Large International Turnout at IPW 2023 in San Antonio

Delegations from several countries, including those from Latin American nations and a large representation from Brazil, are attending as of this Saturday IPW 2023, the largest tourism fair in the United States, which will continue until next Wednesday, May 24, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. 

About 100 Brazilian professionals, including operators, journalists and influencers, in addition to more than 30 operators, are present at this year's event, numbers higher than pre-pandemic, but slightly below the largest delegation ever, in 2022 .

"IPW will be the premier venue for the resumption of international travel to the United States," said Malcolm Smith, general manager of IPW. "This must-attend event, coming to host city San Antonio for the first time, brings the global travel industry together under one roof to conduct face-to-face business, a key opportunity to ensure that travelers from around the world choose the U.S. when planning their trips," the executive added. 

Previous editions have generated an average of $5.5 billion in future travel to the U.S. and have secured the U.S.'s position as one of the world's top travel destinations. 

At IPW, buyers (including international tour operators, wholesalers and rebounders) meet face-to-face with U.S. travel product suppliers (representing accommodations, destinations, attractions, retail, transportation companies and more).

In total, more than 5 thousand travel professionals from more than 70 countries are expected at IPW 2023. There will be more than 1.2 thousand North American suppliers and more than 1.3 thousand foreign travel agents, which shows that we will have a more special edition of the official resumption of tourism in the USA, with a program that will include special evenings, extra activities, lunches with live shows, in addition to all the networking that the most experienced delegates already know.

Domestic demand is very strong and there is continued investment in infrastructure, with new products, hotels and attractions throughout the United States. "Those who haven't traveled to the country since before the pandemic will be surprised to see what's new in our tourism-related destinations. And I see people ready to get back to business, so the expectation is to exceed the 4.7 thousand attendees from IPW 2022 and reach 5.2 thousand professionals at this IPW 2023," said Malcolm Smith, general manager of IPW.

Overall, the number of international buyers and media attending IPW 2023 is already back to pre-pandemic levels, with several key markets exceeding 2019 counts. were around 30% above 2019 levels, while Brazil and South America in general are also around 30% above 2019 levels.