Free International Readiness Webinar Series

As the United States prepares to welcome millions of international visitors for major global events, IITA's International Readiness Webinar Series provides destinations, tourism businesses, and community stakeholders with practical tools to strengthen their international market readiness and capitalize on inbound travel opportunities.

International Readiness Training - IPW Debrief | Inside the Minds of European Buyers

As a follow-up to IITA's International Readiness series and recent conversations at IPW, this upcoming one-hour Zoom webinar will provide U.S. destinations and tourism businesses with direct insights from European buyers and tour operators.

Designed for DMOs, attractions, accommodations, receptive operators, and tourism suppliers, the session will explore what it really takes to successfully work with the European market and build long-term international business relationships.

Participants will gain practical insights on:

• What European tour operators look for in destination and supplier partners
• Common mistakes U.S. tourism businesses make when approaching European buyers
• The current outlook for European travel to the United States
• How destinations and suppliers can remain competitive and relevant in today's market
• What products, pricing, and sales materials should be in place before reaching out to international operators
• Strategies for building strong, long-term relationships with the European travel trade

This candid debrief will give participants an opportunity to hear directly from buyers about current market conditions, evolving traveler expectations, and the steps U.S. tourism businesses can take now to strengthen their international readiness.

Who Should Attend?
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
Hotels and accommodations
Attractions and experiences
Receptive tour operators
Transportation providers
Tourism suppliers and partners
Economic development and community leaders

Additional speaker and registration details will be announced soon.

International Readiness Training –  Global Football Tournament 

The International Inbound Travel Association (IITA) recently launched an International Readiness Training Program, a national initiative designed to prepare U.S. destinations, tourism suppliers, and local businesses to effectively welcome and serve international visitors in advance of a series of global events beginning in 2026.

Developed in collaboration with Destinations International (DI), Alon Tourism Solutions, and the U.S. National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO) and informed by engagement with the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup, the program provides practical, actionable training to help communities across the country prepare for the anticipated surge in international visitation during the 6-week tournament. 

With millions of global travelers expected to visit the United States — many for the first time — the program focuses on ensuring destinations are ready not only operationally, but culturally and strategically, to deliver a world-class visitor experience. 

IITA recently offered a free core training session focused on the needs of global travelers and strategies to maximize tourism opportunities for Host Cities, Base Camp Destinations, and surrounding communities. A recording of the March 25, 2026 session is now available, covering the following topics:

Please share with your community stakeholders.

Access the Global Football Tournament International Readiness Recording

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You can download the session PowerPoint presentation below.

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International Readiness Training – Round 2: Leveraging Global Sports Tourism  

We will be offering another free session on May 7 at 1 PM ET, focused on leveraging the international appeal of sporting events to drive inbound travel.

This FREE one-hour Round 2 session builds on foundational International Readiness training with a deeper dive into how sports tourism drives international travel behavior — and how destinations and tourism businesses can strategically position themselves to benefit.

The session will be moderated by Jennifer Ackerson (President - Alon Tourism Solutions) and will feature expert insights from Luisa Mendoza (Founder & CEO - GTSE - Global Tourism Sports & Entertainment) and Janis Burke (Chief Sports Officer - Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority).

Participants will explore:

• How global sporting events influence international travel decisions, itineraries, and spending patterns
• The role of sports as a gateway to broader destination discovery
• Strategies to extend stays beyond match days and distribute visitors across regions
• How to make sports-related and complementary experiences discoverable through the international travel trade 

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DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION

Designed for DMOs, inbound operators, tourism leaders, suppliers, and frontline stakeholders, this session will provide actionable insights to help destinations not only prepare for upcoming global events, but also navigate current travel dynamics and position themselves for sustained international growth.