News Release

Brand USA wraps three-city roadshow, The Great USA Road Trip – Australia, in partnership with United Airlines

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AUS road trip

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA (August 1, 2025) — Brand USA, the official destination marketing organisation for the United States, has wrapped up its three-city roadshow, The Great USA Road Trip - Australia, in partnership with United Airlines, after connecting with more than 200 travel agents across Perth, Adelaide, and the Gold Coast.

Suzy Shepard, Senior Director, Global Trade Development (APAC) at Brand USA, said: “Across all three cities, agents have brought incredible energy, curiosity, and strong enthusiasm for U.S. road trip itineraries. The engagement we’ve seen throughout the week has reaffirmed Australian agents’ appetite for authentic, diverse, and flexible travel experiences for their clients. We’ve loved the opportunity to connect directly with the trade and see their passion for selling the USA firsthand, and it has been especially exciting to be in Adelaide with our partner, United Airlines. With United’s direct flights from ADL to San Francisco taking off later this year, this event was a timely opportunity to build excitement and equip the trade ahead of this historic route launch.”

In each city, the evening began with Brand USA’s ‘Beyond the Map: A Deep Drive into the USA’s Iconic Highways and Backroad Adventures’ panel discussion, where agents heard from representatives of the Arizona Office of Tourism, Visit California, Travel Oregon, and the New York State Division of Tourism. The discussion explored the appeal of self-drive travel across the USA, with speakers sharing personal insights, practical tips, and multi-state itinerary ideas designed to suit a wide range of traveller types.

Following the panel, the events transitioned into a high-energy marketplace format, where agents connected one-on-one with more than 20 U.S. destination and product partners, including Colorado Tourism Office, Discover Flagstaff, Memphis Tourism, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Visit Grapevine. At the Brand USA booth, agents explored new self-drive itineraries, accessed trade training tools through the USA Discovery Program, and stocked up at the ultimate road trip snack station. The lively atmosphere was enhanced by themed photo opportunities – including a Harley Davidson motorcycle in Adelaide and a classic car in the Gold Coast – bringing the spirit of the open road to life.

A highlight of the Gold Coast event was the attendance of Brand USA’s Ambassador Panel, with 12 retail agent ambassadors travelling from across Australia and New Zealand to take part. Their presence added momentum to the night and offered a valuable opportunity to deepen their U.S. product knowledge while engaging directly with destination partners. 

Finally, across all three cities, a pit stop-style quiz injected a sense of friendly competition, testing attendees’ knowledge of U.S. destinations and road trips for the chance to win a major prize at each event, courtesy of United Airlines, El Monte, Arizona Office of Tourism and their partners Visit Phoenix, Experience Scottsdale and Discover Flagstaff. 

United Airlines Regional Sales Manager for Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti, Tim Wallis said: “We thoroughly enjoyed engaging with so many agents in Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast who share our passion and enthusiasm on offering customers the most comfortable and convenient way to travel to the United States. Already United offers more nonstop flights from Australia to Continental USA than any other airline, and in December, we will launch the first ever nonstop flight connecting Adelaide to the U.S., cementing our commitment to expanding our network and building connectivity between the two countries. United continues to lead the airline industry on implementing new technologies to improve the customer experience and we thank Brand USA for organising such an engaging roadshow to allow us to share more of the United story.”

The major prize winners from each event were:

Perth

 

Adelaide
Gold Coast

Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for travel to the USA, with a series of high-profile events set to capture global attention. From America250 - marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, to the FIFA World Cup - hosted across 11 U.S. cities, and the Route 66 Centennial - celebrating 100 years of the USA’s most famous highway that stretches across eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, there will be no shortage of reasons to explore the country. With so many milestone moments on the horizon, and growing interest in flexible, immersive itineraries, the USA is poised to be top of mind for Australians and New Zealanders looking to travel in the year ahead.

To discover more about the diversity of experiences available within the USA, and for more travel agent resources, please visit TravelTrade.VisitTheUSA.com.


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About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s official destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.

Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.

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