The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) offers export assistance to American travel and tourism industry suppliers, from communities to individual establishments, through consultations using market analysis and intelligence. Working in conjunction with the promotional efforts of the Commercial Service officers nationwide and around the globe, these services offer in-depth market conditions and industry knowledge to position a specific market to expand this vital export, encouraging more international travelers to visit the U.S.

The focus of export assistance is outreach is carried out through the tourism trade specialists and research analysts at OTTI. Outreach involves a concerted effort with convention and visitor bureaus to reach communities, trade associations to reach industry players, state tourism offices, and other federal agencies involved in tourism-related activities or products. A key partner in the effectiveness of our export assistance efforts is the Commercial Service, both domestic and foreign, in the International Trade Administration. This covers over 100 export assistance offices throughout the U.S., and over 150 foreign commercial service offices in more than 80 countries throughout the world.

As many federal agencies have a purview over tourism-related issues, the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries is committed to a federal team-oriented approach to create a more diversified and seamless force to assist industry. Along with the U.S. Commercial Service, OTTI organized and hosted the interagency Travel and Tourism Team Training with the Department of Commerce and nine other federal agencies with organizational goals promoting and facilitating tourism to the U.S. The goal of the meeting was to enhance program awareness and learn how to achieve mutual goals; to develop plans of action to coordinate communication, training, and trade events; and to forge productive federal partnerships in support of the U.S. travel and tourism industry. There are projects currently in play with, for example, the Departments of State, Interior, Homeland Security, and Transportation.

• Japan and U.K. Promotional Campaigns

Export assistance also incorporates tourism or product development initiatives. These initiatives are "partnerships" with industry, governments and global organizations.

• Shopping and Cultural/Heritage Tourism
• U.S./Japan Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)—The U.S./Japan Tourism Export Expansion Initiative
  • Press Release and Picture of Ministerial signing of MOU
  • U.S./Japan Tourism Export Expansion Initiative
• U.S./China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
  • Commerce Announcement of the US/China Tourism MOU
  • The U.S./China MOU
  • Picture of the MOU signing on December 3, 2004 in Washington, DC
  • News Release: U.S. Extends Visa Validity for Chinese Tourist and Business Travelers

• Publications

• Information Piece on Commerce Team that Supports Travel & Tourism
• U.S. Commercial Service - Homepage
• U.S. Commercial Service - Showcase Europe Homepage
• US Department of Commerce Travel & Tourism Team