Visit Houston is showing its commitment to the travel trade by introducing its travel training platform to the UK market for the first time.
Tourism chiefs and suppliers have been hosting a dedicated sales mission in the UK this week and are encouraging agents to sign up to Houston Travel Pro training platform, which launched in the US last year, to gain insight into attractions, hotels, and entertainment offerings in the US’s fourth largest city.
The UK is Houston’s largest long-haul market and 2024 visitor numbers are expected to hit close to 105,000, which is up on 2023’s figure of 102,000.
It’s also above pre-pandemic levels which sat at 85,562 in 2019.
Jorge Franz, Senior Vice President of Tourism & Industry Relations for Houston First Corporation, the destination marketing arm for the city, said: “I’ve got the largest delegation I’ve ever had here with us in the UK and we have representation from nine organisations in Houston, so it’s a super exciting time for us to be speaking to the trade.
“In Houston, we believe a lot in the travel trade industry and we believe in training. We understand the value the travel agent brings to the consumer. I have long held the best way to travel is by using a travel agency.
“Our goal is to continually increase the number of visitors to Houston from the UK. UK travellers spend about $1,200 per person, per trip when they come into Houston and they are quite familiar with the city as many have been for corporate trips before.”
He added UK visits to the city are helped by direct flights with British Airways and United Airlines.
When asked if the current political situation in the US is having an impact on visitors, Jorge said: “We have not seen any cancellations happening to Houston. There is some concern, but nothing that is a major cause for concern. I tell people that Houston is a very open and welcoming destination – I mean, there is a reason that we were picked as one of the cities for the FIFA World Cup next year, and we will be hosting seven games. We are a safe city, and an inclusive city.”
Visit Houston held a fam trip in March and will be looking to hold two further trips later this year, with one focused on luxury travel.
Agents can check out the Houston Travel Pro training platform here.
Pictured is the Visit Houston delegation in London this week
