Brand USA's 2017 marketing campaigns generated 1.16 million
incremental international visitors to the United States, with a total economic
impact of $8.5 billion, supporting 54,212 incremental jobs, according to
research by Oxford Economics.
The economic impact study found that the results equate to a
marketing return on investment of 29:1 based on Brand USA's $140 million in
marketing expenses and incremental international visitor spending of $4.1
billion.
The results come at a time when the Trump administration has
proposed that Brand USA's funding be eliminated from the 2018 budget, and
divert them to Customs and Border Protection: Brand USA is funded by
contributions from more than 800 partnering organizations, matched by fees paid
by international travelers who come to the U.S. via the Visa Waiver Program.
The study also found that since 2013, Brand USA, the
destination marketing organization for the United States, has increased international
visitation by 5.4 million travelers who spent $17.7 billion, generating a total
economic impact of $38.4 billion and supporting an average of 51,580
incremental jobs per year.
The study includes analysis of nine markets -- Australia,
Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and the United
Kingdom -- where Brand USA fully executed consumer, trade outreach and co-op
programs.