The US is a really important market for the North East. We know that visitors from the US are driven by culture and heritage as well as film and TV, which is something we have in abundance in our region. We also know that US travellers tend to seek advice from travel agents and organisations when booking a trip, so being able to be part of this event, with VisitBritain, is key to ensuring our region is front of mind for travel trade professionals from this part of the world.

Our US visitors are hugely important to our tourism industry, and our economy and Greater Together LA provides a powerful platform to showcase our visitor offer, tell a compelling story of Britain and drive new business. It is also timely, as we compete for visitor spend and economic growth, to engage with cultural and industry leaders, hear from partners on motivations driving outbound travel and equip the travel trade with the knowledge and connections to sell our regional destinations. “The historic bonds and deep friendship between the UK and the US continue to be strengthened through tourism, with the transatlantic route critical for both leisure and business travel. Growing airline connectivity and seat capacity into our regional gateways such as Manchester and Glasgow, alongside key US hubs, is great for Brits and for our American visitors. It boosts tourism, trade and cultural exchange. It strengthens our competitive visitor offer and welcome and makes it easier to explore further, spreading the economic benefits of tourism across our respective countries.