NORDIC STATUS REPORT Visit California, April, 2014
INDEX Market overview. 2 PR PR and communications activities. 4 Newsletters/Press releases.. 4 Media interest.. 6 Press trips and individual journalist visits.. 6 Social media update.. 7 Other PR activities.. 8 Press coverage.. 8 SALES Industry News 9 In-market sales activities & trade show. 10 Airline overview 14 Upcoming activities, 2014-2015. 16 1
MARKET OVERVIEW By Managing Director/CEO Karin Gert Nielsen In connection with IPW this month we received the latest statistics for Scandinavian travellers visiting California and although some numbers have gone down the overall numbers have gone up and we are glad to see a clear trend of an increasing interest in visiting California. The development: Length of stay and arrivals Recent years have seen more competition on the routes between Scandinavia and California. In 2013 and 2014 alone, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Norwegian Air Shuttle have opened 4 new routes, resulting in more direct connections at lower prices. These improving flight connections have pushed an already increasing trend among Scandinavian travelers, namely more but shorter holidays, with travelers even visiting the American west coast on weeklong holidays, allowing them to visit more often. 240.000 220.000 200.000 180.000 160.000 140.000 120.000 100.000 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20 15 10 5 0 Length of stay Arrivals Length of stay: Down 15% since 2008 Arrivals: Up 39% since 2008 Scandinavian spend in California Scandinavians also spend a lot in California. Average spend Spend in California 30 % $200 $700 $1.200 $1.700 $2.200 On their California travels, Scandinavians spend USD 1,879. With an average spend of USD 1,440, visitors from Denmark, Norway and Sweden spend 30% more than the average. 2
Latest figures, Arrivals to the US Increase in press coverage On the media side, California has become a little darling in Scandinavia continuously increasing both reach and value year over year Reach Value July-Dec 2008 55,456,750 $1,328,000 2009 85,560,000 $1,852,000 2010 62,939,500 $1,650,100 2011 109,945,900 $3,691,600 2012 260,534,400 $9,121,700 2013 476,728,350 $18,094,200 Especially since 2010 once Visit California s presence in the region was truly founded. 600.000.000 400.000.000 200.000.000 20.000.000 15.000.000 10.000.000 5.000.000 Reach Value 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 0 Since 2009 reach has increased 457% and straight media value has increased 877% As per request we have changed reach to circulation as of January 2014 3
PR By/Anne Veith, Communications Consultant, and Inge Alsmith, Director of Communications PR AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES NEWSLETTERS / PRESS RELEASES Headline: San Diego Guides to the Good Stuff Date: 4 April, 2014 Topics: San Diego s new initiative Guides to the Good Stuff ; Chima Water Park to hit LEGOLAND California; San Diego Natural History Museum to host National Geographic s Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship; Spring and summer events in San Diego including Lakeside Rodeo, San Diego Earth Fair, The Fiesta Cinco de Mayo, Rock n roll Marathon, LGBT Pride, Rally and Festival, and Comic-con International Direct link: http://eepurl.com/rr0oz 4
Other newsletters: Headline: 17 million visited San Francisco in 2013 Date: 24 April, 2014 Direct link: http://eepurl.com/tbi2p Headline: Meet Baker Mortensen in Solvang Date: 29 April, 2014 Direct link: http://eepurl.com/tuio9 5
MEDIA INTEREST We assisted Gudmund Lindbæk, King Goya.com, with story development and images in connection to our San Diego newsletter We were in contact with Nadim Carlman, Lifestyle Publishing (SE), regarding a potential advertisement and he showed interest in press releases and story developments from California PRESS TRIPS AND INDIVIDUAL JOURNALIST VISITS Preben Hansen, Turen Går Til, April 2013. Status: guidebook was published February 2014, in total 150 out of 245 pages on California. Søren Thorup, Fynske Medier, Denmark, 18-21 February, 2014 San Francisco Follow-up: We received the article based on the trip. Please see PReport for further details Søren Clauding, Rejseradio, Denmark, July-August (pending) Los Angeles, San Francisco, Solvang, Calistoga 6
Press fam, August 2014 (pending) San Francisco Press fam, Q3 2014 (pending) Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE 7
OTHER PR ACTIVITIES Open House Tasting of American Wines, Oslo, 15 May We co-sponsor this California Wines Institute event at the Ambassador s residence in Oslo. Media will be present. PRESS COVERAGE Please refer to PReport for an elaborate overview 8
SALES INDUSTRY NEWS Blixen Tours opens office in Norway Blixen Tours is opening a sister company in Norway, Skien, Blixen Tours Norway. Blixen Tours has since 2003 given Danish customers the opportunity to go on tailor made trips of their dreams to Africa, Indian Ocean and the Middle-east, and now the Norwegians will have the same opportunity. The company will be fully operational from the 28th of April 2014. Let's Travel AS and Blixen Tours Norway, with different concepts, are to be operated separately by Jun Bjørbekk as Managing Director. 9
IN MARKET SALES ACTIVITIES & TRADE SHOW One year anniversary of the launch for the San Francisco - Copenhagen route. In a recent email, Stefan Larsson, General Manager Americas at Scandinavian Airlines, thanked us for the efforts leading up to the San Francisco launch last year and the great support during the first year of operations. The route being the success it is leads to even more flights and recently, Scandinavian Airlines made the decision to add Tuesday to the summer schedule. Follow up with tour operators We have been in contact with both tour operators and CA suppliers in connection with the USA Travel Show 2014 and the California Prize. We helped Per Storm, Sales Manager at Risskov Travel and Annett L. Jensen, Travel Consultant at Nyhavn Rejser, to plan their trip to California. In addition to this, we have shipped California maps to FDM Travel. VisitCalifornia, follow up We have been in contact with Tia Hoang, Web Manager, about the IVG Order Request and Sommer McCormick, Independent Contractor, in connection with the new Dream Big Banners. 10
California Wine, Norway, 15 May In a cooperation with the California Wine Institute, the U.S. Commercial Service and the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway we will organize a California Wine tasting in Oslo. The event will take place at U.S. Ambassador s Residence from 4pm - 6pm. Napa, Napa Wine Train and Sonoma will support the event with collaterals and Karin Gert Nielsen will participate at this event Invitation 11
IPW, Chicago, 5-9 April John and Karin participated at IPW 2014 and were present at various California related events. John was at the VC stand taking more than 25 appointments from the Nordic. 12
California Event, Copenhagen, 22 May In a cooperation with AF KLM DELTA we will organize a California event that will take place at Hotel Babette Guldsmeden in Copenhagen, 22 May. More than 300 travel agents and media will be invited. Invitation Gislev Rejser, Travel Show, Denmark, 20 June We will attend the show at the headquarters of Gislev Rejser. Consumers will be invited. More information will follow. 13
AIRLINE OVERVIEW Direct routes from the Nordic Region to the US at a glance American Airlines Helsinki Chicago United Stockholm - New York EWR Oslo - New York EWR Delta Air Lines Copenhagen - New York JFK Stockholm - New York JFK Keflavik - New York JFK Finnair Helsinki - New York JFK Helsinki -Miami Icelandair Keflavik - New York JFK Keflavik - Newark Keflavik - Boston Keflavik - Minneapolis Keflavik Seattle Keflavik - Washington Dulles Keflavik Denver Keflavik - Anchorage SAS Copenhagen - New York EWR Copenhagen SFO Frequency (in a cooperation with Finnair) Seasonal - Seasonal - 6 weekly Seasonal - 3 weekly 2 weekly. From January 3, 2015, 3 weekly (December 16, 2014 until March 21, 2015) 2 Daily 4 weekly 2 Daily & 4 weekly - all year 6 weekly 2 weekly 11 weekly 6 weekly Aircraft Boeing 767-300 269 200 169 200 169 Boeing 767-200 269 200 169 200 169 Airbus A330-300 295 Airbus A340-300 269 200 183 200 183 200 183 200 183 200 183 200 183 200 183 200 183 Airbus A330-300 264 Airbus A330-300 264 Seats available per flight 14
Copenhagen - Chicago Copenhagen - Washington Stockholm - New York EWR Stockholm - Chicago Oslo - New York EWR Norwegian Oslo - New York JFK Stockholm - New York JFK Copenhagen - New York, JFK Bergen - New York, JFK Stockholm - Fort Lauderdale Copenhagen - Fort Lauderdale 3 weekly 3 weekly 2 weekly winter 2013 (started February 28th) / 4 x weekly summer 2014 (start April 30th) 1 weekly from the 3rd of May to the 27th of September, 2014 2 weekly 2 weekly winter 2013 (started December 1st) / 3 weekly summer 2014 (March 2014) Oslo - Fort Lauderdale 2 weekly Copenhagen - Ft.Lauderdale 3 weekly Oslo - Los Angeles 1 weekly start June 1st 2014 Copenhagen - Los 2 weekly started March 1st/ from May 1st 3 Angeles x weekly Stockholm - Los 2 weekly started March 2nd 2014, from April Angeles 30th, 3 x weekly Stockholm- Oakland, San Francisco 2 weekly start May 3rd 2014, Oslo - Oakland, San Francisco 3 weekly start May 28th 2014 Oslo - Orlando 2 weekly start May 29th 2014 Airbus A340-300 245 Airbus A330-300 264 Airbus A330-300 264 Airbus A330-300 264 Airbus A330-300 264 Dreamliner 291 15
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES, 2014-2015 IMEX Meeting & Events Berlin, Germany 20-22 May KGN & JM attending America Sweden Trade/media Stockholm, Sweden 30 May Evening workshop for travel trade professionals and media. 100 travel agents and media. America Finland Trade/media Helsinki, Finland 5 June Summer Party Gislev Travel Show Consumer Denmark 20 June 500+ consumers to visit the head quarter of Gislev Rejser America Finland Trade/media Helsinki, Finland 4 July Fourth of July Celebration Travel agent, media workshop Trade Aarhus, Denmark 21 August 300 travel agents and media. Workshop and presentation. PATA Workshop, marketing event Helsinki, Finland August. TBD 100+ travel agents and media America Finland Trade/media Helsinki, Finland 28 August Meeting, educational seminar America Sweden Trade/media Malmoe, Sweden 26 September Evening workshop for travel trade professionals and media. 100 travel agents and media. America Finland Trade/media Helsinki, Finland 30 September Annual Meeting Danish Travel Awards Trade/Media Copenhagen, Denmark October. TBA 500 Travel Executives By invitation only America Sweden Trade/Media Gothenburg, Sweden 16 October Evening workshop for travel trade professionals America Sweden Trade/Media Linköbing/Norrköping Sweden 16 October Evening workshop for travel trade professionals America Sweden Trade/Media Jönköping, Sweden 17 October Evening workshop for travel trade professionals Øksnehallen Consumer show Copenhagen, Denmark 17-19 October Luxury consumer show. 15.000 visitors. 16
PATA Longhaul Trade/Media Billund/Copenhagen, Denmark 29-30 October 400 travel agents, Tour operators and media, two days workshop and presentation World Travel Market Trade/Media London, England 3-6 November KGN & JM attending America Sweden Trade/Media Stockholm, Sweden 4 November Halloween Workshop Thanksgiving Trade/Media Copenhagen, Denmark 13 November Thanksgiving America Sweden Trade/Media Gothenburg, Sweden 20 November America Sweden Thanksgiving lunch/trade Stockholm, Sweden 27 November America meeting followed by thanksgiving luncheon Matka Trade & consumer show Helsinki, Finland 15-18 January Travel show, 80.000 visitors Ferie og fritid Trade & consumer show Copenhagen, Denmark 16-18 January Travel show, 30.000 visitors Mid-Atlantic Trade show Reykjavik, Iceland 5 8 February B2b travel show America Finland Trade/media Helsinki, Finland TBC The Danish Travel Show Trade & consumer show Herning, Denmark 20-22 February Travel show, 63.000 visitors Swansons Long Haul day Consumer/Media Osby, Sweden 28 February 1000+ consumers visit Fort Swanson FDM Travel Consumer Lyngby Denmark TBC March 1000+ consumers to visit the head quarter of FDM America Denmark Workshop Copenhagen, Denmark 2 March 300+ travel agents/media from Denmark, Norway and Sweden ITB Trade & consumer show Berlin, Germany 3-9 March 17