Jan 23, 2026
SEOUL (January 23, 2026) — Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, hosted its New Year Trade Partner Celebration Event in collaboration with seven U.S. travel partners to mark the start of 2026. Now in its third year, the event has established itself as an annual industry touchpoint, strengthening collaboration with the Korean travel trade and supporting sustained interest in travel to the United States.
Held at Dun Dun Yeonmujang in Dongdaemun, the event brought together representatives from Korea’s travel industry to review collaborative efforts from the past year and exchange perspectives on evolving market conditions influencing outbound travel to the United States. The program also highlighted key trends shaping U.S. travel demand and outlined Brand USA’s key focus areas for 2026.
The event featured a networking reception, followed by presentations sharing market updates, partner initiatives, and an overview of Brand USA’s “America the Beautiful” campaign. Partner-led presentations then outlined upcoming activities, trade programs, and market considerations for the year ahead. Together, these sessions delivered practical insights to support U.S. travel product development, marketing initiatives, and sales planning within the Korean market.
Seven U.S. destination and airline partners participated as co-hosts of the event, including Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, Guam Visitors Bureau, Hawaiian Airlines, Marianas Visitors Authority, Visit California, and Visit Seattle. Their participation underscored the breadth and diversity of U.S. destinations and air connectivity actively engaging with the Korean travel trade.
Looking ahead to 2026, the United States will host a number of major milestones and global events expected to generate heightened interest in travel. Against this backdrop, the program highlighted key occasions such as America 250, the Route 66 centennial, and the FIFA World Cup, positioning them as timely reference points for product planning and promotional direction.
By convening DMOs, airlines, and travel industry professionals, the event created a shared space to align perspectives on market developments and emerging travel trends. This alignment strengthened understanding of evolving travel demand and reinforced the foundation for coordinated collaboration to support travel to the United States.
To learn more about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. To start planning a trip to the USA, visit AmericaTheBeautiful.com.
