Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and NYC & Company today announced that New York City has set a new goal to generate $70 billion in economic impact from travel and tourism by 2015. The Big Apple is building on a new visitation goal to attract 55 million visitors in this same time period.

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson announced that the United States can expect four to five percent average annual growth in tourism over the next five years and that 65.4 million foreign travelers are projected to visit the United States in 2012 alone. Bryson released  the forecast at the Pow Wow annual event in Los Angeles.

Brand USA, the new tourism marketing entity responsible for promoting the United States to world visitors, unveiled the USA's first-ever comprehensive marketing campaign during a press conference at International Pow Wow 2012 in Los Angeles.

Brand USA and the U.S. Travel Association are partnering to take International Pow Wow (IPW) to new heights. Brand USA, the national marketing effort promoting international travel to the United States, is the exclusive branding partner at U.S. Travel's IPW for the next four years and will officially launch its global marketing campaign at this year's event, being held in Los Angeles from April 21-25.

Against the backdrop of the 41st International Pow Wow in Miami, Florida, and before delegates of the international and domestic travel media, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta launched NYC ‘09, a new integrated communications and marketing initiative that will showcase 2009 as a year of great opportunity and unprecedented value and affordability for consumers.

Fort Lauderdale showed off its “Immersadome,” which offers guests a 3-D audio-visual tour of the area complete with special effects, such as wind in your face during an Everglades airboat ride and floral aromas inside a spa.