Melissa Frederick, The Examiner
2008-02-27 08:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Online travel provider Travelocity has signed on to work on the United States’ first official tourism Web site, set to launch in March.

The firm is partnering with the D.C.-based Travel Industry Association, which has been working on the site since 2006.

The project is being co-funded by TIA and the U.S. Department of Commerce, which devoted $3.9 million to the endeavor; TIA is matching about 40 percent, according to Adam Vance, who’s leading the project for TIA.

The Web site, DiscoverAmerica.com, will feature in-depth information about major destinations in the U.S., including details on between 20 and 60 cities, Vance said.

It also will have travel arrangement booking options and information on entering the U.S. in reference to passports and other concerns.

“There’s really no national tourism organization for the U.S.,” Vance said. “Almost every other country has one that is government-funded marketing their country.”

This Web site will target the five most popular inbound markets — Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan — which account for about 75 percent of international travel here, Vance said. The sites will be written in the countries’ major languages.

Travelocity will provide online travel booking for visitors, who also will be connected to local agents in their area if they elect to book in person, he said.

An early version of the Web site will debut in March, with a full launch scheduled for May, Vance said.

“I actually don’t think there is much of a need for it,” said Chris DeBrusk, chief executive officer of TravelGator, an online travel agency, of the project.

“I don’t think this will bring a huge amount to the table that’s not already out there and readily available,” DeBrusk said.

DeBrusk said the Web site could benefit from having some third-party information on it, such as user reviews of destination sites.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com