USTOA Conference 2024 Highlights: New Pilot Program, Upcoming Website Launch, & More

Optimism, innovation, and kindness were top of mind at the 2024 U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA) Conference and Marketplace, held last week from Dec. 9 to 13, 2024.

Hundreds of industry professionals gathered at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, Florida for five days of meetings, collaboration, and professional development. 

While the conference’s theme was “kindness,” many of the keynote speakers offered their perspectives on the future, including author and business strategist Nancy Giordana, NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and even a surprise AI-generated presentation titled “Is Kindness In Our Future?”  

USTOA to address anti-tourism through “breaking bread” 

USTOA President and CEO Terry Dale, who served as the event’s host, announced two exciting updates rolling out in 2025. 

The first is a new website, which Dale hopes will be live in January. The new USTOA website will feature a refreshed, modern look, and will have three distinct navigational tiers for members, travel advisors, and the public. The new design should make it easier than ever before for advisors to access tools, marketing resources, and other materials related to the association and its members.

Dale also announced a new initiative for 2025, dubbed “Breaking Bread.” The pilot project aims to address anti-tourism sentiments in specific destinations by meeting with interested parties and starting a dialogue. Dale noted these problems will not be resolved until the industry comes to the table and listens.

The breaking bread project is intended to be a first step in resolving conflicts over local interests and the travel industry. The USTOA will come to the table and “break bread” with community members, businesses, and other relevant parties. Both sides can have an honest, transparent discussion about the industry’s challenges and opportunities – and hopefully, find some middle ground.

The program is in its early stages, but Dale said there are already destinations interested in participating. Two will be chosen initially.

Looking Ahead: More Growth for USTOA Members

The org’s 2024 Economic Impact Study, produced by PwC, reflected an industry bullish about the future. 

Numbers are up across the board: total travel packages sold by members exceeded $24 billion, representing an 8% increase year-over-year. Total employment within the U.S., number of individual travelers, and number of packages sold all saw a boost. Even the number of packages sold through travel advisors stayed consistent, increasing slightly 60.3% (compared to 59.5% in 2023).

The study was conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) using online survey responses collected from July 18 to Oct. 11, 2024. In total, 96% of USTOA members participated.

The numbers show a growing industry: almost half of all active members predict “significant growth” (more than 10%) in 2025. Almost all participants (96%) expect sales volume to have some growth in the coming year.

In terms of destinations, the report found a few surprising trends. Portgual ranked second in the “hot destinations” list (member predictions for 2024/2025 travel), shooting up from eighth in 2022. Spain also rose the ranks from 10th position in 2022 to fifth place this year. Croatia, South Africa, and Australia, absent in last year’s ranking, made the top 12 hot destinations this year, in seventh, eighth, and ninth place respectively.

Vietnam was another standout destination. The country was the top-ranking “off-the-beaten path” choice for 2024/2025. Vietnam, Japan, which ranked second, and South Korea, third, failed to make 2022’s list, suggesting Eastern Asia will be a popular region for travelers in the coming year.