U.S. Travel Association

Travel Industry Trade Association Servicesustravel.org

Company typePrivate
Founded1941
HeadquartersWashington, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What U.S. Travel Association does

U.S. Travel Association is a national non-profit trade association founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing more than 1,000 member organizations across the U.S. travel industry, which the association sizes at $2.9 trillion in economic output, 15 million American jobs, and 2.5% of national GDP. The organization operates a platform-plus-programs model built around four pillars: signature events (IPW, ESTO, Destination Capitol Hill, Summer Summit), research and data products (Travel Insights Dashboard, Economic Impact Tool, Travel Forecast through 2030, Group Travel Report), advocacy and political programs (TravelPAC, Travel Action Network, Travel Works for America, GREAT USA Coalition, Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel), and member networks and resources (National Council of State Tourism Directors, DMO Resource Library, Policy Center, SmartBrief newsletter).

The association is led by President & CEO Geoff Freeman, with a recently expanded executive team including COO Ellen Davis (promoted March 2026 after reportedly growing revenue 37%) and SVP of Operations Ntina Cooper (hired April 2026 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection). The Executive Board includes C-suite representation from MGM Resorts, Hilton, Visit California, Visit Orlando, Caesars Entertainment, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines, anchoring member engagement at the enterprise level. Revenue is generated through tiered annual membership dues (Ally, Engage, Inform), event sponsorships across signature events, and event registration fees, with a separate GTM motion combining event-driven recruitment with direct enterprise sales. The technical platform is described as an industry research, data analytics, and advocacy platform, supported by research partnerships with Tourism Economics, Morning Consult, and Zartico (a June 2026 strategic partnership for destination intelligence).

U.S. Travel Association firmographics

Firmographics

Name: U.S. Travel Association
Legal name: U.S. Travel Association
Website: https://ustravel.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1941
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: U.S. Travel Association is a national non-profit trade association founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing more than 1,000 member organizations across the $2.9 trillion U.S. travel industry through advocacy, signature events, research, and member programs.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

U.S. Travel Association industry classification

Industry

Product category: Travel Industry Trade Association Services
NAICS: Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)
akta.pro primary industry: Meetings & Group Travel Management (Corporate Groups) (THAKAMAC)
akta.pro secondary industry: Group Leisure Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAJ)

Keywords

Travel industry advocacy
Trade association membership
Destination marketing support
Travel industry research
Inbound travel trade show

Where U.S. Travel Association is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Washington
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

U.S. Travel Association business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from travel industry organizations including DMOs, hotels, airlines, attractions, and tour operators at various engagement tiers
Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship and advertising opportunities across signature events including IPW, ESTO, Destination Capitol Hill, and Summer Summit
Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for industry events, conferences, and educational programming

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Three-tier membership structure: Ally, Engage, and Inform levels with varying benefits

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

U.S. Travel Association product offering

Product offering

Core offering

U.S. Travel Association is a non-profit trade association that represents more than 1,000 member organizations across the U.S. travel industry, providing industry advocacy, signature events, and research products. It operates programs including the IPW international inbound travel trade show, ESTO destination marketing conference, Destination Capitol Hill legislative fly-in, the U.S. Travel Forecast and Insights Dashboard research products, and grassroots advocacy initiatives such as Travel Action Network and TravelPAC.

Product overview

The U.S. Travel Association operates as a trade organization with a platform-plus-programs model, offering signature events (IPW, ESTO, Destination Capitol Hill, Summer Summit), research and data products (Insights Dashboard, Economic Impact Tool, Travel Forecast, Group Travel Report), advocacy programs (Travel Action Network, TravelPAC, Travel Works for America), and member networks (NCSTD, DMO Resource Library). The organization also manages the GREAT USA Coalition for major event preparation and the Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel for policy modernization. Membership provides access to the Policy Center, SmartBrief newsletter, and networking opportunities across the $2.9 trillion travel industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

IPW (International Pow Wow) The leading international inbound travel trade show that connects global buyers with U.S. travel suppliers and destinations, generating an estimated $5.5 billion in future travel to the United States. Targeted to U.S. travel exhibitors and international travel buyers and media.
ESTO (Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations) Premier learning event for destination marketing professionals, providing relevant, engaging content in a forum tailored to large and small destinations. Targeted to destination marketing organization professionals.
Destination Capitol Hill (DCH) Premier legislative fly-in that brings travel leaders from across the country to educate policymakers on the power of travel through advocacy training, guest speakers, and peer-to-peer networking. Targeted to travel industry executives and government relations leaders.
Summer Summit Annual industry event designed to help make informed marketing decisions and network with industry professionals. Targeted to travel industry marketers and members.
U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard Interactive data tool providing travel industry metrics, recovery insights, and economic impact data for the U.S. travel industry. Targeted to travel industry professionals, DMOs, and member organizations.
Economic Impact Tool Interactive data platform showing the economic contribution of travel to the U.S. economy, including jobs, GDP, and spending statistics. Targeted to DMOs, policymakers, and travel industry stakeholders.
U.S. Travel Forecast Travel forecasting service providing projections for travel spending, visitation, and sector-specific trends through 2030, powered by Tourism Economics modeling. Targeted to travel industry professionals, DMOs, and member organizations.
Travel Action Network Grassroots mobilization program that enables travel industry advocates to contact legislators and support pro-travel policies. Targeted to travel industry professionals and member advocates.
GREAT USA Coalition America's Sports & Travel Mega Event Coalition focused on enhancing U.S. airport and visa systems in preparation for major events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Targeted to government and industry leaders across travel and infrastructure.
Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel Advisory commission focused on modernizing America's travel system, improving security screening technology, and reducing travel friction. Targeted to federal policymakers, security agencies, and travel industry stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

IPW generates more than $5.5 billion in future travel for the United States
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use U.S. Travel Association

Customer profile

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

U.S. Travel Association technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

U.S. Travel Association partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

ZarticocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Strategic partnership announced June 17, 2026 aimed at advancing destination intelligence capabilities across U.S. Travel's membership network. The collaboration will launch joint research initiatives focused on destination trends and visitor intelligence, leveraging data analytics to help destinations better understand visitor behavior and measure tourism's economic impact. The partnership combines Zartico's destination analytics expertise with U.S. Travel Association's industry research and advocacy to help destinations make data-informed decisions supporting long-term industry growth.
GREAT USA Coalition (ASTMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerica's Sports & Travel Mega Event Coalition aims to enhance U.S. airport and visa systems in preparation for increased inbound tourism including major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Involves government and industry leaders to improve readiness for mega events.
GSIQ Tourism InsightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting visitor surveys and travel intention studies on behalf of U.S. Travel Association, including the 2026 World Cup visitor research study with 9,500+ respondents across 10 key markets.
Morning ConsultminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolling partner conducting national surveys on voter attitudes toward aviation security and TSA funding, including the March 2026 survey of 2,000 registered voters.
IMEXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in meetings and events industry supporting U.S. Travel's group travel research and Global Meetings Industry Day initiatives.
Tourism EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic research partner providing travel forecasting modeling and analysis powering U.S. Travel's Travel Forecast projections through 2030.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

U.S. Travel Association competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global travel and tourism industry body representing the private sector worldwide. Directly comparable to U.S. Travel Association as a membership-based advocacy organization, though operating at a global rather than U.S.-only scope with overlapping CEO-level governance from major travel brands.

Direct peers

American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): National trade association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry. Direct peer as a Washington D.C.-based, membership-driven advocacy organization serving a major subset of U.S. Travel's member base (Hilton, MGM Resorts, and Caesars Entertainment are shared members across both boards).
Airlines for America (A4A): Trade association representing major U.S. airlines. Comparable as a Washington-based industry advocacy body whose members (United, Delta, American) also sit on U.S. Travel's Executive Board, with overlapping policy priorities on TSA/ATC funding, aviation security, and international inbound travel.
Brand USA: Destination marketing organization for the United States that promotes international inbound travel. Directly comparable to U.S. Travel Association in mission (growing inbound travel to the U.S.) and is referenced as a policy priority within U.S. Travel's advocacy platform.
American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA): National trade association representing travel advisors and agencies in the United States. Comparable as a membership-based advocacy organization serving the travel distribution chain, with overlapping member segments in tour operators and retail travel agencies.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA): World's largest cruise industry trade association. Comparable as a membership-based advocacy body serving a major travel industry segment that falls within U.S. Travel's broader industry representation mandate.
Destinations International: Trade association for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and convention and visitors bureaus. Directly comparable as a membership-based industry body whose DMO members overlap substantially with U.S. Travel's primary membership segment.
Events Industry Council (EIC): Federation of more than 30 member organizations serving the events industry. Comparable as a membership-based industry association whose scope overlaps with U.S. Travel's Global Meetings Industry Day and group travel advocacy priorities.
U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA): Trade association representing major North American tour operators. Comparable as a membership-based advocacy organization serving a specific travel industry segment (tour operators) that falls within U.S. Travel Association's broader industry representation.
National Tour Association (NTA): Leading business association for tour operators, DMOs, and tourism suppliers. Comparable as a membership-based industry body with overlapping constituency in DMOs and tour operators, both of which form core U.S. Travel member segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

U.S. Travel Association financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

U.S. Travel Association leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

U.S. Travel Association funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

U.S. Travel Association M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about U.S. Travel Association

What does U.S. Travel Association do?

Is U.S. Travel Association a public or private company?

U.S. Travel Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was U.S. Travel Association founded?

U.S. Travel Association was founded in 1941. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is U.S. Travel Association based?

U.S. Travel Association is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.

How does U.S. Travel Association make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are event Sponsorships and event Registration Fees.

Who are U.S. Travel Association's main competitors?

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Airlines for America (A4A), Brand USA, American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Destinations International, Events Industry Council (EIC), U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA) and National Tour Association (NTA).

Does U.S. Travel Association have an API?

No public API is recorded for U.S. Travel Association.

What industry is U.S. Travel Association in?

U.S. Travel Association's product category is Travel Industry Trade Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAMAC, Meetings & Group Travel Management (Corporate Groups), with a secondary code of THAKABAJ, Group Leisure Retail Travel Agencies. Its NAICS code is 561510.