Trump slump: plummeting tourism figures have the US in a spin

The rapidly reduced number of visitors to the US has politicians and marketers in a spin.

Five Brand USA board members, including the board chair, were abruptly fired via email following orders from the White House, travel news portal Skift reported.

The five board members relieved of their Brand USA board duties were chair Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC; vice chair Lauren Bailey, CEO of Upward Projects; Kristen Esposito, principal of Esposito Global Partners; secretary Allen Orr, founder of Orr Immigration Law; and Tim Mapes, chief marketing and communications officer at Delta Air Lines.

The moves were seen as part of the Trump Administration's moves to put its stamp on the US tourism industry.

"Trump is turning over the board,” a source told Skift.

Ferguson was only five months into his one-year term.

A Brand USA spokesperson said: “Brand USA has no comment regarding your query. We refer you to the US Department of Commerce, which manages board appointments.”

There was no mention of the sackings on the Brand USA website.

Tourism to the US has slumped post-Covid and even more since Donald Trump became president for the second time.

Australians, famed for long stays, were identified as a target market for the US, but recent data from the US International Trade Administration shows that Australian visitor numbers plunged by 7% in March this year compared to the year before.

The drop in Australians travelling to the US comes amidst reports of travellers being denied entry, hassled by immigration officials and phones being seized to search for anti-Trump sentiments.

Other countries with a significant reduction in people travelling to the US included Canada, Colombia, Germany and the UK.

Pink soup and thousands of singers in Europe's G-Spot destination

They do things a little bit differently in Lithuania.

While other countries might promote their amazing architecture or fabulous wines, the good folk of Vilnius highlight their famous pink soup and festival of massed choirs.

A very chatty email landed this week from Go Vilnius, the official tourism and business development agency of the capital city.

They are keen for visitors to enjoy a giant slide into a bowl of cold pink soup during Pink Soup Fest or tens of thousands of folk singers and dancers at The Lithuanian Song Festival.

They also have a very cheeky G-Spot promotion (“Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it’s amazing”).

The Vilnius Pink Soup Fest is on June 8 as thousands of Lithuanians and city guests will celebrate their affection for a cold beetroot soup, the most popular Lithuanian summertime dish, mainly made from boiled beetroots, cucumber, and kefir.

Dozens of partners, including restaurants and bars to museums, will offer various versions of the pink soup, pink-infused coffee, beet-flavoured desserts, tours, exhibitions, and workshops. 

The event’s purpose is not only to taste the iconic Lithuanian soup but to celebrate all things pink. Last year, over 15,000 people, many dressed up in pink, joined the festival, taking part in a sliding competition and other attractions.

The Lithuanian Song Festival, meanwhile, is a once-in-four-year opportunity to witness a massive concert of hundreds of choirs and thousands of people singing at once on a huge open-air stage.

This year, the Festival will be celebrating its centenary, marking a century of the Lithuanian nation coming together to celebrate the country's cultural heritage through dancing and singing. 

The festival holds deep importance due to its role in preserving Lithuania's national identity during times of Soviet occupation, which is why it was dubbed the “singing revolution.” Expect around 40,000 singers, and dancers, alongside an audience of over 300,000.

Readers of GoTR might prefer Gastronomy Week in November.

The local tourism folk assure me that "Vilnius is fast establishing itself as a gastronomic hotspot".

Think the chance to taste historical dishes like goose with cabbage and hazelnut sauce - a meal that dates from the 17th century.

# The European Commission announced Vilnius as the winner of the 2025 European Green Capital Award, recognising the city's ability to integrate sustainability efforts with the well-being of its residents.

Bonza jumps on the Matildas' bandwagon - but leaves it too late

There is nothing like jumping on a bandwagon to seek some publicity.

And it is even more obvious when you time your stunt just a day too late.

In celebration of the Matildas' World Cup semi-final appearance, Australia's newest airline Bonza has promised to name its next aircraft 'Matilda'.

The airline with an eye for bogan appeal also has four aircraft named Shazza, Bazza, Sheila and Malc.

The fifth plane, due to arrive next year after the airline's Gold Coast base launch, will have Matilda painted on its side.

“Like the rest of the nation, our team of legends have been gripped by Matilda Mania thanks to their sportsmanship, mateship with one another and their pride in wearing the green and gold," says Carly Povey, Chief Commercial Officer at Bonza.

"As an airline that is solely focussed on Australia, it seemed fitting to name our next aircraft Matilda.

“From all of us here at Bonza, congratulations and well done to the Matildas for what you've achieved on and off the pitch.”

All a bit cheeky when you consider that Qantas is an "official partner " of the Matildas and actually spends money to support the team.

Fitou wine region tired of being overlooked

The Fitou AOC wine region in southern France is something of a well-kept secret - which is a source of some local angst.

The appellation in the Aude department produces stylish reds, sometimes with a rustic edge, usually made from a blend of carignan and grenache grapes.

But the grape growers and winemakers of Fitou have just thrown a wobbly by walking out on the Languedoc regional wine trade body (the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc or CIVL).

The Fitou producers say they have been overlooked by the CIVL when it comes to marketing and will formally leave the CIVL on December 31.

French wine news website Vitisphere.com, reported the vote to leave was held at a general meeting of the Fitou winegrowers' union last month with 34 votes in favour of leaving the CIVL, 20 votes against, and one abstention.

So not exactly an overwhelming majority in the secret ballot.

"Despite holding two conciliation commissions our demands haven't been met,” the head of the Fitou union, Alain Gleyzes, told Vitisphere.com.

"I don't want to fork out for petrol for a car I'm not getting a ride in," he said earlier. "I think I'd rather stab a tyre and tip sugar in the tank."

Among other grievances are the CIVL's reluctance to increase regional promotions in China.

“All promotional efforts go towards a flagship appellation - Languedoc - which, in the hierarchy of our appellations, is basically a lower-end denomination, a fallback if our wines are not at Fitou level," said Gleyzes.

This is not the first time Fitou has left the CIVL: it also dropped out of the regional body for five years between 2007 and 2012.

Celebrity chef recommends cooking with frozen chicken nuggets

Manu Feildel was one of Australia's most respected chefs.

Known as one of the judges of the cooking show My Kitchen Rules, he established himself as a culinary superstar as head chef at Sydney restaurant Bilson's before moving to open his own restaurant, Manu at L'Étoile, in 2009. The restaurant closed in March 2014, and a subsequent venture also shut its doors quickly.

Now the chef is spruiking for one of Australia's biggest chicken producer, Inghams, and suggesting that home cooks use frozen chicken nuggets to create Mexican-style tacos.

Here is the PR spiel - and no, it was not sent out on April 1.

"Celebrity chef, Manu Feildel, is getting back to basics with weeknight dinners cooking Mexican tacos with chicken nuggets."

Known for cooking fine French cuisine, Manu said: “We all have busy days, and after a long day - like everyone - I just want Dinner Done. As a father of two wonderful kids, I also face the challenges of getting dinner on the table quickly midweek.”

I think I might just leave this right there. 

Is your PR letting your business down?

Good public relations operatives are a blessing.

They provide coherent news and story ideas, great images, interview opportunities for journalists - and the chance for widespread publicity for their clients.

They largely present facts, not hyperbole, and say thank you when you publish a story. 

Thank you so much to many of my PR friends. You make my job a joy.    

But hospitality businesses need to choose their PR representatives very carefully.

Among the many issues:

# PR companies that promise their clients top-notch service but then hand over the brief to the work experience person, fresh out of university.

# Companies with high staff turnovers. One day you are dealing with Freda. The next day Freda has gone and you have start all over again with Nina.

# PRs who only work one or two days a week, or send out a press release and then go on vacation later that same day. Seriously. It happens all the time. Journalists and bloggers are in the news business, not the history business. They do not want to wait until you "return to the office on January 26".

# Companies that shut down from lunchtime on Friday and do not respond to emails. Apparently blissfully unaware of the 24-hour news cycle.

# Operatives who "forget" to send samples they have promised, or to follow-up on ideas. Or fail to provide website addresses, recommended retail prices, or even contact details. 

Fortunately these PRs are in the minority. But two struck today that completely failed their clients.

First, I was "reached out to" by a PR who wanted me to speak to the co-founder and architect of a a luxurious eco-friendly getaway about how sustainable tourism is shaping the future of international travel?

Sounded interesting. Except the property was in Costa Rica and she got the name of her client wrong throughout the press release.

Yes, you read that right. She had her client's name wrong four times. She turned a perrfectly normal name into gibberish. So when I Googled that name for more info I was initially stumped.

This from a PR company that boasts: "We Work Hard To Create Success For Our Clients".

So, a "full service global communications agency that partners with big and small businesses, entrepreneurs, public figures and organizations to develop, evolve, and promote their brands and reputations" cannot get the name of its own client right.

I expect the client will be looking for a new rep (one with a proof reader, perhaps) later this week.

The second issue was nowhere as bad, but involved a frequent PR fault: gushing.

Most press releases contain a plethora of hugely enthusiastic adjectives, sometimes erring towards untruths.

This release was about a global cooking competition to be held in Norway: not a country at the top of the list when it comes to global haute cuisine.

That didn't stop this gusher.

"Norway is a country with an exceptional gastronomic heritage and an incredible diversity of products: meat, fish, seafood, cheese."

Sorry to disappoint you, but most gourmet destinations have meat, fish, seafood and cheese. 

Please do better.