Delegates have started to arrive in Fort Lauderdale for IPW 2026, the US inbound event formerly known as Pow Wow, with many of them have participated in pre-event familiarisation trips.
This gathering of travel professionals from more than 60 countries comes at a time when the global tourism sector shows signs of adaptation to recent challenges in international connectivity.
The event, which runs from 17 May to 21 May 2026, offers a platform for direct discussions that can convert into concrete bookings and partnerships.
Organisers have confirmed expectations that the meetings will generate future travel worth several billion euro to the American economy. In one projection the gathering could support economic activity equivalent to over €13 billion through new international visits in the coming years.
Travel to the United States has shown resilience in the face of global headwinds. While Canada and mainland Europe have shown declines, demand from other key source markets has held steady in segments such as leisure, business and family travel.
Suppliers from coastal cities, national parks and urban centres prepare to match these interests with tailored proposals. Discussions on sustainability, digital tools for booking and measures to ease entry procedures will occupy many meetings.
Tyler Gosnell US Travel director of international markets shared: US Travel Association’s IPW has been evolving from a traditional wholesale trade show into the global distribution marketplace for American travel supply, 68 million international travelers chose the United States last year. More than any other long-haul destination. And yet the US was the only major travel market where international inbound declined. The world grew nearly 10pc. The US fell 5.5pc.
Despite the headlines of the past year, demand to visit the US remains. The gap is everything between that demand and whether the world believes the US wants it.
This is the largest moment the US industry has each year to host the world, demonstrate that international travelers are welcome, and make the case that America wants and needs their business. That work has rarely mattered more. The buyers and media coming are not passive customers. They are commercial partners. Their businesses, audiences, and decisions depend on growing US demand. They are coming to find reasons to lean back in. IPW’s job this year is to make the case.
For the international inbound travel ecosystem, from destinations, hotels, attractions, RTOs, and airlines to buyers, travel technology companies, distribution platforms, brands, and media partners, IPW is where the US industry meets the people who shape global demand. We do not get many chances each year to listen, learn, and project welcome at this scale.
The companies in the room shape how international travelers discover, buy, and book the United States: tour operators, RTOs, online platforms, B2B distributors, technology partners, destinations, hotels, attractions, and brands.
Across Europe, tour operators and distributors aren’t bearish on the US They’re pragmatic. When travelers can reach Japan visa-free, visit Canada faster, or explore Australia for less, “America later” becomes an easy choice. While other nations remove friction, expand routes, and invest billions to win share, the US is still negotiating its own bottlenecks: visa delays, airport throughput, and fragmented tourism strategies that leaves us competing against ourselves. Every lost traveler isn’t just a missed trip, it’s lost export revenue, jobs, and soft power.
