After 19 Years, International Pow Wow Returns to San Francisco

After 19 Years, International Pow Wow Returns to San Francisco

The thousands of tour operators, journalists and travel suppliers attending the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow in San Francisco on May 21-25, 2011, will discover a very different city from the one they experienced when International Pow Wow was last held here in 1992.

Known worldwide in the travel industry as the major marketplace for transacting inbound U.S. travel business, International Pow Wow is expected to generate more than $350 million in tourism business for San Francisco in the short term alone.

More than 1,100 international and domestic tour operators from 70 countries will “shop” the largest travel industry trade show in North America inside Moscone Center, meeting in 70,000 pre-set appointments with some 3,500 exhibitors from every corner of the U.S. 

More than 400 international and domestic travel journalists will also attend to report on the event and the destination.  There will be three evenings of exclusive events for the attendees at some of San Francisco’s premiere attractions and unique locations, plus one night open for private parties.

While the major elements for which San Francisco is famous are still in place, all of the venues where International Pow Wow events will be held in May did not exist 19 years ago as we know them today.  Many changes were set in motion by damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.  Other developments resulted from San Francisco’s natural evolution and development as a major metropolis.

One of the first official events will be a brunch for more than 400 journalists, to be held on May 22 at the Ferry Building Marketplace.  In 1992, the historic Beaux Arts landmark cowered behind the massive Embarcadero Freeway which was seriously damaged by the earthquake.

International Pow Wow has been produced by the U.S. Travel Association since 1969.  It is held in a different U.S. city each year. San Francisco last hosted the event in 1992. It is known worldwide in the travel industry as the major marketplace for transacting inbound U.S. travel business.