit USA future projects were heard, organizational issues were discussed.  

2. We are happy to welcome new members of the VISIT USA Russia: “ITS (Individual Touristic Service)” (St. Petersburg, Russia). Information about all VISIT USA members is published at: http://www.visit-usa.ru/en/members.

Please check that the information of your company's profile on the website is relevant. If you would like to update your profile, please send an email to editor@visit-usa.ru

3. The Visit USA Russia would like to thank all members who promptly completed the questionnaire of the VISIT USA European Committee for cooperation!

NEWS FROM USCS/US EMBASSY:

1. The U.S. Commercial Service has provided to VUSA the latest statistical data on arrivals of Russian travelers in the USA in 2011. If you would like to receive a detailed statistical report, please send us an e-mail to editor@visit-usa.ru.

2. BRAND USA. In November at the World Travel Market exhibition in London BRAND USA was unveiled before an international audience and presented its purposes and the US logo. To learn more about this, please attend the next meeting of the Committee which will be held on December 8, 2011 at 5 p.m. at the American Center (Library of Foreign Literature), Moscow. Speech by Ken Walsh (Commercial Attaché, US Commercial Service) with a presentation from BRAND USA is scheduled. Information about the BRAND USA can also be found on the website www.thebrandusa.com

ACCOMPLISHED PROJECTS:

The VISIT USA Russian Committee took part in 6 major events for the three fall months:

1. VISIT USA ROADSHOW.

September 23-30, 2011 “The Second American Week” was held by the Visit USA Russia with the support of the US Embassy.VISIT USA ROADSHOW 2011 took place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod.

Prior to the ROADSHOW a press conference was held on September 22 at the RITZ CARLTON hotel in Moscow.

Participants of workshops and meetings of the Visit USA Russia Roadshow – 2011, active members of the Committee: "Agency 00", "America Travel", “American Best Getaways", "Visa Concord", "Karlson Tourism", "Lanta-Tour", "Prestiges Elite Salon”, "Rosa Vetrov", "Terra Atlantica”, “American Travel Company”, ”NYC & Company”, “Russian Service Bureau”, “Caesar's Entertainment group”, “Jumeirah Essex House”; airline companies “American Airlines”, ”United Airlines” and “Virgin Atlantic Airways”; and the airline company «LUFTHANSA».

Post-event report

2. EXPOTRAVEL – 2011in Yekaterinburg, October 07-08, 2011. 

Igor Novikov (“United Airlines”, VISIT USA active member) represented the committee at the VUSA stand at International tourism exhibition «Expotravel – 2011», the greatest exhibition in the Urals.

As a result ofparticipation Visit USA Russiawas awarded a certificate.

To look at the certificate: http://www.visit-usa.ru/ru/expotravel-2011

3. EDUCATION FAIR.

October 15, 2011. Moscow, Ararat Park Hyatt hotel - USA EDUCATION FAIR organized by “Star Travel” (an Active VUSA member) with the assistance of VISIT USA Russia was held. US universities were invited as exponents.

Within the framework of the fair Visit USA stand was organized. Two VUSA members “Rosa Vetrov” and “Prestiges” participated in the fair in the format of Catalog Show. Visit USA representatives told the visitors about VUSA activities and handed out membership directories.

4. ROADSHOW IN THE FAR EAST, October 18 – 20, 2011

It’s the 2d time VISIT USA Russia has visited the Far East. This time VISIT USA with a group of tour operators participated in the roadshow organized by "Region-club" in the Far East. The itinerary included Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.Representatives from “America Travel”, “Klondike Travel”, “PIC Saipan” and “Raitex” took part in the roadshow."American travel company", "Visa Concord", "Terra Atlantica" and "Guam Voyage" participated in the Catalog show.

Prior to the workshop a meeting at the U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok was organized, during the meeting VISIT USA’s presentation on the most popular US destinations was demonstrated.

Detailed report on the event.

5. SKI SALON-2011, October 21 – 23, 2011, Moscow (Gostiny Dvor)

For the second time the VISIT USA RUSSIA Committee has presented a joint booth at the Ski Salon. During three days active members of the committee worked at the booth. Among the participants working at the booth there were “Agency 001”, “America Travel”, “Rosa Vetrov”, “Visa Concord”, “Karlson Tourism”, “Singapore Airlines”, ski resorts VAIL RESORTS and ASPEN/SNOWMASS. Within the framework of Ski Salon the Visit USA Russian Committee gave two presentations with the participation of Chief of the non-immigrant visa unit from the US Embassy.

Report on the event

6. CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP ANTOR ON MEDICAL AND ACCESSIBLE TOURISM, November 16, 2011, Moscow (Radisson Slavyanskaya)

Despite the Visit USA Russia first took part in the workshop on medical tourism it was a great success. Information on tours to the USA for people with disabilities and the elderly was presented by «America Travel» and «Karlson Tourism», the airline company “United Airlines” provided information on services to passengers with disabilities. Julia Veremyeva, a Visit USA representative worked at the VUSA table. VUSA presentation on accessible tourism in the USA demonstrated by Igor Novikov («United Airlines») aroused deep interest. All the attendees interested in VUSA activities were provided full information and received VUSA bags with membership directories and other information from the committee.

Detailed report can be found here.

CURRENT PROJECTS:

1. SKI FAM-TOUR IN COLORADO - VAIL, BEAVER CREEK, BRECKENRIDGE, KEYSTONE, November 29 - December 08, 2011

2. SKI FAM-TOUR IN UTAH AND WYOMING - THE CANYONS, PARK CITY, DEER VALLEY, JACKSON HOLE, December 05 – 14, 2011

UPCOMING EVENTS -2012:

1. January 26, 2012: ANTOR-MICE, Moscow, Ritz-Carlton.

You are invited to participate in the 8^th annual ANTOR MICE WORKSHOP -2012, dedicated to the development of business tourism: conferences, incentive travel, business meetings, exhibitions, corporate events and other aspects of business travel. The objective of the event – to showcase business and corporate tourism possibilities in different countries all over the world, networking.

2 tables are reserved for VISIT USA members.

Participation in the Catalogue Show is 100$ (3000 rub.)

Personal participation is 27700 rub. ($930)

For more information, please send email to editor@visit-usa.ru

2. March 21-24, 2012: MITT - 2012, Москва. VISIT USA joint booth.

This year 120 sq.m. of space is reserved for companies - participants of the VISIT USA Russia on the same spot as last year. Only 3 counters are still available at the VISIT USA RUSSIA booth. VISIT USA RUSSIA booth includes work space of 30 sq.m., the equal counters for all participants, common meeting area. Participation fee is 3500 Euros. You can rent an independent space at the joint booth– 12 m2. Exhibit space rental is 5250 Euros for 12 m2; this covers the cost of booth space only.

CATALOG SHOW at MITT-2012. If your organization is not planning to rent space at MITT-2011, VISIT USA proposes to distribute your brochures or catalogues. The cost of catalog show is 200 Euros.

Please contact Elena Gubareva for more details -  expo@visit-usa.ru

3. April 21-25, 2012: INTERNATIONAL POW WOW, Los Angeles. The registration is open.

4. VISIT USA ROADSHOW – 2012

5. SKI SALON – 2012

NEWS FROM VISIT USA RUSSIA:

1. The presentation prepared for the roadshow can be found on the website: http://www.visit-usa.ru/ru/abouttheusa The presentation will become the basis of the online training course for travel agents. The information was provided by the experts from “Agency 001”, “America Travel”, “American travel company”, “Karlson Tourism”, “Klondike Travel”, “KMP Group”, “Lanta-Tour” and “Russian Service Bureau”.

2. We remind you that you can get you news published in ‘NEWS FROM VISIT USA MEMBERS’ section on the web-site www.visit-usa.ru  for free. Requirements to the news: the text should not exceed 1000 characters, it should be orthographically and stylistically correct, in Russian and English versions, with the possibility to publish links to the website of the company to get detailed information. A company submitting the news is responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.

Please send news from your company to Yulia Veremyeva to editor@visit-usa.ru

4. We also invite you to share news on official pages of VISIT USA RUSSIA in social networks:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/VUSA.ru

Twitterhttp://twitter.com/VUSA_ru

Vkontakte - http://vkontakte.ru/VUSA_ru

NEXT GENERAL MEETING OF VISIT USA RUSSIA

The next general meeting is scheduled for December 8, 2012 at 5:00 pm

 Schedule of future meetings:  March 01, 2012. 

IF YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO COORDINATE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF VISIT USA, PLEASE SEND US YOUR IDEAS AND INFORMATION!

WE’D BE HAPPY TO HELP!